Book Review
For the purposes of the analysis, the author of the paper dwells on the consideration of the book prepared by Martin Wattenberg. The main thesis of the boom concerns the issue that contemporary society create be environment where the youth have no intention to participate in the election process as the voters. In the beginning of the book, the author - Martin Wattenberg (herein after referred as Wattenberg) lists the factors that served the important role in the formation of the low voting involvement in the election campaigns of the youth within several last decades. In addition, the analysis of the participation of the youth is provided in relation to the elections taking place in 2008 and 2010. Furthermore, the author stipulates that regardless the low level of the involvement in the voting, the contemporary youth takes part in form of civil participation. In particular, this involvement may be seen in volunteering, submission of the requests to candidates. In this regard, one should understand that the youth takes care about the issues which pose the significant interest for them as the class of the society. Besides, the elections campaigns of 2008 and 2010 resulted in the situation where special habits of the youth during the elections have been developed. Under this statement one should understand that youth reaches the candidates and discuss with them the perspective cooperation. In contrast, 2008 election campaign, in relation to Obama, has showed to the world that reliance on youth may lead to the success.
Simultaneously, the author discusses the importance of the formation of respectful treatment among the people regarding the voting process as the pillar of that democratic society. In this regard, the author stops on the existing trends in the current involvement of the population of the United States towards the promotion of the democratic values. Accordingly, from the perspective of the international theory, the author believes that disregard of the participation in the election campaign undermines the stability of the society as the whole. Regardless of the fact that the author criticized the attitude of the youth towards the election, he suggests several recommendations that should facilitate the involvement of the people. In general this book raises quite important issue which is not considered by the leadership of the country. This point should be understood in the manner that the political life is not treated as the instrument for the achievement of success and prosperity, while the contemporary population can no believe in the statements of the candidates. Moreover, the economic life and perspective working opportunities are regarded by the youth as the key for success while the political sphere is not taken into account due to the low level of the confidence between the two sides. Besides, the author highlights that the problem with the low participation is not the feature of the American campaigns exclusively. The different democracies in the world face the same challenge.
In addition to the low participation in the election process, the contemporary society is featured with the decrease in the political awareness among the population about the current events taking place on the national and international arena. For the purposes of the confirmation the outcomes of the research of the author, he notes different points:
Youth does not watch the political news via the mass media as it not regarded as the source of the useful information bearing the benefits for the welfare of the youth;
Participation of the youth in the election is decreasing within the world regardless of the geographical location of society.
At the same time, the author comes to the conclusion that the technological development and spread of entertainment information via mass media directly influence the position of the youth to the political life of the country. In particular, the young person prefers to get new information about the fashion news or production of new phone, while the interest to the political arena can not be heated on the same level. This flow is supported by the development of new generation of the population under the title "TV Age", when the people believe to the information presented in mass media. Moreover, the youth is loosing the ability in comparison with the previous generations to define the strengths and flaws in the activity of the political leaders. The majority of the youth are loyal to the ideas submitted with the advertisements. However, the decrease in the involvement in the political life by the youth is caused by the fact that the politicians disregard the importance to interact with this category of society. In this regard, the author dwells on the fact that in 2008 McCain and Clinton underestimated the importance to cover the youth by the political campaigns, while Obama clearly understood the connection of the innovations development to the involvement of the youth in the election as the major supporters. In fact, this strategy of Obama led him to success in contrast to the achievements of his rivals.
