Essay on Civic Deficit: Young Citizens and Political Engagement

This essay analyzes the concept of a "civic deficit" in young citizens, exploring their engagement with politics in the digital age. It examines how the internet and social media platforms have redefined young people's approach to political involvement, presenting arguments both for and against the notion of a civic deficit. The essay discusses the impact of social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube on political debates, considering whether these platforms facilitate or hinder young people's political participation. It references studies on youth disengagement from traditional political activities, such as voting and following news, while also acknowledging instances of online political engagement. The essay concludes by evaluating the statement that "policy makers and politicians are right to identify a "civic deficit" in young citizens," suggesting that the issue is complex and multifaceted, with varying levels of engagement across different countries and forms of political involvement.

Running head: PARAPHRASING
Paraphrasing
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

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Introduction
The respective essay helps in analyzing the idea that “policy makers and politicians
are right to identify a “civic deficit” in young citizens” with the help of the proper research
along with modern understanding of the meaning of engaging into politics efficiently. In this
respective essay, there are different for along with against the different issues which are being
contended with the respective type of statement which will be demonstrated and explained in
the respective essay effectively.
With the overall usage of the internet, this has helped in redefining the approach of
the different young individuals towards their engagement into politics and learning about the
different politics as well. With the rapid growth in the internet, there is reduction in the
overall amount of the overall attention which is being used by the different young individuals
wherein the usage of the social networking sites has been taken into consideration effectively
as well.
Section 1
With the implementation of Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, the different individuals
are being able to take part in different political debates and aspects. These are the various
types of sites which are helpful in conventional kind of technique of communication in the
21st century as this helps in allowing the different individuals in interacting along with
sharing the information on the different interests along with beliefs. Most of the individuals
have the SN account along with making huge usage of the same (Pew Research Center for the
People and the Press, 2008). However, the entire usage can help in engaging along with
disengaging the different young generations from the politics.

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The major question in this regard is to find out whether the different young generation
uses the internet for political usage or for some other usages. The respective analysis is
essential as there are different youths in the country who tries to use the internet for the
communication along with act as the source of reliance in the organization and this can be
defined as the source of deficit which is civic in nature.
With the help of the different kinds of measures which are conventional in nature, the
youth in the 21st century is disengaged from the political issues and this is termed as the civic
deficit. Henn, Weinstein and Forrest (2005), has commented that there is disengagement of
the different individuals in politics and this has affected the political aspects in a negative
manner as well. From this, it can be concluded that the young generation individuals have
lack of proper interest in different political aspects and there are no such commitments
towards the political parties as well which are less likely in nature in comparison to the other
individuals.
Section 2
On the other hand, Bennett, Wells and Freelon (2011), has commented that young
generation individuals are termed as the digital natives in the media which is participatory in
nature and this helps in managing along with promoting the different forms of the
engagement in the public aspect. There are different studies which have been commented by
Baumgartner and Morris (2009), that the young generation are not at all excited in involving
themselves into politics such as volunteering their precious time into political aspects or
contribution of the money on politics as they have different other type of interests which are
provided with huge importance.
Furthermore, this has been analyzed that the young generation individuals do not have
interest in listening to the different news on television or read the newspaper daily in

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comparison to the old individuals. The main reason is that the youth in the 21st century is
more into involving themselves in social media sites which they consider for entertainment
source (Baumgartner and Morris, 2009). The typical participants of the social networking
sites are more into poking friends in the social networking pages and not engaging
themselves in collection action of civic minded activities. Moreover, the young generation in
the society are more into gossiping and not interested in voting as they do not feel like
involving themselves into any such kind of political engagements.
Additionally, the entire study helped in concluding that there is no such evidence in
suggesting social networking websites helps in analyzing the more knowledge on political
aspects which will be helpful in managing the different kinds of aspects in an effective
manner (Cohen and Kahne, 2011). On the other hand, the young citizens in the country are
not exposed to different political and civic issues and therefore, there is civic deficit among
the different individuals. Although, the different internet users who are young have more
knowledge in engaging themselves into different internet-based activities which are political
in nature.
However, on the other hand the individuals are not engaged conventionally into
different other activities which is conventional in nature which emphasizes into the civic
deficit. Henn, Weinstein and Forrest (2005), has commented and opined regarding the
different kinds of opinions along with perceptions of the different young individuals towards
their political influence. The entire survey has helped in concluding that 11% of the entire
survey has concluded that the young generation individuals had influence in the different
making of policies along with political aspects. On the other hand, 81% of the survey has
claimed that there is no such interest of the young generation on political aspects.

