YOUTH POLITICAL PARTICIPATION

Sept. 5, 2018

A survey by Orb Media across 128 countries found that a growing number of younger adults, who are interested in politics, are nevertheless rejecting formal political engagement in favour of street protest.

About:

Key findings:
- While democracy remains the most desired form of government, fewer young people take part as volunteers or party members. Other modes of influence, from street demonstrations to digital campaigns, are increasingly prominent.
- As more youth choose informal politics, more older adults avoid protest. Adults under 40 are 9-17% more likely to take part in demonstrations than those older than 40.
Reason for Age Gap:
- Many activists prefer networked, horizontal movements to top-down legacy organisations.
- Another factor is the exclusion of new voices as the more traditional forms of politics as joining the system isn’t always easy (Just 2% of the world’s parliamentarians are younger than 30).
- Many see mainstream politics as morally compromised. Corruption also depresses the youth vote.
Impact:
- Youth-led street movements have removed leaders in Slovakia, Guatemala, Tunisia and Egypt (But in each, the establishment reasserted itself).
- If young people only employ civil disobedience, they will be left out of many decisions.