Young people imagining a new democracy

There is some evidence to suggest that young people are moving away from traditional forms of political participation. Understanding how young people participate and how they imagine democracy might work better for them and all citizens, are key elements of a project being undertaken by the Institute and the University of Western Sydney Office of University Engagement.

The project is titled Imagining A New Democracy and we are aiming to understand how young people participate in the democratic process and how young people imagine Australian democracy might work better for them and all citizens. A primary funding partner for the project is the Foundation for Young Australians.

If young people's engagement with traditional democratic structures is changing then it is vital that we gain an understanding of the extent of this shift. The project also examines the underlying attitudes of young people which are likely to be of critical importance for policy makers into the future.

The project embraces a range of activities culminating in a policy discussion paper later in the year.

As a first step in the project, Phillipa Collin, Policy Manager from the Inspire Foundation, was engaged to undertake a literature review.
The review concluded that there is clear evidence that young people in Australia are engaged with political and social issues, but that they feel alienated by formal, institutionalised politics and are less inclined to engage in traditional forms of participation.

The review highlights a number of interesting observations which, in the Australian context, include that:

Young people will vote because they have to but that they do not see the efficacy in voting.
High numbers state they would not enrol or vote all the time if it were not compulsory.
Structural disadvantage can impact on electoral enrolment and participation.
Few young people are mobilised to participate in traditional political institutions such as unions and political parties.
However, young people are interested and knowledgeable in political issues and engaged in a wide range of 'new' participatory activities, particularly where they can see tangible outcomes for their efforts.
Gender, class and ethnicity have an impact on young people's participation.

The review and analysis, to be published shortly, will be available on the Whitlam Institute website. So do keep an eye open for it.