ipl-logo

Democracy In Europe

1412 Words6 Pages

In recent years, young Europeans are more political apathetic. This can be seen by the low voter turnout rate in recent elections and the low participation rate in political parties. Some people blame the change in pattern of youngster’s news consumption habit. Due to this phenomenon, many fear whether democracy can work in future in Europe. In this essay, I will be discussing why something should be done about this situation as well as providing some arguments to justify my stance. I will also discuss what can be done and the degree of feasibility of such methods.

Today’s youth have to be kept informed. For true democracy to function, active participation among different stakeholders in the society is important. They provide different opinions to make government policies more suitable for the country. People’s knowledge of European issues and the credibility of those agencies are interlinked and act as incentives for people to voice out their opinions (Szcerbiak, 2013). Thus, the low voter turnout rate that we see today may be a reflection of people’s distrust in the government, leading to their uncaring attitude towards European …show more content…

Something has to be done to deal with the situation of political apathy among youngsters. If the trend lingers on, a country’s democratic value is at stake. The role of media as a government watchdog cannot be effectively conducted. Also, the whole cycle is a vicious cycle which is in turn detrimental to the country’s political system and to the youngsters. It is important that something should be done. In this essay, we have explored a few methods that can counter the matter at head. These methods are feasible and have proved effective among various European countries. Therefore, something can and should be done to help the suffocating democratic values among youths and keep them more informed about political

Show More
Related

  • Is Direct Democracy Fit For Modern United States Of America?

    1104 Words  | 5 Pages

    Because of the Internet, citizens can get more current political information conveniently. There is no limit on number of people, area, time and hierarchy. Widely dispersed and good interaction can attract more people to focus on political news. Nevertheless, media can influence citizens’ view of representatives. People may vote blindly.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Voting In Canada

    1683 Words  | 7 Pages

    What’s the best right that we have in Canada? Well, of course it’s the right to vote. In Canada, everyone is entitled the right to vote as long as they fit 2 requirements which are to be a Canadian Citizen and 18 years of age or older. It might have taken a while for some particular groups to get the right to vote, but today all groups are allowed to vote if the 2 requirements are met. Canadians have been voting since 1792 in Upper and Lower Canada elections, but have been voting in one united election in 1867, when we formed as one united nation known as Canada.

    Read More

  • Mandatory Voting Should Be Required

    560 Words  | 3 Pages

    ‘“Just vote” doesn’t express civic virtue; it’s sentimentality. It is reasonable to urge your neighbors to be informed about issues that affect your community. But it is irresponsible to encourage the unaware to put ignorance into action so aimlessly. (Document G)’ Even though voter turnout would increase dramatically, it doesn’t necessarily mean that all the voters know what each candidate stand for.

    Read More

  • Factors Affecting Voter Turnout In America

    322 Words  | 2 Pages

    The voter turnout in American politics is dangerously low due to the fact that the citizens feel their vote is no longer a voice. In addition, the citizens of United States have realized the electoral college is overseeing the body of government in elections. The people also do not vote due to the fact their day is busy and in some fields, leaving early from work to vote isn't an option. The citizens therefore do not have time out of their day and since it's not categorized as a "national holiday", they simply fall off the wagon. So why is the voting percentage lower than other nations?

    Read More

  • Low Voter Turnout Essay

    940 Words  | 4 Pages

    The United States currently faces a severe problem with one of their governmental processes. In the democratic system of the United States, politicians are elected by voting from the citizens, in most cases. The problem the United States is facing is that people are no longer voting in elections for officials. This problem is discussed in the article, “In praise of low voter turnout”, written by Charles Krauthammer. The main idea behind this article is that voters are no longer interested in politics, as they were in previous generations.

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On Voting Age

    490 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Austria, where the voting age has been lowered to 16, two thirds of the 16-18 year old age group voted. This proves that if we were to reduce the voting age, it could encourage younger citizens to become even more politically aware and even inspire some to pursue a career in politics. Personally, I think it is an unfair assumption that all millennials are considered to be narcissistic when certain studies have shown that they are intensely passionate about global warming, the corrupt government of North Korea and other pressing issues affecting the whole world. Granted, you do not often see two teenagers arguing over whether this year’s budget aided global warming research or not, but these young Australian citizens have their own way of expressing their political views. They start petitions online, call out politicians on social media and even go out to protests, standing up for what they believe in.

    Read More

  • Essay On Low Voter Turnout

    1151 Words  | 5 Pages

    It is clear that American voters tend to avoid local elections and off-year elections. Run-off elections are also likely to register lower voter turnout as compared to first-round elections. The larger the gap between first round elections and run-off elections, the higher the decline in voter turnout. Moreover, there are lower percentages of young people voting as compared to the older population. This is an important point to note since it highlights that young people do not have information guiding them on the importance of voting.

