The Missing Generation: Youth Political Participation in the United States following the 2000 Election and September 11, 2001

Abstract

The events of the 2000 United States Presidential Election and the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 occurred as a particular group of young people reached voting age. In this thesis, I use a combination of quantitative and qualitative data to examine whether these events could be said to have created a generation effect that substantially affects the political identity and behavior of young people ages 18-25. I find that while these events were significant influences on young people s perception of and interest in policy and United States politics, there is little evidence to suggest that this is more than a typical age effect accompanying the transition out of adolescence.