Responding to the varying national circumstances and situations that establish the tenor of any serious election season, the American youth is voicing its concerns about the future leadership, and hence direction, of the United States of America.In the past few months, Aquinas College hosted numerous politically oriented programs aimed at registering, informing and exciting college voters. Campus Ministry organized a two-part reflection on the United States Catholic Bishops’ document, “Faithful Citizenship.” Also, events like “Barack the Vote” and the visit of Will.i.am and Tatyana Ali overall encourage participation in the election.

Past elections have shown that the youth vote has been relatively small in comparison to other age groups. In 2000, only 36.1 percent of eligible 18- to 24-year-olds voted,
and in 2004 only 47 percent of eligible voters in the same category voted. Though these statistics attest to non-participation, they also show the largest increase in voting among other age groups. In addition to an increase of voting, the amount of registered 18- to 24-year-old voters increased seven percent.

There is a high expectation for these previous trends to continue and dramatically effect this election.

Though Democrats have an obvious lead with the youth vote and did also in the last election (nine-percent in 2004), polling shows that young Republicans are more loyal and more intensely Republican than their older counterparts, according to a George Washington University study. Regardless of loyalty, Republicans could gain much electoral ground by attracting a characteristically democratic age group.

Both major candidates are utilizing youth-directed efforts to sway the youth vote in their direction. Senator Barack Obama’s website, BarackObama.com, features a “Students for Obama” page which has Obama Mobile, the Action Center and numerous articles of interest for students supporting Senator Barack Obama. Similarly Senator John McCain’s website, JohnMcCain.com, though lacking a specifically student or youth page, has “McCainSpace” which hearkening to MySpace seeks to serve as an information portal for youth supporters.

Amanda Chatel, an Aquinas Student and Deputy Youth Vote Director for Minnesota’s Campaign for Change, works with the Obama campaign to register and inform voting age students in high schools and colleges across Minnesota. “In high schools,” Chatel says, “We register voters and work through community volunteering programs to encourage political involvement.”

“In colleges, we help students register or re-register through voter registration drives,” Chatel explained. The college program also helps students equip themselves with the proper documents to vote on election day.

The McCain-Palin Campaign did not return messages left by The Saint.

Beyond the major party campaigns, there is a clear movement within American culture toward a greater rate of youth participation in the election. Websites directed to youth particiaption like Rock the Vote, Youth Noise, A Million Reasons to Vote, Generation Engage, and Do Something.org enable visitors to register to vote and research the candidates.

Of the numerous issues that may concern 18- to 24-year-olds, the economy ranks primary importance according to a study conducted by Harvard University Institute of Politics in April. After the economic situation (30 percent), 18- to 24-year-olds are concerned about the Iraq War (20 percent), health care (nine percent), social issues (six percent), the environment (five percent) and foreign policy (three percent).

As effects of increased youth particapation appear in the various polls, questions have been raised about the methodology of polls that use only landlines. According to a study conducted by the Pew Research Center, in polling surveys limited to landlines, 18- to 29-year-olds are 14 percent of respondents, whereas in cell phone surveys, 18- to 29-year-olds are 48 percent of respondents. In addition significant statistics show that 18- to 29-year olds generally favor liberal policies and clearly support Senator Barack Obama over Senator John McCain. Hence, some researchers imply that strictly landline polls are skewed toward a sample that is not representative of the current political body.

These trends will hopefully continue and concrete a concerned and educated American body politic that is oriented to a better world and a better government. Regardless of the participation of the youth demographic, or lack thereof, the future of the United States of America will eventually be passed into the hands of this 18- to 20-some group of citizens.