Ahead of the third edition of the Summit for Democracy, the Youth Democracy Cohort (YDC) relaunches the Menu of Possible Commitments to garner momentum for greater improvement of youth political participation rights. In the next weeks, join us in celebrating how youth-led initiatives can benefit our democracies as we bring commitments to life through a series of articles and social media posts.
Scott Warren is a fellow at the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University. He is currently leading an initiative focused on exploring, researching, and convening a pro-democracy conservative agenda in the US, organising convenings focused on bridging long-term and short-term fixes for democratic reform, and supporting cities in their efforts to promote civic participation and democratic engagement.
At SNF Agora, he also launched Democracy Moves, an international network of youth activists pushing for democratic change, which is now part of Restless Development, and helped Johns Hopkins University in exploring its role as a beacon of civic engagement and democracy. He has also advised USAID on youth civic and political engagement. Warren is the founder of the national civics education organisation Generation Citizen, where he currently serves on the Board of Directors. For more than 11 years, he was the CEO of Generation Citizen, helping it become a leader in civics education, promoting action civics across diverse geographies through best-in-class programming and concrete policy change. Warren published a book in 2019, Generation Citizen: The Power of Youth in Politics, and was named an Echoing Green Fellow in 2010, and a Draper Richards Kaplan Fellow in 2012.
In a Mega-Election Year, Young People Hold the Keys By Scott Warren SNF Agora Institute, Johns Hopkins University
The world will witness an unprecedented number of elections in 2024, with more than sixty countries holding elections, comprising over 4 billion people. From India’s elections, which will be the largest in the world, to South Africa, to the United States, to North Macedonia, citizens will have the opportunity to have their voices heard. In a moment in which many indicators find that democracy is on the decline, these elections will prove pivotal for the future of the governance concept.
In the midst of these elections, young people will undoubtedly play a crucial role. The question, however, will be whether young people will show up in droves, potentially changing the outcome of pivotal elections, or whether their growing frustration with democratic institutions will result in lower participation rates. Perhaps paradoxically, if governments want young people to show up and participate in elections, they need to ensure that they do not treat them solely as electoral pawns, but rather, engage them more holistically in governance issues beyond reaching out in electoral years.
The power of the youth vote
Recent elections have already demonstrated the power that young people can hold in swinging election results. In the Polish parliamentary elections held in October 2023, polls indicated that almost 70% of voters under the age of 29 participated, a major increase from the rate of 46.4% in the 2019 election. Youth participation rates were higher than that of citizens over the age of 60. Voting overwhelmingly for change, young people played an integral role in ousting the right-wing Law and Justice Party (PiS) from power. Many young people expressed they were driven to the polls out of frustration, demanding a change from a government that they felt had eroded democracy and the rule of law, curbed abortion rights, and politicised the judiciary. Young people showed up to fight for democracy.
Similarly, young people helped change the course of Zambia’s trajectory through their participation in the 2021 presidential elections. Zambia’s election turnout was the highest in more than thirty years, and young people below the age of 40 comprised more than half of the electorate. Young people overwhelmingly voted for opposition leader Hakain Hichilema, who won a landslide victory over the incumbent, Edgar Lungu. Like young Polish voters, Zambians demanded an end to a Lungu government characterised by the closing of civic spaces and authoritarian impulses. Young people organised on social media, demanding better economic conditions, and organising en masse, proving to be a force for positive change in Zambia’s democratic future.
Poland and Zambia’s elections show that young people are demanding change, and can impact the trajectory of elections. At the same time, however, increasing evidence demonstrates that young people around the world are frustrated with governing institutions and the type of democracy they are experiencing.
Disengagement from ballots
Young people are disheartened by their government’s inability to address issues like inequality and climate change and make a link between their perception of entrenched governmental institutions and an unacceptable status quo.
This starts with the reality that young people throughout the world are facing challenging economic conditions.According to the African Development Bank report, one-third of Africa’s 420 million youths (aged 15-35) are unemployed, while another third are in vulnerable employment, with only 1 in 6 in formal jobs. An Afrobarometer report found that 37% of young people cite unemployment as the most pressing issue.
Young people are also frustrated with their governments’ inaction on climate change. A recent global study conducted by the University of Bath surveyed 10,000 young people in ten countries, revealing that nearly half of young people (45%) suffer from climate anxiety and 75% of respondents find the future frightening. Approximately 64% feel that governments are not doing enough to avoid a climate disaster, and more than half of young people believe that humanity is doomed.
There is potential that this dissatisfaction transverses beyond government policies, and towards democracy. The 2023 Open Society Barometer, which included polling from 30 different countries, revealed that 71% of older respondents indicated that democracy is preferable to any other form of government, while only 57% of young people answered affirmatively to the statement. Similarly, 42% of young people expressed support for army rule (compared to 20% of those aged 56 or above) and 35% of young people expressed enthusiasm for a strong leader who does away with parliaments and elections (compared to 26% of those aged 56 or above).
