Newswise — As President George W. Bush prepares to take his oath of office, a new Michigan State University study delves into why his recent re-election brought record numbers of college students to the polls.
A recent online survey of MSU students, faculty and staff found that most students " 90 percent " voted in the recent election, indicating that voter turnout on this college campus mirrored others around the nation. The survey was conducted from Dec. 10, 2004 through Jan. 6, 2005 and received 1,862 responses. The margin of error is plus or minus 2.3 percent.
"The MSU data reaffirm the upward spike in voter turnout we saw among college students nationally," said Brian McGrain, program manager for Tomorrow's Political Leaders, an MSU political leadership and youth engagement program.
"It is no coincidence that in battleground states like Michigan, college students turned out in record numbers," added McGrain. "Lack of information is the most often cited reason for disengagement from the political process."
By a wide margin, undergraduate students were the most likely to say that they were not involved politically because of a lack of information (35 percent). Only 18 percent of graduate students, 11 percent of faculty and 15 percent of staff felt this way.
The best indicator for voting was involvement in a political organization. Of the 273 individuals in the MSU survey who said they were a member of a political organization, only five did not vote in the 2004 election.
"The findings from this survey demonstrate a need for programs like Tomorrow's Political Leaders," said McGrain. "The more students know about the political process, and the more they see people like themselves in office, the more engaged they become."
One of the first programs of its kind, Tomorrow's Political Leaders (TPL) is a two-week seminar for Michigan college students and recent college graduates who are interested in honing their political knowledge and skills. Funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the program is in its second year of operation. The hands-on program trains students how to become involved in the political process, including how to run for and serve effectively in public office.
The application deadline for students wishing to participate in the May session of the program is Jan. 31. Application materials and program information are available at http://www.ippsr.msu.edu/TPL/Recruitment.htm or by contacting Brian McGrain at (517) 355-6672, ext. 118, or [email protected]
RSS