Report: Factors Affecting Low Youth Participation in Civic Engagements

This report delves into the critical issue of low youth participation in civic engagements, a topic of significant importance in contemporary political discourse. The study begins by highlighting the historical significance of youth involvement in politics and its role in shaping the future of nations, emphasizing the importance of young people's unique perspectives and contributions to democratic processes. The report then explores the various factors contributing to the observed decline in youth participation, including restrictive laws, lack of trust in political leaders, negative perceptions of politics, and socioeconomic pressures. It presents statistical data illustrating the declining trends in youth engagement in national elections across different countries, particularly in Europe. Furthermore, the report discusses the initiatives undertaken by international organizations like the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) to encourage youth involvement in development and political processes. Finally, it concludes with a series of research questions that aim to further explore the challenges, potential solutions, and governance aspects related to youth political participation. This report uses multiple sources to analyze the problem of youth's low participation in political activities.

Running Head: LOW PARTICIPATION OF YOUTH IN CIVIC ENGAGEMENTS 1
Low Participation of the Youth in Civic Engagements
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LOW PARTICIPATION OF THE YOUTH IN CIVIC ENGAGEMENTS 2
In the history of America, young people many times play a significant role in politics.
This is vital because the youth majorly determine the future of any given country, and their
involvement in civic engagements enables them to become active citizens in a democracy
(Sloam, 2016). It is also clear that the youth deserve a right to represent their own interests,
ideas, and opinions in politics. As such, their unique experiences and backgrounds help to shape
political attitudes. Such engagement ensures that the youth can give back to the communities in
various sectors such as education, health, and charity works, among others (Kitanova, 2019).
However, research states that an increased number of youths remain politically active through
political movements instead of active engagement with and in political parties (Pickard &
Bessant, 2018).
According to Sloam & Henn, young people are typically marginalized in politics due to
their age, lack of experience, and limited opportunities (2019). Young people between 18-25
years are mostly left out or overlooked as political candidates because of the general implication
that politics is for experienced people. On the contrary, youth engagement in politics benefits
society as a whole, and their engagement in proper and accurate decision making ensures the
political success of a nation. Statistics state that people between the ages of 20 and 44 add up to
57% of the global voting age population, and only 24% of the same end up as members of
parliament in the world (Nissen, 2018). Additionally, the youth under 30 years of age make up
for 1.9% of Members of Parliament in the world. This proves that young people have limited
involvement in politics, but the use of democracy will help to ensure that everybody, including
the youths, can be engaged in political activities (Sola-Morales & Hernández-Santaolalla, 2017).
Other reasons that contribute to low participation of the young people in politics are;

LOW PARTICIPATION OF THE YOUTH IN CIVIC ENGAGEMENTS 3
1. The laws and regulations of many countries do not allow active political involvement of
young people. For instance, voting in Lebanon is only permitted to people above the age
of 21, whereas for one to run for a political position is 25 years (Fakhoury, 2016). This,
therefore, limits the youth aged between 18 and 21, yet they are considered as adults. It is
also evident that as much as the age for political candidacy is 25 years, such candidates
are regarded as novices in the political field (Bee, 2019).
2. Due to the negative reputation and impression from the elected politicians, many youths
lack trust in the elected leaders. The general perception that politics are “dirty” has also
driven the youth away (Collin & McCormack, 2019). As a result, young people tend to
stay away from politics and instead engage in other non-related activities.
3. The high unemployment rate of the youth has caused young people to put more emphasis
on developing their economic life rather than engage in politics (Fakhoury, 2016). For
instance, young people in Europe tend to prioritize improving their socio-economic
standards rather than focus on politics.
National Elections
Country
European Union 2011
68.6%
2012
68%
2013
67.9%
Greece 2007
74.1%
2009
70.9%
2012
62.5%
Italy 2006
83.6%
2008
80.5%
2013
75.2%
Portugal 2006 2009 2011

LOW PARTICIPATION OF THE YOUTH IN CIVIC ENGAGEMENTS 4
61.5%
59.7%
58%
Table 1: National Election participation in Europe
It is evident that the participation percentage is generally declining in the national
elections. This is evidence of minimal trust in the national polls and also represents a decrease in
youth participation in civic engagements due to political disengagements and non-involvements.
In conclusion, due to increased trends of low youth participation in politics, the United
Nations Development Program developed a youth strategy called “Empowered Youth,
Sustainable Future,” which encourages the young people to become more involved in
development processes (Collin & McCormack, 2019). In the year 2016, the UNDP launched a
Youth Global Program that emphasizes on civic engagement and political participation of the
youth, among other related issues. This will help to respond to their needs and also guarantee that
their fundamental human rights are enforced and recognized (Koller, 2017). Some research
questions are:
 What other challenges do the young people encounter in politics?
 What can the public sector do to encourage the youth to participate in politics?
 What can the private sector do to improve youth participation in politics?
 How can the youth increase their levels of engagement in politics?
 What regulates and governs political participation among the young people?
 How can the government amend its laws and legislations to encourage more youth in
politics?

LOW PARTICIPATION OF THE YOUTH IN CIVIC ENGAGEMENTS 5
References
Bee, C. (2019). The civic and political participation of young people in a context of heightened
authoritarianism. The case of Turkey. Journal of Youth Studies, 1-22.
Collin, P., & McCormack, J. (2019). Young people and politics. Australian Politics and Policy,
487-500.
Fakhoury, T. (2016). Youth Politics in Lebanon. A call for citizen empowerment. SAHWA
Policy Paper, 9.
Kitanova, M. (2019). Youth political participation in the EU: evidence from a cross-national
analysis. Journal of Youth Studies, 1-18.
Koller, D. (2017). Young Citizens and Political Participation in a Digital Society. Addressing the
Democratic Disconnect. New York; Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan. 189
pages. Intersections. East European Journal of Society and Politics, 3(1), 166-169.
Nissen, S. (2018). Student debt and political participation. Springer.
Pickard, S., & Bessant, J. (Eds.). (2018). Young people re-generating politics in times of crises.
Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.'
Sloam, J. (2016). Diversity and voice: The political participation of young people in the
European Union. The British Journal of Politics and International Relations, 18(3), 521-
537.
Sloam, J., & Henn, M. (2019). Rejuvenating Politics: Young Political Participation in a
Changing World. In Youthquake 2017 (pp. 17-42). Palgrave Pivot, Cham.

LOW PARTICIPATION OF THE YOUTH IN CIVIC ENGAGEMENTS 6
Sola-Morales, S., & Hernández-Santaolalla, V. (2017). Voter Turnout and New Forms of
Political Participation of Young People: A Comparative Analysis between Chile and
Spain. Revista Latina de Comunicación Social, (72), 629.