The question in this mega-election year, then, centres around how to effectively engage young people in elections while simultaneously recognising their deep and growing dissatisfaction with the type of government they are experiencing. Perhaps counterintuitively, the solution is for advocates and governmental officials alike to focus less on solely engaging young people during elections, and more on engaging them in the democratic process holistically.
Call for government action
Indeed, the frustrations that young people have with democracy do not centre on elections, but rather on their perception that politicians do not genuinely care about their beliefs and perspectives. Governments would do well to demonstrate to young people that they truly care about their priorities. This could include meeting them where they are and engaging in digital spaces where young people are organising in their country, and across borders. Effective youth engagement also includes taking serious action on issues like climate change and economic inequality. Finally, there is an urgent need to ensure that youth are formally represented in government, providing avenues for young people to run for office and serve on committees. The more young people are included, authentically, in democracy, the more young people will believe in the political process, and subsequently, participate in the electoral process.
Young people are important political actors this year. Young people are also increasingly frustrated with the form of democracy they are experiencing. If advocates and governments are serious about engaging young people in the electoral process, we cannot simply hope and urge them to participate. We must recognise their concerns and treat them as equals. Young people may prove critical in determining the fate of democracy in countries around the world in this mega-election year. But only if we listen to them beyond the electoral process itself.
Success Stories on the culture of youth political participation
Commitment #22 – Introducing democracy in the classroom
Connecting EMBs with educators and relevant ministries to incorporate youth participation in elections information into formal school-based lesson plans and to develop opportunities for their engagement such as student government.
Menu of Possible Commitments
The civil society initiative Election-Watch.eu has worked to incorporate youth participation elements into school systems in Austria and Albania. A classroom module was developed to incentivise election-related socialisation among high school students aged 16 to 18. The five-hour course was piloted at high schools in an Austrian province and consisted of facilitators sharing their experiences as election observers. Students learned about the foundations of electoral democracy and participated in ballot simulation exercises.
The initiative has since been expanded and Election-Watch.eu developed a civic education project in Albania for first-time voters. The programme presented different avenues to become involved in the electoral process. At the 2021 parliamentary elections, 13 participants engaged in a variety of roles beyond voting, such as electoral administrators and observers.
The approach aims to complement policies to reduce the voting age across European countries. For instance, the voting age in Austria was lowered to 16 in 2007 but there remains a gap in civic and voter education for newly-enfranchised citizens. Thus, young voters are supported in making their steps into politics.
Commitment #23 – Lowering the voting age in Malaysia
Improving first voter experiences so as to sustain voter turnout in the long run, including potentially lowering the voting age.
Menu of Possible Commitments
In 2019, the Parliament of Malaysia amended the country’s federal constitution to reduce the voting age from 21 to 18. The momentous decision was the result of intense lobbying from UNDI18, a civil society platform launched in 2016 by university students Tharma Pillai and Qyira Yusri. UNDI18 conducted a campaign including digital communications, protests, and lobbying to public officials. The campaign obtained bipartisan support and the amendment received unanimous approval in the Upper and Lower Parliament.
An estimated 5.8 million young voters were added to the electorate roll, increasing the total number of eligible voters to by 40%, significantly strengthening the inclusivity of Malaysian democracy. The UNDI18 story serves as an inspiring example of both a youth-led initiative that succeeded in enacting change and of the government passing policy reforms to strengthen youth political participation.
Commitment #29 – Mock Elections in Uganda
Investing in civic education that promotes young people’s understanding of their civic and political rights that is accessible to all youth populations, especially young women, ethnic minority and Indigenous youth, and children (under 18) and young people with disabilities.
Menu of Possible Commitments
Mock and simulated elections are an excellent way to foster democratic values from an early age. In Uganda, Sensitise Uganda implemented a project to use mock elections at secondary schools. The project benefited from the guidance and support from the Electoral Commission of Uganda, exemplifying the importance of collaboration with electoral authorities. Students were able to participate as political candidates, speech writers, and election observers among many other roles. Nearly 500 students from three secondary schools participated and an elections toolkit was developed to guide the organisation of future exercises.
Governments and policymakers must invest more in civic education programmes that seek to increase youth awareness for civic and political rights. Mock elections and similar activities, such as this example in Uganda, should serve as the stepping stone for greater collaboration between public authorities and educational institutions.
Join the campaign
These are only a handful of examples of the positive impact that civic education and voting access for young people can have on democracy. Join the YDC in calling for youth to be supported in voting this year by sharing the commitment that resonates with the issues in your community, and by showcasing your own success stories with the hashtag #YouthInAction.