Hello, Young Voters?

by Adam S. Weinberg, in the Syracuse Post-Standard (July 11, 2004)

In an editorial in the Syracuse Post-Standard, Dean Adam S. Weinberg of Colgate University argues that U.S. colleges and universities should work to increase the number of young voters not just through voter registration drives, but also by engaging them in civic life. If colleges engage students and foster democratic skills, Weinberg says, students will be more likely to vote "based upon preferences that arise from well-developed political views" rather than according to a "party affiliation that predates their political views."

Weinberg recommends several specific steps to encourage civic engagement among students. Colleges can make politics more relevant to students by offering programs that teach through public work; they can involve students in political discourse by providing forums for debate and dialogue; and they can transform the residence hall into a "laboratory" in democracy, encouraging students to work across differences, resolve conflicts, and build healthy communities. Weinberg concludes that by involving students "in activities that develop the skills, habits, knowledge, and values of democracy"--and by making politics "relevant, fun, and achievable"--higher education can better accomplish its primary civic goal: helping "young people develop identities as democratic citizens."

The complete text of Dean Weinberg's editorial is available on the Annapolis Group's Web site.