Australia -- A vote for youth

Compiled by Ben Haywood
The Age Monday, October 4, 2004

Are young people apathetic towards politics, or are politicians apathetic towards young people? And does it matter?

Do young people care about politics?

On Saturday, more than 850,000 young people will vote for the first time, but there has been a great deal of debate about how many of them really care about politics.
Some statistics suggest young people are increasingly less interested in politics.
In 1987, a national survey of political interest - the Australian Election Study - found that a third of people surveyed aged 18 to 24 had "not much" or "no interest" in politics. In 2001 that figure jumped to 51 per cent.
The Australian Electoral Commission estimates that up to a quarter of people aged 25 are not enrolled to vote. Statistics like these, some say, demonstrate the political apathy of young people.
But others disagree. They say young people do feel passionately about political and social issues but don't feel they have a voice in party politics. They believe young people are disillusioned by a political system in which they don't feel heard.

Do young people think politicians care about them?

Some young people feel that politicians don't listen to them or that their concerns are not taken seriously. In a recent Herald Sun survey of 100 young voters, 63 per cent said they believed neither Mark Latham nor John Howard was in touch with young people.
Although voters aged 18 to 24 represent more than 12 per cent of voters, many - including the ABC's election analyst Antony Green - argue that the main political parties do little to appeal to young people.
Earlier this year, Mr Green said: "I think the youth vote is crucial but I don't think anybody's ever focused on it. Certainly the Greens do. It's critical to the Greens, but to the major parties - I think they tend to shrug their shoulders a bit."
In perhaps a reflection of this, voters under 25 are the biggest supporters of small parties such as the Greens.

Are young people apathetic or just disillusioned?

Some have argued that young people are simply apathetic about politics. They say young people are too busy - with study and careers - and too self-absorbed to think about political issues.
Researchers say a more highly competitive world has forced young people to become more individualistic. They care less about things that don't affect them directly.
In the Herald Sun poll, almost a third of young people surveyed didn't know who Mark Latham was, or knew little of him.
But others argue that what appears to be political apathy is in fact disillusionment. They say young people do care about political issues - education, health and the environment, most commonly - but found it difficult to understand political jargon and were turned off by lies.
A recent poll of 450 young voters by Sydney's Sun-Herald found that two-thirds did not believe politicians were honest.
In the Herald Sun poll, 72 per cent of those surveyed considered John Howard a liar, while 36 per cent didn't trust Mr Latham or Mr Howard.

Recent headlines

"How pollies can get hip to the groove" Sydney Morning Herald, September 16
"Young patriots do not trust pollies" Herald Sun, September 14
"Why young Australians have given up on voting - which doesn't mean they're apathetic" The Age, September 3
"Vote 1" The Age, August 25

What people say

"We are constantly told today's youth are educated and taught to be critical thinkers. But really, can we expect young people to be interested in budget papers, income tax and contributing to their superannuation?"

Jacqueline Freegard, Herald Sun, September 21

"Young people today are constantly being branded politically apathetic. It is, however, vitally important to distinguish between apathy and disillusionment. With so little emphasis placed on youth issues, young Australians are naturally becoming disillusioned."

Louise Merrington, The Age, August 31

"What increases the disengagement is the fact that politicians all come from the same mould, talk in the same form of jargonese, which is foreign to them, and they are incredibly boring."

Rod Cameron, managing director of research company ANOP, The Age, August 25

"Young people are the great unwashed of the electorate - ignored, rarely spoken about, and never, ever spoken to. (I challenge you to recall an occasion.)"

Simon Castles, The Age, April 19