Essay Example on Young People: Participate in Politics or Not?

The question of whether to participate in politics or not should not be a puzzlement to young people. Democracy and liberalism cannot be treated on equal measures; having a conservative and radicalized idea is what forms the tenets of politics. Public positions and resources are meant for everyone hence it matters if you do not take part in politics. But again, if the aim is to benefit from or grab public resources, then it is not ethical for young people to participate in politics. Majorly, individuals participate in politics either for significant benefits or selective benefits. The rewards that come with political participation are diverse; they include particular material rewards, distinct civic rewards, particularly social rewards or corporate policy outcomes "(Jung, 21/10/2019)." However, most politicians do not mention specific benefits when in the course of a political process but would often prefer distinct social rewards even though civic awards are high for any free participation. The young people should understand the differences between institutionalized and non-institutionalized cooperation through voting processes as well as running for various elective positions. The democracy of America is controlled by older adults who up to date possess disproportionate power due to their large number and capacity to do so. Power and money numbers have benefited the old "baby boomer" lot for the last few years. There are about seventy-four million baby boomers in America, and they turn out in large numbers to vote during the elections. For example, in the 2018 midterms alone, citizens aged 54 to 72 turned out to vote. This range is only 64% compared to 31% of voters aged 29 and below.

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In every political arena, there exist three types of parties the personalistic, ideological, and pragmatic parties, but social accountability is necessary to maintain political hygiene through exposing the wrongdoings of the government, changing policy, or amending new concerns to be part of the constitutional agenda. For instance, national budgetary participation is one of the innovative approaches that include every citizen into a process of policymaking in which they can contribute directly towards public resources contribution. The young people should envision the purpose of involving themselves in political participation to radicalize the prolonged quest for inclusivity in democracy. Americans are for genuine reasons losing trust in political parties, institutions, and political processes and have therefore begun interrogating the long witnessed assumptions and neglects of the young people and the poor. Seemingly, the main interest of these old politicians is to amass state wealth while depressing young people. The lack of equity and intergenerational justice between the young and the former is an underappreciated issue of the latest turmoil. Controversial establishments load influence to curtail the potential of young people to bring change.

The political system of America is faulty and biased against young people. The challenges facing young people are myriad that addressing gerontocracy cannot fix them all. An antiquated process that generates an unrepresentative leadership structure is ill-informed to give amicable solutions to the problems facing the youths, and this should perturb any of them committed to the course of democracy. Just as Professor John Seery warns in his "Too Young to Run?" book of 2011, money politics by older people are killing the ambitions of the young people, and this trend shows signs of coming to a stop. The migration of young people to cosmopolitan centers along with aging and rural depopulation has only intensified inequalities on age-based considering the biasness of the geographical electoral system of America. The sharp divisions still exist within each age group, with several older people in America being progressive or imperfect alike some rich young people with right-wing. The division between these two groups is gaining momentum day by day; hence, the youths should be enlightened on the ways of their elders aged 40 even the American society is in desperate need of older people to take part in the participation of public life. This culture calls for the involvement of young people in politics if it is to be eradicated to allow them fight for their political rights, participation in public policymaking and budgetary processes. But the American democratic system is experiencing a major crisis as the profound divisions facilitate conflicting outlooks, legislative priorities, and material outlooks.

Contrary to societal stereotypes, American polls have indicated that youths all over the political platforms seem to be more concerned with world affairs. This agitation has now transformed into a gradual turn out of youth voter and revived protestant reformation movements on various issues such as global warming, economic inequality, gun control, immigration, racism, and trans- rights seeking for the establishment of generational insurgency. This insurgency has experienced several obstacles ranging from voting age limits to eligibility for a position in an office, and money politics. American political system has been shaped against the young; hence, there is an urgent need for young people to identify these barriers and break them down.

The old blacks and whites men and women without property and a section of religious groups were discriminated against by the American original democratic pact. Young people too, were victimized by this illiberal democratic system even though this subject is rarely mentioned just as Professor Seery presents in his book "Too Young to Run?" that American constitution openly considers youth people a second class American citizens by staging an ultimatum on the age contesting limit for federal office that is, 25 years for congress, 35 years for president and 30 years for senate. The policymakers and constitutional lawmakers imposed an age biasness unto prosperity of which themselves complied not. These problems are compounded by a biased democracy that is geographically based on traits. Averagely, votes cast by older people carry a lot of weight than those of the young. Older voters, wealthier and whiter voters have the upper hand as old Americans obtain disproportionate support from the electoral college, gerrymandered Congress and a corrupt Senate.

Additionally, a large number of young people in America usually yearn for city life even though this admiration adversely affects their political ambitions, as seen with the migration trends. 18% of locals are 65 years of age as compared to 15 percent of metro counties and suburban, and in cities, 13 percent from the report by Research center of Pew. The potential voters of the predominant generation are concentrated at the metropolitan areas covering only eighty-six of the congressional districts, whereas older people occupy 341 zones. This report clarifies why the participation of young people in political matters.

The mass movement of Global youth climate strike that saw 20 million people from across the world participate was initiated by a young Swedish who skipped classes to oppose the failure of the government to manage the emission of greenhouse gases. As a co-founder of the climate strike, Haven began avoiding school each Friday to protest in the capital state in Denver. Older people then stopped to inform her that they did not understand the reason for her protest, but she courageously told them that they did not comprehend because they did not do it. They had no reason to protest since the governance system favored most of them while it pressed the poor and young people. The environment is also a significant division between older people and young people. The older people would have organized the earth day, but then ecological disaster was unheard of in the 1970s.

Moreover, the older people between the 1950s and 1960s greatly benefited in the boom times, whereas generation Z and millennials were avoided by mortgage meltdown that marked the gilded age periods of inequality. It is indispensable that a single generation comparatively benefited from higher minimum wage, reasonable living cost, and affordable college fees for all after increasing student debt, stagnating wages, highly expensive housing became the order of the day. The year 2018 economists report suggesting that members of the old generations were well off in their early days compared to millennials. Some economists suggest that a household led by a 1970 person has less income than a family led by a 1940 person, only households led by age at least 62 realized an increased median wealth. Young people are now opposing the conventional wisdom of unfettered capitalism in America.

Young people burdened by loans have been made to postpone marriages and home ownerships, thus feeling low to have a stake in various communities they live in. This situation means they have to be less active in politics to have their interests represented adequately. Hence, they must stand firm against the policies that put their future at stake by being frontiers of the political participation and policy makings. Gerontocracy is a real nightmare for the young Americans even though they lack equal legislative bargaining powers like older people which can only be achieved if young people wake up to a realization that they equally possess the similar political rights just as older people, and not as dictated by the biased constitution.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the young people's participation in politics matters for them to back up vibrant policies and to eliminate the adversaries caused by gerontocracy, create fairness, get access to the ballot and run for official positions to realize equal representation of the youths in the national government.

Bibliography

"Jung, Courtney, POL101 lecture, Political Participation, 21/10/2019."

Taylor, A. (2019). Out With the Old, In With the Young. New York Times, Late Edition (East Coast); New York, N.Y.[New York,N.Y]http://myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview /2306856403?accountid=14771

Summer. (2004). Latin American Politics and Society, Vol. 46, No. 2 (pp. 73-99 http://www.jstor.org/stable/3177175 Accessed: 28-08-2015 03:39 UTC