This document summarizes research on voter apathy among millennials. It finds that millennial voter turnout has consistently declined compared to other generations when they were the same age. Studies show millennials have become more individualistic over time and less focused on civic engagement and community involvement compared to previous generations. Political socialization is important, and habits formed around voting in early adulthood tend to persist. The declining civic participation among millennials is concerning for the health of democracy.
This document discusses factors that influence youth voter turnout in the United States. It notes that while the youth vote could influence elections, youth voter turnout has declined significantly over time. Three main theories are discussed to explain voter participation: rational choice theory, which cites factors like competitiveness; socialization theory, which emphasizes the role of family and community in developing political behaviors; and psychological theories, which focus on individual attitudes and perceptions. However, the document notes that none of these theories fully explain the inconsistent and generally low levels of youth voter turnout seen in the U.S. The relationship between politicians and young voters is described as one of "mutual neglect," with lack of outreach to youth seen as an important factor.
This document summarizes research on young people's political engagement. It discusses factors like education, technology use, and racial/ethnic diversity that can influence engagement. Several studies found that college-educated youth were more politically active than non-college peers, engaging more in voting and civic activities. However, results varied depending on study methodology and year. While some argue youth are apathetic, others found they engage through new forms like online activism. The document also discusses how youths' top political issues changed over time and varied between racial/ethnic groups.
Media access and exposure as determinants of the political Alexander Decker
This document summarizes a study that examined the relationship between media access and exposure on the political knowledge of undergraduates in Southwestern Nigeria. The study found that exposure to electronic media like television predicted higher political knowledge among respondents compared to print media. Most respondents preferred television as their main source of political information. The study recommended that governments and media organizations collaborate to increase youth access to print media and ensure broadcast media adhere to professional standards.
Youth Voting Engagement: Social Marketing PlanKate Taylor
This social marketing plan aims to increase youth voter engagement among 18-24 year olds in Canada. Voter turnout has been declining in Canada, especially among youth. In the 2011 election, only 38.8% of 18-24 year olds voted compared to 75.1% of 65-74 year olds. There is a disconnect between youth and voting as many feel politics do not impact them. Currently, there are few organizations focused on youth voter engagement. The Council of Canadians has a campaign asking youth to pledge to vote but is struggling to reach its goal. Another initiative in Ottawa holds events for students but has limited reach. This plan seeks to address the behavior change of boosting youth voter participation.
This document summarizes a study that surveyed 395 students at York College about their views on immigration, race, and education. The study aimed to examine how demographic factors influence opinions on immigrants and immigration. A survey was administered that asked questions about perceptions of immigrants and their contributions. The results found that immigrant students tended to be more supportive of immigration than opposed, but there was no significant relationship found between variables. Limitations included a small sample size and concise survey questions.
Selling Millenials on Political ParticipationNadine Janzen
This document examines reasons for low voter turnout among young people and potential solutions. It summarizes that voter turnout tends to increase with age as people reach major life milestones. However, young people today are delaying these milestones. The document then analyzes factors that affect youth voter turnout, such as education level, income, employment, race, and gender. Higher education and income are linked to higher turnout. The document proposes solutions like making voting more accessible and increasing civic education to engage more young voters.
This document provides a literature review and background on a study examining factors influencing the political participation of students at the University of Johannesburg. It discusses the following key points in 3 sentences:
The study aims to understand why political participation has declined among South African youth by examining how students' demographic characteristics and perceptions of the ruling ANC party influence their participation. The literature review covers political participation in general, and how race, class, and perceptions of the ANC have been found to shape political involvement. The document provides context on the study which used a survey to quantitatively measure how factors like race, class, and views of government affect the political participation of students at the University of Johannesburg.
This document discusses factors that influence youth voter turnout in the United States. It notes that while the youth vote could influence elections, youth voter turnout has declined significantly over time. Three main theories are discussed to explain voter participation: rational choice theory, which cites factors like competitiveness; socialization theory, which emphasizes the role of family and community in developing political behaviors; and psychological theories, which focus on individual attitudes and perceptions. However, the document notes that none of these theories fully explain the inconsistent and generally low levels of youth voter turnout seen in the U.S. The relationship between politicians and young voters is described as one of "mutual neglect," with lack of outreach to youth seen as an important factor.
This document summarizes research on young people's political engagement. It discusses factors like education, technology use, and racial/ethnic diversity that can influence engagement. Several studies found that college-educated youth were more politically active than non-college peers, engaging more in voting and civic activities. However, results varied depending on study methodology and year. While some argue youth are apathetic, others found they engage through new forms like online activism. The document also discusses how youths' top political issues changed over time and varied between racial/ethnic groups.
Media access and exposure as determinants of the political Alexander Decker
This document summarizes a study that examined the relationship between media access and exposure on the political knowledge of undergraduates in Southwestern Nigeria. The study found that exposure to electronic media like television predicted higher political knowledge among respondents compared to print media. Most respondents preferred television as their main source of political information. The study recommended that governments and media organizations collaborate to increase youth access to print media and ensure broadcast media adhere to professional standards.
Youth Voting Engagement: Social Marketing PlanKate Taylor
This social marketing plan aims to increase youth voter engagement among 18-24 year olds in Canada. Voter turnout has been declining in Canada, especially among youth. In the 2011 election, only 38.8% of 18-24 year olds voted compared to 75.1% of 65-74 year olds. There is a disconnect between youth and voting as many feel politics do not impact them. Currently, there are few organizations focused on youth voter engagement. The Council of Canadians has a campaign asking youth to pledge to vote but is struggling to reach its goal. Another initiative in Ottawa holds events for students but has limited reach. This plan seeks to address the behavior change of boosting youth voter participation.
This document summarizes a study that surveyed 395 students at York College about their views on immigration, race, and education. The study aimed to examine how demographic factors influence opinions on immigrants and immigration. A survey was administered that asked questions about perceptions of immigrants and their contributions. The results found that immigrant students tended to be more supportive of immigration than opposed, but there was no significant relationship found between variables. Limitations included a small sample size and concise survey questions.
Selling Millenials on Political ParticipationNadine Janzen
This document examines reasons for low voter turnout among young people and potential solutions. It summarizes that voter turnout tends to increase with age as people reach major life milestones. However, young people today are delaying these milestones. The document then analyzes factors that affect youth voter turnout, such as education level, income, employment, race, and gender. Higher education and income are linked to higher turnout. The document proposes solutions like making voting more accessible and increasing civic education to engage more young voters.
This document provides a literature review and background on a study examining factors influencing the political participation of students at the University of Johannesburg. It discusses the following key points in 3 sentences:
The study aims to understand why political participation has declined among South African youth by examining how students' demographic characteristics and perceptions of the ruling ANC party influence their participation. The literature review covers political participation in general, and how race, class, and perceptions of the ANC have been found to shape political involvement. The document provides context on the study which used a survey to quantitatively measure how factors like race, class, and views of government affect the political participation of students at the University of Johannesburg.
Educational achievement_level of political convictionAndrew Taylor
This study aimed to summarize the relationship between educational achievement and political conviction, as expressed through political participation. The study utilized data from the 2012 ANES survey, focusing on three dependent variables measuring different forms of participation: donations of money, vocal/written support, and contributions of time. It found a positive trend between higher education levels and higher levels of participation across all three variables. However, the correlations were relatively weak, indicating education is not strongly predictive of participation. Future studies should explore other predictive factors like gender, age, class, or partisanship. The study also noted a sharp increase in monetary donations at higher education levels, warranting further investigation.
Media use as a predictor of the political behaviour of undergraduates in sout...Alexander Decker
This document summarizes a study that examined the relationship between media use and political knowledge and behavior among undergraduates in Southwestern Nigeria. The study found that exposure to electronic media like television, radio and the internet predicted higher political knowledge and behavior than print media. Television was also found to be the dominant source of political information for respondents. Based on these findings, the study suggests that government and media proprietors should work to improve access to informative print media to curb poor reading habits among youth.
This document summarizes a student paper that explored the determinants of immigration opinion in the United States. The paper reviewed existing literature on factors that influence attitudes toward immigrants and immigration policy, including income, education, religion, age, gender, and race. It hypothesized relationships between religious practices, income, and education with opinions on illegal immigrants and immigration. The student analyzed data from the 2008 American National Election Survey to test these relationships, finding some statistically significant but weak correlations between the determinant variables and measures of immigration opinion.
Higher levels of economic segregation are associated with lower incomes, particularly for black residents. Higher levels of racial segregation are associated with lower incomes for blacks, lower educational attainment for whites and blacks, and lower levels of safety for all area residents.”
Erika Mnå presented on the development of civic engagement among youth. She discussed 5 key findings from research in Sweden: 1) Political interest develops steadily from ages 13-20. 2) Parents have the most influence on youth's civic views in their early 20s. 3) Internet use can both help and hinder the development of civic qualities, depending on the type of media. 4) Civic engagement has two dimensions - participation and passivity. 5) While political interest is high, other factors like trust in institutions influence whether interest translates to participation. The research suggests civic engagement is an ongoing process influenced by both individual and political systemic factors.
This summary analyzes factors that influence voter turnout among millennials based on data from the 2012 election. It finds that higher education levels strongly correlate with increased voter registration and turnout, with those having some college or a bachelor's degree being 20-30% more likely to vote. However, geographic region and population density show little correlation, as turnout in urban vs. rural areas was similar to national averages. High levels of civic engagement in non-profits and social movements also did not translate to higher turnout. The data suggests that while millennials are active in causes, their limited free time may prevent prioritizing voting. Overall education appears the strongest motivating factor for young voters.
A place-conscious approach can strengthen integrated strategies in poor neigh...Jonathan Dunnemann
Ample research evidence establishes that conditions in severely depressed neighborhoods undermine both the quality of daily life and the long-term life chances of parents and children. Policymakers and practitioners working to improve well-being and economic mobility in poor neighborhoods generally agree on the need for integrated approaches.
Building Healthy Places: How are Community Development Organizations Contribu...Jonathan Dunnemann
Through a survey conducted by NeighborWorks America of 242 high-performing community development organizations across the United States, we examine health strategies, partnerships, and services delivered by community development
organizations and professionals.
The relationship between university students’ perceptions ofRula alsawalqa
By conducting a set of quantitative surveys, this study aimed to detecting the correlation between Jordanian
University students’ perceptions of terrorism and a variety of demographic variables. The results revealed that
the majority of students viewed terrorism as the most heinous crime, and is never justified, and that terrorists
are hard-core criminals, separatist groups that want to weaken the unity of the country. Therefore, they should
be treated as traitors and punished as they pose a threat to national interest, and the safety and security of
citizens. While a few of student indicated that there are some terrorist activities’ as a repercussion of repressed
needs and the demands of society, it should however be managed and the violations committed by states
against their nationals be confronted with the aim of eliminating injustices to vulnerable citizens. Most
students believe that poverty and material deprivation are of the most prominent causes of terrorism. They
also stress the necessity of providing food security and optimal life for citizens to limit the spread of the
phenomenon of terrorism and achieve societal solidarity to save human lives and stability of communities.
Furthermore, the results confirmed that there are no academic specializations, age, sex, academic level, and
monthly income statistically significant differences in perceptions of the terrorism among university students.
