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Post by jeffolie on May 10, 2013 17:34:18 GMT -6
May 10, 2013 Why Young People Don't Vote More than a year ago, I wrote an article for the New Republic about why fewer young adults would vote in the 2012 presidential election than in 2008 (The Surprising Trends that Suggest Young People Won't Vote in 2012). Was I right or what? Here are the voting rates of citizens by age group (and the percentage point change in the rate between 2008 and 2012)... 18 to 24: 41.2% (-7.3) 25 to 44: 57.3% (-2.7) 45 to 64: 67.9% (-1.3) 65-plus: 72.0% (+1.7) To put it bluntly, the voter participation rate of 18-to-24-year-olds plunged between 2008 and 2012. While the overall rate fell by 1.8 percentage points (to 61.8 percent), the rate among young adults fell by an enormous 7.3 percentage points. One reason for the decline is the typical lower level of enthusiasm for an incumbent. The second reason for the decline is that voting is for grown ups, and millions of young adults have been prevented from growing up by the lingering effects of the Great Recession. Voting rates rise steadily with age as young adults find jobs, earn a living, set up house, marry, and have children--in other words, as they become established members of the community. By these measures, fewer young adults were grown ups in 2012 than in 2008. The decline in their voter participation rate was predictable, and predicted. Source: Census Bureau, Voting and Registration www.census.gov/hhes/www/socdemo/voting/index.htmldemomemo.blogspot.com/
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Post by jeffolie on May 10, 2013 17:38:39 GMT -6
lost workers generation, Generation Y idle hands ' ... idle hands ... ' Gen Y in the USA defer marriage, buying cars & houses, have less kids and politically LACK FIRE, reek of despare. Gen Y in the USA attempt to work with the status quo by seeking work, paying debts, renting apartments. Gen Y in the EU defer marriage, buying cars & houses, have less kids and PROTEST, JOIN ANTI ESTABLISHMENT POLITICAL parties including the fascists, greenies while ignoring the socialists. Gen Y in the EU can not even attempt to work with the status quo by seeking work, paying debts, renting apartments. Historically, food riots have been symptomatic of govts' unable or unwilling to placate the 'idle hands' who turn to violent protest, revolt. When govts abandon 'Bread and Circuses', the anger from basic needs not being supplied motivate desparte POLITICS MATTERS 'political events' which my phrase remains THE POLITICS OF THE BACKLASH. my jeffolie view: the 'political event' most likely will not come from USA's idle hands Generation Y and will come from outside America that will disturb the status quo, gridlock, Trinkle Down Type 1 consumer in America. ==================================== images.thetruthaboutcars.com/2013/05/youthunemployment.png[ jeffolie annotation, footnote for the Atlantic chart: Italy's line did not appear, Italy's Gen Y jobless remains over 30%] Generation Why: Well, At Least We’re Not Europe By Derek Kreindler on May 9, 2013 Yet another bit of bleak data from Europe relating to new car sales. A popular school of thought holds that young people’s aversion to cars is largely rooted in economic factors. When everyone under 30 is broke, living at home and wallowing in student debt, the last thing on their mind is a car. But the hope is that once things turn around, it will be time for Generation Y to get motoring again. At least in North America. Over in Europe (or certain parts of it, at least) things are much more bleak. Youth unemployment in countries like Greece and Spain are at staggering levels. 54.2 percent of Greek youth are unemployed according to the above chart from The Atlantic. Spain is a little behind – or slightly exceeding Spain, depending on your sources. The situation is less severe in other Eurozone countries, but still bad, as evidence by the figures for France, Ireland and the Eurozone as a whole. Germany remains a standout, as its youth unemployment rate of 8.2 percent is half of the United States’ rate and a third of the Eurozone’s. As the Atlantic article states, the unemployment crisis has been dragging on for years now, and there appears to be little end in sight. A “lost generation” of workers will of course mean a lost generation of car buyers for Europe’s auto makers. If anyone is buying anything, it’s low cost cars, as evidenced by the astonishing success of brands like Dacia, which have cannibalized sales of Renault in France.www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2013/05/generation-why-well-at-least-were-not-europe/#more-487999
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Post by unlawflcombatnt on May 11, 2013 10:24:28 GMT -6
I can think of some legitimate reasons why young people vote less.
To start with, they simply don't know as much about the world as a whole. They haven't experienced as much, due to having spent less time on this earth.
Abstaining from voting, due to one's admitted lack of knowledge on a subject or issue, is perfectly legitimate in my opinion.
In addition, and unlike retirees, young people have less overall time available to research issues due to employment.
In contrast, however, not voting due to lack of interest is highly problematic. It is young people who will be most affected by electoral & legislative outcomes, because they have more time left on this earth. Consequently, they have more time to suffer the adverse consequences of electoral & legislative out comes.
I applaud those who abstain from voting due to an acknowledged lack of understanding.
But not those who simply don't care.
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