WHAT YOUNG PEOPLE DO

Even in 2008, in a presidential election that was hotly contested and frequently described as a battle between generations, only 58.7% of Virginians ages 18 to 29 voted. This was dramatically up from 43.1% in 2004 but was still well below the 71.1% turnout rate of citizens 30 or older. It is of little consolation that young Virginians, though lagging well behind their elders, turned out in larger numbers than their counterparts across the United States. Nationally, 51.1% of young people voted in 2008, compared with 67.0% of older citizens.

Younger citizens traditionally have voted less than their elders, and there is reason to hope that as they age their voting patterns will more closely resemble those of their elders. Moreover, there are some indications that their civic engagement may take different forms from voting. Nonetheless, voting remains a key element of citizenship, and the failure of so many young people to vote is disturbing.

A breakdown of voting turnout by age further highlights the connection between age and turnout. Of Millennials 4 (born 1981 or later), 56.1% voted. Of Generation X (born 1965–1980), 67.2% voted. Of Baby Boomers (born 1946–1964), 71.8% voted. Of the Silent Generation (born 1931–1945), 78.8% voted. Each older generation turned out in higher percentages than the generation before it, with the sole exception of the Long Civic Generation (born 1930 or before), which turned out at a rate of 66.3%.

Why don't more young people vote? Here ( Figure 6 ) the results from a new survey are revealing. 5 When asked the top reason they would vote in a federal election, only 37.1% of younger Virginians chose “because it is my civic duty.” That's significantly lower than any other age group. Compared with their elders, younger Virginians were also less likely to rate “voting regularly” as an activity important to good citizenship.

The survey also illuminates what does motivate younger voters. They were more likely (17.0%) than any other age group to vote in federal elections “to express my opposition to a candidate or issue. ” This percentage steadily declined for each older group of Virginians.

Although voting is critical to democracy, so are many other activities. Robert Putnam's 2000 book, Bowling Alone , used the decline in the number of people who bowl in leagues as a metaphor for a more widespread decline in civic engagement. Putnam identified activities such as volunteering, attending public meetings, helping to fix something in the neighborhood, or donating money, that were as important as voting.

How do the young people of Virginia measure up in these other categories?
–– Only 22.7% of Millennials volunteered, compared with 29.8% of Generation X, 30.5% of Baby Boomers, 31.6% of the Silent Generation, and 14.6% of the Long Civic Generation.
–– Only 4.2% of Millennials attended a public meeting, compared with 10.6% of Generation X, 11.3% of Baby Boomers,11.1% of the Silent Generation, and 8.4% of the Long Civic Generation.
–– Only 4.1% of Millennials fixed something in the neighborhood, compared with 8.9% of Generation X, 12.1% of Baby Boomers 10.6% of the Silent Generation, and 6.5% of the Long Civic Generation.
––Only 28.0% of Millennials donated $25 or more, compared with 57.2% of Generation X, 66.2% of Baby Boomers, 70.6% of the Silent Generation, and 54.7% of the Long Civic Generation.

To some extent, young people may volunteer or give less because they have less time and money, just as they may vote less because they are more transient. As they age, their activities may more closely resemble those of older generations. Nonetheless, these figures do not bode well.

WHAT YOUNG PEOPLE KNOW
Equally disturbing is how unfamiliar young Virginians are — by their own accounts, as recorded in the Montpelier–Colonial Williamsburg survey — with the United States Constitution. Only 58.7% of the youngest respondents reported having a lot or some understanding of the Constitution, compared with slightly more than 83.1% of the oldest respondents. Only 34% of younger respondents reported having read some or a fair amount of the Constitution.

Young Virginians also appear to have a weaker grasp of constitutional principles, or perhaps they are more disillusioned with the way the government works. ( Figures 9–13 ) Only 26.7% of younger Virginians think the American constitutional system limits the power of government, and a strong majority (68.4%), when asked whether government is empowered to act for the common good, said they disagreed.