Economic Abuse of Women in Amman, Jordan: A Quantitative StudyRula alsawalqa
This document summarizes research on economic abuse of women. It defines economic abuse and differentiates it from financial abuse. The document reviews literature finding that economic abuse reduces women's productivity, income, and independence by depriving them of access to economic resources and decision making. Economic abuse is associated with other forms of intimate partner violence and can continue after a relationship ends through things like child support. The document then presents a study conducted with 500 married working women in Amman, Jordan that found economic abuse decreased as women's education and length of marriage increased, and was more likely if the husband had a high education or was unemployed. Overall, the study aimed to better understand the relationship between demographic variables and economic abuse of women in Jordan.
Health Psychology of Urbanicity: Does it Increase Violent Behavior within Ado...Joseph White MPA CPM
This document provides background information for a research study examining whether factors related to urban living increase the likelihood of violent criminal behavior in adolescents. The study aims to identify scientific risk factors and create an equation to assess the probability of violence. Some potential risk factors discussed include access to quality education, race, and gender. The researcher hopes to determine practical crime reduction methods and increase safety in urban communities. The literature review discusses topics like the relationship between education and crime rates, impacts of unemployment, and how racial injustices can fuel conflicts. The goal is to better understand adolescent development and behavior within urban environments.
This document provides a literature review and introduction to a paper examining the origins and continuance of income inequality in the United States. It discusses how income inequality has increased dramatically in recent decades according to studies. It then explores some of the sociological factors that have contributed to rising inequality, such as changes in family structure, education levels, race, and crime/incarceration rates. The document provides historical context on these issues and their impact on inequality over time. It aims to analyze the problem of inequality through sociological, economic, and political lenses over the 20th century in the US.
Cyberbullying, social stigma, and self-esteem: the impact of COVID-19 on stud...Rula alsawalqa
The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the way people live, work, and socialize, and has perhaps
even altered the reasons why they harass one another. To our knowledge, the present study is one of the first
studies to address cyberbullying among university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additional objectives
were to reveal the causes and types of cyberbullying that university students from East and Southeast Asia have
experienced because of COVID-19, and to explore the relationship between cyberbullying and self-esteem. Of the
525 university students from different East and Southeast Asian countries and varied academic backgrounds who
were invited to participate in the study, 310 students agreed and were included. Moreover, a sample of 400
Jordanian undergraduate students, who participated in cyberbullying against East and Southeast Asian students
on social media, answered a questionnaire to reveal their reasons for engaging in bullying during the COVID-19
pandemic. This study also examined the relationship and differences between sex and nationality. The findings
revealed that cyberbullying contributed to low self-esteem in students of East and Southeast Asian descent who
were victims of bullying. Men were more likely to be bullies and cyberbullies than women. The bullies admitted
that the main reason for cyberbullying was humor, and that they were unaware that their harsh or aggressive
behaviors could be categorized as bullying. This study aimed to make a positive contribution to the scant literature on cyberbullying/cyber racism among university students in an Arab country. We believe our findings can
help guide the formulation of policies and solutions that address cyberbullying, especially between resident and
foreign students
To What Extent is Political Campaign Solicitation Gendered in the United Stat...Andrea Dub
This document provides a literature review of existing research on the gender gap in political campaign donations in the United States. It finds that while women have increasingly participated in voting, their financial contributions to political campaigns have remained stagnant at around 25-30% for decades. Existing literature has not adequately addressed why this gender disparity exists, often attributing it to outdated assumptions about women's socioeconomic status. The review identifies a gap in research focusing specifically on gender variations in campaign fundraising practices and the role of political fundraisers. This paper aims to help fill that gap through interviews exploring how fundraisers view and solicit donations from male and female donors.
Violent offending by young people in New Zealand: 'Perception versus reality'...robine
This document discusses perceptions of youth violence in New Zealand. It finds that media portrayals of youth crime exaggerate the level of violence by focusing on individual cases without context. Official statistics show that while youth apprehensions for violence have increased in recent decades, violence offenses make up a small portion of total youth crimes. Public surveys also find that people generally overestimate youth crime levels and support harsh punishments despite a lack of understanding of trends and the youth justice system. The document advocates for prevention and rehabilitation approaches given risk factors for youth violence like behavioral issues, victimization, and substance abuse.
2016 Citizen's Committee for Children of New York - Community Risk RankingJonathan Dunnemann
This document summarizes a report from the Citizens' Committee for Children of New York that ranks New York City's 59 community districts based on their level of risk to child well-being. It analyzes data across six domains - economic security, housing, health, education, youth, and family/community - to determine where risks are most concentrated. The highest risk districts tend to be in upper Manhattan, the South Bronx, and central Brooklyn. It provides the overall risk ranking and profiles two example districts - Hunts Point in the Bronx, which ranks as highest risk, and Murray Hill/Stuyvesant in Manhattan, which ranks as the lowest risk.
New Report Exposes Chinas Malign Influence And Corrosion Of Democracy Worldwi...MYO AUNG Myanmar
https://www.iri.org/resource/new-report-exposes-chinas-malign-influence-and-corrosion-democracy-worldwide IRI (INTERNATIONAL REPUBLICAN INSTITUTE) is the premier international democracy-development organization https://youtu.be/XhBUbbQyhxE New Report Exposes China's Malign Influence and Corrosion of Democracy Worldwide You are hereHome > New Report Exposes China's Malign Influence and Corrosion of Democracy Worldwide CHINESE MALIGN INFLUENCEAND THE CORROSION OF DEMOCRACY An Assessment of Chinese Interference in Thirteen Key Countries The report, entitled "Chinese Malign Influence and the Corrosion of Democracy," brings together research by experts from 12 vulnerable democracies — Cambodia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Serbia, Ecuador, Zambia, Mongolia, Hungary, The Gambia, Myanmar, Malaysia and the Maldives — and provides local perspectives on how China is impacting the politics and economics of these countries. https://www.iri.org/country/asia/details INTERNATIONAL REPUBLICAN INSTITUTE info@iri.org
Belize: Socio Political Situation Affecting the Development of WomenMyrtle Palacio
The document discusses the socio-political situation affecting women's development in Belize. It notes that while women make up the majority of registered voters, they remain underrepresented in political leadership which is dominated by men. It also outlines several social issues disproportionately impacting women, such as abandonment, abuse, and poverty. The document calls for empowering women through greater political participation, challenging gender inequality in decision-making, and addressing the root causes of women's marginalization rather than just alleviating symptoms.
The document discusses sociological perspectives on mass media. It covers functionalist, conflict, and feminist views. Functionalist views see media as reinforcing social norms and conferring status. Conflict views see media reflecting social divisions and gatekeeping by elites. Feminist views see stereotypical gender portrayals in media. It also discusses the media industry, audiences, and social policy debates around media violence.
This bachelor's thesis examines how different models of capitalism impact corporate social responsibility based on three hypotheses. The first hypothesis is that companies in liberal market economies take a balanced approach to CSR across human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption due to market influences. The second is that companies in coordinated market economies focus on labor issues due to trade union and industry group influence. The third is that coordinated market economy companies invest in long-term CSR projects while liberal market economy companies invest short-term. Analysis of company reports from Germany, the US and UK partly supported the hypotheses. Institutions influence CSR focus more in coordinated market economies.
Political Science Bachelor Thesis Stina AhnlidStina Ahnlid
This document provides an introduction and background to a bachelor's thesis that analyzes how and why the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) engage in public-private partnerships (PPPs) to achieve development objectives. The thesis uses a comparative case study approach to analyze the context, actors, and governance structures of PPP programs at USAID and Sida. It argues that development agencies use PPPs to bridge governance gaps and that PPPs occur when agency and private sector preferences overlap. It also argues compliance is less formal at USAID than Sida. The thesis aims to contribute to understanding why governments partner with private companies for development.
Educational achievement_level of political convictionAndrew Taylor
This study aimed to summarize the relationship between educational achievement and political conviction, as expressed through political participation. The study utilized data from the 2012 ANES survey, focusing on three dependent variables measuring different forms of participation: donations of money, vocal/written support, and contributions of time. It found a positive trend between higher education levels and higher levels of participation across all three variables. However, the correlations were relatively weak, indicating education is not strongly predictive of participation. Future studies should explore other predictive factors like gender, age, class, or partisanship. The study also noted a sharp increase in monetary donations at higher education levels, warranting further investigation.
Media use as a predictor of the political behaviour of undergraduates in sout...Alexander Decker
This document summarizes a study that examined the relationship between media use and political knowledge and behavior among undergraduates in Southwestern Nigeria. The study found that exposure to electronic media like television, radio and the internet predicted higher political knowledge and behavior than print media. Television was also found to be the dominant source of political information for respondents. Based on these findings, the study suggests that government and media proprietors should work to improve access to informative print media to curb poor reading habits among youth.
This document summarizes a student paper that explored the determinants of immigration opinion in the United States. The paper reviewed existing literature on factors that influence attitudes toward immigrants and immigration policy, including income, education, religion, age, gender, and race. It hypothesized relationships between religious practices, income, and education with opinions on illegal immigrants and immigration. The student analyzed data from the 2008 American National Election Survey to test these relationships, finding some statistically significant but weak correlations between the determinant variables and measures of immigration opinion.
Higher levels of economic segregation are associated with lower incomes, particularly for black residents. Higher levels of racial segregation are associated with lower incomes for blacks, lower educational attainment for whites and blacks, and lower levels of safety for all area residents.”
Erika Mnå presented on the development of civic engagement among youth. She discussed 5 key findings from research in Sweden: 1) Political interest develops steadily from ages 13-20. 2) Parents have the most influence on youth's civic views in their early 20s. 3) Internet use can both help and hinder the development of civic qualities, depending on the type of media. 4) Civic engagement has two dimensions - participation and passivity. 5) While political interest is high, other factors like trust in institutions influence whether interest translates to participation. The research suggests civic engagement is an ongoing process influenced by both individual and political systemic factors.
This summary analyzes factors that influence voter turnout among millennials based on data from the 2012 election. It finds that higher education levels strongly correlate with increased voter registration and turnout, with those having some college or a bachelor's degree being 20-30% more likely to vote. However, geographic region and population density show little correlation, as turnout in urban vs. rural areas was similar to national averages. High levels of civic engagement in non-profits and social movements also did not translate to higher turnout. The data suggests that while millennials are active in causes, their limited free time may prevent prioritizing voting. Overall education appears the strongest motivating factor for young voters.
A place-conscious approach can strengthen integrated strategies in poor neigh...Jonathan Dunnemann
Ample research evidence establishes that conditions in severely depressed neighborhoods undermine both the quality of daily life and the long-term life chances of parents and children. Policymakers and practitioners working to improve well-being and economic mobility in poor neighborhoods generally agree on the need for integrated approaches.
Building Healthy Places: How are Community Development Organizations Contribu...Jonathan Dunnemann
Through a survey conducted by NeighborWorks America of 242 high-performing community development organizations across the United States, we examine health strategies, partnerships, and services delivered by community development
organizations and professionals.
The relationship between university students’ perceptions ofRula alsawalqa
By conducting a set of quantitative surveys, this study aimed to detecting the correlation between Jordanian
University students’ perceptions of terrorism and a variety of demographic variables. The results revealed that
the majority of students viewed terrorism as the most heinous crime, and is never justified, and that terrorists
are hard-core criminals, separatist groups that want to weaken the unity of the country. Therefore, they should
be treated as traitors and punished as they pose a threat to national interest, and the safety and security of
citizens. While a few of student indicated that there are some terrorist activities’ as a repercussion of repressed
needs and the demands of society, it should however be managed and the violations committed by states
against their nationals be confronted with the aim of eliminating injustices to vulnerable citizens. Most
students believe that poverty and material deprivation are of the most prominent causes of terrorism. They
also stress the necessity of providing food security and optimal life for citizens to limit the spread of the
phenomenon of terrorism and achieve societal solidarity to save human lives and stability of communities.
