An Examination of U.S. Presidential Candidates and How They Mobilize Youth

Michael Pomante

doi:10.4236/ojps.2017.74037

Abstract

It is well known that American youth, those 18 - 24 years old, have abysmal turnout rates in all elections. Despite the traditional poor performance of this age group, there have been several presidential elections (1992 and 2008) where their turnout has been significantly higher than average. The objective of this research is to explore aspects of U.S. presidential candidates and their campaign activities which lead to higher rates of youth mobilization. Through an examination of newspaper articles over four presidential election cycles, the research uncovers that younger candidates who use new methods of engagement positively influence the turnout rate of youth. Elections which had the greatest levels of youth turnout had significantly younger candidates whose campaigns directly targeted youth through new means. On the other hand, the two elections with the lowest levels of youth mobilization lacked younger candidates whose campaigns failed to actively court young voters in any way.

Highlights

With the conclusion of the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton and the Democrats are left to question why she failed to mobilize the same groups Obama was successful with
Due to the lack of instances, a quantitative analysis is ineffective and unlikely to identify any new insights into the mobilization of this traditionally poor performing group
In an effort to identify new theories explaining the variation in their turnout, I turn to an in-depth examination of newspaper accounts of four presidential elections

Summary

Introduction

With the conclusion of the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton and the Democrats are left to question why she failed to mobilize the same groups Obama was successful with. One of the demographic groups which are commonly given credit in helping Obama win the election in 2008 is youth. Using many of the same tactics as Obama, Hillary Clinton attempted, but failed to mobilize this important population. The questions Democrats are left with are: what can a presidential candidate do to mobilize young American voters and what contributes to youth’s excessive swings in turnout? Throughout the research, the term “youth” references individuals who are 18 - 24 years of age

Objectives

Results

Conclusion