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America's Electoral Dilemma: A Case Study of Political Participation at St. John Fisher College
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Morley, Jacob |
| Copyright Year | 2007 |
| Abstract | In lieu of an abstract, below is the first paragraph of the paper. Freedom and opportunity, the greatest virtues of American idealism, are now cornerstones of democratic and capitalist philosophies throughout the world. These ideals have impacted the collective social psyches of generations of Americans, providing them with hope for the future and goals for which to strive. Throughout its young history, Americans have seen their nation as a beacon of these virtues and have sought to spread American-style democracy throughout the globe. This article is available in The Review: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Research: https://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/ur/ vol9/iss1/10 America's Electoral Di lemma: A Case Study of Political Participation at Saint John Fisher College Jacob Morley America's Electoral Dilemma Freedom is not merely the opportunity to do as one pleases; neither is it merely the opportunity to choose between set alternatives. Freedom is, first of all, the chance to formulate the available choices, to argue over them and then, the opportunity to choose. -Charles Wright Mills (Lewis) Freedom and opportunity, the greatest virtues of American idealism, are now cornerstones of democratic and capitalist philosophies throughout the world. These ideals have impacted the collective social psyches of generations of Americans, providing them with hope for the future and goals for which to strive. Throughout its young history, Americans have seen their nation as a beacon of these virtues and have sought to spread American-style democracy throughout the globe. This form of idealism is best symbolized by America's unique system of republican government, which seeks to represent the collective wishes of American citizens and to provide for the common good of the American people. The shared responsibility of implementing such ideals rests upon two groups representatives and citizens. While it is the representatives who resolve the issues facing the American people, it remains the citizens' responsibility to choose their representatives through the American electoral process. Charles Wright Mills, a 20 century American sociologist, contextualizes the idea of freedom, emphasizing the importance of active participation in American government. Ideally, American democracy is meant to be driven by the voices of its people, responding to their changing concerns and implementing solutions for the common good of all (Smith). However when one group fails to make its voice heard, its concerns often fall upon the deaf ears of its representatives. Currently, the American republic is in the midst of an electoral dilemma, as segments of the American population are turning away from the American political process by failing to exercise their electoral rights. America's youth is among the groups that have seen a decline in electoral participation in recent decades despite efforts to stimulate electoral participation amongst young Americans. The 26 Amendment, ratified on July 1, 1971, granted voting rights to citizens aged 18 years for the first time. Upon ratification of this amendment, President Nixon remarked, "The country needs an infusion of new spirit from time to time. As I stand here, I sense that we can have confidence that America's new voters will provide what this country needs" (qtd in Wattenberg, 98). Generations of young Americans have failed to live up to the aspirations outlined in the words of President Nixon through their continual failure to voice their political opinions at the polls. Since the ratification of the 26 Amendment, turnout amongst eligible American voters between the ages of 18 and 24 has remained consistently low in presidential elections. Participation amongst this age group reached a peak of 49% in the 1972 contest between Richard Nixon and George McGovem (Wattenberg, 99). This record turnout was largely a result of timing, as the 1972 election was the first opportunity for Americans between the ages of 18 and 21 to participate in the electoral process. Since the 1972 election, levels of participation in presidential elections have been significantly lower, reaching a record low in the 2000 contest between Al Gore and George W. Bush. The 2000 election saw only 31% of America's eligible 18-24 year olds vote, as compared to a rate of nearly 65% amongst voters aged at least 45 years (Jamieson, Shin, and Day, 4). A sad testament to the significance of each and every vote, if young Americans had not voted in such low numbers in the presidential election of 2000, the outcome could have been completely different, as the 2000 race was one of the closest in American history. An examination of voter turnout in midterm elections reveals an even more disheartening reality. While it is true that midterm elections draw fewer voters from each age demographic than presidential elections, 18-24 year olds participate at staggeringly lower rates in elections that do not decide the nation's highest |
| Starting Page | 36 |
| Ending Page | 44 |
| Page Count | 9 |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| Volume Number | 9 |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1037&context=ur |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1037&context=ur |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
