Perhaps the most tangible aspect of this past election cycle has been the increased desire of young people to participate in the political process. Large scale protests and demonstrations have come to fruition these past few months, from both sides of the political spectrum, and donations to organizations such as the ACLU have skyrocketed. According to the Harvard Public Opinion Project’s survey of young Americans aged 18-29, 25 percent indicated a recent increase in their political motivation. While this is nowhere near a majority (46 percent of those polled said the election made no difference in their political motivation), it must be put into the context of the American political scene. The United States is particularly infamous for low voter turnout, and low overall participation in politics—especially from young people. To have one out of every four 18-29 year olds desiring greater political activity is not insubstantial, and there are many reasons for this increased political engagement.
Overall, 62 percent of the millennials polled believe that civility and general respect in politics has declined over the last five years. Furthermore, the poll holds that President Obama left office with a respectably high approval rating of 64 percent, while Donald Trump faced a depressingly low approval rating of 34 percent during his transition. Both of these facts indicate that Americans are angry at their current government, and don’t believe that it is functioning at a desirable or effective level. Furthermore, given Obama’s high ratings, it is notable that many young Americans see a Trump presidency as a complete reversal of the former president’s policies. Combined, these general feelings of unrest and agitation seem to be driving the young American into the political sphere. However, there is one interesting piece of data that adds a unique twist to this changing political scene.
In the HPOP survey, participants were asked about a proposal to create a National Service program for Americans under 25 years old. This service could possibly take many forms, such as military duty or community service, the idea being that putting young Americans together both in proximity and with a common goal could alleviate some of the political tensions seen today. When asked about their feelings on this proposal, a majority of Democrats, Republicans and Independents (and thus all young people alike) supported it. However, when asked if this programs should be mandatory, support dropped down to almost nonexistent levels — 7 percent of those polled, 4 percent of Democrats and 11 percent of Republicans. This illustrates a very uniquely “American” aspect of political discourse: the freedom to not participate is held at least as dearly as the freedom and desire to participate, and perhaps even more so.
Americans cling to their right to say no, as well as yes. We all want to be able to vote, but if none of the candidates are seen as favorable, we also desire the right to make a statement by, effectively, making no statement whatsoever. This same thought process could be seen in young Americans after this past election. Even when the desire to engage more with politics exists and is in fact growing, forcing that engagement in any way would immediately draw condemnation. Consider how fewer Republicans, compared to their Democrat peers, indicated that they are likely to participate in politics—this after the Republicans won big this past election with the presidency and both houses of Congress. This is indicative of what is probably the biggest challenge for America’s political system: since it isn’t compulsory, participation in politics ends up being time-sensitive, based on approval of the current government more than anything else. If the United States is to truly alter its political world, Americans must commit to political participation for its own sake, not just when it is most convenient or feels the most personal.