Summary
In the article, Milner decries the declining political
participation of the young people. Canada stands out as the most affected by
the problem. Contending that the practice of nonvoting is habitual, the author
calls for action before the problem spreads to other spheres of Canadian life
(Milner, 2005). Lack of political knowledge is given as the main explanation
for the relatively lower levels of political participation among young
Canadians. This is exacerbated by other intervening variables such as the
political system and the media. For instance, the author contends that
proportional representation (PR) systems are more likely to engender a
politically informed system that first past the post (FPTP) systems. Similarly,
the type of media is also important with newspaper readership having a better
outcome than television.
The paper makes several references to empirical data to
bolster the arguments (Milner, 2005). For instance, it notes how voter turnout
in Canada dropped from 75% in 1988 to 61% in 2004. References of similar
statistics are also made for the countries under the comparative study. In
addition, the paper employs a clear definition of pertinent terms as a means of
conveying its message. The distinction between political dropouts and the political
protestors is a clear example of this.
Critique
Much as the paper is an insightful read, one can still
point out weaknesses in certain areas. For instance, the author seems to make
some unwarranted conclusions (Milner, 2005). This shows up when the author
reports the results of a study on the number of young voters in Canada for the
years 2000 and 2004. In this case, the paper notes a decrease from 38.7% to
22.4% with a caveat that the study methodology had some issues but the author
still goes ahead to use those results as the basis of making a conclusion that
there was a clear decrease of 16%.
Another weakness in the paper is the tendency to adopt
proxy measures without providing a proper justification for their adoption in
the given context (Milner, 2005). For instance, the author appreciates the
difficulty of distinguishing between political dropouts and political
protesters but still goes ahead to say that political knowledge is an
appropriate proxy for the latter. This is done without giving a proper
justification. This weakness is further evidenced when the author proxies
knowledge of geographical map for civic duty among the young people.
Furthermore, the paper heavily relies on extrapolations
in situations where findings among one group would not necessarily be
applicable to another group (Milner, 2005). For example, there is an uncritical
extrapolation of findings on how proportional representation (PR) impact on
political knowledge of older generations to younger generations.
Lastly, the paper makes statements relating to cause and
effect without a discussion of confounding factors (Milner, 2005). For
instance, an observation that a rise in voter turnout by 3% in New Zealand when
it changed to mixed member system is uncritically attributed to that system
change. It fails to account for other factors.
Action
The findings of the research indicate that our political
system is facing a legitimacy crisis. As the younger generations replace their
older counterparts, Canada may contend with political apathy. Reforms in the
electoral system towards the PR system and increased civic education are just
some of the ways to counteract the problem.
Reference
Milner, H. (2005).Are Young Canadians Becoming Political Dropouts? A
Comparative Perspective. Institute of Research on Public Policy
(IRPP) Choices, 11(3), 1-22.
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