Affluent and computer-savvy, but suspicious of traditional politics, the latest generation of young adults is less likely to vote than any other previous group of young people. This fall, only a quarter of Generation Y is expected to cast their ballots. A man with some answers is Professor Thomas Patterson of Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. Dr. Patterson is co-director of the Vanishing Voter Project, which researches the mystery of the disappearing electorate. He says one reason young people don't vote is that in many ways, they've never had it so good.
Unemployment is low, the economy is healthy, few lives are in danger.
Other factors, he explains, are changes in the home and the media. Though most children did not enjoy politics, they liked television, and thus absorbed political knowledge through continued exposure. Then, in the 1980s, cable television became popular and suddenly there were many more quality choices than those found on the three major networks. Today's Gen-Yers get their information from the Internet, but it's also not likely to be about politics. Plus, parents are busier and have less time to sit down with their children.