Black and Latino Youth: The Future of American Politics Memo Series

A series of memos and fact sheets released by the Black Youth Project of the University of Chicago, Black and Latino Youth: The Future of American Politics Memo Series will explore what role youth, in particular black and Latino youth will play in the 2012 election, and what barriers exist that could dampen their participation.

    • Race, Youth, and the Gender Gap:
      There is a considerable gender gap in political behavior amongst Black youth. Young Black women turn out the vote at higher rates than young Black men, and hold more liberal views on political matters.
    • Youth, Race, and Partisanship:
      While
      young voters are often believed to be overwhelmingly Democratic, partisanship and vote choice vary considerably across racial groups.
    • Youth, Race, and Voter Mobilization:
      An analysis of voting data shows that mobilization works to turn out voters. But when it comes to youth, especially among young blacks, both political parties are failing to mobilize significant numbers and the historic youth turnout in 2008 may not be repeated in 2012.