Age Political Interest

Over time, one’s political orientation is shaped by family, teachers, and peers; consequently, as a person matures, so does his or her political knowledge. Age plays a key factor in political interest and participation. Younger generations, from ages eighteen to twenty-nine, are generally less interested in politics than other age groups, while people sixty-five and older have the most interest and knowledge in politics. Political scientists explain that the relationship between age and political interest is due to a number of reasons.
Out of all age groups that are eligible to vote, young adults have been shown to be the least politically involved. In 2014, Pew Research Center did a study to evaluate different generations’ political interests and whether they talk about politics a few times a week. They found that eighteen to twenty-nine-year-olds, currently Millennials, are 19 percent less likely to say politics is a top-three interest than the Baby Boomer generation, and Millennials are 14 percent less likely to actively talk about politics during the week than Baby

In the 2016 United States presidential election, the biggest age group to show up at polls was sixty-year-olds and older at just over 70 percent, which is 30 percent higher than the youngest age group.The trend of the oldest demographic having the highest voter turnout isn’t just seen in the 2016 election, but it is consistent throughout almost every past presidential election. Not only do more older people turn out to vote, but a greater amount older people are registered to vote and are active in politics. According to a 2014 study, just 3 percent of sixty-five-year-olds and older are political bystanders, while 17 percent of eighteen to twenty-nine-year-olds are bystanders. Older people follow the news more closely than other age groups and are predominantly more knowledgeable about