How can young people's interest in politics be increased?

Question

How can young people's interest in politics be increased?

Answer 1

By making them accountable.

Require mandatory 2-year military service for all persons between the ages of 18 and 21.

Reinstate a sense of obligation, not a sense of entitlement.

Answer 2

A teacher here in town always got her 6-8th graders involved in all aspects of the politics going on.  She had her students every day read the newspapers, get on the internet, and they would pick sides of an issue and discuss it.  During any elections, local and national, they did the same and then held a 'mock vote' with voting booths, tickets, etc. exactly like their parents would have to do.  My hat off to her!  I hope all their parents were impressed with what she was teaching her students.  She also would keep track of national contests requiring students'  interpretation of certain issues, and would submit their works.  Education should start at home to get your children involved, but many parents skirt this issue, so it's wonderful when teachers take an active participation into the political world for the youth!

Answer 3

First you'd have to increase their attention span.

Answer 4

The two main parties are controlled by rich people helping rich people. Very few young people are rich. Thus, politics has no reality to most young people. Return rule to the people, not the elite but the working people & you may see younger people become more politically involved.

Answer 5

Well,the change has to come from two sides,first one from the youth and their parents, second one from political parties.

Let me describe it.

Today for indian youth,career means getting job in IT , ITES or any  financial institutions which pays them well or multinational companies and unfortunately parents  also train their children's towards the same.Not even 1%of Indian youth think to choose their career in politics,for that i don't blame them because its not merely their mistake,

Answer this question first,how many parents let their children's to attend the political meetings to understand the system?Iam sorry to say that most of the indian youth are politically illiterates,they have no idea about political system and paents have their own role in this,And again i dont blame parents also for this situation because  politics has been established as such worst career option in india due to corruption,money involment,and other such things...

At the same time political parties start giving the chances to those who can win the election by spending the money.

       Unless we dont address these problems, attracting the youth intrest to politics is not easy.

Answer 6

Why do you want to increase political participation? There are enough jerks as it is.

Answer 7

I think that parents should get their children more involved. I know that we do with our child and she forms her own opinion. I want her ready to vote at 18 and in doing so, she needs to know what it is all about.

Answer 8

By improving the education system, at least in the U.S. anyway. Government (read public) schools have been dumbed down over the last 40 years. This dumbing down has been intentional in my mind. By not teaching civics, or just barely skimming the surface, the youth of today have no real idea what impact government policies will have on them. Young people of voting age then have no reason to take part in the system. The young adults that do vote, are easily swayed by emotional ideas that "feel good", but in the long run are devastating to our future. Universal health care and gun control are prime examples. If however, the young adults have a good education in civics, they have an understanding what a true responsibility voting, and civic participation really is. These better educated young adults, or adults of any age for that matter, pose a threat to the power of professional politicians, of either major party. And that is why we have a "dumbed down" education system!

Answer 9

As a young person, it's been my experience, and many studies have started to come to this conclusion, that most in GenY don't actually believe the same things our elders do.  Considering that the parties are currently geared towards the values of Baby Boomers, GenY considers it a lost cause.

Most of GenY resembles Democrats on social issues; acceptance of g**s, pro-equality, ect.  At the same time, on economic and government issues, they are more like Reagan Republicans, keep government out of our lives, no welfare, small government.  To add to the mix, they are the first generation since the Greatest Generation to consider family to be the most important aspect of life.  Some attribute this to be the effect of GenY being the first to, collectively, have lived through broken families being the "norm".

So, until a party begins to represent their beliefs, they probably won't be enticed to enter the political areana until they are older and decide to excert their collective force on America's political sphere.

Answer 10

Encouraging people to study the issues and look at what is involved.  Too many young people today don't have a clue as to what a situation involves because they don't study a topic.

Answer 11

The political parties can do something. They can pass a party rule which says that one-third of all voting delegates at the party conventions must be 30 years of age or younger. But, no tie dyed shirts. I don't want to see a repeat of the 1972 convention which nominated George McGovern. LOL!

Answer 12

The only way to get young people to do things is to not allow them to do it. Take away the right to vote or participate and suddenly you would have a bunch of kids screaming they want to.

Of course it doesn't change the fact that the vast majority of young people don't know their butt from a beanbag and shouldn't be allowed to participate... but that's another rant.

Answer 13

By making it relevant to them.  Find an issue that has personal significance, and they'll get interested.

Answer 14

Instituting the draft should do it.