Furthermore, the results confirmed that there are no academic specializations, age, sex, academic level, and
monthly income statistically significant differences in perceptions of the terrorism among university students.
Economic Abuse of Women in Amman, Jordan: A Quantitative StudyRula alsawalqa
This document summarizes research on economic abuse of women. It defines economic abuse and differentiates it from financial abuse. The document reviews literature finding that economic abuse reduces women's productivity, income, and independence by depriving them of access to economic resources and decision making. Economic abuse is associated with other forms of intimate partner violence and can continue after a relationship ends through things like child support. The document then presents a study conducted with 500 married working women in Amman, Jordan that found economic abuse decreased as women's education and length of marriage increased, and was more likely if the husband had a high education or was unemployed. Overall, the study aimed to better understand the relationship between demographic variables and economic abuse of women in Jordan.
Health Psychology of Urbanicity: Does it Increase Violent Behavior within Ado...Joseph White MPA CPM
This document provides background information for a research study examining whether factors related to urban living increase the likelihood of violent criminal behavior in adolescents. The study aims to identify scientific risk factors and create an equation to assess the probability of violence. Some potential risk factors discussed include access to quality education, race, and gender. The researcher hopes to determine practical crime reduction methods and increase safety in urban communities. The literature review discusses topics like the relationship between education and crime rates, impacts of unemployment, and how racial injustices can fuel conflicts. The goal is to better understand adolescent development and behavior within urban environments.
This document provides a literature review and introduction to a paper examining the origins and continuance of income inequality in the United States. It discusses how income inequality has increased dramatically in recent decades according to studies. It then explores some of the sociological factors that have contributed to rising inequality, such as changes in family structure, education levels, race, and crime/incarceration rates. The document provides historical context on these issues and their impact on inequality over time. It aims to analyze the problem of inequality through sociological, economic, and political lenses over the 20th century in the US.
Cyberbullying, social stigma, and self-esteem: the impact of COVID-19 on stud...Rula alsawalqa
The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the way people live, work, and socialize, and has perhaps
even altered the reasons why they harass one another. To our knowledge, the present study is one of the first
studies to address cyberbullying among university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additional objectives
were to reveal the causes and types of cyberbullying that university students from East and Southeast Asia have
experienced because of COVID-19, and to explore the relationship between cyberbullying and self-esteem. Of the
525 university students from different East and Southeast Asian countries and varied academic backgrounds who
were invited to participate in the study, 310 students agreed and were included. Moreover, a sample of 400
Jordanian undergraduate students, who participated in cyberbullying against East and Southeast Asian students
on social media, answered a questionnaire to reveal their reasons for engaging in bullying during the COVID-19
pandemic. This study also examined the relationship and differences between sex and nationality. The findings
revealed that cyberbullying contributed to low self-esteem in students of East and Southeast Asian descent who
were victims of bullying. Men were more likely to be bullies and cyberbullies than women. The bullies admitted
that the main reason for cyberbullying was humor, and that they were unaware that their harsh or aggressive
behaviors could be categorized as bullying. This study aimed to make a positive contribution to the scant literature on cyberbullying/cyber racism among university students in an Arab country. We believe our findings can
help guide the formulation of policies and solutions that address cyberbullying, especially between resident and
foreign students
To What Extent is Political Campaign Solicitation Gendered in the United Stat...Andrea Dub
This document provides a literature review of existing research on the gender gap in political campaign donations in the United States. It finds that while women have increasingly participated in voting, their financial contributions to political campaigns have remained stagnant at around 25-30% for decades. Existing literature has not adequately addressed why this gender disparity exists, often attributing it to outdated assumptions about women's socioeconomic status. The review identifies a gap in research focusing specifically on gender variations in campaign fundraising practices and the role of political fundraisers. This paper aims to help fill that gap through interviews exploring how fundraisers view and solicit donations from male and female donors.
Violent offending by young people in New Zealand: 'Perception versus reality'...robine
This document discusses perceptions of youth violence in New Zealand. It finds that media portrayals of youth crime exaggerate the level of violence by focusing on individual cases without context. Official statistics show that while youth apprehensions for violence have increased in recent decades, violence offenses make up a small portion of total youth crimes. Public surveys also find that people generally overestimate youth crime levels and support harsh punishments despite a lack of understanding of trends and the youth justice system. The document advocates for prevention and rehabilitation approaches given risk factors for youth violence like behavioral issues, victimization, and substance abuse.
2016 Citizen's Committee for Children of New York - Community Risk RankingJonathan Dunnemann
This document summarizes a report from the Citizens' Committee for Children of New York that ranks New York City's 59 community districts based on their level of risk to child well-being. It analyzes data across six domains - economic security, housing, health, education, youth, and family/community - to determine where risks are most concentrated. The highest risk districts tend to be in upper Manhattan, the South Bronx, and central Brooklyn. It provides the overall risk ranking and profiles two example districts - Hunts Point in the Bronx, which ranks as highest risk, and Murray Hill/Stuyvesant in Manhattan, which ranks as the lowest risk.
New Report Exposes Chinas Malign Influence And Corrosion Of Democracy Worldwi...MYO AUNG Myanmar
https://www.iri.org/resource/new-report-exposes-chinas-malign-influence-and-corrosion-democracy-worldwide IRI (INTERNATIONAL REPUBLICAN INSTITUTE) is the premier international democracy-development organization https://youtu.be/XhBUbbQyhxE New Report Exposes China's Malign Influence and Corrosion of Democracy Worldwide You are hereHome > New Report Exposes China's Malign Influence and Corrosion of Democracy Worldwide CHINESE MALIGN INFLUENCEAND THE CORROSION OF DEMOCRACY An Assessment of Chinese Interference in Thirteen Key Countries The report, entitled "Chinese Malign Influence and the Corrosion of Democracy," brings together research by experts from 12 vulnerable democracies — Cambodia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Serbia, Ecuador, Zambia, Mongolia, Hungary, The Gambia, Myanmar, Malaysia and the Maldives — and provides local perspectives on how China is impacting the politics and economics of these countries. https://www.iri.org/country/asia/details INTERNATIONAL REPUBLICAN INSTITUTE info@iri.org
Belize: Socio Political Situation Affecting the Development of WomenMyrtle Palacio
The document discusses the socio-political situation affecting women's development in Belize. It notes that while women make up the majority of registered voters, they remain underrepresented in political leadership which is dominated by men. It also outlines several social issues disproportionately impacting women, such as abandonment, abuse, and poverty. The document calls for empowering women through greater political participation, challenging gender inequality in decision-making, and addressing the root causes of women's marginalization rather than just alleviating symptoms.
The document discusses sociological perspectives on mass media. It covers functionalist, conflict, and feminist views. Functionalist views see media as reinforcing social norms and conferring status. Conflict views see media reflecting social divisions and gatekeeping by elites. Feminist views see stereotypical gender portrayals in media. It also discusses the media industry, audiences, and social policy debates around media violence.
This bachelor's thesis examines how different models of capitalism impact corporate social responsibility based on three hypotheses. The first hypothesis is that companies in liberal market economies take a balanced approach to CSR across human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption due to market influences. The second is that companies in coordinated market economies focus on labor issues due to trade union and industry group influence. The third is that coordinated market economy companies invest in long-term CSR projects while liberal market economy companies invest short-term. Analysis of company reports from Germany, the US and UK partly supported the hypotheses. Institutions influence CSR focus more in coordinated market economies.
Political Science Bachelor Thesis Stina AhnlidStina Ahnlid
This document provides an introduction and background to a bachelor's thesis that analyzes how and why the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) engage in public-private partnerships (PPPs) to achieve development objectives. The thesis uses a comparative case study approach to analyze the context, actors, and governance structures of PPP programs at USAID and Sida. It argues that development agencies use PPPs to bridge governance gaps and that PPPs occur when agency and private sector preferences overlap. It also argues compliance is less formal at USAID than Sida. The thesis aims to contribute to understanding why governments partner with private companies for development.
This document is a thesis submitted to Tufts University in 2015 titled "If I Get Married Will I Become a Republican?: The Impact of Age, Gender, and Marital Status on Party Identification, Policy Preference, and Voting Behavior" by Magdelena Morrow. The thesis examines how age, gender, and marital status impact an individual's party identification, policy preferences, and political participation through quantitative analysis of survey data. It includes literature reviews of research on the impacts of gender, marital status, and age separately. The thesis aims to identify trends over time in how these factors influence political views and behavior, with a focus on young unmarried women as an important voting bloc. It seeks to provide insights for political campaigns
Data-Mining Twitter for Political Science -Hickman, Alfredo - Honors ThesisAlfredo Hickman
This thesis examines the creation of a data mining system to extract, process, and analyze tweets from Twitter for use in political science research. The author builds an information system that collects Twitter data in real-time from a random list of 279 Members of Congress. The tweets and accompanying metadata are analyzed to provide insights into political behavior and discourse. By studying uncensored political discussions online, researchers can better understand important issues, how information spreads, and identify political networks. Analyzing social media can advance understanding of government communication and enhance research on political deliberation.
This document provides a review of related literature on social networks and social media. It discusses both foreign and local literature on how social networks allow individuals to connect and share interests online. The document also examines how governments and organizations are using social media as a public relations tool to engage with stakeholders.
Final thesis presented december 2009 march 2010Lumbad 1989
This document is a thesis presented by Joanna April De Leon Lumbad to the faculty of St. Scholastica's College in Manila for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Interior Design. The thesis explores defining the Filipino cultural identity through Filipino avant-garde in performing arts theaters. It discusses the history of performing arts theaters and Philippine theater. Through interviews with theater experts and observations of existing theaters, the thesis examines how theater design has adapted over time to different influences and seeks to determine if an avant-garde concept can help establish a uniquely Filipino style.
This document discusses the importance of reviewing related literature and studies when conducting research. It states that a review of existing materials provides the foundation for a proposed study by guiding the researcher and helping to identify a research problem or topic, understand the topic better, avoid duplicating other studies, locate additional sources of information, and design the research methodology. The document also outlines the characteristics, sources, and locations of related literature and studies that should be surveyed.
Hillary Clinton's 1969 thesis entitled, "There is only the fight," in partial fulfillment for a Bachelor of Arts Degree at Wellesley College. The thesis is an analysis of Saul Alinsky's early version of "Rules for Radicals."
This document discusses a research paper that examines factors related to dropouts and performance of students enrolled in the Civic Welfare Training Service (CWTS) program at Laguna State Polytechnic University - San Pablo City Campus for the 2010-2011 academic year. The study aims to understand the profile of CWTS students, their performance levels, and how different factors like teaching methodologies, student attitudes, and schedules influence dropout rates. The findings could help improve the CWTS program and reduce dropout risks for at-risk students.
This document summarizes a research project examining the relationship between membership in civic groups and political participation. The study finds that membership in civic groups, higher levels of education and income, and older age are all associated with higher levels of political participation. Specifically, regression analysis shows that involvement in civic groups, volunteering for charities, and membership in nonpartisan groups are most strongly correlated with political participation. The results support the hypothesis that social connections through civic involvement can increase individuals' likelihood of political involvement.
