Author: Evelyne Faher

How should formal political participation be promoted amongst young people in Britain?

We have seen a notable decline in youth formal political participation in the UK over time. Formal political participation refers to activities such as voting, contacting politicians, and political party membership. Researchers usually define young people as 18–24-year-olds. Since 1964, we have seen an overall decline in youth turnout, which has remained below the national level. Youth party membership has also fallen since the 1950s. While young people today are particularly engaged in alternative forms of political participation, such as protesting and boycotting, we argue that formal participation remains important for young people to pursue. This blog will therefore discuss the key explanations for young people’s declining formal participation, in order to then make informed recommendations on how to increase youth formal participation in Britain.

Why formal political participation still matters

While alternative forms of participation can be beneficial, formal political participation remains important because of its influence on policy decisions. Party members can vote for the representatives that will stand for office, and members can also influence a party’s agendas and policies. Voting is also very important because it defines which party wins elections and secures the largest number of seats in parliament. Research finds that, for a third of the issues debated in parliament, very different policy decisions are passed depending on which party holds the majority.

Explanations for low youth formal participation

Sentiments that political change is very difficult to achieve

Many young people feel that they lack the capacity ‘to understand, and to participate effectively in politics’, for example by making an informed voting decision. Young people also often feel that the political system is unresponsive to calls for change. Believing in one’s own ability to participate effectively in politics, and believing in the responsiveness of the political system, are both  important for stimulating formal participation.

Lack of consideration for young people’s interests and concerns

Many young people also feel that politicians do not care about their interests. Some researchers argue that younger generations grew up in more economically secure circumstances, which has shifted younger people’s values from prioritising economic prosperity to prioritising non-material, ethical issues, such as environmental protection. However, parties still largely focus on traditional issues,  thus failing to attract British youth.

Practical Barriers

Young British people are also less likely to be registered to vote compared to older citizens. Every time an individual moves homes, they need to reregister. Since young people often live in rented housing and move more frequently,  they need to re-register more often. This makes the voting process more time-consuming. Furthermore, young people are more likely to lack knowledge on how to register and vote. Young people are also particularly time-constrained, as they are working towards establishing their careers, which can affect their ability to find time to register.

 Note on the impacts of economic struggle

Wider economic problems also affect youth formal participation. Young people have faced stagnating wages, declines in youth employment services, and rising house prices. Consequently, young people are experiencing a delayed transition into certain stages of adulthood, such as home ownership. Therefore, certain political issues, such as interest rates, become relevant to them later in life, perhaps once they secure a mortgage. Economic challenges are complex issues with fewer immediate solutions; therefore, they are beyond the scope of this blog. The following section will focus on solutions to the other causes for low participation identified above.

Solutions to increase youth formal participation

Helping young people feel that political change is possible

Improving civic education in schools can positively impact sentiments about one’s own ability to participate politically, while also improving sentiments on the government’s responsiveness. Civic education has been in the UK since the 2000s, but research finds that its effectiveness greatly depends on the quality of teaching. There are currently no national standards for the choice of delivery method for civic education, and there is little teacher training.

An open classroom climate is an environment which encourages debate and discussion. When debate is combined with traditional teaching methods, like textbook study, civic education is much more effective in improving students’ political knowledge and their perceptions of the government’s responsiveness to the public. Teachers should be trained to implement the open classroom method nationwide.

Expanding young people’s network and influence can also improve the impression that students have of politicians’ receptiveness. The Politics Project is an organisation which connects students with elected representatives, through a platform where politicians are expected to report back on their pledges. The government could initiate similar, larger-scale youth outreach programmes, and such initiatives could also be integrated into civic education nationwide.

Increasing consideration of young people’s interests

To make politics more considerate of young people’s concerns, we could implement youth quotas in parliament. Party youth wings often have less power than the main party and are usually only consulted regarding youth-specific policies. Parliamentary youth quotas would improve young people’s influence on wider issues, by ensuring that a minimum percentage of the Members of Parliament are young. This would also signal to other young people that they can become involved. More research is needed to determine the effectiveness of parliamentary youth quotas. Furthermore, creating platforms for young representatives to communicate with young people could further inspire youth participation.

Tackling practical barriers to participation

Voter registration could be incorporated into civic education in schools, enabling mass youth registration.  Additionally, more opportunities to register need to be provided when young people use public services. For example, young people moving homes should be prompted to reregister when registering for council tax or  university. Moreover, research shows that allowing registration on election day lowers some of the additional costs of a separate registration process, thus increasing youth turnout.

Conclusion

To summarise, we suggested ways in which youth formal political participation can be increased in the UK, such as through improving civic education, increasing registration, and increasing the pathways for young people to influence politics. We presented recommendations based  on our current understandings of why young British people participate less in formal politics.