CPA News Releases, Advisories, and Editorials

Bottom Line From Youth Voters To Politicians: Discuss Issues We Care About And We Will Vote

Washington, DC — Politicians from both parties ignored issues foremost in the minds of young, eligible voters in the November 1996 elections in favor of subjects such as character and campaign contributions, agreed panelists at yesterday’s Youth Voices “Engaging Young People in Politics” forum. The forum was hosted by the Center for Policy Alternatives (CPA) and Who Cares magazine, who jointly operate the Youth Voices project, which included a May 1996 poll of youth concerns and issues.

Economics and education ‹ neither of which became solid campaign planks for any candidates ‹ were key issues that eligible youth voters looked for but didn’t find in the 1996 elections, noted youth leaders and political analysts from across the spectrum.

Panelist Celinda Lake, President of Lake Research and a leading pollster for the Democratic party, noted that education and economics were addressed more strongly by candidates in the 1992 elections, when youth voter turnout rose for the first time since 1972. Young people are looking for ways outside of politics, in which they see little to admire, to improve their world ‹ particularly through volunteerism, Lake also said. The Youth Voices poll indicated that 48 percent of 18-24 year-olds have volunteered at least occasionally for a cause they care about.

Panelist Kellyanne Fitzpatrick, of CNN and The Polling Company and a key pollster for the Republican party, pointed out that young people will not buy into what they feel is an issue-less campaign and that she has found education, economics, entitlements and concern for the environment to be top issues for eligible youth voters.

Panelist and political activist Alison McLaurin, of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), said it is important to establish a connection between young voters and politicians to get youth to participate in the political process. DNC efforts to bring politicians to campuses to help register students to vote have been successful in getting young voters involved.

The Youth Voices project is funded by the Ford Foundation, and this briefing was supported by a grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Another Youth Voices forum and briefing will be held in New York in mid-March.