College Students and Voting According to Chuck McCutcheon, only forty-nine percent of Millennials would consider themselves to be patriotic; however, sixty-four percent of Generation Xers would agree “patriotic” is an accurate description for them (para. 13). This fact illustrates the plenary attitude of college students towards voting; they are not big fans of the idea. Students tend not to vote, especially in presidential elections. The iconoclastic nature of college students towards disheartens them from taking advantage of their right to vote and make changes that are relevant to them. Many college students look at the word “voting,” and immediately view it as pejorative for several reasons. One reason college students look at voting
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The bifurcation that pits the liberal versus the conservative has a tendency to put students off being involved (McCutcheon para. 47). According to McCutcheon, political candidates, especially those apart of the Republican Party, tend to gear most of their appeals towards older conservatives, and neglect the views that younger adults view as important. For example, McCutcheon cites that sixty-seven percent of eighteen to twenty-nine year olds are in favor of “a path to citizenship for those in the country illegally” (para. 47). Conservatives, on the contrary, gravitate towards a more exiguous immigration policy (McCutcheon para. 47). Due to college students’ radically opposing viewpoints, candidates find it easier to attend to crowds adults who agree with their stands on issues like immigration (Eijk and Franklin). According to Mike Murphy, a political strategist, Republican candidates especially “[shoo] away tomorrow’s voters to pander yesterdays” (qtd. in McCutcheon para 48). Another reason college students are abstemious when it comes to voting is because …show more content…
The right to vote for students just beginning college is a relatively new allowance. In 1971, the 26th Amendment was enacted to lower the legal voting age to eighteen (Cooper para. 2). The amendment was partially a part of a plan to encourage voting and participation in politics amongst younger adults (Cooper para. 9). However, with only nearly twenty-two percent of young voters participating in the last midterm elections, the amendment is proving to have done very little to motivate political participation (McCutcheon para. 26). College students wasting the opportunity given to them further leads to them not having the chance to make political change where it would have a profound impact on their own lives. One imperative issue that students miss out on having a voice on by not voting is student loans. Each candidate running in the 2016 has a profound idea on how to make an impact on the way money is spent on education. For instance, Hillary Clinton plans to make community college free, and ensure that debt payments do not take too much from students’ incomes (McCutcheon para. 103). On the other hand, Bernie Sanders plans to make all public higher education free (McCutcheon para. 103). Regardless of whether or not these candidates will be willing and able to perform their promises,
The bifurcation that pits the liberal versus the conservative has a tendency to put students off being involved (McCutcheon para. 47). According to McCutcheon, political candidates, especially those apart of the Republican Party, tend to gear most of their appeals towards older conservatives, and neglect the views that younger adults view as important. For example, McCutcheon cites that sixty-seven percent of eighteen to twenty-nine year olds are in favor of “a path to citizenship for those in the country illegally” (para. 47). Conservatives, on the contrary, gravitate towards a more exiguous immigration policy (McCutcheon para. 47). Due to college students’ radically opposing viewpoints, candidates find it easier to attend to crowds adults who agree with their stands on issues like immigration (Eijk and Franklin). According to Mike Murphy, a political strategist, Republican candidates especially “[shoo] away tomorrow’s voters to pander yesterdays” (qtd. in McCutcheon para 48). Another reason college students are abstemious when it comes to voting is because …show more content…
The right to vote for students just beginning college is a relatively new allowance. In 1971, the 26th Amendment was enacted to lower the legal voting age to eighteen (Cooper para. 2). The amendment was partially a part of a plan to encourage voting and participation in politics amongst younger adults (Cooper para. 9). However, with only nearly twenty-two percent of young voters participating in the last midterm elections, the amendment is proving to have done very little to motivate political participation (McCutcheon para. 26). College students wasting the opportunity given to them further leads to them not having the chance to make political change where it would have a profound impact on their own lives. One imperative issue that students miss out on having a voice on by not voting is student loans. Each candidate running in the 2016 has a profound idea on how to make an impact on the way money is spent on education. For instance, Hillary Clinton plans to make community college free, and ensure that debt payments do not take too much from students’ incomes (McCutcheon para. 103). On the other hand, Bernie Sanders plans to make all public higher education free (McCutcheon para. 103). Regardless of whether or not these candidates will be willing and able to perform their promises,