Young People Value Public Service Over Politics

This isn't a new finding, although I'd be surprised if the trend toward public service over politics wasn't even more pronounced these days, what with the corrupt Democrats failing young people at every turn.

At USA Today, "Public service valued; politics — not so much":

WASHINGTON — The American impulse to make a contribution to the community is strong, but the feeling that politics can be an avenue to do that seems to be souring.

A new USA TODAY/Bipartisan Policy Center poll finds that Americans by more than 2-1 say the best way to make positive changes in society is through volunteer organizations and charities, not by being active in government. Those younger than 30 are particularly put off by politics. They are significantly less likely than their parents to say participating in politics is an important value in their lives.

Consider Cole Ledford.

The Ohio State University sophomore was thrilled last year to get an internship working at the Ohio Legislature, but he didn't learn the lesson he expected. The experience convinced him he didn't want a career in government or politics.

"I thought I wanted to be one of them," the 19-year-old from Lebanon, Ohio, says. "But it was more that politics was a game they wanted to play, and it wasn't about the constituents." He's switched his major from political science to non-profit management, and he hopes to "give back and influence the world" by working for a charitable group, perhaps one that helps people with special needs.

"There's a skepticism of government," says Rep. Aaron Schock, R-Ill., who at age 32 is the second-youngest current member of Congress. "Young people say, if I want to feed the hungry or make a difference for cancer patients, it's easier to do that through a non-profit and see the tangible results up close than, say, trying to push for federal funding to do the same."

Analysts warn of a dangerous downward cycle: Perceptions of government as dysfunctional and politics as corrupt keep getting worse. That convinces some of the nation's ablest people, especially those just starting out, that they don't want to run for office or work for the government at any level. As a result, government and politics are likely to work even less well — presumably prompting perceptions to fall further.

It's hard to imagine assessments of Washington getting much worse. Only one in five of those surveyed say they trust the federal government to do what is right most of the time. There is a close split, 42%-38%, on whether they see the government as an advocate or an adversary for them and their families. (The partisan divide: Republicans and independents view the federal government as an adversary while Democrats see it as an advocate.)

Yeah, an advocate for bankrupting future generations, just what you'd expect from the ideological blinkered Democrat freaks.

More on the poor views of government, including some very low marks for Barack Hussein, at the New York Times, "New Polls Are Bad News for Obama, and Worse for Congress."