Student participation in elections is a sign for a healthy democracy and when this part of the electorate does not go out to vote because they think their vote makes no difference it is a problem for the whole society.
“Toss in uncertain job prospects, cuts to higher education, and massive student debt, and it’s no wonder that so many students despair about their power to make a difference in the electoral realm. That’s true even as they continue to volunteer in one-on-one service, with 70 percent of college freshmen considering it “essential or very important to help people in need.” Last fall, at a University of Vermont dorm devoted to community service, students described an array of creative projects they were engaged with, then fell silent when Paul (one of the authors of this piece) asked about potential electoral involvement, finally concluding that the differences between the candidates barely mattered. In a Harvard University survey this spring, just 36 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds believed it was honorable to run for public office, ” write Paul Loeb, Alexander Astin and Parker J. Palmer in todays edition of Inside Higher Ed.
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