Furthermore, the author conducts the analysis as to the visit of the youth on the official resources containing the political information. The author came to the conclusion that nowadays the major part of the youth avoids the visit of the online resources jointly with the old-fashioned newspapers which are regarded as the official source of the information. Besides, the author did not take into account that youth may visit the unofficial websites in order to be informed about the political results, rivals, achievements, etc. However, the existence of the unofficial sources can not influence the level of the interest and participation of the youth in the political life of the country. Moreover, Wattenberg states that the governments of the Western democracies should develop and adopt the urgent measures in order to facilitate and push youth of different nations in certain manner to take part in the political sphere of the communities. At the same time, this book is not innovative for the interpretation of the woods affairs and the democracy from this position. There are different other works, while the novelty of this books is confirmed by the fact that the author provides the comparison between different countries. Although, the main conclusion is that the political leaders of the different countries stand for the personal interests rather then to meet the needs of the different groups of the population. In this regard, the author believes that only old generations get accustomed to the necessity to be informed about the political shifts. Moreover, these generations feel that interaction with political leaders should be regarded as the perspective source of the power. In contrast, new generations within the last three decades put all efforts in the receipt of the information about the technological development and other similar innovations. The relevant skills are regarded as the source of the competetive advantage which may bring the financial benefits for the youth. The political activity in this respect is seen as the waste of time which requires the complete involvement without any consequent benefits and achievements (Wattenberg 173).
Consequently, Wattenberg there is only one perspective solution to the problem. In fact, the United States and other democracies should introduce the compulsory voting in the countries. The compulsory voting according to the author is regarded as exclusive instrument to push the representatives of the youth to vote in the election campaign. Although, the author states that there is no matter for the young people as to the objects of the voting process. This statement should be understood that the presidential elections jointly with the elections to the government in different countries draws the same low level of the participation among the youth. The introduction of the compulsory voting will result in the creation of new opportunity for the politicians based on which the adult citizens should express their votes in the elections. In case the adult refuses to participate, he is obliged then to pay the fine to the state. From one point of view, the existence of the compulsory voting should lead to the formation of the strong political system in the country. From other side, the people may have different circumstances which prevent people to take part in the elections. In his respect, some people may feel detestation to the political life as the compulsory voting imposes the obligations over the adults to treat certain things respectfully and in accordance with the rules established by someone.
For the purposes to support the importance of the role of the compulsory voting in the society, the author notes the example on the ban of the smoking in the public places. He believes that people can not initially understand and measure all benefits of the particular policy of the government while the consequences may be seen in some time. Accordigly, the author states that the political system covering the election campaign in Australia may be regarded as beneficial one as the citizens recognize their obligation to take part in the elections and vote. Furthermore, the author believes that contemporary youth does not treat itself as the part of the community. In this regard, the young person is not thinking about the necessity to perform the civil responsibility and civil duty in order to make the contribution for the identification of the leaders which should guide the society.
Meanwhile, it is quite interesting to read this book due to the forthcoming elections which are arranged for 2016. The author defines the legal framework where the political leaders act with the purpose to gain the preferences of the population. In this regard, the author states on the fact that the Western countries and the United States cannot call themselves as the democratic states. These countries as the subjects of the international relations have no power to rely on the democracy as the instrument for the maintenance the order in the community as fear and fear people take part in the elections. In this regard, this problem should not be ignored by the governments. The people should clearly understand the impact of this problem and think over the perspective measures that will allow to limit the spread of inactivity of the population in the political life. Moreover, the politicians should agrees with the fact that the life is going and the community is developing. From this perspective, the political leaders can not rely on the measures and methods which were applied to the old generations. Contemporary youth requires adjustment so that people should find new methods in order to increase the interest of the young people to take part in the political sphere of the life of the country.
Therefore, it is possible to state that the book written by Wattenberg represents the successful attempt to describe the current problems that democratic countries face today during the elections. Furthermore, this book is a reliable source for the people having the purpose to get the knowledge about the modern political life. Moreover, the leaders of the countries should take into account that youth represents the importance class of the society. This category may play the role for eh driving force in case the politicians may find the appropriate pillars in the interaction with the young classes of society. Thus, the author suggests that in case any state succeeds in the increase of the engagement of the young population to the voting process, this country will have the stable democracy where the people take care about the development and realization of the policies. Finally, the high level of the participation of the people in the election proves that the community is concerned about the future of the country and its population, while the people trust to the leaders that choose. Therefore, the author advises that youth population should be much more active in order to improve the welfare of the country and achieve prosperity.
Works Cited
Wattenberg, Martin P. Is Voting For Young People?. New York: Pearson Longman, 2008. Print.