1PAGE 2Title of the EssayStudent’s NamePolitical ScieTatianaMajor22
1
PAGE
2
Title of the Essay
Student’s Name
Political Science Department, Capilano University
POL 100 03: Introduction to Government and Politics
Dr. Ramjee Parajulee
November 05, 2020
Over the last few decades’ young people have had a loss of faith in the political system. One of the symptoms of the decline in trust with the political system is the decline in voter turn out from youth. Between 1984 and the year 2000, the number of youth that voted went from 75.3% to 61.2% in the Canadian federal elections (Adsett, 2003). There are a number of reasons Canadian youth have begun to turn away from the political system. First, when compared to past generations youth have developed a sense of distrust with politics and a lack of responsible citizenship due to emerging social movements. Second, politicians fail to address many issues that young Canadians value, which has caused youth to lose faith in the current, set up of our political system. Third, there is a lack of education and discussion during youth’s formative years; leaving many youth disengage from politics. Fourth, the low voter turn out may be due to a lack of motivation to register to vote, which would further cement youths belief that the political system is a strenuous and complicated system that they can’t partake in. Finally, there is a huge cultural gap between today’s politicians and today’s youth due to the lack of political presence on the internet. Young people spend a huge amount of their time on the Internet and they may feel that politics today is out of touch with their needs and daily lives.
Today’s youth have developed ideologies and a preference for social movements that have meant very few youth have a sense of how to part take in traditional citizenship. After decades of wars that were against the public’s opinion, from the Vietnam War to the Iraq War, youth have developed a sense of mistrust of politicians. The anti-war attitude that youth currently have has meant that wars have become divisive issues rather than uniting issues. D. Fisher (2012) has explained that when compared to past generations who grew up during wartime, such as World War 2, the current generation of young people are unlikely to engage in any form of political and civic activities. Previous generations felt the need for nationalism and action-based citizenship whereas today’s youth have little need to participate. Furthermore, even youth who have a strong sense of what a “good” citizen should be end up with a weak idea of civic duty and prefer to emphasize the rights of citizens over the responsibilities (Goodman et al., 2011). Hence there is a clear pattern emerging among the young generation to remain aloof from the political process.
Anti-war sentiments are not the only areas that leave youth feeling disconnected and doubtful of today’s politicians. In general, the issues that matter most to youths are rarely addressed during election periods. R. Shabazz (2008) recognizes that “people h ...
This document provides an overview of political socialization and public opinion polling. It defines key concepts in political socialization like the agents that socialize individuals such as family, education, peer groups, religion, media and generational events. It also outlines factors like demographics that shape political views. The document then explains key aspects of public opinion polling like sampling, question wording biases, and types of polls including national polls, campaign polls, exit polls and pseudo-polls.
Week 3Rational and Expressive Choice Rational Choice The.docxmelbruce90096
Week 3
Rational and Expressive Choice
Rational Choice Theory and the Rational Voter Model (P = B > C; or Participation or voter choice (P) = perceived benefits of participation or choice (B) > perceived costs of participation or choice (C)) became popular in the 1970s. Pursuant to this theory and model, voters decide whether to vote and which candidate to vote for on some rational basis, usually on the basis of which action gives them greater expected benefits. The model lends itself more than others to predicting what effects changes in external conditions will have on the vote. A major contribution of the model was to emphasize the role of issues in voter choice.
The paradox of participation calls into question this theoretical perspective. The paradox theorizes that the rational individual will not waste resources by bearing the costs of taking part in the voting process but will instead take a free ride on the efforts of others. This is known as the free rider problem. The problem is especially acute when the individual does not perceive their vote as being decisive to the election outcome.
Some have used rational choice theory to argue that those in a high socio-economic class would be less active “because they have the education and intellectual sophistication to comprehend the free-rider problem and because their high salaries raise the opportunity cost of participation” (Verba 1995, 284). The facts however suggest this hypothesis is false. In fact, strong empirical evidence demonstrates that those in a high socio-economic class are actually the most likely to be active.
Other rational choice proponents, including Anthony Downs, have argued that lower information and transaction costs for the well educated imply that it is actually easier for them to participate in politics. Verba (1995) notes “[t]his approach has the virtue of fitting the facts but seems somewhat post hoc” (284).
Overall, rational choice theory must be praised for its theoretical elegance. But, the theory has done a poor job of predicting political participation. More specifically, the theory has failed to predict how much political activity and who will take part.
Some have argued that expressive choice theory can provide a more compelling explanation of voter behavior. According to Schuessler in A Logic of Expressive Choice (2000), individuals do not necessarily participate in collective action in order to produce outcomes but instead often do so in order to express who they are by attaching themselves to such outcomes.
Because under Schuessler’s perspective the value of participation emerges not from the outcome but from the process of participation itself, the free-rider problem is no longer a concern. Participation therefore is not a form of investment but rather a form of consumption. Schuessler wrote, “Consumption benefits are inextricably tied to expression: the sports fan’s expression of team support is required for him to enjoy his.
This document discusses political socialization, which is the process by which people develop their political beliefs and attitudes. It notes several key agents of political socialization, including family, education, peer groups, religious institutions, political leaders/parties, and the media. It also discusses how political socialization can be affected by generational differences and national events. The document provides examples of different types of political polls and some potential sources of bias in survey questions.
This document discusses the concepts of political socialization and public opinion polling. It addresses the various socializing agents that influence people's political beliefs such as family, education, peers, religious institutions, political leaders, and the media. National events can also impact political socialization. Younger generations may be socialized differently than older ones based on defining historical events. Public opinion polls measure concepts like political attitudes, salience, stability, direction, and intensity. They can be influenced by factors like economic self-interest, ideology, education, age, gender, race, religion, and geographic region. Different types of polls include national polls, campaign polls, exit polls, and pseudo-polls.
This document discusses several topics related to political science including public opinion, political socialization, polling, and survey methodology. It defines public opinion and its components of salience, stability, direction, and intensity. It also outlines several key agents of political socialization like family, education, peer groups, religious institutions, media, and national events. Additionally, it introduces common polling topics, populations and samples, biases, question wording issues, and types of polls.
The document discusses three different polls and analyzes whether they were biased, fair, or a mixture of both. It depicts the polls in a table with their strengths and weaknesses. The findings showed that all three polls had some degree of bias, either in their wording or methodology. The sources of the polls did not influence their reliability or accuracy. The document aims to investigate the fairness of the polls and outlines what makes a poll fair and unbiased. It discusses different types of polls like benchmark, tracking, and exit polls.
This document summarizes key aspects of measuring and understanding public opinion in the United States. It discusses how public opinion is defined and measured through polling. Polls must use representative sampling, carefully worded questions, and account for respondent knowledge and biases. Many factors influence political attitudes, including family, gender, religion, education, social class, race, and geography. Ideology in the U.S. is generally viewed on a liberal-conservative spectrum, though definitions have changed over time. Most Americans do not have highly ideological views and vote based on group interests or current economic conditions.
1 Week 3 Rational and Expressive Choice .docxMARRY7
This document discusses rational and expressive choice theories of voter behavior. It summarizes that rational choice theory became popular in the 1970s and viewed voters as making rational calculations to vote based on perceived costs and benefits. However, the paradox of participation questioned this by arguing voters may not participate due to free rider problems. Some evidence suggests expressive choice theory provides a better explanation, viewing participation as a way to express identity rather than produce outcomes.
This document discusses intergenerational relationships and challenges in Rotary. It defines different generations based on defining historical events and provides characteristics of each. Veterans/Traditionalists were born 1900-1945 and lived through the Great Depression and WWII. Baby Boomers were born 1946-1964 and lived through social movements of the 1960s. Generation X was born 1965-1980 and came of age during times of rising divorce and crime rates. Millennials were born 1981-1999 and the first to come of age in the new millennium and with new technology. The youngest generation, called Centennials or Gen Z, were born 1997-present and have never known life without the internet. The document notes challenges in communication and motivation across generations
This study examined the influence of social networking sites and interpersonal political discussion on civic and political participation and confidence in government. The study found that reliance on social networking sites was positively associated with civic participation but not political participation or confidence in government. Interpersonal political discussion was found to enhance political participation and help citizens develop higher quality opinions. The study suggests encouraging more interpersonal political discussion to stimulate civic and political participation.
Defining political communication, political coverage & realitynadia naseem
The document discusses various topics related to political communication including defining political communication, political coverage, and whether news reflects reality. It defines political communication as the process by which information spreads and influences politics through leaders, media and citizens. Political coverage focuses on the president, political parties, elections and gaffes. While news is meant to report society faithfully, in reality news does not reflect all of reality due to gatekeeping, agenda-setting and framing effects. Social media has become an important tool for political engagement and influencing elections.
Manchester's Services for Minority Communities Report 2016Jonny Wineberg
This document summarizes the findings of a research study that examined the needs and views of minority communities in Manchester. It found that the top concerns were unemployment, financial security, racism, and mental health. Muslims expressed higher levels of worry across most issues surveyed. The qualitative responses revealed concerns about discrimination, lack of understanding between faiths, extremism, and language barriers. Recommendations included better services for jobs, finances, and policing in Muslim areas, as well as more opportunities for different groups to engage with each other.
Manchester's Services for Minority Communities Report 2016
Undergraduate Thesis
1. Voter Apathy Among Millennials
Kailey Kumm
University of Nebraska – Lincoln
March 10, 2016
2. 1
Apathy is defined as a ‘lack of emotion’ or ‘lack of interest; unconcern, indifference
(Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 2014, pp. 65). A millennial is defined as anyone
born between the years 1982 and 1999 (Twenge et al. 2012, pp. 1047). What do these two
entities have in common? More and more research alludes to the existence of an increasingly
apathetic mindset among millennials, particularly in participation in elections via voting. Voting
is and has been lauded as a major civic duty all citizens should participate in, yet U.S. voter
turnout rates as a whole remain quite low, rates being particularly dismal in midterm elections.
No other group turns up less to the polls, however, than the group of the millennial. All research
thus far points to a continually declining voter turnout rate for millennials (with few exceptions),
and the reasons why vary according to different scholars and sources.
Low voter turnout rates for young Americans is nothing new. “In every presidential
election since 1964, young voters between the ages of 18 through 24 have consistently voted at
lower rates than all other age groups… (File 2014, P2).” What is concerning is the increasing
decline in voting among this block of voters, minus a few rare exceptions. Young voters in
America, or rather millennials, have moved towards less political engagement over time as is
indicated in Figure 1(see appendix). Why is voter turnout important anyway? “American
democracy, or for that matter any democracy, depends upon the consent of the governed for its
legitimacy. The broadest measure of that consent is the vote… but because voting is the lowest
common denominator political act [easiest to perform] citizens who don’t vote are unlikely to
participate in any other form of sustaining political or civic activity—measuring voting also, to
some extent, measures civic health (Gans and Mulling 2011, P1).” Voter turnout is oftentimes
measured and taken in as an indicator of civic health. Taking data trends and information from
3. 2
the past to present, it is easy to question the civic health of this country, in particular the
participation of youths.
An explanation for the sharp drop that can be seen in the 1970s is likely the installment of
the 26th
amendment, allowing all citizens ages 18 and up to vote, thus increasing the amount of
young people that can vote. Increasing the voting-eligible population does not necessarily
increase the amount of people that cast ballots. Following the post-26th
Amendment drop is a
continued waning trend in turnout among millennials, excluding a few exceptions in which there
was increased engagement. These exceptions are namely the 1992, 2004, and 2008 presidential
elections.
