Political Involvement
Why is political involvement so important?
Our generation is more involved now than ever in helping to decide the future of our country, and in new and unique ways! Social media, especially Instagram, plays a massive role in how Gen Z gets its political news, in many ways mirroring older generations’ use of cable television and large news networks; and we’re using our fresh perspective to make fresh contributions! In a survey taken in the spring of 2018, 93% of Generation Z gives some form of time and/or effort to various causes, and 83% plan to be involved in politics at least somewhat in the coming years. In addition, 81% of women and 66% of men are willing to actively advocate for causes relating to societal change, and 96% of the generation as a whole, according to the survey, plans to vote in the 2020 presidential election.
Our generation is more committed to changing how politics works in this country than any other, and in 2018 that commitment paid off when, for the first time, we outvoted the Boomers. As a whole, regardless of political party, we’re committed to social change according to statistical research from Pew Research Center. We can’t stop there, though; regardless of whether you’re on the left or on the right, we are all part of the next generation of incoming adults, and we, now more than ever, need to pick up the slack.
We are the future of this country, after all!
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What can you do?
Mission Statement: “NextGen America is working to turn out people under the age of 35 who are less than likely to vote or who are not currently registered to vote. These young people are hard to find, expensive to mobilize, and have a reputation of not being particularly interested in politics. For those reasons, traditional political campaigns leave them out – but we have the expertise to find young people, bring them into the political process, and make them lifelong voters.”
Mission Statement: "Rock the Vote is a nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to building the political power of young people."
Mission Statement: “The Voter Participation Center’s mission is to increase civic engagement among the Rising American Electorate.”
Mission Statement: “HeadCount is a non-partisan organization that uses the power of music to register voters and promote participation in democracy. We reach young people and music fans where they already are – at concerts and online – to inform and empower.”
Sources:
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1. Taylor, K. (2019, July). America's teenagers skew a lot more conservative than most people realize, and they get most of their news from Instagram. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-z-changes-political-divides-2019-7
2. New Survey of Gen Z High Achievers Shows Vast Majority Plan to Vote in the Next Presidential Election. (2018, July 16). PR Newswire. Retrieved from https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A546617778/AONE?u=mlin_s_wheaton&sid=AONE&xid=1953c359
3. Levin, D. (2019, January 24). Young Voters, Even Republicans, Are Drifting to the Left on Social Issues. New York Times, p. A17(L). Retrieved from https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A570775030/AONE?u=mlin_s_wheaton&sid=AONE&xid=dd33dc92
ATTENTION
If you will be 18 by the general election on November 3, 2020, then you will be eligible to vote in your state's primary election. Make sure you register to vote!