Interest in politics is on the rise among U.S. college students after a decade-long decline, according to a recent survey.
"The fall 2003 survey, conducted by UCLA's Graduate School of Education and Information Studies finds that one-third (39 percent) of students feel that 'keeping up to date with political affairs' is a very important life goal," said a GSEIS news release.
The 38-year-old survey was administered to entering freshmen in 413 different baccalaureate colleges and universities, totalling 276,449 student responses.
John Sides, an assistant government professor at the University, said a possible explanation for the raised awareness is an increase in the number of prominent global events that may directly affect students' lives.
"Current events have made politics more relevant. The stakes are higher when issues of national security and safety are present," Sides said.
Bruce Buchanan, a UT government professor, described the events of Sept. 11, 2001, as the current college student's Vietnam.
"Starting with the 2000 presidential election going to the Supreme Court, recent political events have focused people's attentions on interesting yet sobering issues, such as Sept. 11 and the second Gulf War," Buchanan said.
According to the release, political engagement remains far below the level recorded in the late 1960s. Prior to 2000, however, the study revealed a three-decade trend of students' political interest plummeting to a low of 28.1 percent in 2000.
University Democrats Vice President Ben Simnacher said he has noticed better attendance at the organization's meetings.
"A lot of activities attracted the interest of students this past spring, such as the campus anti-war protests," Simnacher said.
Another factor responsible for the increase could be students' increased access to a greater array of news sources, said John Greene, a member of the College Republicans of Texas.
"Twenty-four-hour live news channels such as CNN are becoming more pervasive," Greene said. "Another potential cause for the statistical increase of political participation could be due to controversial issues ruled on in the Supreme Court regarding gay rights and affirmative action."
An increase in political interest, however, does not necessarily translate into support for traditional political parties, said Libertarian Longhorns member Ben Woosley.
"There is more reason to be political now because political decisions do not fall into traditional spheres. A lot of people are put off by both major political parties and want to make sure their voice is heard," Woosley said. "There is more reason to be interested in politics because technology has made it easier and there are more serious consequences from the decisions being made in the political realm."
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