Youth Mobilization American Youth Young adults between the

Youth Mobilization

American “Youth” Young adults between the ages of 1824 Youth Mobilization The recruiting and empowerment of American youth to register, volunteer, vote, and remain politically active.

Election Turnout ¥ In 2000, 36% of American Youth voted ¥ In 2004, 47% of American Youth voted ¥ For the primaries and caucuses of 2008, 6. 5 million Americans under 30 voted at the polls. CIRCLE and Data Collection ¥ Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement

Causes for the Rise The American Youth increase in registration and voting can be attributed to: ¥ Investments in voting programs Partisan and non-partisan groups ¥ CIRCLE: Over $40 million in 2004 ¥ ¥ Personal Political Empowerment Genuine Opportunity ¥ Remodeling of political treatment ¥

Voting Programs ¥ Government ¥ ¥ Social/Political ¥ ¥ ¥ Armed Services voting assistance Young Democrats of America Young Republican National Federation Rock the Vote Campaign Efforts to reach youth (Mc. Cain, Obama) Ethnic ¥ ¥ ¥ SAAVY (South Asian American Voting Youth) Black Youth Vote (The National Coalition on Black Civic Participation) Native Vote (National Congress of American Indians)

Political Empowerment ¥ American Youth given renewed appreciation Easier access to information on political issues ¥ Language Reconstruction ¥ ¥ Given the support to: Be involved in Election ¥ Become educated on political issues ¥ Volunteer ¥ Remain active in political activities ¥

Marketing Efforts ¥ Interpersonal Relevancy of interest ¥ Genuine Opportunity ¥ ¥ Peer to Peer Chain Reaction ¥ “Grassroots” ¥ Encouraging recruitment ¥ ¥ Variety of Mediums

Participation ¥ Registering ¥ Volunteer/Support ¥ VOTE ¥ Continued Activity

Rock the Vote ¥ Started in Los Angeles in 1990 ¥ A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded “to engage and build the political power of young people in order to achieve progressive change in our country” ¥ Combined with 15 non-partisan groups in 2006 ¥ Combined with Youth Voter Strategies in 2007 ¥ Worked with CNN, Rolling Stone, AT&T,

Rock the Vote ¥ Projections for Youth voter turnout have been skeptical. Rock the Vote disagrees. ¥ Rock the Vote prides themselves in registering voters. ¥ Outcomes: Helped to provided registration to over 2. 3 million American citizens ¥ Provided immeasurable amounts of information and materials for Youth to pass on ¥

Rock the Vote ¥ Criticism ¥ Financial troubles ¥ ¥ Mocking the Draft ¥ ¥ Reconstruction by Hans Riemer Letter from the RNC Non-partisan? Fred Goldring and “Yes We Can” music video ¥ Liberal Publications ¥ Partnering with MTV ¥

Information Credits CIRCLE: http: //www. civicyouth. org/ Connelly, Michael. “Rock the Vote and Young Voter Strategies Merge”. Future Majority. August 9, 2007. http: //futuremajority. com/node/623 “GOP Pressures Rock the Vote to Stop Talking about the Draft”. October 19, 2004. http: //www. democracynow. org/2004/10/19/gop_pressures_rock_the_vote_to Scribe Video Center. Why Vote? Car Poll Election 2008. Photograph, 2008. http: //www. flickr. com/photos/16439531@N 02/2505718206/ Huso, Deborah. “How to… Increase the Youth Vote. ” August 27, 2008. http: //www. generationengage. org/youthtoday 08 -27 -08. html “Obama and the Youth Vote”. Five Thirty Eight. August 10, 2008. http: //www. fivethirtyeight. com/2008/08/youth-vote-yes-he-can. html Pisacik, Chris. AIGA “Get Out the Vote”. Poster Design, 2008. http: //www. flickr. com/photos/chrispiascik/2457588128/. Rock the Vote: http: //www. rockthevote. org/