Differences in Political Participation Among Young Women and Men

Even when excluding elected officials, and even though women vote and volunteer at higher numbers, young men are still more active in political activities overall than young women.

Due to various legal and socioeconomic barriers, young women have historically been less engaged in politics and leadership than young men. On the other hand, they are what researchers refer to as 'civic specialists' -- citizens, who outperform their male counterparts in civic activities, such as volunteering for political issues and social causes, improving local communities, or raising money for charities.

This difference between young women and men owes a great deal to laws, institutions, and society. Often, women were dissuaded from voting, running for elected office, and participating in other meaningful political leadership activities. Civic participation, such as volunteering for causes, raising money, or community activism didn't have these same barriers, which offered a participatory outlet for young women.

The 15th, 19th, and 26th amendments knocked down the most significant barriers to women's electoral engagement. So what's happened since then? How are women getting involved?

Since 1972, young women have outdone young men in voting. But there is more. The voting gap has grown between young women and men from one point in 1972 to seven points in 2004. (pdf)

Different attitudes among the sexes to voting explain some of this annual drubbing of young men in voter turnout. Men are more likely to view voting as 'their responsibility as a citizen.' (Definitely no A+ in citizenship.) Women view voting 'as an expression of their choice.' And that's just it -- a choice. Voting is a signal in democracy of a citizen's preferences. One reason why voting isn't mandatory -- it's a choice! And by choosing to vote or not to vote, citizens send a clear signal to politicians that they must pay attention and respond to what citizens want. But voting is only one way to get involved politically.

This is where men make their preferences most known and why researchers still consider them to be more politically active than women. Young men are more engaged in persuading others to vote, donating to political candidates, and being a regular volunteer for political campaigns. (pdf) According to CIRCLE's, definition of electoral participation, which gives equal importance to all activities, young men are what researchers refer to as 'electoral specialists' -- that is, men are considered to be more engaged politically, as supposed to civically, than young women, even though young men turn out at lower numbers to the voting precincts.

There has been a surge in youth political activism in the 2008 primary season. And while we (perhaps just me) wait for all of the data to roll in about this election, we may see women close the gap in the entire spectrum of political engagement -- that is active engagement with issues and communities, as well as political candidates. And if young women become the 'electoral specialists,' then what? Maybe we'll need special programs to engage our young men.

Kristina Rizga is an editor and publisher of WireTap.