Engaging Youth: Combating the Apathy of Young Americans Toward Politics

Engaging Youth: Combating the Apathy of Young Americans Toward Politics
ISBN-10
0870784706
ISBN-13
9780870784705
Category
Political Science / History & Theory
Pages
69
Language
English
Published
2003
Publisher
Century Foundation Press
Author
Kevin Mattson

Description

Young Americans are more likely than their older counterparts to be cynical and disaffected about politics. Their voting rates in both national and local elections have declined, they are less likely to be affiliated with political parties (when they register at all, many young people categorize themselves as independents), and in surveys they express higher levels of cynicism about the state of politics in general. Kevin Mattson argues that recent attempts to reverse these trends are unlikely to succeed. He says that neither John McCain's focus on campaign finance reform as a corrective nor former President Clinton's emphasis on community service as practiced through the Americorps program is likely to re-engage young Americans in politics. Analyzing the historical context to assess the extent to which youth have participated in the political process throughout the twentieth century, Mattson makes the case for more extensive educational programs, public service internships, and innovative Internet strategies.

Similar books

  • The Evolution of Political Knowledge: Theory and inquiry in American politics
    By Edward D. Mansfield, Richard Sisson, American Political Science Association. Meeting

    Washington, D.C. Uslaner, Eric M. 1993. The Decline of Comity in Congress. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press. Valelly, Richard M. 1996. “Couch-potato Democracy?” American Prospect 25: 25–26. Valentino, N. A. 1999.

  • 1968: Radical Protest and Its Enemies
    By Richard Vinen

    Richard Vinen pursues the story into the 1970s to show both the ever more violent forms of radicalization that arose from 1968 and the brutal reactions from those in power that brought the era to an end.

  • European Political Thought, 1815-1989
    By Spencer M Di Scala, Salvo Mastellone, Spencer Di Scala

    In addition, the book includes clear, concise discussions of major twentieth-century totalitarian movements—Communism, Fascism, and Nazism—and of the major opponents of the one-party state.

  • Benjamin Disraeli Letters: 1848-1851
    By Benjamin Disraeli, John Alexander Wilson Gunn

    ... Alexander 1919n2 MacCarthy , C.J. 1735n2 Macclesfield , 5th Earl of 1860n2 McCulloch , John Ramsay 1893 & n2 ... 2050n6 Mackenzie , Hugh 1877n8 Mackenzie , William Forbes 1975n2 Mackinnon , William Alexander i 188n11 , 1758n2 ...

  • North Korea: The Politics of Regime Survival
    By Young Whan Kihl, Hong Nack Kim

    ... covert , or semiformal — that were extended to the DPRK by Western governments in the kangsong taeguk period , we might well discover that the ratio of such outside assistance to local commercial earnings began to approach the scale ...

  • The Press and the Bush Presidency
    By Mark J. Rozell

    Bernard Roscho , " The Evolution of News Content in the American Press , " in Doris Graber , ed . , Media Power in ... William L. Rivers , The Other Government : Power and the Washington Media ( New York : Universe Books , 1982 ) , p .

  • Contemporary Social and Political Theory: An Introduction
    By Fidelma Ashe, Alan Finlayson

    According to Harding , this means that the political standpoint of the scientist is a relevant consideration in the evaluation of scientific theories . Rigorous scientific scholarship can only take place under conditions where women and ...

  • Federalism
    By Robert P. Sutton

    The Senate Committee on the Judiciary holds televised hearings on the nomination of Robert H. Bork to the Supreme Court that focus on Bork's understanding of " original intent . " The Court , in Texas v . Johnson , sets aside a state ...

  • الحكم في عالم يتجه نحو العولمة: Governance in a Globalizing World
    By John D. Donahue, Joseph S. Jr. Nye

    العولمة نضجت من مجرد كلمة طنانة مثيرة للجدل حول كيف تغير شبكات الاتصال الثقافة والاقتصاد والأمن والبيئة - ومعها التحديات الرئيسية ...

  • FDR and Harry: Unparalleled Lives
    By Robert Underhill

    ... 3 , 47 , 55–57 passim , 70 , 78 , 99 , 109 , 111 , 120 , 164-65 , 179–80 , 183 Hoover , J. Edgar , 178–79 Hopkins ... General von , 129 Johnson , Hiram , 96 , 130 Johnson , Hugh , 95 Johnson , Louis A. , 175 Johnson , Lyndon B.