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Moreover, the young people themselves have tried in suggesting that the young
generation in Britain think that they are consistently demoted from the different political
kinds of processes, and this is powerless in influencing it. This will help in corresponding
with the different politics which are focused and this helps in indicating that the young
generations have commented that when the political aspects will be constant, this will fail in
attracting the individuals of the generation as well. The major perception of the different
youth is to analyze the overall decline in the turnout within voting aspects (Topping and Barr,
2017).
In the year 1997, the dropout of the young generation has dropped more 10% to 56%
and in 2015, this has dropped further to 43%. The other issue which was being identified is
civic deficit among the different individuals and their engagement into the different political
aspects as well. The other issue helps in reflecting civic deficit among the young individuals
towards making different decisions regarding the political aspects. Cohen and Kahne (2011),
has commented that all the different politicians complain that there is no such involvement of
the different young generation individuals on politics. On the other hand, the other research
has stated that young citizens Are apathetic and apolitical and they do not have any
engagement in political aspects.
Furthermore, the entire survey has commented that more than 50.9% individuals have
tried to discuss regarding politics with the family members. On the other hand, Williams &
Gulati (2007), has commented that wherein the national kind of politics along with interest
and engagement with the same has been discussed. However, the young generation have
proper knowledge on the different kinds of local affairs such as rights on animals along with
HSC and same sex related marriages. Moreover, there are different other investigations which
have taken place wherein the social networking sites are influencing political and democratic

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engagement among the different youth and they try to participate in the different kinds of
affairs through media in countless manner.
Both USA and in abroad, the political and civic life is online and this helps in
analyzing the number of youths who are involved in different kinds of political aspects
effectively. For example- During the midterm election in the year 2016, there was huge level
of engagement along with enthusiasm among the different youths on MySpace.com and
Facebook.com in debating who is the most suitable kind of candidate. This helped ultimately
in analyzing the increase in the number of the different supporters along with the votes.
Henn, Weinstein and Forrest (2005), has commented and argued that the entire research helps
in demonstrating that the different young generation individuals are disengaged from the
different kinds of traditional types of political and civic life.
Therefore, from the above this can be seen and identified that the statement “policy
makers and politicians are right to identify a “civic deficit” in young citizens” is contradicting
in nature as the different young citizens in the politics are in different forms and not national
in nature. In different countries, this has been noticed that there is no such interest which is
formal in nature among the different individuals regarding the different kinds of political
aspects and this is affecting the political aspects.
Conclusion
From the above, this can be concluded that “policy makers and politicians are right to
identify a “civic deficit” in young citizens” has both in favor and against the viewpoints
regarding the participation of the young generation in different political matters. As, this has
been stated and emphasized that young generation individuals are not engaged as they feel
that this has no such relevance relating to their lives and this is making the entire political
aspects powerless (Henn, Weinstein and Forrest, 2005). Furthermore, this has been seen and

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analyzed that the civic deficit has been taken into consideration which helped in managing
the interest of the different individuals towards the different kinds of aspects of politics which
will be helpful for the different countries in managing the political aspects in an effective
manner.

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References
Baumgartner, J. and Morris, J. (2009). MyFaceTube Politics. Social Science Computer
Review, 28(1), pp.24-44.
Bennett, W., Wells, C. and Freelon, D. (2011). Communicating Civic Engagement:
Contrasting Models of Citizenship in the Youth Web Sphere. Journal of Communication,
61(5), pp.835-856.
Cohen, C.J. and Kahne, J. (2011). Participatory Politics. New Media and Youth Political
Action. Oakland: YPP Research network. Retrieved October, 2017, from
http://ypp.dmlcentral.net/sites/all/files/publications/YPP_Survey_Report_FULL.pdf
Henn, M., Weinstein, M. and Forrest, S. (2005). Uninterested Youth? Young People's
Attitudes towards Party Politics in Britain. Political Studies, 53(3), pp.556-578.
Henn, M., Weinstein, M. and Wring, D. (2002). A Generation Apart? Youth and Political
Participation in Britain. The British Journal of Politics and International Relations, 4(2),
pp.167-192.
Pew Research Center for the People and the Press. (2008). Internet’s Broader Role in
Campaign 2008. [online] Available at: http://www.people-press.org/2008/01/11/internets-
broader-role-in-campaign-2008/ [Accessed Oct. 2017].
Topping, A. and Barr, C. (2017). The received wisdom is that young people don't vote. Could
that change?. [online] the Guardian. Available at:
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jun/07/received-wisdom-young-people-dont-
vote-could-that-change-general-election [Accessed Oct. 2017].

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Williams, C. and Gulati, G. (2007). Social networks in political campaigns: Facebook and the
2006 midterm elections. Annual meeting of the American Political Science Association,
1(11), pp.49-62.