Young people and politics. Political engagement in the Anglo-American democracies.

This book examines young people’s political engagement in the Anglo-American democracies.

It is often alleged that young people are disengaged from politics on a number of levels. The commonly held view is that young people don’t vote, they do not trust politicians and have low levels of political interest. But is this true, where is it true and to what extent?

Examining voter turnout, political trust, political interest, electoral and non-electoral forms of participation and Internet use, this book provides a comprehensive account of young people’s political engagement in the US, Britain, Canada and Australia. In doing so this book challenges the conventional wisdom on a number of fronts by showing young people’s political engagement to be much more complicated than many of the stereotypes suggest (in both good and bad ways).In this way, this book provides a report card on young people’s political engagement in the twenty-first century.

Young People and Politics will be of interest to students and scholars of political science, comparative politics, public policy and sociology, particularly those with a focus on young people and politics, political participation and public opinion.

Contents:

Introduction

Part 1: Voter Turnout
1. Is Turnout Declining Among the Young?

Part 2: Political Attitudes
2. Political Trust: The Not Particularly Less Trusting Young
3. Political Interest Among the Young

Part 3: Political Participation Beyond Voting
4. Electoral Engagement: A Disengaged Youth
5. Non-Electoral Forms of Participation
6. The Internet: Emerging New Forms of Participation

Part 4: What Can Be Done
7. Policy Reforms
8. Conclusion