Politics : The True Injustice Among Social Strata

Political inactivity on the part of young Americans stems from one fundamental source -- a general cynicism of the American political process. This disdain for politics is further perpetuated by a lack of voter education and a needlessly archaic voting procedure that creates barriers to voting where they need not exist. While many of these existing problems can be rectified with relative ease through the implementation of programs such as Internet voting and better voter education, such programs create only a partial solution.

As society rapidly changes with an influx of new ideas and issues, studying the college educated and those who are not will help evaluate behaviors and attitudes towards the government, ultimately, clearing the way to adaption into a modern society that perhaps offer remedies of educational and voting discrepancies or even close the gaps between political ideology or identification. Hence, this paper proposes the research question: How does education level influence political party identification.

Verba and his co-authors examine the import of participation, both voting and non-voting, in our American society. According to their argument, the typical citizen activist “tend[s] to be drawn disproportionately from more advantaged groups–to be well-educated and well-heeled and to be White and male” (Verba et al., 1995: 231). Indeed, Verba et al. explore participation along both gender and racial lines and concludes that both women and minorities are comparatively less active than men, especially white men, who stand peerless both in terms of affiliation with a political organization, contributing to a campaign, contacting their Representatives, and more direct forms of participation like voting.

My essay challenges how each political party feels in regard to the middle class. I presented viewpoints from various sources that were able to engage in a conversation. Many Americans believe very strongly in favor of one political party, but in my essay I presented points that support and oppose each political party. This challenges the idea that a person can only support one political party when their interests can support another.

The main point according Martin P. Wattenberg in Is Voting For Young People is that young people today do not vote during elections as much compared to other voting groups. Young people today are politically unengaged. “These state patterns of voting participation can be confirmed on the national level by the Census Bureau’s 2010 survey data. Among U.S. citizens under the age of 30 in 2010, only 24 percent reported that they voted.” (Page-188, IVYP) The low attendance of young people voting in Presidential elections indicates that young people do not care enough about politics to participate.

A socioeconomic status is the level of education and income a person has. People with higher educations and incomes are more likely to vote than people with lower educations and incomes. When it comes to voting one's “education level is the single most important factor in predicting whether an individual will vote” (218). Other socioeconomic groups that influence whether or not a person will vote is their partisan tie. “Individuals with strong partisan ties to one of the major political parties are more likely to vote then nonpartisans or independents” (218). Nonpartisans and independents may not feel as if they owe as much to a certain party. Therefore, they don’t feel obligated to vote in an

As politics and government becomes more complex and involved, more effort is required to keep up with and understand it. As a result, many Americans have lost touch with current events and happenings. Therefore, when election time rolls around, many people lack enough information to develop an educated opinion and support a candidate with their vote, so they just do not vote at all. This lack of information is also related to the belief that one vote will not matter. People believe that their vote will not count, and are therefore following the news less and becoming out of touch with public affairs and politics (Is the System Broken?”). This lack of information is also more strongly apparent among the younger voting population. When interviewed

The Millennial generation has grown up with unparalleled failure in America 's institutions– ranging from the Iraq War to the Great Recession– intensifying their distrust with the government. The youth 's general sense of insecurity is mustered from "Wall Street 's bad behavior, the faltering economy, and an ineffectual Congress"(Cillizza). Starting with the Bush vs. Gore election, the stigma that voting is unlikely to influence the outcome of elections repels Millennials from integrating within the political process. Raised in an era where Washington DC is constantly gridlocked, government shutdowns are no longer groundbreaking, and drowning in student loans is the new normal, it is no wonder

My life experiences and conversations gave me an overall look on what people thought about Civics, the government, and how as citizens look at the system we live by. I have talked to men and women from my family and many that aren't. Most didn't think it was important, yet stayed updated on all the news. Others thought that politics, government, anything related was a bad influence and don't want to get involved. Nevertheless, they had opinions and ideas about topics and events related to politics. I have realized that some people want to learn, others can’t, and some don't

This course has touched on many of the cornerstones to becoming a liberally educated individual through open discussions and coursework covered during this semester. Two of the most important topics covered in this class were politics and race. In regard to becoming a liberally educated student, these topics directly relate to recognizing the value of being a citizen of the world in an increasingly global and diverse community. This course emphasized how we should talk about issues of race and how to talk about politics in an environment where students and staff can feel safe sharing their concerns. The discussions and questions that were raised during them answered questions that nobody would dare ask outside of that classroom. The answers

I honestly couldn't understand how my peers could calculate every minuscule statistic to tell them which SEC team would be successful this Saturday, but when it came to taxation and political parties, it was all Greek. Then I found my problem. My friends could understand which football offensive strategy was the best for a right handed quarterback; however, they could not discern the left from the right in the political field that would one day apply to them. Then the solution dawned on me; I will ensure and provide political transparency, awareness, and information to my peers that will be vital to their futures’. When my generation stands armed with the truth and their own opinions is when we can hold the powerful accountable and we as a society can truly grow .

When people leave for college that is a main source of how politics begin to take a bigger role in their lives, with this past election many college students have shared their political beliefs by protesting, going on peacefully rallies, and marches to demonstrate how they feel about the issues taking place in politics. If people expect a change in politics to happen it starts with the youth, the youth will be the change and create a new outlook on how the political system will work for the

In the suburbs of London, tensions between the upper class and lower class began to arise. Southwich, a small town, was split in half; one side belonged to the wealthy and the other to the peasants. Oliver and Isabelle, ruler of the town had complete control over the peasants and had the efficacy to destroy and steal the peasant’s homes and food. The lower class had no freedom and faced incessant brutality from the upper class. One day a noble approached a rebellious man named Hugo stating that he brings reproach upon his family. He had no sense of trepidation when the noble threatened to kill him and his family. Furious, Hugo threw an inexorable punch at the noble. The noble plummeted to the floor, hitting a stone statue. From that moment

In what ways can comparative study help to improve our understanding of politics? Support your argument with reference to at least two examples.

When the founding fathers drafted the Constitution their main focus was creating a nation where everyone would be free from the restraints of a controlling government and treated equal. America has always been a nation of freedom, and needs to remain that way. The youth in this country is charged with the task of ensuring that America remains the “land of the free”. Without involvement in politics this is not possible. If youth are to maintain the American ideals of freedom and equality it is imperative that they be involved in politics. Voting every four years for the president, who is more of a figure head than anything else, is simply not enough. Young people need to take a more active role in politics such as running for a political office, local or national. This is the only way they will be able to put their beliefs into action and ensure that America upholds it’s long standing values of freedom and equality. The youth need to start taking action as soon as they are old enough. However, young people need to be educated on politics and be firm in their beliefs before delving into the world of politics. In recent years the youth have shown a trend of disengagement and apathy toward political involvement. According to “The Good Citizen”, a book written by Russell J. Dalton, political analysts and politicians agree that the youth are losing interest in politics and