There are five ‘eras’ in voter turnout as defined by Gans and Mulling, and very last era
being from 1964 to now:
1964 – the present, a period of progressive and generational decline in
turnout (except for the high turnout elections of 2004 and 2008 and
increased voting in the South and among citizens older than seventy-five
years of age), despite changes in society, political competition, and
electoral law which should, theoretically, have produced higher levels of
voting (pp. 2).
Post-1964 electoral laws have changed significantly, allowing those under 21 to vote and
expanding availability of absentee ballots. One could infer from this information alone that
turnout rates would increase rather than decrease. This is not the case. It is important to note
while discussing voter turnout rate that the eligible population for voting varies dramatically
from the actual voting population. The eligible population pertains specifically to all United
States citizens 18 years of age or older (excluding felons and other longstanding exclusions),
referred to as the voting-age population. The voting population pertains to the number of voting-
age citizens who actually report casting ballots. It logically follows that the voting population is
a much smaller entity than the eligible population. Therein lies the problem nationwide, and it is
4. 3
also important to point out that millennial voter turnout is only one piece of the puzzle. Using
the readily available resources and the advantage of living on a college campus, the most obvious
case study for me to analyze is the group of the millennial.
I conducted through 5 in-depth interviews. These interviews were with millennial
college students attending the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Prior to introducing in-depth my
hypotheses, it is important to define and differentiate the differences among millennials,
Generation X, and Baby Boomers. Doing so will enlighten readers of the basic differences
among these groups in regards to things such as extrinsic values (e.g. money, image, fame),
intrinsic values (e.g. self-acceptance, affiliation, community), concern for others (e.g. empathy
for outgroups, charity donations, the importance of having a job worthwhile to society), and civic
orientation (e.g. interest in social problems, political participation, trust in government, taking
action to help the environment and save energy’ (Twenge et al. 2012, pp. 1045). These
differences change greatly among what are called by scholars of the social sciences ‘birth
cohorts,’ or rather the colloquial ‘generations’ (Twenge et al. 2012, pp. 1045).
In 2012 Jean M. Twenge and Elise C. Freeman of San Diego State University along with
W. Keith Campbell conducted a research analysis on personality processes and individual
differences. This study differed from others, as it was one of the first to examine
“…generational trends in values, life goals, and young people’s relationships to their
communities (2012, pp. 1045).” Twenge et al. look for answers to questions such as “…have
young people’s life goals changed to become more or less community focused? How concerned
are they for others? How much do they wish to be involved in collective or civic action? (2012,
pp. 1045)”
5. 4
Several studies have emerged regarding political socialization, the reason being that
socialization dynamics are a lead in better understanding “…aggregate shifts in behavior or
opinion… (Stoker and Bass, 2015, pp. 453)” Twenge et al. study drew data from two large data
collection efforts that have surveyed young people over time, the MtF and the AF. The MtF, or
‘Monitoring the Future,’ has surveyed a nationally representative sample of high school seniors
every year since 1975, measuring students in cross-sections of the U.S. population including
race, region, gender, and socioeconomic status. The sample each year consists of approximately
15,000 high school seniors, typically 17 or 18 years old. The Twenge et al. study used data from
1976 to 2008. The AF, or American Freshman project, is part of the Cooperative Institutional
Research Program (CIRP) and is administered by the Higher Education Research Institute
(HERI), and has surveyed nationwide a sample of first-year students at 4-year universities or
colleges. The sample size is 1,201 college campuses, with over eight million students annually.
Other data used for studying life goals of millennials include a study of 182 undergraduates at
San Diego State University, with an average age of 21.35 years (Twenge et al. 2012, pp. 1047-
1048).
The results of the data analysis performed by Twenge et al. reveal the following:
Millenials and GenXers rated being very well off financially, being a leader,
living close to parents and relatives, and having administrative responsibility for
the work of others as more important than Boomers did at the same age. They
rated developing a meaningful philosophy of life, finding purpose and meaning,
keeping up to date with political affairs, and becoming involved in programs to
clean up the environment as less important. (pp. 1050)
These distinctions and comparative data reveal changes among intrinsic and extrinsic
goals and individualistic personality traits. The life goals related to intrinsic values were lower
among Millennials compared to Boomers and GenXers at the same age in the past. Making a
contribution to society declined from Boomers to GenX, and the importance of money rose
6. 5
between Boomers and GenX. Overall trends in life goals between Boomers and Millennials is
toward “…less community feeling, including less intrinsic, more extrinsic, and more narcissistic
goals, with Millennials continuing the trends begun by GenX and not reversing them (Twenge et
al. 2012, pp. 1053).” This data feeds in the ‘Generation Me’ view in which Millennials
contribute less to society and civic values than their predecessors, these predecessors being
GenX and Baby Boomers.
Political socialization certainly plays a role in likelihood of an individual to cast a ballot.
The most impressionable years of a person lie in early adulthood, approximately the late teens to
the mid- or late twenties. Early adulthood “…provides individuals with their first opportunity to
embrace their citizenship through voting; whether they actually turn out or not in those early
years sets down patterns or habits that tend to be followed later in life (Stoker and Bass, 2015,
pp. 456).
The next study measured civic engagement and social capital. This included an analysis
of community feeling in order to examine civic engagement, what Twenge et al. deem to be “…a
crucial part of social capital and a functioning democracy (pp. 1055).” The results of this study
“…primarily support the “Generation Me” view and are consistent with previous research
finding increases in individualistic traits and declines in civic engagement over time (pp. 1058).”
It is possible that items such as “being very well off financially” and those similar may have
increased as a result of the rising cost of college and housing, and the economic recession as
well, and this may offer an alternative explanation for millennials’ results in these surveys.
Overall, however, it is clear from the data that Millennials “…are less politically engaged than
Boomers and GenX were at the same age (pp. 1059).”
7. 6
An issue to consider in voter turnout is the possibility that millennials do not have the
resources and/or knowledge to get their vote in (i.e. absentee ballots, voter registration law
limitations, etcetera), and this is perhaps the problem with the most viability of getting fixed. A
1986 article detailing voter turnout among all Americans states: “The American institutional
setting—particularly the party system and the registration laws—severely inhibits voter
turnout… (Powell 1986, pp. 17)” Why is a 1986 review of American voter turnout still relevant
today? It is relevant because the same argument for low voter turnout is still used today, as is
evidenced by the existence of multiple groups with combined efforts to quash voter registration
restrictions and, according to the New York University School of Law’s Brennan Center for
Justice’s mission statement, “…work to ensure that voting is free, fair, and accessible to all
Americans (Voting Rights & Elections | Brennan Center for Justice, 2015).” The American
Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) launched in 2013 a project titled ‘Let People Vote,’ through
which they argue that:
States across the country are passing measures that make it harder and harder for
Americans – particularly African-Americans, the elderly, students and people
with disabilities – to exercise their fundamental right to cast a ballot (my
emphasis). These measures include requiring a government-issued photo ID to
vote and proof of citizenship to register, cutting back on early voting, eliminating
Election Day registration, new restrictions on voter registration drives and
additional barriers to voting for people with criminal convictions.
(Let People Vote | ACLU, 2013.)
Millennials have largely transitive lifestyles in comparison to other older generations, as
have other generations when they were the same age as millennials are now. Many young
people live away from home and must get absentee ballots or find other ways of voting.
Absentee ballots, although attainable, require prior thought to voting. In Nebraska absentee
ballots must be requested about a month before the actual Election Day. For example: In 2015
the General Election to be held on November 27th
required absentee voters to input a request
8. 7
prior to 4 p.m. on October 27th
in the state of Nebraska (Absentee Voting | Nebraska.gov, Office
of the Secretary of State, 2015). These cutoff dates for access to absentee ballots creates an issue
for many millennials, the issue being that, as millennials are generally not attuned to the political
sphere and more and more do not tune into traditional news channels, millennials may simply
forget to turn in an absentee ballot request until the time to do so has expired and that millennial
is then unable to cast a vote.
Political campaigns clearly ‘campaign’ for citizens to cast ballots in their favor, and are
favorable of ‘Get Out The Vote’ campaigns. They are “…increasingly seen as political events
that shape – or at least have the potential to shape – political preferences in a host of ways.
Negative campaign ads, for example (of which there are twice as many as positive ads), puts a
spin on political candidates and, whether the ads are fair or not, could subconsciously have an
effect on votes or lack of votes (Wayne et al., 2014, pp. 126). Interest groups and PACs
(Political Action Committees) as well as increasing numbers of ‘SuperPACs’ expend incredible
amounts of time and money in political campaigns. In 2012 Obama’s campaign totaled
$1,107,029,174 including candidate, national party, and outside spending. Romney’s campaign
topped Obama’s: including candidate, national party, and outside spending the money spent of
the Romney 2012 campaign totaled $1,238,072,571 (Flanigan et al, 2014, pp. 16). A college
student eating Ramen noodles for dinner would see these numbers as obscene, potentially
increasing dissatisfaction with campaign spending and campaign and electoral politics itself.
Perhaps young people are less motivated to turn up at the polls as a result of these things. This is
a question I hope to answer in my research, identifying what effects these campaign strategies
really have on voter turnout.
9. 8
2008 and 2012 saw upticks in voter turnout among youth – 2008 saw a 42% turnout rate
and 2012 saw a 38% turnout rate among those ages 18-29 (File 2014, pp. 14). These were
significant increases in comparison to the 1996 and 2000 rates of 32% [see Figure 1.1]. Some
scholars and pundits argue that low turnout in the past and now can be attributed to a disconnect
between young voters and candidates, however many candidates have tried to close the gap and
have found relative success, as can be seen by Barack Obama’s 2008 victory and the highest 18-
29 year-old turnout rate since 1964 (File 2014, pp. 14).
A 1978 Wolfinger and Rosenstone work, spurring further research and acting as a
benchmark for future studies as well, outlines the cons of absentee voting in the following
excerpt (keep in mind, this was 1978):
Absentee registration. The 1970 VRAA [Voting Rights Amendment Act]
required all states to permit absentee registration in presidential elections solely
on grounds of absence. This is a minimum standard. Some states permit absentee
registration for various other reasons, and a few authorize it for anyone. Federal
postcard registration would authorize nationwide absentee registration. A major
issue in congressional debate has been whether postcards should be mailed to
everyone, or whether the individual would have to obtain a postcard to mail in.
(Rosenstone and Wolfinger, 1978, pp. 24).
Although the United States government generally no longer employs the use of postcards
in registering to vote or requesting an absentee ballot, as the internet is a far more viable option,
it is clear that the question of “…whether the individual would have to obtain a postcard to mail
in (Rosenstone and Wolfinger, 1978, pp. 24)” is answered in that it is the responsibility of the
individual to attain and request what is necessary in order to cast a ballot in an election.
