Page 66 - Šolsko polje, XXX, 2019, št. 5-6: Civic, citizenship and rhetorical education in a rapidly changing world, eds. Janja Žmavc and Plamen Mirazchiyski
P. 66
šolsko polje, letnik xxx, številka 5–6
tal contribution to democratic governance, which is conducted through
representatives. They enable voters to select leaders and hold them to ac-
count for their performance in office. Voting is a form of participation in
which each citizen contributes the same assuming that they vote (one per-
son, one vote). The electoral participation is usually measured by a turn-
out. A turnout represents the ratio between the number of people who at-
tended the elections and the registered number of voters.
A fundamental challenge facing the political world is how to man-
age international forced migration, which appears to endure in the politi-
cal agenda across countries as the forcibly displaced population continues
to increase.1 This challenge has been aggravated in western societies by the
rise of ethnic nationalist and populist leaders. In recent years, the Heads
of State in the European Union and the United States have openly argued
that migrants fleeing from violent conflicts pose a threat to national se-
curity. For example, leaders from Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and
Slovakia strongly opposed hosting migrants from Syria, Afghanistan, and
Iraq during 2015-2016, arguing that Muslims pose a threat to national se-
curity and identity. Similarly, in October 2018 the United States’ Presi-
dent considered closing the southern border of the United States and de-
ploying the Army on the basis of a “national emergency”, when a migrant
caravan of about 5,000 Central Americans, mostly women and children,
fleeing from violent conflicts was heading towards the United States (for
more examples see also Gantt Shafer, 2017).
Although the age of 18 years is the legal age for voting in many coun-
tries, from an academic and policy perspective it is relevant to focus on
political and civic attitudes, perceptions and the behaviour of under aged
citizens. Young adults are a good proxy for a nation’s future social capi-
tal, as adolescence is a crucial period for civic socialization and engage-
ment (Jennings and Stoker, 2004; Smith, 1999). Moreover, the academ-
ic literature on social capital suggests that political values and preferences
can be transmitted across generations (Alford, Funk and Hibbing, 2005;
Jennings and Niemi, 1968; Jennings, Stoker and Bowers, 2009). Further-
more, there is evidence that social networks, such as schools and the com-
munity, are important in determining young adults’ social capital. There-
fore, young adults’ expected political participation is a relevant subject to
study, as it might reflect future voter turnover, as well as actual societal po-
litical participation.
1 Only in 2017, the number of asylum seekers and refugees increased at a rate of 12,000 per
day worldwide UNHCR (2018).
64
tal contribution to democratic governance, which is conducted through
representatives. They enable voters to select leaders and hold them to ac-
count for their performance in office. Voting is a form of participation in
which each citizen contributes the same assuming that they vote (one per-
son, one vote). The electoral participation is usually measured by a turn-
out. A turnout represents the ratio between the number of people who at-
tended the elections and the registered number of voters.
A fundamental challenge facing the political world is how to man-
age international forced migration, which appears to endure in the politi-
cal agenda across countries as the forcibly displaced population continues
to increase.1 This challenge has been aggravated in western societies by the
rise of ethnic nationalist and populist leaders. In recent years, the Heads
of State in the European Union and the United States have openly argued
that migrants fleeing from violent conflicts pose a threat to national se-
curity. For example, leaders from Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and
Slovakia strongly opposed hosting migrants from Syria, Afghanistan, and
Iraq during 2015-2016, arguing that Muslims pose a threat to national se-
curity and identity. Similarly, in October 2018 the United States’ Presi-
dent considered closing the southern border of the United States and de-
ploying the Army on the basis of a “national emergency”, when a migrant
caravan of about 5,000 Central Americans, mostly women and children,
fleeing from violent conflicts was heading towards the United States (for
more examples see also Gantt Shafer, 2017).
Although the age of 18 years is the legal age for voting in many coun-
tries, from an academic and policy perspective it is relevant to focus on
political and civic attitudes, perceptions and the behaviour of under aged
citizens. Young adults are a good proxy for a nation’s future social capi-
tal, as adolescence is a crucial period for civic socialization and engage-
ment (Jennings and Stoker, 2004; Smith, 1999). Moreover, the academ-
ic literature on social capital suggests that political values and preferences
can be transmitted across generations (Alford, Funk and Hibbing, 2005;
Jennings and Niemi, 1968; Jennings, Stoker and Bowers, 2009). Further-
more, there is evidence that social networks, such as schools and the com-
munity, are important in determining young adults’ social capital. There-
fore, young adults’ expected political participation is a relevant subject to
study, as it might reflect future voter turnover, as well as actual societal po-
litical participation.
1 Only in 2017, the number of asylum seekers and refugees increased at a rate of 12,000 per
day worldwide UNHCR (2018).
64
