Editorial
| DOI | 10.1111/2041-9066.12000 |
| Date | 01 April 2013 |
| Published date | 01 April 2013 |
| Author | Peter Geoghegan |
| Subject Matter | Editorial |
Editorial
When it comes to politics, young people are often accused of taking to heart Che Guevara’s imploration
to ‘be a realist, demand the impossible’. From Occupy to the Arab Spring, young men and women have
been at the vanguard of the protest movements that have sprung up since 2008.
At the same time, however, in most European states fewer 18–25 year olds are voting than ever before.
The disillusionment that many young people feel towards mainstream politics is often classified as ‘apathy’,
but in this issue’s cover feature James Sloam argues that the ‘outraged young’ are actively changing the
political landscape.
Looking across Europe, Sloam finds alternative forms of political participation such as boycotts, petitions
and demonstrations on the increase. However, the political marginalisation of young people, particularly
those from disadvantaged backgrounds, is a serious worry. In the UK, young people’s political participation is only 60 per cent
of the rate of the general population (compared to a European average of 86 per cent).
One place where young people will definitely have a greater say (at least in the short term) is Scotland. Under the terms of
next year’s independence referendum, 16- and 17-year-olds will be able to vote in the plebiscite. This is likely to reawaken calls
for the voting age to be lowered for all elections in the UK, but David Denver argues that such a change would be unnecessary
and counterproductive.
In Greece, almost every section of society has been affected by the debt crisis and the subsequent wave of austerity
programmes. Roman Gerodimos reports on the rise of violent extremism and the spread of social malaise in the wake of the
crisis, and argues that these phenomena have deep historical roots and pose significant challenges for Greek democracy.
Another country that has suffered recent unrest is Nigeria. Here, Pete Kingsley reports from the oil-rich African state on the
need for infrastructure investment and an end to sectarian violence. In the UK, the Leveson inquiry into the culture of the
press was one of the big political stories of 2012. Chris Hanretty reflects on Leveson, its recommendations and the increasing
appetite in Westminster for judge-led inquiries.
Lesley Jeffries shows how the language of politics has real-world effects, and Mark Rathbone charts the rise of ‘amicus curiae’
briefs in the US Supreme Courts. Elsewhere, Alex Kaehne examines the politics of disability in the wake of last summer’s
Paralympics.
Eric Kauffman reviews some recent work in behavioural psychology and asks whether these findings can improve the study
of politics and the policies of academic departments. In the regular In Focus slot, Benjamin D. Hennig and Danny Dorling plot
the geography of the world’s billionaires.
2013 is an important year for politics and for political studies, and Political Insight will be here providing expert research,
analysis and opinion on issues of national and international import. If you would like to join the conversation just drop me
an email (address on the opposite page) or check out the brand new Political Insight website at http://www.psa.ac.uk/political-
insight.
Peter Geoghegan
Editor
Cover: Corbis
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