“Voter registration in the United States is an individual opt-in responsibility, rather than
an automatic process as in most of Europe (Sniderman 2011, pp. 313).” It is this nuance, the
responsibility to vote being placed in the hands of the individual, which arguably creates the
large gap in turnout between those ages 18 to 29 years and other age groups, as well as low
10. 9
turnout among all Americans. For my purposes, I will focus on millennials like myself. I
graduated from a small Nebraska town in a class of 57. Of these 57, over 80% left for college,
trade-school, the military, etcetera, and thus the grand majority of those I graduated high school
with, all millennials, would have had to request absentee ballots and do so with forethought prior
to the actual Election Day. This is a small-scale example. A Nebraska town with a population of
3,000 is simply a tiny case study, and yet the point made through said case study is clear: youths
leave, absentee ballots are the only viable way to vote for many of them, and absentee ballot
voting requires a designated date at which an individual must request an absentee ballot prior to
an election.
Taking these things into consideration, Rosenstone and Wolfinger seemed to have a pulse
on the American youth vote even in 1978. Rosenstone and Wolfinger identified that a 9.1
percentage point increase in voting would occur if the following adaptations and reforms were
made:
● eliminating the closing date;
● opening registration offices during the 40-hour work week;
● opening registration offices in the evening and/or on Saturday;
● permitting absentee registration for the sick, disabled, and absent.
(Rosenstone and Wolfinger 1978, pp. 33)
All fifty states have permitted absentee registration “for the sick, disable, and absent” since 1978,
but what hasn’t changed is the fact that voter turnout among youths ages 18-29 remain dismally
low, having lowered in a downward trend minus a few spikes in specific presidential elections.
The simple truth about Americans ages 18-29 is that they have a lower turnout rate than
any other age group. This has been true for decades. Despite ‘Get Out The Vote’ efforts seen on
nearly every college campus every election season, and despite changes such as motor voter ID
registration (registering to vote at the time one attains their drivers license), voter turnout
11. 10
remains low. Absentee voting not only requires a month of forethought, it also requires that
those eligible to request absentee ballots have the knowledge and resources to do so. If it is
largely unknown or simply ignored how an individual goes about getting an absentee ballot, said
individual may be unlikely to pursue it. Increased education and knowledge about how to
request an absentee ballot could potentially assist in closing the large gap between youths and
other age groups in voter turnout. Regardless of the powers of Google and simply searching how
to apply for an absentee ballot, students/youths in general lacking a vested interest in an election
seem to be unlikely to pursue such actions.
There is a lack of a vested interest in political participation and, in extension, voting,
leads us to the possibility that millennials do not see voting as an effective tool for instigating
change. A study measuring civic attitudes and involvement in 1996 and 2000 (presidential
election years), conducted by Anne Blackhurst and Joshua Foster, showed “…moderate and
decreasing levels of cynicism and apathy… and significant relationships between civic attitudes,
service participation, and political participation (Blackhurst and Foster 2003, pp. 153) The
‘Generation Me’ label started in the 1980s with the GenX’ers, and seems to have gone on to
include Millennials as well.
A focus group study performed with college students across 12 four-year universities
conducted in 2006 and 2007 by CIRCLE, the Center for Information & Research on Civic
Learning & Engagement, found that “Students perceive politics as it currently exists, as a
polarized debate with no options for compromise or nuance…The problem is not lack of
information but an overload of news and opinions that they do not trust. Students are especially
distrustful of information that comes with a partisan bent… (Millennials Talk Politics: A Study of
College Student Political Engagement, 2009, pp. 1-2).”
12. 11
Republicans and Democrats have become further divided along ideological lines, or
rather become more polarized, now more than any other point in the past two decades. Partisan
antipathy is “deeper and more extensive” than ever, and it can be seen in Figure 1.2 that the
divide between Democrats and Republicans has drifted further and further since 1994 (Pew,
2014, pp. 1). Furthermore, “…92% of Republicans are to the right of the median Democrat and
94% of Democrats are to the left of the median democrat. ‘Median’ means ‘moderate’ here, and
it is clear from this data that moderate Republicans and moderate Democrats are lesser entities
than they once were (Pew, 2014, pp. 2).
Figure 1.3 showed a chronological ideological split, percentages of moving further right
or left on the spectrum increasing across the board from 1994 to 2012. Mutual contempt for the
other party is also a palpable increasing force in the American polity. As is visible in Figure 1.5,
Democrats held a 16% ‘very unfavorable’ view towards Republicans in 1994 and a 38% ‘very
unfavorable view’ in 2012. Republicans held a 17% ‘very unfavorable’ view towards Democrats
in 1994 and in 2012 held a 43% ‘very unfavorable’ view (Pew, 2014, pp. 1). This antipathy and
mutual contempt has arguably led to further decreased confidence in our government branches,
with the Congressional confidence level currently at 7% and a Congressional approval rating of
14%, up from 9% in 2014 [see Figure 1.4] (Gallup, 2015). This polarization and palpable
contempt that exists in the American political atmosphere, in governmental branches and among
everyday citizens, could be a link in the low voter turnout question.
The Blackhurst and Foster study, unlike others, did not paint Millennials as members of
another ‘me’ generation, but rather a generation that is distrusting of the current state of politics
and the actors within. Do apathy and cynicism belong in the same group as ‘distrustful?’
Perhaps they do and perhaps they do not depending upon the issue. Blackhurst and Foster found
13. 12
that although “…the 1990s represented a decade of increasing cynicism and continuing political
disengagement… college students were involved in community service in record numbers…”
and that “While they may have been pragmatic about their ability to effect change and their
orientation to activism, they appeared committed to making a difference in their communities
(Blackhurst and Foster 2003, pp. 155).”
Although the study performed by Blackhurst and Foster was in the 1990s, the results they
found are similar to studies performed more recently. Volunteering seems to have become a
complement to politics starting at some point in the 1990s, perhaps because “…they view the
political system as inefficient and inaccessible, [and so] they turn to volunteering (College
Student Political Engagement, 2009, pp. 9-10).” Perhaps Millennials aren’t as apathetic and
self-involved as the ‘Generation Me’ label seems to make them. Perhaps Millennials have
simply changed their priorities. As summarized by sociologists Stoker and Bass:
It is easy to draw these developments together into a bleak portrayal of the
character of the youngest generations – as populated by politically disengaged,
disinterested, self-centered cynics – and, given population replacement dynamics,
into a bleak outlook for the nation’s future. But the youngest cohorts are also
different from older cohorts in a number of more salutary ways. They are at least
as likely more even more likely to engage in volunteer work…New cohorts of
college freshman are more likely than older cohorts to cite ‘becoming a
community leader’ as very important and to express an intent to participate in
public service (Stoker and Bass, 2015, pp. 459) .”
Political Scientist Michael J. Avey states: “…nonvoters are much less informed about
political matters than voters…” and hypothesizes that “Such a lack of interest is substantially a
function of stimulation. The more stimulation people receive, the more likely they will
participate… Apathy, then, has a circular relationship with information. People do not listen
because they are not being addressed… (Avey 1989, pp. 23).” Millennials are not direct targets
of election cycles, and, even though young people are a huge block of the American population,
candidates for office sometimes have trouble connecting with them based on generational
14. 13
differences in views. Despite the recent grassroots campaigns and organizations like Rock The
Vote, youths still don’t vote in the numbers they should be. Furthermore, it has been shown that
millennials find politics of today frustrating and stunted and many wish to have nothing to do
with it. Because of this I hypothesize that Millennials do not feel they have a vested interest in
voting, as voting feeds into the political system Millennials are shown to be distrustful of.
Polarization in the American electorate and a stunted, slow, uncooperative bipartisan Congress
are common complaints of many Americans. Perhaps millennials see these political frustrations
and decide to pursue causes outside of the political field, such as volunteer work.
This is likely a factor in the low voter turnout of the past three decades, and I believe that
increased cynicism and lack of trust in the American political system has led Millennials to lose
their vested interests in voting, as they don’t view it as an effective tool for instigating change.
This lack of interest paired with the processes of voting are highly likely causes for low voter
turnout among Millennials. To further investigate my hypotheses I conducted 5 interviews with
millennial college students. I found students who have been eligible to vote for a few years, all
interviewees being either 20 or 21 years of age. Interviews ranged from 14 to 20 minutes, some
interviewees being more chatty than others. I attempted to get a variety of majors in this study,
wanting interviewees with varying levels of interest in government. I interviewed a Sociology
major, a Mechanical Engineering major, a Sports Broadcasting/ADPR major, a triple English,
Spanish, and Political Science major, and finally a grad student furthering his studies in German.
Two of these students were from Lincoln, one from Omaha, and two from Sioux Falls, South
Dakota and Yankton, South Dakota, respectively. I recruited these students from various classes
I have had in the past two semesters, all of them being acquaintances of mine I knew would
consent to an anonymous interview. All students interviewed were middle-class and Caucasian.
15. 14
Four interviewees were male and one was female. Two were Republicans and three were
Democrats. While the interviewees I was able to collect for this study are not as diverse as I had
wanted, I still discovered that many of my hunches about voting behavior among youths were
correct, and that furthermore there were several factors I had not considered. These interviews
will give insight to the issues in the minds of Millennials while also identifying differences
between older age groups and Millennials. My hypotheses following my review of the literature
of voter turnout research are as follows:
1. Millennials do not see voting as an effective tool for instigating change.
2. Millennials do not have the resources and/or knowledge to get their vote in (i.e.
absentee ballots, voter registration law limitations, etcetera).
3. Millennials are not attuned to the political sphere, and thus do not feel informed
enough/do not care enough to vote.
These interviews addressed these hypotheses and identified the main question of this
paper: why don’t young people vote? Is it a registration/absentee ballot issue? Is it an issue with
lack of government trust, or perhaps increased cynicism about government? Questions like this
will give insight to one of the bigger political issues in American politics; that issue being low
political participation among Americans nationwide, in particular young people.
The Interviews
In-depth guided interviews revealed to me that my three hypotheses were all true, but that
oftentimes the reasons individuals do and do not vote involve a combination of reasons, some of
which had not occurred to me. Three of five interviewees cited voting as a civic duty, and had
voted in most or all elections. The other two interviewees had never voted, for varying reasons.
Interviewees who did vote cited the following reasons:
16. 15
• They see voting as a civic duty.
• They believe to an extent that political elections and their outcomes are significant.
• They feel informed enough to vote.
Interviewees who have not voted cited the following reasons:
• They feel that voting is an inconvenience.
• They believe their vote has little or no impact.
• They think that our government is inefficient and flawed.
Interestingly those who had voted in all or most elections said they voted in spite of the
reasons for which interviewees who had not voted cited. There is no way to definitively say
why millennials do or not vote as the reasons for which they do or do not are entangled and
mixed together. Interviewee 5, when asked, “Do you think your vote matters?” responded
with a resounding “No.” 5 is a registered Democrat in a very red state, South Dakota, and
this is why he feels his vote has little to no impact. Yet he votes anyway. Several people
suggested that their vote had little impact.
Interviewee 1 is from Lincoln, Nebraska, and while he has easy access to voting, he does
not vote. He said he hadn’t voted in the past because “…it’s a mild inconvenience, and
partially it’s because I just don’t really think that my vote has much significance,” mirroring
other interviewees who questioned the impact of their vote. The ‘mild inconvenience’ he was
referring to is driving to the voting location and voting, which he said took too large a chunk
out of his day. He said he might consider voting in the future, but he expressed
dissatisfaction with the state of things, saying “[I] think politics are inherently kind of
skewed and self-serving to a certain extent…” and he went on to complain of lack of
transparency in government (which Interviewee 3 expressed concern over as well).
