Students becoming less interested in politics, prof says

Power of young voters underestimated — even by them

LEAH POULTON THE UBYSSEY (UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA)

VANCOUVER (CUP) — Universityage students have double the workload of the last generation, leaving them with barely enough time to read a newspaper, let alone care about politics, according to a political science professor at the University of British Columbia.

Michael Byers, professor and academic director at the Liu Institute for Global Issues, said that consistent with the drop in youth voter turnout, is the rise in tuition fee rates and number of hours students are forced to work to pay for it.

“This is a substantial change in the last 20 years,” Byers said. “It’s not apathy, people are simply tired.”

According to Byers, younger demographics likely don’t rush to the polls not only because they are pressed for time, but also because they feel distanced from the people in power.

“Younger people are increasingly frustrated by what they see as an inability to influence the course of politics, provincially, nationally and internationally,” he said.

Though experts are not clear on the reasons, the falling numbers of voters in recent years is undeniable.

Elections Canada reported the worst voter turnout on record for the 2004 federal election, with just over 60 per cent of the nation’s population casting ballots.

The numbers were even lower for younger voters — only around a quarter of eligible 18- to 24-year-olds voted. When surveyed, the non-voters in this age group stated the No. 1 reason they didn’t vote was because they felt distanced and under-represented in politics. The No. 2 reason was apathy and a lack of interest.

This feeling seems to affect youth nationwide, a Winnipeg journalist explained.

Mary Agnes Welch, civic politics reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press, said that in the city’s last election, only 38 per cent of their eligible population turned out to vote.

She said that she was surprised by the especially pitiful youth turnout, as there were several important issues raised for that demographic in the election.

“I think they’re sick of these old geezer politicians talking endlessly,” she said. “There’s nothing sexy or stylish in politics now, just the same old catchphrases.”

She said part of the problem is that city politicians often do nothing but talk amongst themselves, without opening up the debate to the people their decisions affect, especially the youth.

“They don’t realize how many ideas [young people] have,” she said. “These people travel . . . they’re interested in the arts.”

Byers agreed that the power of young voters is often grossly underestimated, even by the youths themselves.

“If young people wanted to take control, they could,” he said. “But they must first realize they have influence.”

Byers placed the blame for students’ lack of political knowledge mainly on the universities.

“We teach abstract theories, we don’t actually teach them how they can make a difference,” he said.

Many UBC students report this sense of disconnect with the world of politics.

“We’re really unattached from local politics,” said John Cullen, a fourth-year English student. “It’s very difficult to sense that we’re making any kind of difference with our vote. There’s no direct connection with what you voted for to what you get.”

Nik Bunting, a third-year history student, voiced the same opinion. “It’s hard to see the connection between you and the politicians,” he explained.

If students wanted to get more involved, they could participate in the UBC student elections, said Kevin Keystone, president of the Alma Mater Society (AMS), UBC’s student government.

Yet only 4,500 of UBC’s nearly 40,000 students voted in last year’s AMS elections.

Keystone was not worried by the low percentage; he said 10 per cent is an average voter turnout for student societies in Canada. He added that many students don’t vote in the campus elections because they don’t realize the impact that the student government has on their lives.

“People don’t make the connection. They think ‘whether or not I vote, I’m still going to get my U-Pass [bus pass],’ but those people had to vote in the person who spearheaded the whole campaign for the U-Pass in the first place,” he said.

However, voting shouldn’t be the only focus, said Keystone.

“Political involvement is more knowing what the issues are and finding people to change those issues,” he explained. “Voting is just an indicator of awareness.”

However, in the end, it all comes down to too much information and not enough time.

“It’s the age of information,” said Keystone. “The more information we have, the less informed we are.”

Despite the numbers, Byers remained optimistic about the political future of the up-and-coming generation.

“My generation has screwed up pretty badly. But statistically, there’s a future prime minister at UBC. There are signs of hope and change beginning to happen.”