While it is difficult to assess cause and effect here, it is likely that students' issue priorities and volunteer work in these arenas are mutually reinforcing. Students may well carry these commitments into the mainstream of political debate as they age. Of course self-reporting of socially desirable behaviors such as voting is often exaggerated. Engagement can also be measured by the degree to which they follow politics. Thus students are 14 points less likely to be following politics than are adults with similar levels of educational attainment.
Students do find other things to engage their attention.
The Presidential Race Is Close, And, To A Lesser Extent, So Is The Generic Congressional Vote Despite their lesser engagement in the Presidential race, most students have already made up their mind. While the two are equally matched overall, there are some clear regional and gender patterns to the candidates' support. These Students Are Not Susceptible To The Whims Of Political Celebrity Participation in the Presidential primary, and professed likelihood of voting in the general election, are not dependent on who the candidates are. Further, students report that their participation in either the primary or the general depends little on the specific candidates. The absence of John McCain and Bill Bradley from the general election will likely do little to hold down turnout among students.