The numbers speak for themselves, and they sound a discouraging note: voter turnout
among citizens aged 18 to 24 has dropped from 50 to 32 percent over the past three decades -- the
most precipitous decline of voting among any age group.
New evidence suggests that the Internet can help combat this trend. When the Howard Dean
campaign used its website to organize "meetups" and house parties, many young people signed up online
to get involved offline. Other organizations have also turned to the Web to engage youth in politics.
Some focus almost entirely on voting: urging young people to vote, offering an online voter registration
form, promoting interest in elections and candidates. Others encourage youth to help shape policy.
Citizen policy engagement -- whether through
letter-writing, petitions, or protest -- expands citizen involvement in governance from a
once-every-four-years experience to an ongoing dialogue with elected officials.
The Rock the Vote website is an excellent
example of a youth civic website focused on getting young people
involved in voting and policy making. Please take a moment to
explore our featured website for this section:
In addition, here is a sampling of other notable websites that encourage young people to vote and be politically active:
Home / About Us / Project / Contact / Site Map / CSM Home / SOC Home
|
