Attracting Gen Y to the ballot box
Category: Keeping Up With Gen Y
August 18, 2010 | BY Tamara Bell
Professor Krista Jenkins, Associate Professor of Political Science, Fairleigh Dickinson University
In today’s episode, Keeping Up with Gen Y talks to Professor Krista Jenkins, an Associate Professor of Political Science at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison, New Jersey.
In 2008, Generation Y voted at an impressive rate. As a matter of fact, the turnout for 18 to 29 year olds was second only to the 1972 election, which happened to be the first time that 18 to 20 year olds could even vote.
On November 2, the country will go back to the polls to elect members to the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate, and many state legislatures. Thirty-six states will elect governors and other statewide officeholders.
But are young people on track to have their voices heard in the midterm elections as they did in the presidential contest? Professor Jenkins helps us gauge Gen Y’s engagement level in the November races.
She discusses real world reasons why young people should be involved in the political process. After all, as she points out, when it comes to the important issues of the day, such as the economy and foreign policy, it is Generation Y who have the most to gain or lose by how legislators address them.
You can listen to the show below. And check out our Page on WomensRadio Network for more information about the show and our guests.
Tags: 2010 midterm elections, Fairleigh Dickinson University, featured, Gen Y, Keeping Up with Gen Y, Krista Jenkins, Tamara Bell, U.S. Congress, young voters
About the Author
Tamara Bell: Tamara Bell is the editor of Y Gen Out Loud. She began her journalism career as a reporter in Dallas, Texas. A few years later, she moved into politics and government, working for both Democratic and Republican members of the Texas Legislature. When not working on Y Gen, Tamara is a lecturer in the Advertising Department at The University of Texas at Austin. Tamara has a B.A. in Journalism from Texas A&M University and a Ph.D. in Journalism from The University of Texas at Austin.
