Author: Zhang Wenzong

Since the Captain America's Captain of Women's Football Team had a word of words with US President Trump in social media before, the former also refused to invite the White House after winning the championship, so when the U.S. women's football team won the championship, although Trump congratulated the US women's football team, there was still no no?Young American young people have helped this matter in social media.

This episode actually reflects the current dissatisfaction of young people in the United States.In the 2018 US midterm elections, the high voting rate of young people aged 18-29 created a historical record, which is to a large extent for this reason.As more young people entered Congress, the average age of parliamentarians was lowered by about 10 years.At present, can young people change US political processes and policy directions?

Dissatisfaction with demands are changing

American young people are active and dare to express, but because of their academic or career, they are relatively weak in society.In 2008, the impact of the financial crisis on young American people was particularly fierce. Due to the heavy loan burden, high unemployment rate, and shrinking salary, their disadvantages and social inequality in the capitalist system were more hate.

These young people have strongly supported the dark horse Obama in politics, and look forward to the fearful hope to bring real changes.But they disappointed the Obama government's sense of helping Wall Street, and became the main force of the Occupy Wall Street movement.Since 2010, the US stock market has been prosperous and corporate profits, but the situation of young people has not improved significantly.

In the 2016 election, young people were dissatisfied with traditional political elites and rich politics, so they did not have a cold to Hillary and Trump.They were the fans of Democratic Socialist Sanders at the time, supporting their claims to increase taxes on the rich, free university education, and national medical insurance.

A series of policies after President Trump's administration are far from their demands to young people.They believe that tax cuts and supervision are conducive to large enterprises and wealthy people, and they strive to abolish Obama's medical reforms to reduce their benefits. Anti -abortion and illegal immigrants violate liberal values.In addition, the vast majority of young people are keen on environmental protection. They are also dissatisfied with the future of the earth and human beings.Of course, President Trump's personality does not meet their moral requirements for politicians.

Among them, according to the Gallopp polls, young American women are dissatisfied with the Trump administration.In the group that defends the abortion rights and opposes the separation of flesh, the proportion of young women is very high.

More young people enter politics

The dissatisfaction of politics and policies in the United States has been reflected through votes.According to the survey of the Citizen Learning and Participation in Tavz University Citizenship, in the mid -2018 election, the voting rate of young people was 31%, which was at least 10%higher than the mid -2014 election.About two -thirds of young people voted to support Democratic members candidates, and only 1/3 supported Republican council candidates. This proportion was also the highest in history since the statistical record.

In today's US House of Representatives and Senate, more young members have appeared than in the past, and they are reflecting the demands of young American people in the American political spectrum.For example, with the support of young people, Sanders's followers and Cottz of New York State entered the Congress House to become the youngest female members in American history.Cottz attacked the capitalist system and advocated transforming the United States with the concept of progressive.She also called on the abolition of the Immigration and Customs Law Enforcement Bureau to propose the claims such as the new policy of banning fossil energy in the United States in the next ten years, and sang against the Trump and the Republican Party.With a high media exposure, it seems to have become the star of the Democratic Party.In the Senate, Democrat Jiji Middot; Rosen eventually defeated Republican opponents because of the support of more young people.

In the Red State Texas, which was firmly controlled by the Republican Party, young people began to shake the political foundation of Republicans.The 46 -year -old Democrat Beto Middot; Oroke announced in mid -March this year that he participated in the first day of the 2020 Presidential election, raised $ 6.1 million (S $ 8.29 million), which once broke the record of Sanders.In the mid-term election last year, he ran for the state's federal senators and received 71%of voters under 30 years and 51%of the 30-45-year-old voters voted.This young politician, known as Obama 2.0, has to some extent the hope of young American people.

At the level of the state, young people's votes have also enhanced the power of the Democratic Party.Today, the Democratic Party's three -control state, that is, at the same time, control the governor and the state of the two houses of the state, add six more than a year ago.At the same time, there are seven of the Democratic Party controlled by the Democratic Party.

Political energy should not be exaggerated

The increase in the voting rate of young people is a good thing for the Democratic Party, but whether it can be maintained is not sure.In the social movement of the civil rights movement and anti -war movement, young people are more active, and the political enthusiasm has since faded away.Polls show that young people's voting rate has been significantly lower than older in the United States. Only a few young people really believe that voting and elections are an effective way to change society.Contemporary young people have seen politics, ride in the government, and prejudice of the party, and are easy to lose confidence in US politics.

In the United States, politically, it is more representative of the rich, those who have been educated and educated.If young people's voting enthusiasm fades and political alienation continues, it will soon lose influence, and it is difficult to solve the problem of concern.Considering the extremes of the intensity and policy claims of the US political struggle, the 2020 election must be a election that the two parties have fully mobilized voters and have a high voting rate.Whether Democratic candidates, especially presidential candidates can mobilize young voters with appropriate campaign issues, proper campaign strategies, and attractive election styles to observe the enthusiasm of young people in the United States.

However, even if young people are mobilized, their political energy should not be exaggerated.

First, the proportion of young voters is not high.The U.S. Census Administration began to statistics from the 1964 elections and the mid-1978 elections. The proportion of voters 18-29 years old was relatively low in the previous elections.In the mid -2014 election, the group accounted for only 11%of the total number of voters, and the 2016 election rose to 13%.In comparison, the proportion of voters who tend to be over 65 years old in the Republican Party account for much.

Second, young people have limited impact on the presidential election.In the US political structure, when the political territory of the red state is relatively fixed, it is necessary to swing the state and the rust belt to get the world.But in the key states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida and other key states, young people are not high.The Democratic Party has to reverse the Qiankun, and we still have to mobilize the minority, women, women, and even a considerable part of white male voters in key states.

Regardless of how the US political ecology changes, the dissatisfaction of young people and the demands of young people need to respond.As a left -wing force in the United States, it will continue to influence US politics in its own way.

(The author is the director of the United States Political Office of the American Institute of Modern International Relations)