17. 16
Lack of transparency and trust at the federal level of government was a common theme
among these interviewees. Interviewee 2 from Lincoln, Nebraska has voted in every
election, and, contrary to other interviewees, feels that his vote has an impact. He clarifies
that this impact lies primarily with local and state elections, discounting his vote for national
elections, stating: “I don’t think that Congress people or executive branch people have my
best interests in mind.” 2’s thoughts on national-level politics mirror that of other
interviewees’ thoughts. Interviewee 3 stated that she “feel[s] very disconnected from it
[government],” describing the system as “intangible” and inaccessible to outsiders.
Interviewee 3, 20 years old, has never voted in an election, telling me she was too young.
She then remembered the 2014 Midterm Elections and that she could have voted in them, but
she simply hadn’t thought about it. Interviewee 4 had voted in all but one election, in which
he simply forgot to get a ballot. Examples like this feed into my hypothesis about millennials
simply being unaware of when elections are and what they need to do to vote.
Interviewee 4, a 22 year old from Omaha, had concerns over the growing role of money
in elections, stating that he would see more good in government if those in government roles
“see it more as a service to the community rather than a job.” Interviewee 4, in addition to 2
and 5 saw being informed as an important part of voting. Interviewee 2 even went so far as
saying, when asked about if all eligible voters should vote, that they should vote “If they’re
informed, yes. If they don’t know anything, then no. Voting is a civic duty, a lot of people
seem to forget that.” Interviewee 2 implies that voting is a civic duty, but to vote one should
be informed. Is being informed a civic duty as well? Interviewees 2, 4, and 5 would say that
it was.
18. 17
Questions concerning accessibility in voting brought answers I did not expect.
Interviewees 2, 4, and 5 said the process was pretty simple. “You sign up, you vote.” said 4.
4 is from Omaha, and he stated that he drives 40 minutes to get to his polling place. 2 is
from Lincoln and drives to his designated polling place across town. 5 is from Yankton,
South Dakota, and while he stated that it is more of a hassle to get a ballot than he would
like, he doesn’t see it as too big of an inconvenience. Interviewees 1 and 3 cited voting as an
inconvenience, 1 citing it as not worth his time and 3 citing the lack of information she knew
about voting, particularly via absentee ballot as she would as an out-of-state student.
Below, repeated again, are the three hypotheses I put forth.
1. Millennials do not see voting as an effective tool for instigating change.
2. Millennials do not have the resources and/or knowledge to get their vote in (i.e.
absentee ballots, voter registration law limitations, etcetera).
3. Millennials are not attuned to the political sphere, and thus do not feel informed
enough/do not care enough to vote.
All of these hypotheses are true to an extent depending upon which interviewee is being
discussed. Location played a large role in how an individual perceived the voting process,
location being the determinant for how he or she would vote. An individual’s outlook on politics
played a role in voting behavior, but a more complicated role. All interviewees expressed
dissatisfaction at the federal government, multiple citing polarization and gridlock, and yet three
of these interviewees voted in spite of that. Partisanship played a small role as well, highlighted
in Interview 5, interviewee being a registered Democrat in red South Dakota who felt that his
vote did not matter, but voted anyways because he feels it his civic duty. Access to ballots
played a more muted role than I thought it would originally, a majority of those interviewed
saying that obtaining a ballot was easy enough. Interviewees 3 and 5, however, said they had or
19. 18
could easily ‘space’ an election, simply forgetting to vote. Interviewees #2 and #4 both admitted
to forgetting to vote in an election, the election simply slipping their mind. Parental socialization
may have played a role, interviewees 2, 4, and 5 all reported that their parents voted and that
politics and voting was discussed in their homes as well.
Summary
There are a myriad of reasons individuals do and do not vote, particularly among
millennials. Perhaps the biggest issue I saw throughout this study was that young voters simply
do not always pay attention, and voting had simply slipped their minds as a result of their
transient, hectic lifestyles. Interviewee 1, however, did not vote not for lack of knowledge but
for lack of interest. In sum, voter apathy seems to be alive and well among millennials. I would
like to amend the term ‘voter apathy’ as a result of this study, however. Perhaps all millennials
have a slight case of ‘voter apathy,’ voting or not voting with a grain of salt. Each person I
interviewed, in addition to the literature I read, points to a growing contempt people have for our
government. Lack of trust in our government is a common thread throughout all interviews I
conducted. Therefore the glaring solution seems to be fixing the top complaint of these
interviewers: the inefficiency and lack of transparency in our government. Is this a solvable
solution? The 2016 election may provide some insight to how and, more relevant, if, such as
solution exists.
The 2016 election includes a variety of candidates vying for the youth vote. With
promises of free college and a $15 minimum wage by candidates the interest of youths has been
piqued. The latest Census estimated that there are now 83.1 million millennials in the U.S.,
millennials now outnumbering Baby Boomers (Khalid, 2016). Do young people matter in
politics? This is the question that comes up every election cycle. The 2016 election will either
20. 19
serve to show a change in voting behavior for young voters or further strengthen the long-held
notion that young people do not vote.
My study had limitations in that I had only 5 test subjects. Were I to conduct further
research I would seek a larger sample size, perhaps using a series of focus groups or simply one-
on-one interviews. I would expand my questions and possibly additionally include an
anonymous survey through which I could get a greater range of responses from an even larger
sample of students. With further studies I would incorporate more methods of surveying, and
most importantly I would survey more students. With a larger sample size and expanded survey
methods, clearer and more specific reasons and issues with millennials and voting could be
pinpointed.
24. 23
Works Cited
Avey, M. J. (1989) The Demobilization of American Voters: A Comprehensive Theory of Voter
Turnout. New York: Greenwood Press.
Blackhurst, A. E. and Foster, J. (2003) ‘College Students and Citizenship: A Comparison of
Civic Attitudes and Involvement in 1966 and 2000,” NASPA Journal, 40, pp. 153-174
Congress and the Public. [Gallup] (2015). Retrieved September 13, 2015
Editors of Webster’s New World College Dictionary (2014) Webster’s New World College
Dictionary, Fifth Edition. United States: Houghton-Mifflin
Flanigan, W. G., Theiss-Morse, E. A. Zingale, N. G., Thomas, S. and Wagner, M. W. (2014)
Political Behavior of the American Electorate. 13th ed. United States: CQ Press
Khalid, A. (2016) The 10 states where Millennials could sway the election. Available at:
http://www.npr.org/2016/02/24/462948346/the-10-states-where-millennials-could-sway-the-
election (Accessed: 26 February 2016).
Let People Vote. ACLU. 2013.
Available at: www.aclu.org/map/batt-protect-ballot-voter-suppression-measures-passed-2013
(Accessed 26 May 2015)
Millennials Talk Politics: A Study of College Student Political Engagement (2009) retrieved
from civicyouth.org. (Accessed 2 June 2015)
Nagler, J. (1991) ‘The Effect of Registration Laws and Education of Registration Laws on Voter
Turnout.’ The American Political Science Review, 80(1). pp. 17-43
Public Faith in Congress Fall Again, Hits Historic Low. [Gallup] (2014, June 19). Retrieved
September 13, 2015
Rosenstone, J. J. and Wolfinger, R. E. (1978) ‘The Effect of Registration Laws on Voter
Turnout.’ The American Political Science Review, 72(1) pp. 22-45
Sniderman, P. M. (2011) Facing the Challenge of Democracy: Exploration in the Analysis of
Public Opinion and Political Participation. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Stoker, L. and Bass, J. (2015) ‘Political Socialization: Ongoing Questions and New Directions.’
The Oxford Handbook of American Public Opinion and the Media. pp. 453-470
Thom, F. (2014) Young-Adult Voting: An Analysis of Presidential Elections, 1964-2012
Twenge, J. M. PhD (2006) Generation Me: Why Today’s Young Americans Are More Confident,
Assertive, and Entitled - And More Miserable Than Ever. New York: Simon & Schuster
25. 24
Twenge, J. M., Campbell, K.. W. and Freeman, E. C. (2012) ‘Generational Differences in Young
Adults’ Life Goals, Concern for Others, and Civic Orientation, 1966-2009.’ Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology. 102(5), pp. 1045-1062
Voting Rights and Elections | Brennan Center for Justice.
Retrieved from: https://www.brennancenter.org/issues/voting-rights-elections
(Accessed 2 June 2015)
Winogard, M. (2011) Millennial Momentum: How a New Generation is Remaking America. New
Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press
26. 25
Interview Transcripts:
Interviewee #1
What is your age, year in college, major, and hometown?
I’m 21, a senior in college, I’m a Mechanical engineering major, and I’m from Lincoln
[Nebraska].
Have you ever voted, or do you intend to vote, in a political election?
I haven’t voted, but I suppose at some point I will.
If you did vote would you vote from home or get an absentee ballot?
It depends where I’m at. If I’m still in Lincoln, I’ll vote in person. If I’m not, I suppose I would
get an absentee ballot.
Do you know how to go about getting an absentee ballot?
I could Google it, but off the top of my head, no.
Are you satisfied with the process by which you are able to vote?
Seems simple enough, I mean, being young, I guess it would be better if it was, like, online, or
something like that instead of having to go somewhere.
You haven’t voted in the past, why not?
Partially it’s been just because it’s a mild inconvenience, and partially it’s because I just don’t
really think that my vote has much significance, and also I have sort of aligned with the parties
and candidates that are polling well, so I figure they’re probably just going to win anyway
whether I vote or not.
Do you feel your vote has an impact on the outcome of an election?
Um, to a certain extent, yeah, if I was voting for a candidate that I didn’t think was going to win
anyway. It’d definitely be worth a shot, that’s a valuable part of the process, but I think the
bigger part of the issue is I don’t care which candidate it is unless, like, the other candidate is a
crazy person and would have a negative affect.
27. 26
What importance do you place on political elections and their outcomes?
Relatively little, if I had to give a rating it might be a three out of ten, or something like that.
Do you feel candidates have your best interests in mind?
No. I just think politics are inherently kind of skewed and self-serving to a certain extent, um…
Track records of most people have shown that the interests expressed in the election process and
campaigns have been pretty different than people they’re representing and what the general
consensus is.
Do you see effectiveness in our political system?
No, probably not.
What are the biggest flaws you see?
Well I just think the, the way things are structured, it’s very difficult to incite actual change.
Checks and balances are good, but past a certain point they just stop progress and I also just
think that the amount of transparency is pretty bad. There are so many things in the government
that I just don’t understand.
As a millennial, what problems do you face that you think could be attributed to a government
factor?
Well, I have to pay into social security and Medicare, and I’m never going to see a dime of that
money so that, that kinda sucks. At a more local level, college is unreasonably expensive for,
like, a country that is supposed to value education to the degree it does. Why is it so hard to get
an education? I don’t get that.
Do you see your elected representatives addressing these concerns?
Not really, no.
If they did, would you be more inclined to vote?
Yeah, sure.
In what ways do you participate in government?
28. 27
I mean, aside from paying my taxes, that’s the main one, I do stay up to date on issues pretty
well.
What would most encourage you to vote?
Well, I think, getting rid of the current voting system would be pretty big, if we had the resources
to actually count everybody’s votes—it’s pretty weird in a democratic system to have the person
with the most votes not always win, that’s strange. So that’s one thing. Like I said, if I favored a
candidate that wasn’t the consensus favorite and not losing horribly at the polls, I wouldn’t feel
like I would be wasting my vote. And then just like, I think the state of the Senate and the House
at the time matters too, because, if you get a House that doesn’t agree with the president you just
won’t get anything done, and it’s a waste of four years.
