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Lecture Notes: PS1810: Young People and Political Participation
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Semester 1 PS1810 notes. Written in 2020/21
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PS1810 – WEEK 5 – Young people and political participationWhy this topic?
‘Explosion of Interest’ in participation (Dunn et al. 2007)
A ‘Good’ thing:
- Strengthening the legitimacy and accountability of democratic institutions
- Empower communities, help build social cohesion
- Reform public services and provide services that are more suited to people’s needs and
are therefore more efficient
- Efficacy and satisfaction (CLG, 2008b; Popay et al. 2007)
So what’s the problem?
Democratic deficit: drop in participation relevant to the relationship between citizens and
the state in all in Western democracies (Pattie et al. 2004; Power Inquiry 2006; House of
Commons, 2008; Hansard Society, 2009)
- A drop in the participation in national elections (Ayres, 1999; Barber 1998; Dalton, 2008)
and civic organisations – general population (Putnam, 2000)
- A drop in the percentage of youth who are registered to vote and those who vote in
national elections (e.g. International IDEA, 2004; Macedo, 2005; Putnam, 2000)
2019 UK elections
Polling research from Ipsos MORI suggests that turnout in 2019 ranged from 47% among 18-
24 year old up to 74% among over 65s
287 constituencies (44% of the UK’s 650 constituencies) in which turnout was less than two
thirds of the electorate. Low turnout constituencies in 2019 tended to be clustered in certain
areas such as urban northern England, the West Midlands metro area, the Thames Estuary,
the South Wales Valleys, the Scottish central belt and Northern Ireland
So what’s the problem?
Crisis of Legitimacy – those who are elected in positions of power do nit represent those
who do not vote (as they haven’t been voted by them)
Political engagement in later life is rooted in the habits that are developed in youth (and the
youth of today will eventually become the older generation of tomorrow)
- If youth are abstaining from voting, will youth’s interests be overlooked?
- Youth will not be included in the decision-making process
- Youth will be undervalued by those elected?
Norris (2003) – young people particularly disillusioned about the major institutions of
representative democracy, leaving them apathetic (at best) or alienated (at worst)
Inter-group hostility, rise of nationalist and extremist movements; Terrorism and extremism;
Migration, social cohesion, multiculturalism
Participation can be exclusionary and divisive (Putnam, 2000; Field, 2003)
Citizenship as solution:
- What is meant to be a ‘good’ citizen
- How to re-engage and encourage participation: citizenship education
- “A shared sense of Britishness is often regarded as the emotional glue that helps keep
the UK together” (BSA, 2013)
Psychological research on political behaviour
Primarily focused on adults
- Youth: age 16-26 year old in the majority of the literature
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