    Read More

  • Andrew Romano's How Dumb Are We?

    802 Words  | 4 Pages

    Andrew Romano’s article “How dumb are we?” contradicts the idea that citizens at least know the basics about their country’s political system and state affairs. He describes how surveys reveal that many Americans lack a common understanding and knowledge of their domestic politics as well as foreign politics. Some of his main arguments explain why the Americans are less aware of their country’s politics than the Europeans are, e.g. the complexity of the American political system, the decentralized educational system and most importantly that Americans are ignorant, not stupid. Romano also empathizes that the Americans’ lack of knowledge poses a threat to the American society.

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Political Participation

    1639 Words  | 7 Pages

    Democracy is a system of government in which the power to govern is vested on the citizens. This power is exercised either directly wherein citizens reach a consensus to implement policies, or indirectly through the election of representatives who will act on behalf of the citizen's interest (Janda, Berry, Goldman, and Hula, 2012). In such states that have adapted democratic government, political participation is the hallmark of citizens' right and ability to exercise their power. The definition of political participation, as with all concepts of social sciences, is subject to debate since most social science concepts are subject to the changing norms of society and government. Thus, this paper defines political participation as a social phenomenon that takes on different forms which is used by citizens to influence government policies and politics.

    Read More

  • Nationalism And Liberalism In Europe

    1421 Words  | 6 Pages

    Nationalism was closely tied to liberalism in that exponentials of both ideologies demanded far reaching political change that threatened the state system of Central Europe. Nationalism is the belief that one’s greatest loyalty should not be to a king or empire but to a nation of people who share a common culture language and history .Nationalism touched nearly every country in Europe in the first half of the 19thCentuary but it was not until after 1848 that it really began to At the Congress of Vienna in 1815, representatives from all the allies who had defeated Napoleon Austria, Russia, Prussia and Great Britain came together to try and provide a long term peace plan for Europe. They hoped that by settling the issues that had arouse during the French Revolution and the Napoleonic wars that they could stop Europe being shaken by further Revolutions.

    Read More

  • Informative Speech: The State Of Youth Vote

    840 Words  | 4 Pages

    B. Another problem is that students feel as though their votes don’t count a) According to Kamani one vote might not matter but if everyone had the same mindset, “then those single votes become thousands more” (Kamani). b) If we want issues that affect college students to be a priority then we have to show that we care. c) We need to remember that voting wasn’t a right to young adults until relatively recently compared to the age of the United States. Transition:

    Read More

  • Voting Age To 16 Essay

    1182 Words  | 5 Pages

    Yet, to avoid this, we can teach them how not to be swayed at school. According to the Electoral Reform Society, they support young citizens at the age of 16 in how to vote and what decision making they should do. If teenagers get the support from authorized adults who can lead young adults to the right path through society, I believe we can trust their opinions. The Fulcrum exclaims that the Ontario Government already recognizes that 16 year olds can understand the issues and independent judges on them. From this, we can say that adults keep full eye on young adults and what kind of thinking they have towards politics so it is safe for teenagers to start voting.

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Why The Voting Age Should Be Lowered To Sixteen

    2519 Words  | 11 Pages

    Abstract This argumentative essay tries to shade light on whether the voting age should be lowered to sixteen. The paper discusses the reasons for lowering the age of electoral majority of sixteen as well as the opposing views and counterarguments. It also considers numerous arguments that have been raised by both sides of the debate about lowering the voting age to sixteen. The claim that is being presented in this paper is about the political maturity of people aged sixteen years.

    Read More

  • 16 Year Old To Vote Analysis

    783 Words  | 4 Pages

    Stepping into a voting booth for a teenager at age 16 or 17 can go either way really. In the article, “Takoma Park 16-year-old savors his history-making moment in the polls” author Annys Shin explains how Ben Miller a 16-year-old who works a part time job and attends high school was part of 350 other 16 and 17-year-olds who were granted the right to vote in municipal elections. Obviously much of the criticism that Takoma City Council received was from the older voters, as they argue that young people barely old enough to drive a car don’t have the experience as well as the perspective to vote. Nevertheless, I believe that even if teenagers at this age are not the most experienced, the City Council should still allow 16 and 17-year olds to vote.

    Read More

  • Essay On The Role Of Election In Democracy

    1456 Words  | 6 Pages

    Many people believe that the election plays the most important role in democracy. Because a free and fair election holds the government responsible and forces it to behave on voter's interest. However, some scholars find evidence that election itself is not enough to hold politicians responsible if the institutions are not shaping incentives in a correct way. In other words, the role of the election on democracy, whether it helps to serve the interest of the public or specific groups, depends on other political institutions. I

    Read More

More about Democracy In Europe

Open Document