Today's youth, and the American population in general, have been criticized for not being as politically active as those who notoriously and passionately demonstrated on college campuses 40 years ago. While the 1960s have historically been considered a period of increased grassroots movements, many claim the fervor of collegiate activism has waned through the years and has been replaced by general apathy.
Some, however, think the tide may be turning - or at least they hope it is.
In a discussion titled "Activating Democracy: How grassroots movements can revolutionize politics," sponsored by Leadership for Change and international active citizenship foundation FONDACA, panelists described their views on the current state of political activism and its importance for the future. Panelists included Giovanni Moro, president of FONDACA, Charles Derber, a professor in the sociology department, and Lt. Gov. Tim Murray.
Derber said in the United States there is what he calls a "deficit of democracy," or a lack of participation in the democratic processes upon which our nation has been historically founded.
"This is one of the most historically energized countries in regard to these movements, and yet there is still a disengagement," Derber said. "It has succeeded in driving most Americans outof the political system. They don't care. They don't believe in democracy and they don't vote."
Recent campaigns have targeted this lack of participation, particularly among young voters.
Campaigns such as Rock the Vote, which in the past has utilized celebrity endorsements, and Smackdown Your Vote!, sponsored by World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., are designed to encourage participation in the upcoming presidential election.
Similar efforts also can be found at Boston College through campaigns such as BC Votes, which aims to establish an atmosphere on campus that encourages voting in elections for the Undergraduate Government of Boston College (UGBC) by attempting to increase understanding as to why students should vote.
Kyle Greenleaf, director of BC Votes and LSOE '10, said that part of the problem is that students didn't really think they could make a difference at BC. Students don't really believe that their vote translates into action, Greenleaf said, because they don't always see immediate results. There are also some students who don't believe that participation in government matters in the smaller arena of the college campus.
"I'm sure there are a small part that say, 'It's just college, it's not a big deal,'" Greenleaf said. "Kids just don't care, and it's really sad because their attitudes won't magically change when they become adults."
Last year, 27 percent of students voted in the UGBC election; the year before, 23 percent voted. Greenleaf said that while he was pleased with the improvement and that student voter participation was actually higher at BC than at many other universities, it still fell short of the 60 percent of eligible voters who participated in the last presidential election, according to the Committee for the Study of the American Electorate.
Part of the problem is that students don't have enough time to actively participate in the democratic process, Greenleaf said. Between classes, activities, and volunteer work, most students can't even imagine adding one more thing to their schedules.
"I think one of the big things is time. I think like 90 percent of the students I guess are just involved in a lot of stuff, which may or may not be related to UGBC," Greenleaf said. "It's kind of hard to find time to go to debates, or go online and read a candidate's platform, or take an hour out of your day to think about the issues."
Derber also said that time constraints made it difficult for people to participate on the national level.
"I think people have to be persuaded [to participate in the democratic process] because the clock makes us all feel so overwhelmed," Derber said. "You've got to have a sense that this is personal and you can truly make a difference. Politics should be fun. Being involved in the party was meaningful for your life. It didn't make you give up your evening, you wanted to go."
Both the panelists and Greenleaf agreed that connecting the candidates and the voters was key to helping increase participation, both during elections and after.
"There has been a divorce," Derber said. "People have to learn to reconnect their personal lives with politics."
Greenleaf said he hoped to remedy this problem, as well as the pressure students feel due to time constraints, by placing tables with computers in McElroy and Corcoran Commons on the days of the primary and final elections for the UGBC.
While the plans have not yet been finalized, he intends to set these computers to the Agora page and furnish students with quick synopses of the major issues each of the candidates support.
"If I get kids who are voting on snap judgments of the teams, that's better than nothing," Greenleaf said. "If kids see that they are like 3 feet from the computer, they might think, 'I can easily take three steps and vote, so why not?'"
Whether on campus or in the national arena, activists advocate the need to get involved, both during elections and beyond.
"When young people get interested in politics, it has the capacity always to unsettle the political parties," Derber said, addressing the students at the discussion. "In a sense, you're in a critical, special moment - in some sense, it rests on your shoulders whether we will have a democratic movement this year, or return to politics as usual."
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