There is a stereotype that young people generally disregard their civic responsibilities, and we have evidence to support this claim. In a poll conducted by NBC during the Presidential election of 2008, only 38% of young people between the ages of 18-24 actually voted for one of the two major parties, whereas 49% of senior citizens (65+) made it to the polls. This gap is rather large for such an important event in our country, and should not be taken lightly, however I do not believe it is enough to warrant a stereotype for all young people. In many states, the percentage of young voters for that election was well above the national average. Roughly 48% of all Floridian’s in this age range voted for a major political party in this election, and the same demographic in Missouri had a turnout of 56%.
Civic responsibilities go past filling out a ballot, however. Many would agree that military service is one of the most honorable ways to serve this country, and recruitment offices target demographic is young people. 
Looking at the two aforementioned states, Missouri and Florida, the two of them together make up for 9.7% of all recruits in 2013 according to the DoD. These states also have more recruits per thousand 18-24 year olds then most of the rest of the country. In an interview with Business Insider, Nate Christensen, a DoD spokesman, tried to pinpoint an exact reason on why some states have higher recruitment numbers, saying, “One reason might be exposure to large military bases in states where there are higher enlistment rates.” This reasoning, however, does not fully explain why these states have higher overall civic participation in the 18-24 year old age range.
Another possible reasoning could stem from the electoral college system. Battleground states, or states that are typically not assumed to lean towards one political party, always seem to decide elections, meaning that young voters in other states could feel as if their vote has no power. Similarly, citizens in states with a larger number of electoral votes will feel more obligated to go to the polls since their state accounts for a larger percentage of the nation’s votes. It is also important to note that the two aforementioned states voted differently in the presidential election, suggesting that young adult participation has nothing to do with political affiliation. In any scenario, however, the stereotype that young adults disregard civil responsibilities in our nation stems from a lack of meaningful exposure to our country’s many political outlets. I believe that more work needs to be done by politicians and Government agencies to increase exposure in all areas of responsibility in our country.
21st Century Citizenship 