Do your parents vote? Have they talked about voting to you?
My parents vote, yes. They don’t talk about it though; they just kind of do it.
What is the main reason you have not voted in the past?
It’s an inconvenience, I suppose. The level of reward you get for your effort is pretty small, so I
don’t know.
Interviewee #2
What is your age, year in college, major, and hometown?
I am a 21yrold senior double majoring in Advertising and Public Relations, I am from Lincoln,
Nebraska.
Have you ever voted or do you intend to vote in a political election?
I have voted.
Do you vote from home or do you get an absentee ballot?
I vote from home.
Is it easy for you to vote?
Yeah, it’s pretty easy.
29. 28
Are you satisfied with the process by which you are able to vote?
Yes.
Have you voted in every election?
Uh, I think every one except for maybe one- I think I missed a midterm primary.
Do you feel your vote has an impact on an election?
Yeah, especially local races.
What importance do you place on political elections and their outcomes?
I place pretty good importance on it. Our leaders do make decisions that impact us, so putting
the right people in those positions is important.
Do you feel your current elected officials have your interests in mind?
I’d say more so on a local level than nationally – I don’t think that Congress people or executive
branch people have my best interests in mind. I think people in a city government situation, or a
county, or sometimes in a state legislature they are way more concerned about my interests.
Do you see effectiveness in our political system?
Yes.
Do you see any flaws, and if so, what are they?
Yeah, there are flaws. The extreme partisan nature of politics today is a pretty big flaw, and how
the polarization we have makes it difficult to do things, but they cause the problems themselves,
so, I’d say polarization is the biggest flaw right now.
In which ways do you participate in government?
Me personally? I vote, I engage with younger voters in discussion on topics, uh, I have
volunteered in the past for a political campaign.
Have you ever helped in a political campaign?
Yes.
30. 29
Did you find it to be worthwhile?
Yes- depending on what I was doing. The stuff I did for Rob Schaffer for the region made a
difference, I think. It was nuts, but- the phone calls that I did for the Nebraska GOP, that didn’t
make a difference, no.
Do you see voting as a civic duty?
Yeah. Well, I mean, to an extent, yeah.
As in, something everyone is eligible should do?
If they’re informed, yes. If they don’t know anything, then no. Voting a civic duty, a lot of
people seem to forget that.
Do your parents vote? Have they discussed it with you?
My parents vote, yes. They also see it as a civic duty.
Interviewee #3
What is your age, year in college, major, and hometown?
I’m 20, History and sociology major, a junior, and I am from Sioux Falls, SD.
Have you ever voted, or do you intend to vote, in a political election?
I have never voted, but I do intend to.
Would you vote from home or would you get an absentee ballot?
Absentee ballot.
Do you know how to get an absentee ballot?
No.
Do you think you would remember to request an absentee ballot if you decided to vote?
I don’t know. I have a lot of other stuff going on, I could easily forget to do it.
31. 30
Are you satisfied with the process by which you are able to vote?
No.
What would you change?
If it was online, that would be easy. I’ve also heard making election day a national holiday
where people get off work, um, granted not everyone would get off work, but that would help.
Online would be great, convenient. Just making it overall more accessible to the everyday
person.
You haven’t voted in the past, why not?
I was too young to vote in the last presidential election. I guess, now that I think about it, I could
have voted in the midterm election, but I didn’t really think about it at the time. I, uh.. I just
didn’t think about it, honestly. And not many people talk about those [midterm] elections, so I
feel like you don’t hear as much about it as presidential elections.
Do your parents vote? Do they discuss voting or political things?
I don’t know if my parents vote, I haven’t ever asked. We don’t really get into politics, no.
Do you feel your elected representatives have your best interests in mind?
Mine, personally—from South Dakota? No.
How would you define those flaws?
Well, I’ll be in debt for years after college, so, college debt, crazy interest rates, those aren’t
good.
As a millennial, what problems do you face that could be contributed to a governmental factor?
Um, college is overpriced, I don’t get a whole lot out of government, I just feel really far away
from it.
Do you see representative addressing these concerns?
I mean, all I can really think about is Bernie Sanders. Um, no.
If they did, would you be more inclined to vote?
32. 31
Yes, I suppose so.
What is the main reason you would vote?
Well, if I heard about things I care about I might, but I think a lot of the time, the language they
use is hard for me to care about, and, uh, it just feels really distant. I feel very disconnected from
it. Maybe, I don’t know, if they directly addressed younger people, um, I don’t know. The way,
the way they approach it is, makes the system seem intangible to me.
Interviewee #4
What is your age, year in college, major, and hometown?
I am 22, I’m a first-year graduate student seeking a Masters degree in German, and I am from
Omaha, Nebraska.
Have you ever voted or do you intend to vote in a political election?
Yes, I have.
Which elections and why?
2012, the presidential one, and I think I did a local one.
Midterm elections?
Yes, except for when I was abroad in Berlin for a semester—I spaced on that one.
Why do you vote?
Why… Well, we live in a quote-on-quote democracy and for that people have to vote, and by
voting you get the best candidate. So, if you don’t vote, you can’t complain.
Do you vote from home or do you get an absentee ballot?
I go home to vote, it’s a 40 minute drive
Do you find the current way you are able to vote time-consuming?
To vote, no, to prepare to vote, I guess so.
33. 32
Prepare to vote?
To be informed, to know about the candidates. The campaign season is stressful, but voting is
pretty easy. I just drive to Omaha, vote, and come back.
Are you satisfied with the process by which you are able to vote?
I think so. It’s pretty simple. You sign up, you vote.
Do your parents vote? Have they ever discussed politics and elections with you?
They vote, yes. And we discuss politics fairly regularly. My parents watch the nightly news and have for
who knows how long.
Do you feel your candidates have your best interests in mind?
Um, sometimes. Sometimes though, it really is false promises. After they are elected they can
do whatever they want.
Do you see effectiveness in the political system, at local, state, and federal levels?
I feel as though we have too much focus on federal, and local needs more. No one really gives
two shits about local elections. I don’t really see effectiveness unless you change it from the
bottom-up.
Do you feel as though your vote has an impact on an election?
I don’t feel like it but I know it does. Everyone says their vote doesn’t count, but if everyone
said that no one would go vote.
What flaws do you see in our government?
It all revolves around money. You can’t really – it’s hard, you can’t really promote yourself
without money, which requires sponsorships, and they may ask for favors later. I think money is
a big problem. It would be nice to see it more as a service to the community rather than a job.
Do you see partisanship as an issue, political polarization?
Yes. Because it is either yes or no, and most things are in the gray areas, and always decisions
lie with the extremes, because people feel they need to stay behind party lines.
As a millennial, someone 18-29, do you feel candidates address your concerns in elections?
34. 33
They’re starting too-ish. I know there’s always a big impact, or a big focus on millennials. Um,
do they address some concerns? Sometimes. It seems to be focused on the older generations,
which kinda sucks. I don’t see the point in that. They’re not going to be alive in thirty years.
These policies will be put in place, and then they’ll be dead by the time they can experience
them.
What encourages you to vote the most? What is the main reason?
Because we take this for granted and sometimes people don’t vote because they just take for
granted that we have this free society. If you don’t support your government then you’re not
helping and you’re not being a valued citizen, I guess. It’s just kind of adding your input, adding
what you’d like to see in future decisions.
Interviewee #5
What is your age, year in college, major, and hometown?
I am 21, a senior, and am triple majoring in English, Political Science, and Spanish. I am from
Yankton, South Dakota.
Have you ever voted or do you intend to vote in a political election?
I have voted, I and I will continue to vote. I voted in the 2012 presidential and midterm
elections. I did not vote in the 2014 midterm elections because I hadn’t lived there [in South
Dakota] and I didn’t feel very informed on the South Dakota political situation.
Do you vote from home or do you get an absentee ballot?
Neither. My mom brings me my ballot.
Do you know how to get an absentee ballot?
I’m sure I could figure it out. I could just google it.
Do you think you would remember ahead of the election to request an absentee ballot?
I think I could forget to do it pretty easily.
Why do you think that is?
35. 34
Living out of state I’m not really up to date on the deadlines and also I’m a college student. I
have a lot of other deadlines on my mind other than when I need to request an absentee ballot by.
Are you satisfied with the process by which you are able to vote?
As far as obtaining and receiving my ballot, no. As for filling it out, yes. At this point I’m pretty
good at filling out bubbles. It’s just getting the ballot in the first place that’s a pain in the ass.
Also, last time I got my ballot my mom brought it to me and my entire family watched me fill it
out which was really awkward and uncomfortable. I definitely didn’t have the comfort of a
voting booth.
Do your parents vote?
My mom votes. Like I said, she brings me my ballot. We discuss politics, partly because I’m a political
science major and that’s one of the areas I generally lean towards talking about. Voting just makes sense,
I don’t know why I wouldn’t at least try to turn in a ballot.
Do you think your vote matters?
No.
Why?
Especially being from South Dakota I’m a registered Democrat and South Dakota is a very red
state. Essentially my role in the electoral process doesn’t mean much. To put that in
perspective, the last Democrat to receive the electoral votes in South Dakota was LBJ, and his
opponent was George McGovern, who happens to come from South Dakota.
What, if any, is the impact you believe your vote has on local, state, and federal elections?
I feel that locally it does. School board, sheriff, those offices in Yankton [South Dakota]. As for
state and federal elections I don’t think my vote has an impact, no.
Do you feel your candidates and/or representatives have your best interests in mind?
No. Kristy Noem is our House representative, and John Thune and Tim Johnson are our Senate
representatives. Tim Johnson suffered a stroke in recent years so his performance in doing his
job has been difficult, to say the least. John Thune is a moderate conservative—I disagree with
him on social issues. Kristy Noem is a piece of work. She dropped out of, I think, four colleges
in South Dakota, has no degree, and she has some interesting viewpoints. So yeah, that’s how I
feel about them.
36. 35
Do you see effectiveness in our political system?
At the local level, yeah, but honestly the smaller you get the more control you have. As far as
state and federal government, no. Congress is a mess with political gridlock. I think it would be
effective when it works, but the way it is now when it gets bogged down, nothing is going to get
done.
What is the biggest issue you face that can be attributed, at least in part, to the government?
College is expensive, that’s the biggest thing in my life. I guess as I get older taxes and things
will play a role. College is the main thing. I’ll be paying a lot here at undergrad, and I’m going
to grad school. It’s terrifying to come out of school in that much debt. So I just hope I get a job.
Do you see our government addressing the issues you are concerned about?
No. In fact I’m not really informed about what they’re doing which might just be the problem,
as there is so little transparency. If they are addressing college debt I haven’t heard or seen
anything about it. If they were transparent it would help their constituents, but maybe it
wouldn’t help them. It all seems very self-serving at the federal level of government.
In which ways do you participate in government?
I vote when I am able and when I feel informed to do so. I’ve worked for the Capitol
[Nebraska], and also for the city of Omaha. I organized a calling campaign with other University
of Nebraska colleges to help get the Good Samaritan Bill pushed through.
What is the main reason you vote?
I’m a political science major—I feel as though it’s my duty studying structure of politics,
etcetera, that I should vote. I feel informed enough to do so. It’s also a civic duty, so really
everyone should vote. There are a lot of people throughout history that were not allowed to vote,
so I would say we’re all pretty lucky and should take advantage.