Every presidential election has its core issues. This year, republicans are focused on immigration. Democrats are focused on women's rights. And both sides are equally concerned about the state of our economy. For each of these issues the voices of every American are being taken into account, right? Well, many young Americans feel as though their perspectives have not been equally weighed by our more mature politicians.
According to the United States Census Bureau, only 51.4% of people aged 18-24 voted in the 2020 presidential election. While this makes it seem like young people do not care about the issues that our country faces, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Emma McConnell, the president of the SIU College Democrats, says the youth are invested in the issues but not with the candidates.
“I’m disappointed with the options. I think that is something I have heard a lot around the youth vote and, honestly, all over the country. I’ve heard a lot of disapproval” McConnell said.
Even though some struggle to choose who to vote for, the youth still want to see some progress in our country.
Will I Own A Home?
As most Americans know, the economy has been the most talked about topic during this entire presidential cycle. Rising inflation, rising house costs, and wages that are not keeping up has left many people worrying about their futures. McConnell says she is worried much of her generation will never own a home or even be able to retire.
“I think the market’s in a place right now where there’s less homes than the millennials need. So, I can’t imagine that by the time we get around to everything that we are going to have homes built” McConnell said. “A lot of us are worried about not making enough money to get there in the first place because if your rent is too high, you’re not going to be able to save up for a down payment on a mortgage either.”
Joe Biden has been our president for the last 3 and a half years which has led many young republicans to blame these economic issues on his administration. Many say we were much better off before Biden took office. Zachary Lochard, the SIU Turning Point Chapter President, says the Covid-19 pandemic was definitely a factor in this issue but he believes we should have seen more of a bounce back by now.
“By far we had it so much better under the Trump administration versus the Biden administration and yes, a lot of that did come from the global pandemic but the effects shouldn’t have lasted this long” Lochard said.
Many on the right believe Trump's economy was much better than what we have now. Even with that, many are not sure his reelection will be enough to foster change. Jeremiah Hale, a member of the SIU Turning Point Chapter, says he doesn’t know if Trump will be able to fix many of our economic issues.
“Even though I believe we should combat inflation, I honestly do not know if he can individually fix the problem of inflation. This just seems like an ongoing issue since we went off the gold standard in the seventies” Hale said.
There is uncertainty as to whether our economy will get any better no matter who is elected but young voters are wanting some specific changes to be made. Lochard believes we need to take a look at the tax code and make some changes.
“We need to completely relook at the tax code and dictate what percentage of income dictates what percent you are in. This is something Trump addressed during his debate with Hillary Clinton, ‘If you want me to pay my taxes, change the tax codes.’ This is not a party problem, this is just a rich individual problem” Lochard said.
Those on the other side of the political aisle also want some changes to how we are taxed. McConnell wants to see more tax cuts for everyday Americans and less for corporations.
“I’m not a fan of trickle down economics at all. I think it’s part of why the price is surging right now because there is just not a lot of accountability CEO’s and corporations that are price gouging, especially grocery stores” McConnell said.
A Border In Crisis?
While most Americans want to see similar changes in the economy, they are very torn on how to handle the border. Some want stricter borders while others believe we just need a better legal way to cross it. Lochard, who is an immigrant, says we could be doing better but we need precautions in place.
“I myself am an immigrant from Guatemala. My younger siblings are from Guatemala. My older sister is from Russia. Immigration played a huge role in the collectiveness that is my family. When it comes to taking your turn, can we completely overhaul and rethink how we do immigration, yes but there are systems for a reason. We need background checks on those who come over our border. Take it from an immigrant. You have to wait your turn” Lochard said.
Stronger borders is the avenue that a lot of Americans believe we should take with others just wanting a better process. However, some believe the border itself isn’t even the problem. Abbie Marsh, a member of the SIU College Democrats, says if we had better systems for immigrants to be successful, immigration wouldn’t be a problem at all.
“So if you give them the opportunity to find a job, find housing, and things like that to establish themselves then they’ll be overall living the American dream I guess you could say” Marsh said.
This issue has been dubbed the “Border Crisis” and it has left many Americans voicing their concerns in numerous ways. McConnell believes we need to demand change but that there has been too much racist rhetoric surrounding this issue.
“Generally, I think people seeking asylum are not here for violent reasons and I think racist rhetoric that is coming out of southern america towards Mexican immigrants and latina people is not right. I think that it is a lie that people perpetuated because it is easier to fuel than the immigration issue by itself” McConnell said.
For a lot of Americans, this will be their first chance to voice their concerns inside the ballot box. The way they vote could alter how these issues are addressed and dictate the quality of their own future. So I ask, where is your vote going to fall?
