Voter turnout among the younger gen

[powder]

Tomorrow is federal election time in Canada.  I keep reading or hearing about the low voter turnout rates for youth, and that in the last couple of decades it is getting worse (or better), as the numbers continue to drop.  There is always articles in the local paper about getting the youth more motivated and engaged in the democratic process. Overall in Canada, voter turnout has been dropping since the 70's but increasingly so among the 18-35 year old group.  

 

Does anyone have an idea of why this may be?  I know that apathy and cynicism are often cited as the likely causes.  I am just wondering if the younger generation are more inclined to, or open to the ideas of anarchy and peaceful society.  I have never voted and was an anarchist from the start, I just didn't know it, and was not versed in the philosophy and ethical arguments.  

 

 

[TheSchoolofAthens]

Tomorrow is federal election time in Canada.  I keep reading or hearing about the low voter turnout rates for youth, and that in the last couple of decades it is getting worse (or better), as the numbers continue to drop.  There is always articles in the local paper about getting the youth more motivated and engaged in the democratic process. Overall in Canada, voter turnout has been dropping since the 70's but increasingly so among the 18-35 year old group.  

 

Does anyone have an idea of why this may be?  I know that apathy and cynicism are often cited as the likely causes.  I am just wondering if the younger generation are more inclined to, or open to the ideas of anarchy and peaceful society.  I have never voted and was an anarchist from the start, I just didn't know it, and was not versed in the philosophy and ethical arguments.  

I would be willing to bet that most of the youth would vote democratic socialist, something along the lines of Bernie Sanders, if they weren't too nihilistic.

[dsayers]

I would be willing to bet that most of the youth would vote democratic socialist, something along the lines of Bernie Sanders, if they weren't too nihilistic.

I'm not so sure. It's true that higher education tends to be of that slant. However, institutionalized aggression has gotten so out of control in the "first world," that I think it's hard for youngsters to believe in any of it. My main reason for doubting they'd lean left is simply because in the cycle of aggression, they're the victims. State power tends to forcibly transfer wealth from young to old, healthy to sick, rich to poor, etc. They're the ones that cannot start a business due to artificial costs associated with entry. They're the ones that were stolen from before they were born to pay for those lording over them.

 

In fact, the only reason for them to vote would be to try and push back against their predators. With any luck though, it's more about them accepting that political voting is the initiation of the use of force.

[RCali]

I can speak of my own experience: I'm 23, and before, I argued for the left, before seing how silly and immoral it actually was, partially with FDR's help. I did consider who to vote, in my teen years, and in the first 2-3 years of adulthood, but there were none worthy of my approval. None were trustworthy, none did the job well, none held truth as more important than their careers, or dare I say, lives. I did argue for the left, and even for some communist ideals. I thought everyone having equal opportunities would be the most fair of all to apply to the world, and I did seek one who would follow with that. But there were none of trust, none who cared about the ideals over the vote and money. I wanted to be a part of the democracy, but there was no leader, only manipulators. Never believed anyone. Not who my family voted for, not who mostly everyone voted for, so I never went to the booths.

 

Aside: for anyone curious, Portugal now has no parties with parliamentary seats on the right. It's 100% leftists, or according to what they say some "right who defends social state".

 

Edit: oh, and only 55% of the people voted.

[powder]

I can speak of my own experience: I'm 23, and before, I argued for the left, before seing how silly and immoral it actually was, partially with FDR's help. I did consider who to vote, in my teen years, and in the first 2-3 years of adulthood, but there were none worthy of my approval. None were trustworthy, none did the job well, none held truth as more important than their careers, or dare I say, lives. I did argue for the left, and even for some communist ideals. I thought everyone having equal opportunities would be the most fair of all to apply to the world, and I did seek one who would follow with that. But there were none of trust, none who cared about the ideals over the vote and money. I wanted to be a part of the democracy, but there was no leader, only manipulators. Never believed anyone. Not who my family voted for, not who mostly everyone voted for, so I never went to the booths.

 

Aside: for anyone curious, Portugal now has no parties with parliamentary seats on the right. It's 100% leftists, or according to what they say some "right who defends social state".

 

Edit: oh, and only 55% of the people voted.

cynicism then, it is the most likely explanation I think.  political approval is at an all time low in general and young people always tend to be suspicious and mistrusting of the older generation, esp when they are raised with threats and coercion at home and in school.  

 

I would like to think that they are more aware of how they are the victims of state power, that would certainly make it easier to convince them of the violence of the system, but I am not sure that is the case in general.  Their education, both in school and from the media, is all socialist/statist leaning so it think it would be more likely for them to look in that direction if they desire change.  

 

I would like to hear from more of them, or from studies that have looked into it.  

[jughead]

My own experience is that the young are much more likely to support socialist parties and policies. I myself would have considered myself to be a socialist in my early teens before i understood economics, philosophy and ethics. My theory is that the young are often net beneficiaries of government services, due to most not earning significant wages to pay taxes, and often attending subsizied colleges/universities, so there is a self-interest component at play. I also believe it is partly due to the lifelong barrage of pro-statist (socialist) propaganda they have endured, which usually takes several years at least of critical thinking, education and discovery to overcome.

[RCali]

My own experience is that the young are much more likely to support socialist parties and policies. I myself would have considered myself to be a socialist in my early teens before i understood economics, philosophy and ethics. My theory is that the young are often net beneficiaries of government services, due to most not earning significant wages to pay taxes, and often attending subsizied colleges/universities, so there is a self-interest component at play. I also believe it is partly due to the lifelong barrage of pro-statist (socialist) propaganda they have endured, which usually takes several years at least of critical thinking, education and discovery to overcome.

 

For me, it surely was the constant propaganda. I always knew that everything the state offered was trash, but it absolutely never came to mind that so many things taught at school were complete lies. After all, pretty much everyone goes there, and my family put me there. Must be trustworthy... Right...? Global warming was very real for me, among many other things I now know are garbage.

[Spenc]

a) i'm really bothered that statisticians think 18-35 is a reasonable age bracket for measurement.

 

b)  i think it's more cynicism about the people than the idea of the state.  look at the US where numbers consistently say americans have a sub-20% approval rating of the Congress but then when it comes down to the districts, they re-elect incumbents the vast majority of the time.  in the ridings i've lived around in ontario, that has always held true here as well.  its a baseline conservatism that most people have.  "Congress sucks, but we better not vote against our incumbent because i'm scared of what change might bring".

 

with the younger generation, i think that baseline conservatism just isnt programmed into us.  we aren't worried that the 3-time re-elected guy will lose and our riding will lose an influential seat int he parliament and the cabinet because we haven't been aware of the guy for 4-5 elections and the system is so clearly broken and has been that way as long as we can remember.  so we just stay home.  not for moral principles, not for sending a message to the powers that be, just a simple cost-benefit analysis of an hour's time

 

that's just my thinking.