Essay about The Illusion of Political Democracy in America

Youth are disillusioned with politics for many of the same reasons that our parents are. If lobbyists and campaign contributors did not have more access to public officials than do regular citizens; if economic democracy in the workplace existed alongside what some would call the illusion of political democracy; if elected officials acted more on bread and butter economic issues, such as the increasing concentration of wealth and the lack of health insurance for many Americans, than on expanding the prison population and on the military -- most people of all ages would consider their votes much more meaningful. Some who never voted might even vote for the first time. Other forms of political participation -- such as attendance at†¦show more content†¦nbsp; The activists on this issue are but a small minority of California youth, but their energetic involvements a significantly change from the usual. Their activism sheds light on how participation might be improved among young people overall. P21 activism shows that when an issue is at stake that directly affects young people, they will respond. I also recall hearing of mass youth protests against 209, the anti-affirmative action initiative on the ballot in 1996. These examples have limited wider applications, but they do suggest that initiatives - about specific policies rather than Tweedledee/dum politicians -- stoke more political participation. Expansion of initiative and referendum, otherwise known as direct democracy, would thus be a good step - though only if, unlike currently, money did not determine placement of issues on the ballot and the outcome of votes on those issues. Also, information about the effects of the pro and con positions would have to be fairly and widely dispe rsed. nbsp; Young people should have acquired most of the education they need to make sound choices in elections by the age of 16; if they havent, that is all the more reason why 16-to-18-year-olds need to be given the vote, to exercise their suffrageShow MoreRelatedThe Revolution Of The 19th Century939 Words   |  4 Pagesits economy, population, and technology was ushered into American society. America s economic and industrial power grew as a result of the industrial revolution of the 1800 s. 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