Whose Rules: What Young People Want Out of 2016
September 8, 2016
The conversation on Millennial participation in this election has become stuck in a rut. As the Washington Post noted a few weeks ago, many of the go-to methods for outreach to young voters are perceived as lacking authenticity and substance. Gimmicks drive eyeballs but not hearts and minds.
Yet while our generation is disenchanted with the state of our politics, it’s not disengaged. We care about issues that impact our daily lives and communities. We believe in peer-to-peer organizing and networks. And, as we found in our Next Generation Blueprint for 2016, we believe that a more inclusive democratic process is critical to producing better policy outcomes for everyone.
At Roosevelt, we believe that it matters who writes the rules, and we know the most efficacious way to engage young people in the political process is to create accessible pathways for them to bring their own perspectives and ideas into the political process. As the largest potential force in the American electorate, we have a responsibility to engage not only in this election but in the policy process as a whole. Only those who have a seat at the table, whether they are elected officials or organized community members, can enact they change they want to see.
To elevate who is writing the rules in our community at Roosevelt, we are excited to announce Whose Rules, our new weekly blog series examining the issues and events shaping the 2016 election for young people. This series will encourage our members to share their ideas and perspectives between now and November 8. All pieces are by young people on matters than affect us the most.
Look out for a post each Thursday from a Roosevelter on the ground in key states and fights across the country. Happy reading!