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Voter Turnout Essay

755 Words4 Pages

Voter turnout in Canadian elections has been declining for decades at all levels of government, particularly among young people (Adsett, 247). This phenomenon brings about concern involving the engagement among Canadian youth, or lack thereof, in formal political activity. In fact, it is argued that civic duty among young people is considerably low compared to older counterparts. Due to changes in political interests and contrasting attitudes towards politics among different age demographics, youth are less likely to involve themselves through traditional forms of politics. As a result of this decline, Canadian youth are unable to shape social agenda, particularly surrounding youth issues, as political parties will not address the needs of …show more content…

(2003) Change in political era and demographic weight as explanations of youth ‘disenfranchisement’ in federal elections in Canada, 1965-2000, Journal of Youth Studies, 6:3, 247-264

To better understand the current problem of declining voter turnout among Canadian youth, this paper examines trends in turnout rates of Canadians within different age demographics in federal elections between 1965 and 2000. Through the use of the Canadian Election Study (CES) and analysis of literature, it discusses the role of political era and demographic change in shaping trends in youth voter turnout. This study concludes that the reduction in support for Canadian youth and the shift in demographic weight resulted in the estrangement of Canadian youth in politics.

This study provides access to extensive research and data on the role of the political era and demographic weight in shaping political platforms. The example of Trudeau’s shifting electoral campaigns during the Trudeau era provides an explanation for the eventual marginalization and alienation of youth in Canada, highlighting the effects of shifts in demographic …show more content…

Through the secondary analysis of the Comparative Youth Survey (CYS 2006) and the European Social Survey (ESS), Quintelier determines that level of education and youth engagement in different forms of political activities explains differences in political participation between young and old people. As well, contrary to popular belief, young and old people only slightly differ in their political

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