The young disengage with politics

A study co-produced by the Hansard Society on e-democracy and OfCom investigates why young people are not engaging with the political process

However it is important to be realistic about the obstacles facing young people in their search for knowledge about how society works; who governs them; what their rights are; and how they can make changes. Society entreats young people to ‘be good citizens’, but does not provide them with the tools to become so. At the very least, good citizens need to be informed and to communicate about matters of concern to them. In theory the web, with its encyclopedic store of information and opportunities for interactive chat and discourse, is a perfect space for the cultivation of civic knowledge and participation. It has the potential to nurture a more active form of citizenship where the new media become a locus for participation and a facilitator of a national conversation in which the represented learn to present themselves to one anotherand to their elected representatives.

The context for this research is a conspicuous disengagement from politics by young people. 61% of 18-24 year-olds chose not to cast a vote in the 2001 general election, almost double the number for the electorate as a whole. 46% of 18-24 year-olds were of the view that voting in the 2001 election would not make much of a difference, compared with 34% of the electorate as a whole.

33% of 18-24 year-olds reported having no interest at all in media coverage of the election.

There is a strong correlation between young people’s lack of knowledge about politics and their disengagement from the democratic process. In a May 2001 poll for the Electoral Commission, MORI found that 70% of 18-24 year-olds considered that they knew little or hardly anything about how the Westminster Parliament works, compared with 56% of the electorate as a whole. The majority (59%) of those claiming little or no knowledge of how Parliament works did not vote; the vast majority (89%) of those who claimed to know a fair amount or a great deal about Parliament did cast their votes.

Not surprisingly, those who are most confused by civic and political issues are least likely to engage in civic or political life. They are not disengaged because of antipathy to the political system; nor should they be simplistically blamed as apathetic or indolent.

The report then investigates why this is so, perhaps it can be summed up in one word and that is context.

Politics needs context for young people and needs to explain itself better. Take this stat for example 46% of 18-24 year-olds were of the view that voting in the 2001 election would not make much of a difference. If you believe your vote will not make a difference, you won't vote.

Politics should be about improving the dialogue, the better the dialogue, the more engaged people become.

Comments

[prada]

Pretty good post. Ho appena imbattuto il tuo blog e volevo dire che ho apprezzato molto leggere il tuo post sul blog. Alcun modo sarò sottoscrivendo il feed e spero di postare di nuovo presto.

[Lancel]

Blog Grande Je suis certifié sur votre blog Parce que j'ai cherché et visité le contenu de blog sont uniques. Si votre blog ne sont pas uniques message pour que je ne poste mon commentaire.

[ノースフェイス]

離れる前に、もっと大げさな子供が単語を落とした：私はそれは臭いチェスを再生するには、あなたのユニットを来ることはありません！

[グッチ]

同県亘理町荒浜地区にある阿武隈川沿いの堤防。近くに住んでいた男性（６０）は２階建て自宅の１階が浸水したが、流失は免れたため「住み慣れた土地を離れたくない」と修復を決意。昨年９月、建設業者に予約金１００万円を支払い、年末までに仮設住宅から自宅に戻れるはずだった。