Justin is not alone. In a recent study of high school seniors from
California, for example, only 28% agreed that “I think people in
government care about what people like me and my family need” (Kahne and Middaugh 2005). Related findings
are common. A survey by the National Association of Secretaries of
State, for example, revealed that two-thirds of all young people
agreed that “our generation has an important voice, but no one seems
to hear it.” Moreover, those youth who were least trusting were also
the least likely to vote, to believe that government can affect
their lives, or to pay attention to politics (National Association of Secretaries of State 1999).
These findings, combined with numerous other indicators that show
low and in many cases declining civic and political participation,
indicate that forms of engagement required for a participatory
democracy to thrive are in need of attention (Macedo et al.
2005).The initial research for
this essay was generously supported by a grant from the Surdna
Foundation. Subsequent research and writing was generously
supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council
of Canada. We also wish to thank Melinda Fine, Barbara Leckie,
Tobi Walker, and James Youniss for helpful feedback on earlier
drafts. The authors are solely responsible for any and all
conclusions.