Democracy and the young: Engaged but not empowered?

Despite 2015's major democracy milestones, debate mounts about disillusionment in politics and Australia's electoral education.

Democracy and the young: Engaged but not empowered?Democracy and the young: Engaged but not empowered?

Democracy and the young: Engaged but not empowered? Source: AAP

This year has marked the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta and 750 years since the first Westminster parliament.

 

But it comes as debate about disillusionment in politics mounts and questions about Australia's electoral education are being raised.

 

Parliamentary question time in Australia's House of Representatives is a robust event.

 

For some members of the Australasian Union of Jewish Students, it is emblematic of the current political climate.

 

While the group is politically active, its members say the way public debate is carried out is distancing young voters.

 

"Amongst young people today, there's this growing degree of ... a sense of disillusion and disenfranchisement perhaps, with an inability to connect with and relate to politicians. What purpose does it serve to conduct the public debate in such a manner, like just now in question time, with just shouting back and forth?"

 

Speaker of the House Tony Smith maintains political debates have always been this way -- but agrees there is a limit.

 

"Parliament should be a robust place. It is the arena where we have our arguments about the direction of our country. But I also concede it shouldn't be continuously loud and rude."

 

Katrina is a Year 10 student from Surat State School, 500 kilometres west of Brisbane.

 

Rather than feeling disenfranchised, she reflects on her school's long trip to parliament in a positive light.

 

"I was kind of excited to see where all the important decisions are made for our nation ... and realising I was actually standing here. It's kind of empowering."

 

Research by the Museum of Democracy suggests her engagement with democracy is indicative of wider Australia.

 

But the museum's Daryl Karp says Katrina's feeling of empowerment is not.

 

"There's a real sense of powerlessness. So, I think when they see activities happening in parliament that they don't think are reflective of what they voted for, of what the government stands for, I think it just reinforces a sense of cynicism."

 

A parliamentary inquiry is looking at the electoral education students like Katrina receive in primary and secondary school.

 

It will address the barriers some schools face in reaching Canberra, such as cost and distance, as well as assess the effectiveness of how democracy is taught.

 

Speaker Tony Smith says a shift in education could prevent later disillusionment in politics.

 

"A lot of the electoral education happens in primary school. And when you're in secondary school, your chances of learning about this again, right at the point of time you're about to enroll to vote, is governed by whether you study humanities. And, personally, I've always thought that's a gap that needs to be addressed. More education is more sunshine on our democracy and how it works."

 

The Museum of Democracy's Daryl Karp says she believes that understanding is already there.

 

"There's a lot of talk about whether people are engaged or disengaged. Our experience is that they are passionate, that they do care about democracy, but it's not being heard, and so they're turning to different ways of communicating and being heard."

 

And as Julian Kowal, from the Australasian Union of Jewish Students, points out, there are a number of ways young people are trying to be heard.

 

"As a minority community, we want to have a voice that's definitely heard on a wide range of issues relevant to us as Jewish students. And we're constantly trying to find ways, whether it's through this political conference in Canberra, whether it's through speakers on campus, whether it's through retreats, whether it's through giving them an opportunity to work on a campaign. We're always trying to find ways to increase political engagement amongst Jewish students."

 

 


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4 min read

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By Rachael Hocking


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