The Kids are Alright: Canadian Youth and Political Participation

by Apathy is Boring Volunteer Stephen — August 1, 2008

It‘s easy for many people to dismiss Canadian youth as fundamentally disconnected from politics, and to conclude that declining voter turnout rates amongst youth speak to their disengagement from and disinterest in modern politics. This idea seems popular amongst individuals who believe that voter turnout rates tell the whole story when it comes to political participation.

Such a conclusion can be understood as premature on a variety of levels.  Voter turnout, the actual act of voting, exists as only one indicator of political participation.  While it is the most frequently undertaken political act, it is also arguably the most consequential, and the easiest to perform. Nonetheless, voting still remains a solitary indicator, and those who point to declining turnout rates may simply fail to understand that the nature of politics is changing.  The fact that so many of today’s youth see neither political parties nor interest groups as effective agents of changes speaks to the increasing importance of non-traditional forms of political activity.  This newer form of political activity may seem more consequential or meaningful to today’s youth than a simple trip to the ballot box.  

Political participation can be defined as the various activities citizens engage in to select both political representatives and their positions on issues.  Traditional or official politics can be understood to include voting, donating money to political parties, or becoming a member of a political party.  Equally important are the activities associated with non-traditional or non-official politics, which can include protests, demonstrations, petitions, and boycotts.  These forms of political participation are equally valid, as they provide an opportunity for citizens, and youth especially, to express their political opinions outside of the narrow confines of periodic elections.

Based on surveys from the Canadian public, it’s clear that the majority of Canadians approve of other political protest activities (petitions, boycotts, marches, sit-ins etc).  A recent poll of Canadians painted a clear portrait of Canadian involvement in non-traditional politics; the majority of those Canadians polled had signed a petition, and 1 in 3 Canadians reporting participating in a boycott.  This willingness to sign a petition ranks as the highest in world, amongst established democracies (above the US, Great Britain, and Sweden); similarly, Canadians’ willingness to join a boycott ranks the country first internationally.

For a demographic breakdown, 67% of Canadians aged 18-25 have signed a petition, 26% have marched in a rally, and 14% participated in a sit-in.  It must be noted that sit-in participants (the most active of non-traditional political activities) are mort likely to be in the 18-25 age group.  Political protest activity rates are highest amongst students and those in the 26-35 age group, and decline substantially amongst older groups.

In 2006 a similar survey was conducted in Montreal focusing on the non-traditional political activities of those aged 19-31.  Of those polled, 63% stated that they had signed a petition, 50% had participated in a boycott, 46% responded that they had engaged in a protest, and 34% were members of a student association.
 
As the numbers demonstrate, an increasingly large proportion of Canadian youth are participating in politics through these non-traditional forms to advance their specific opinions and views.  Such a phenomenon not only provides a clear response to those who are quick to dismiss today’s youth as disengaged but also offers hope for the future of Canadian democracy.  The fact remains that there exists a strong correlation between non-traditional and traditional forms of political participation: those who participate in the former are more likely to partake in the latter.  Such a correlation speaks to the lasting importance of all types of political engagement.

Despite the dismal picture reflected by Canadian youth voter turnout rates, when taken in the broader context including non-traditional forms of political participation, there may yet be cause for a increasingly optimistic vision of the future of Canadian democracy.  

For more information, check out:

Mishler and Clark, “Political Participation in Canada,” in Whittington & Williams (eds.)  Canadian Politcs in the 1990's, 4th ed.  (Scarborough: Nelson, 1994).

Neil Nevitte, “New Politics, the Charter, and Political Participation” in Bakvis (ed.)  Representation, Integration and Political Parties in Canada (Ottawa: Dundurn, 1991).


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