1. Allison Bawden
February 18, 2016
College students need to engage politically
College students throughout the years have been synonymous with political activism, from the
Free Speech Movement at Berkeley in the ‘60s, to anti Vietnam War demonstrations at Kent
State in ‘70. But today’s generation, the ‘millennials,’ are largely disengaged from politics.
The current political opinions of college students are low. Sixty-four percent of college students
are “uncertain and concerned” about the future of the nation, according to a study done by “The
Journal of Social Issues,” while 26 percent are more confident.
The same study found that “student opinion about the state of the country becomes significantly
darker with each class year. 43 percent of freshmen think the country is headed in the right
direction, while only 32 percent, 31 percent, and 26 percent of sophomores, juniors, and seniors
agree.” Since college students are not hopeful about the current state of the nation they are
remaining uninvolved in political activities.
But current college students are the future leaders of America, the people who will one day be
significant political leaders. It is imperative for the youth population to be active, educated, and
engaged in the political landscape of the United States.
Recent research on college students’ political views report 16 percent of college students are
active in a political campaign, and 20 percent intend to become involved. The same research

2. reported college student political allegiances fall more to the left, with 33 percent reporting that
they voted or plan to vote in a Democratic primary, and 13 percent voted or planned to vote in a
Republican primary.
On the local level, San Diego State University’s seven political student organizations include
Aztecs for Sanders 2016, College Republicans of SDSU, Movimiento Estudiantil
Chicano/Chicana De Aztlan (M.E.Ch.A.), and International Youth and Students for Social
Equality (IYSSE). SDSU has a total of 286 student organizations, meaning only 2.5% are
political.
In order to get students more involved in political activities, it is important to understand the
factors that influence youth engagement in the subject. A study done by the “Journal of
Community Engagement and Scholarship” searched for associations between four civic
influences and political participation of college students. The civic influences examined were
civic instruction, deliberative course-based discussion, community service, and service learning.
The study’s results yielded a positive correlation to civic instruction and deliberative course-
based discussion with youth participation in voting. The study also revealed two other variables
“significantly associated with political interest frequency are parental engagement and personal
contact mobilization."
It is in the best interest of the population as a whole for colleges and K-12 schools alike to
foster the aforementioned civic influences in their curriculums to usher a new generation of
informed and involved citizens.

3. A college students make up a sizeable chunk of the United States’ population, they have more
influence. According to a poll taken by the National Center of Education Statistics, in fall 2015,
“20.2 million students are expected to attend American colleges and universities, constituting an
increase of about 4.9 million since fall 2000.” Furthermore, according to “Youth Vote Gap
Suggests Republicans Risk Losing An ‘Entire Generation’ To Democrats,” voters ages 18-29
make up 19 percent of the electorate.
With numbers like that, if all college students participated in politics in any way, whether it be
attending rallies, joining an organization, or voting, it would be the equivalent of putting a
megaphone to the mouths of today’s youth. The needs, opinions, and concerns of college
students would be heard and met.
The ‘silent generation’ is the term coined for the elderly population. However, if the youth of
today don’t take the initiative to become involved in the political landscape that shapes the
nation’s future, they too will be silenced.
Sources:
1. Silvern, L. , & Nakamura, C. (1971). Powerlessness, social-political action, social-
political views: Their interrelation among college students. The Journal of Social Issues, 27(4),
137-157.
2. Anonymous, .(2008). New research on college students’ political views. Peer Review,
10(2/3), 42.

4. 3. Pascarella, E. , Salisbury, M. , Martin, G. , & Blaich, C. (2012). Some complexities in the
effects of diversity experiences on orientation social/political activism and political views in the
first year of college. The Journal of Higher Education, 83(4), 467-496.
4. Hanson, J. , Weeden, D. , Pascarella, E. , & Blaich, C. (2012). Do liberal arts colleges
make students more liberal? Some initial evidence. Higher Education, 64(3), 355-369.
5. Pritzker, S. , Springer, M. , & McBride, A. (2015). Learning to vote: Informing political
participation among college students. Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship, 8(1),
69.
6. "A Deep Dive Into Party Affiliation." Pew Research Center for the People and the Press
RSS. Pew Research Center, 07 Apr. 2015. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.
7. Kingkade, Tyler. “Youth Vote Gap Suggests Republicans Risk Losing An ‘Entire
Generation’ To Democrats.” The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 12 Nov. 2012 Web.
18 Feb. 2016.