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Challenges to Campaigning Conference, Edinburgh

No Sale: The Impact of Retail Politics on Youth Voter Engagement in Canada. Challenges to Campaigning Conference, Edinburgh. 75 % of young people in Canada don’t vote Non-voting has little effect on election outcomes But it does threaten democracy

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Challenges to Campaigning Conference, Edinburgh

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  1. No Sale:The Impact of Retail Politics on Youth Voter Engagement in Canada Challenges to Campaigning Conference, Edinburgh

  2. 75% of young people in Canada don’t vote • Non-voting has little effect on election outcomes • But it does threaten democracy • When youth engage, it is now often elite challenging • Their behaviour has changed • This presents a serious challenge for campaigning Kids these days

  3. Attitudes toward politics are not dramatically different • Youth are not more negative than their older counterparts • They are more likely to protest or sign a petition • Commitment to democratic values is higher than ever • Little change in structures • But campaign tactics have changed What has Changed?

  4. The New Age of Retail Politics • Negative attack ads and suppression tactics are mainstays • Articulations of national vision are increasingly absent • Leaders trump ideology in importance • Strategists dole out goodies to win crucial ridings • Young folks can rarely tip the balance in First Past the Post • As a consequence they are ignored in war rooms • In turn, youth ignore elections

  5. Capacity scholars note that salience is key • Youth vote more when youth see their valuesrepresented • The coefficient relationship strength eclipses established variables • Over 35 vote more when they are satisfied with interest representation • These between group differences are significant A Values Deficit in Representation

  6. Values representation matters

  7. Youth Primaries Project

  8. Less Advantaged Groups In high school At risk Needing social services help College students Aboriginal young people New Canadians Francophone young people Language minority Young women Rural Youth Across Canada • Scarborough • Montreal • Yellowknife • Fort Smith • Saskatoon • Calgary • St. John’s • Quebec city • Vancouver • Ottawa

  9. We are unimportant to ‘them’: Group Similarities

  10. “They only come to hand out their things… “come and vote for me. I’ll tell you after.”” “They are talking, at you, in government” “They pretend we’re [sic] concerned, but it’s really, “I don’t care”… A Dim View of Politics

  11. Sophisticated understanding of power relations • “Any single person doesn’t count. Politicians only care about groups” • “Young people don’t vote & they [politicians] don’t care.” • “It’s not like Starbucks, where I hold the power. They don’t need me…I don’t matter to them” • They understand that a single voice doesn’t matter A Single Voice Doesn’t matter

  12. Very few mentioned voting or contacting officials • When they did, those experiences were negative • “They pretend to listen, but nothing changes.” • “We never heard back.” • “They sent back a letter to tell us why they wouldn’t” • More often when they engaged it was to protest • For youth, being heard now requires mobilizing Nobody’s listening

  13. Not ‘one’ Youth:Within and Between group difference

  14. Startling range of knowledge within groups • Some displayed considerable political acumen • In Yellowknife issues on the front page of the newspaper were discussed. • In St. John’s youth talked about internet policy. • Others were withdrawn, with no awareness • “I don’t even know what politics means or is. I have no idea” • The majority fell in between, suggesting possible engagement, but a steep learning curve for many Range of knowledge

  15. When prompted, they listed a host of concerns; • Treaty rights – Fort Smith • Homelessness – Calgary • Housing prices – Yellowknife • Police harassment – Scarborough • Public transit – St. John’s • School quality– Montreal • Issues are local, concrete, effecting them personally • Beyond marijuana and jobs, no issues were federal • This explains why satisfaction with interest representation is less critical for voting among youth Politics is Personal

  16. “Politicians don’t know what it’s like to be hungry. I mean actually hungry.” • “Maybe they could take a bus…for a week even….to know what it’s like to wait…to be me. ” • “They don’t know how I live…what it’s like.” • “They’ve never even been here.” • “They make themselves so big… “Hi, I’m in charge”…act like, what’s your problem?” • “They don’t stand for me.” A Worldview Gap

  17. Jack Layton, NaheedNenshi, Barack Obama and Danny Williams were all mentioned as ‘ideal leaders’ They share common ground; • They were described as listeners • Perceived as ‘one of them’ (outsiders) • Spent time engaging in the community • Recognized as fighting for them • Often promoting greater equality (albeit sometimes for their region) What a leader should be

  18. Older voters have their interests catered to—they are wooed • Youth are less important for election victory • They know little and political discussion is inaccessible • Their interests are not discussed • No one stands for them, and they are uninterested • Crossing the chasm is not easy, but democracy rarely is Challenges to Campaigning

  19. Thank youHeather bastedoBastedoh@queensu.ca

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