Blog 21: Exit Interview

Content:

(1) What is your essential question, and what are your answers?  What is your best answer and why?

EQ: What is the best way to encourage youth voter involvement in local government systems?

My Best Answer was my first as increasing the role of education in encouraging youth involvement in politics is vital to addressing low voting turnout rates among youth voters as a societal issue. In this regard, the nearly universal levels of high school education among youth stands the best chance of reaching and influencing the larger population. In particular, youth voting receiving an increased emphasis in high school means that development of the youth voting behaviors can occur in a peer to peer environment which has proved crucial to the reinforcing of those behaviors.  This principle of peer to peer influence has been repeatedly codified by multiple sources and should not be overlooked. Sources supporting this idea include Megnan Condon's work on th voting behaviors of young adults, but this principle is ubiquitous in most readings of political science works. For these reasons, my best answer of increasing an educational emphasis on positive voting behaviors is rooted nt eh creation of a nurturing environment for the development of those behaviors that is not currently provided. 

(2) What process did you take to arrive at this answer?

The process to this answer was an arduous development predicated on an evolving definition of what the essential question was. To begin with, my original problem was the question of what it to,k to scceed in politics, an answer I thought would be addressed through outlining the solutions. The true issue that I would work on for my senior project would not arrive until later. This meant that I had a lot of foundation that was largely irrelevant in the face of my later research. Nonetheless, there was a great deal of research available on this subject given the matter at hand. This answer was decided as the best answer given the research available on why exactly individuals decide not to participate, and my own research also conducted on the subject. 

(3) What problems did you face?  How did you resolve them?

As stated previously, a great deal of the foundational work done on my subject was irrelevant given my later topic switch, yet this was counteracted by the great deal of research done to resolve this issue. 

(4) What are the two most significant sources you used to answer your essential question and why?

Wendel, Stephen. "The Dynamics of Political Participation: An Analysis
of the Dynamic Interaction between Individuals and their Political
Micro-Environment." Order No. 3517713 University of Maryland, College
Park, 2012. Ann Arbor: ProQuest. Web. 26 Sep. 2014.

This source was absolutely vital to my response as it outlined the basic principlebehind most major voting behaviors. It outlined significant trends among various demographics, but most importantly it outlined the specific effect of minor influencers among this demographic. It was one of the few sources to particularly place an emphasis on the peer to peer influence angle which was found to have a measurable impact in encouraging others. This article was a phenomenal source to have and provided a great deal of information on my subject throughout the entire year.

Condon, Meghan, and Matthew Holleque. "Entering Politics: General Self‐Efficacy and Voting Behavior Among Young People." Political Psychology, 34.2 (2013): 167-181

Similar to the last article, this article provided a great deal of resources on answering this topic in a significant capacity. To differentiate it from the above, this article focused specifically upon analyzing the specific attitudes of the young.

Be prepared with evidence and specific examples to support any response.  It is also significant to cite sources as you explain.