Fountain of Youth: Strategies and Tactics for Mobilizing America's Young Voters: Melissa K. Comber: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Fountain of Youth

Strategies and Tactics for Mobilizing America's Young Voters

Textbook

Fountain of Youth

Strategies and Tactics for Mobilizing America's Young Voters

Textbook

Description

The withdrawal of young Americans from electoral politics has been as startling as it has been mystifying. Possible explanations for this phenomenon have focused on increased levels of cynicism and distrust among young voters, the behavior of candidates and campaign consultants, and the importance of institutional barriers to voting. Then came the 2004 election, when nearly 47 percent of eligible 18-to-24-year-olds turned out to vote_an 11 percent increase over 2000 levels. In the wake of this surprising development, Fountain of Youth looks at the tactics and strategies for youth mobilization_from improved civic education to recasting the theme of 'Rock the Vote' to reinvigorating political parties. Indeed, the book includes new and innovative research on the role of local political parties in registering and getting young voters to the polls. This volume will be of interest to scholars, teachers, practitioners, pundits-in short, anyone concerned about the future of our democracy.

Part 1 Background on Youth Participation in America
Chapter 2 The Turned Off Generation? Fact and Fiction
Part 3 Political Parties and Mobilization of Young Voters
Chapter 4 Throwing a Better Party? Local Political Parties and Youth Vote
Chapter 5 Tales from the Trenches: Party Organizations that Are Connecting with Young Citizens
Chapter 6 Building Party Identification in the Young and Revitalizing Democracy
Part 7 Civic Education and Youth Engagement: Past, Present, and Future
Chapter 8 Civic Knowledge, Civic Education, and Civic Engagement
Chapter 9 Political Participation and Service-Learning: Civic Education as Problem and Solution
Chapter 10 Promoting Diversity in Democracy: Mobilizing the Hip Hop Generation
Part 11 Non-Partisan Organizations and Turning out the Youth Vote
Chapter 12 Youth Political Engagement: Why Rock the Vote Hits the Wrong Note
Chapter 13 Mobilizing the Youth Vote in 2004 and Beyond
Chapter 14 Young Voter Mobilization Projects in 2004
Part 15 Conclusion
Chapter 16 Faces of the Future

Product details

Published	Sep 27 2006
Format	Hardback
Edition	1st
Extent	268
ISBN	9780742539655
Imprint	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Dimensions	9 x 6 inches
Publisher	Bloomsbury Publishing

Anthology Editor

Daniel M. Shea

Anthology Editor

John J. Green

Contributor

Melissa K. Comber

Contributor

Ivan Frishberg

Contributor

William A. Galston

Contributor

John C. Green

Contributor

Michael Hoover

Contributor

Susan Orr

Contributor

Mark Rockeymoore

Contributor

Maya Rockeymoore

Contributor

Heather Smith

Contributor

J. Cherie Strachan

Contributor

John Kenneth White

Shea and Green have assembled a rigorous and broad compendium of research findings and proposals regarding the political participation of young Americans. A consistent theme throughout the eleven diverse, thoughtful chapters is the importance of taking young people seriously. This book should influence research and political strategy as the Millennial Generation takes its place in the American electorate.

Peter Levine, director, Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE)
Fountain of Youth is essential reading for those interested in the ways that parties, activists, and scholars view the past, present, and future of youth involvement in politics.

Donald Green, Yale University
Highly recommended.

Choice Reviews
In a concise, comprehensive and readable collection, Fountain of Youth serves as an excellent discussion and analysis of the issues surrounding the participation of youth in American politics and the strategies and tactics that can be used to engage young voters. Shea and Green, two accomplished scholars, draw on their research and the scholarship of an impressive group of colleagues to provide us with an important discussion of why engaging this generation matters. It is a must read book for those who want to understand the role of youth in our political system.

Alan Gitelson, Loyola University, Chicago