A rapid increase medium Age of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Older Senators who freeze in answering questions. More and more officials who die In Office. And of course the upcoming presidential election, which until a month ago still saw the two oldest nominees in history. All this has drawn attention to a common feature shared by most American politicians – age. While President Joe Biden’s retreat While it offers a solution to the most pressing aging issues, the age of former President Trump, along with many other members of Congress, remains a disappointing presence that is difficult for young voters to process. As college campuses with many first-time voters, the age of our national politicians should not only disappoint us, but also spur us to support local democratic systems that energize a new political generation – namely, the university’s system of student self-government.
Student self-government at the university is a system that was founded for and by students. Student self-government is intended to prepare them for larger democratic systems and empowered young people by demonstrating the impact of their voice at the local level and preparing the next generation of civic leaders. In fact, the university system embodies the ideal foundation for local politics. Because there are no barriers to candidacy and the electorate is smaller and more accessible, the university provides a diverse democratic process that encourages competent political practice. Even if a student simply wants to discuss a referendum with a friend or The cavalier Daily Through their support, they develop a habit of active and critical engagement with politics that consciously supports representative democracy. The democratic skills students develop through their participation in smaller elections lead directly to greater representation in future local, state and national elections.
Although the theory of student self-government is radical, the turnout indicates a woeful lack of student participation. Let us consider the Student Council presidential election in 2024 – the winning candidate earned 13.5 percent of the student body’s vote, or about 3,500 out of 26,000 eligible voters. This election is evidence that the self-governing system is struggling to translate its meaning into concrete action, and that students do not see how these institutions can bring about effective change. The problem of the lack of involvement of student candidates and student voters is comparable to the problem of the lack of involvement of young voters and much older candidates at the national political level.
At the national level, the state elections have similar fought to maintain significant youth voter turnout for congressional seats. While the reasons for voter apathy at both the local and national levels are numerous, this disinterest ultimately reflects a systematically low sense of representation in politics overall. But how can students and voters expect their candidates to adequately represent them and effect change if they fail to engage them?
Elections for student self-government and, to an even greater extent, local politics are the ideal environment to bring about changes in voting behaviour. At the national level Worries that older candidates do not adequately represent them or their views, rendering their vote invalid. However, this challenge could not be further removed from the ethos of student elections – student politicians are direct representatives of their fellow students. Therefore, students cannot resort to the same argument to justify not participate in their own local elections. There is nothing to lose and hundreds of advantageous Guidelines to support students in voting in university elections. Therefore, students need to be reminded that apathetic voting behavior at the university level not only leads to apathy at the national level, but also creates conditions that empower these ridiculously old politicians.
Uninterested young voters cannot, by their nature, produce age-representative candidates. More influence in the university system will develop political habits that in turn will enable better age representation – as well as class, ideological and racial – at the national level. Significantly older candidates and politicians pose a particular challenge to the voting habits of youthFortunately, involvement in student self-government is precisely the solution, because young voters, motivated by local elections, produce candidates and politicians who better represent their political interests.
The founder University Chancellor Thomas Jefferson preached the importance of young and middle-aged politicians who competently and fairly represent people of all ages – not just those eligible for retirement benefits. Given the unprecedented circumstances of the upcoming presidential election, the students of this university must take the time to become civically engaged at all levels. Disappointment with candidates should not lead to inaction when the university’s system of student government provides the ideal opportunity for change within our community and beyond. While it is high time that Congress begin considering legislation to address federal gerontocracy, the university’s students have the opportunity to develop a new generation of young, competent voters and politicians through our unique system of student government.
Scarlett Sullivan is senior deputy opinion editor and writes about politics for The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at [email protected].
The opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect those of The Cavalier Daily. The columns reflect the views of the authors alone.
