By SAM CROCKER
Managing Editor
Whether you are interested in politics or not, one thing is for sure – the decisions of our elected officials affect us on a daily basis. From gas prices to student loans, wage taxes to drug laws, the politicians in power dictate the way we live our lives. Unfortunately, following politics isn’t for everyone, especially young people. Political news coverage is often aimed at a far older audience that has different concerns from those of young people.
In a democracy, the incentive for political parties to be effective is votes. What’s more, political parties and polling groups spend millions every election working out what types of people are voting and why, in order to formulate the best policies to reach the most voters. Policies will be created based upon which are most likely to get the most votes. Therefore, if young people want to be served to the fullest extent by the politicians in power, then they need to vote in order to be counted as part of their demographic.
Let’s simplify this argument to make it a little easier to understand. Imagine that the president has just discovered he has an extra $100 billion to spend on the people of the United States. He has two options: he could invest it in the federal university system, lowering tuition rates for students, or he could give the money to senior citizens who do not want to pay for their extra heating costs during winter.
At this point, you might expect the president to be utilitarian and weigh up which policy creates the greatest benefits for the most people. Wrong. The president asks his advisors which policy is most likely to affect his voter popularity for the coming election. If it is known that 70 percent of old people vote in the election compared to 30 percent of young people, then the president is going to pick the policy that benefits old people because it is more likely to win him favor with voters.
So what can we do to make sure that politicians help young people? The answer is simple: vote. It doesn’t matter whom you vote for; in fact, if you insist on not supporting a particular party, you can “spoil the ballot” (turn in an incomplete voting form) or write in your own candidate. You may feel that no politician serves you, but instead of not taking part in voting and being removed from the political sphere completely, use your vote to protest against the established parties and represent your demographic.
Most would agree that democracy is the political system that is best at taking into account the interests of all group members, but this claim is made on the basis that everyone takes part. By voting, you are ensuring that politicians pay attention to the concerns of younger people and are motivated to create policies that solve those issues.
