Why Bother? Because Peer-to-Peer Programs Can Mobilize Young Voters

Abstract

Many assume that young Americans are apathetic, self-absorbed, and indifferent to civic matters. It is a turned-off generation, we are told. But nothing could be further from the truth. A host of data suggests young Americans give their energy, time, and money to their schools, community, and nation. A recent report by the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), for example, suggests young Americans volunteer at higher rates than do older Americans (Lopez 2003). The frequency of pitching-in has also increased: In 1990 some 65% of college freshman reported volunteering in high school, and by 2003 that figure had risen to 83%. Rates of volunteer work for those under 25 are now twice as high as for those over 55. Perhaps this is the activist generation.

Youth Political Participation: Bridging Activism and Electoral Politics

“…Whatever moniker they use, scholars generally agree that this new generation has experienced "an unmistakable expansion of youth interest in politics and public affairs" (Sander & Putnam 2010, p. 11). In fact, young people in this generation have been found to volunteer much more than older Americans (Shea & Harris 2006; see also Zukin et al 2006). Moreover, voter turnout for Americans under 30 has gone up significantly in recent years: "turnout increased 4% by 2000, and an additional 7% in 2004" (Dalton 2008, p. 192), and this trend continued in the 2008 election (Kirby & Kawashima-Ginsberg 2009, Sander & Putnam 2010).…”

“…5). Presenting findings from data collected in 2002, Andolina and colleagues (2003, p. 275) conclude that "habits formed at home, lessons learned at school, and opportunities offered by outside groups all positively influence the civic engagement of youth" (see also Shea & Harris 2006 for their study of peer-to-peer programs). In his piece in the Annual Review of Political Science, Galston (2001) compares traditional classroom-based civic education to service learning, which combines community-based learning with classroom experience.…”

Institutionalizing Political and Civic Engagement on Campus

“…As such, we have done a number of things in the PCS program to address these concerns and to ensure that our goals of politically engaged students remain at the forefront. As some have noted, when it comes specifically to direct political engagement, students need to be exposed to such things as voter mobilization, electoral mobilization (Bennion 2006) as well as peer-to-peer voter registration programs (Shea and Harris 2006).…”

Youth, activism, and social movements

“…Dalton (), and others, argue it is not that youth are disengaged, but rather that they do not engage in the same way that “dutiful” generations have. Instead, youth have shifted to an “engaged citizenship” model by volunteering (Shea & Harris, ), protesting, and embedding politics in their daily lives (Schlozman, Verba, & Brady, ; Zukin, Keeter, Andolina, Jenkins, & Delli Carpini, ). Youth also engage in participatory politics, in which political news and opinions are expressed, consumed, and remixed peer‐to‐peer through online social networks (Cohen, Kahne, Bowyer, Middaugh, & Rogowski, )…”