Young people are frequently seen as the future. Given this heady responsibility, one would imagine that this would be the most politically-engaged generation for a century, but instead, younger people are less likely to vote than older voters (The British Election Study Team, 2021, n.p.). Only 47 percent of 18-24 year-olds turned out to vote in the 2019 General Election (Fearn, 2022, n.p.). Politics compounds this problem by ignoring the priorities of young people while focusing upon practically anything that will make the older generation more comfortable.
Young People Are Being Ignored
Studies show that housing is the most important issue for young people, yet Emerson (2023, n.p.) notes that there is no engagement with these issues in recent speeches by the leaders of the largest political parties. In fact, political parties don’t seem to be speaking to young people. The trend towards ‘empowering communities’, for example, usually empowers those who already own property to block new developments that would empower young people without property (Emerson, 2023, n.p.). The fact that the aspiration of home ownership remains a critical life goal in UK society, yet it is something that is denied most young people until they are well into adulthood is not being addressed by the current generation of political leaders (McKee, 2012, p.854).
Student loans are another significant issue facing young people. Before the 1990s, you could go to university and graduate with no debt. Since then, the price of a university degree has increased steadily to over £57,000 for those UK students studying outside London (Higginbotham, 2023, n.p.). This is provided in a loan, which the student is then required to pay back. Additionally, this has become more difficult in recent years. The cost-of-living crisis has resulted in high inflation, yet student maintenance loans have not increased in line (Weale, 2023, n.p.). Those that wish to go to university and often then pay more tax as a result of enhanced earnings are then punished with a 41 percent marginal tax rate for 30 or 40 years (Emerson, 2023, n.p.).
The environment represents a further concern for most young people. Politicians are frequently seen as doing little of the hard work that is needed to truly tackle climate change, preferring to greenwash the need to reduce carbon emissions on an enormous scale. Ojala (2012, p.625) suggests that the fact that contemporary politicians give little basis on which to be hopeful, suggesting that the perception of sluggish action means there is little engagement with politics. Lawrance et al. (2022, pp.726-738) suggest that climate change is likely to evoke interest and engagement in young people, and the failure of climate change to be the priority policy for the mainstream political parties in the UK contributes to the marginalisation of younger voters.
Modes of Citizenship
To a certain extent, this shortfall in voting is reflective of a different process of citizenship. Voting in Westminster elections is only one form of political engagement and it’s unfair to perceive low turnout as a sign of switching off. Young people who are concerned about climate change are more likely to engage in the notion of cosmopolitan or global citizenship, in which these concerns are addressed through activism as a part of the global community (Hoskins & Lavchyan, 2018, n.p.). This first came to the fore in a global campaign for climate change in Seattle in 1999, and involves pan-national organisations rather than nation-state activism (Mayo, 2005, p.3).
A second approach might be to focus on the local rather than the national or international community in the form of Civic Republicanism. Civic Republicanism sees meaningful action takes place through individual involvement in the political community rather than through citizens simply voting every few years. Such models are seen in community democracies such as the USA or in community organisations in the UK (Curry, 2000, p.1960). Not voting could also be regarded as consistent with the principles of liberal citizenship, in which the government should protect people’s rights, but not necessarily play an active role in providing these benefits for the individual young people. The protection of rights is an essential part of most democracies, and such roles for the government is particular emphasised in the USA (Etzioni, 2007, p.355) Voting is, after all, just one way of expressing citizenship, and all is not lost for young people.
Addressing Low Turnout
Despite these explanations, addressing the low turnout is still important because unless young people participate by voting, governments will believe it is appropriate to ignore their wishes (The Conversation, 2023, n.p.). It has been suggested that lowering the voting age would be beneficial, but this only lasts a few years. The best approach to voting would be civic education, and those that take a course where political issues were discussed are more likely to vote than others (The Conversation, 2023, n.p.). However, this can also result in a postcode lottery in which some young people might receive such education and others might lose out; therefore, such education needs to be universal. According to Weinberg (2021, p.9), ‘democratic education is a peripheral feature of secondary education in English schools.’
A recent study found that a fifth of secondary schools in England provide no education about politics (Fearn, 2022, n.p.). However, political literacy is seen as important by both teachers and students alike. This could lead to a process of critical citizenship in which there is active engagement in social issues and supports the notion that citizenship requires active involvement by citizens, questioning and challenging existing power structures. This may account partly for the marginalisation of such approaches to education, in that critical citizenship is often perceived to be ideological motivated, rather than it being accepted that any political system worth supporting can withstand interrogation (Fearn, 2022, n.p.). Citizenship education was traditionally part of the national education system and has often been seen as a way in which the national myths can be built up, but a case can be made for it to include deep critical thought and considering how one might inculcate social change (Hoskins, 2020, p.3).
Overall, it is not as bad as it looks: young people are politically engaged, but don’t necessarily vote. However, voting is still important, and one way in which people are turned off politics is through a lack of education that develops political thinking. Given the fact that challenges of climate change, housing and education are unlikely to get easier soon, it’s certainly something to consider.
References:
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