Education key in getting young people to vote

By lowering the voting age to 18, Japan hopes that young people will take a greater interest in politics. But if the United States is any guide, it's unlikely that the newly enfranchised youths will exercise their right as assumed.

In 1971, the U.S. lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 in large part because of the Vietnam War. The argument was that those able to fight for their country should be able to vote. As a result, the 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was adopted.

But after the initial enthusiasm wore off, many newly eligible voters failed to cast their ballots. In fact, although voter turnout varies from election to election from year to year, younger voters consistently trail older voters by significant margins.

For example, in the 2012 election in the U.S., only 45 percent of those 18 to 29 voted. That compared with 60 percent of those 30 to 44 and 68 percent of those 45 to 64.

This same pattern is on display in Japan. Only 38 percent of voters in their 20s went to the polls in the 2012 general election, compared with 75 percent among those in their 60s. In the Lower House election in December, a mere 32.58 percent of voters in their 20s turned out. That compared with 68.28 percent for those in their 60s.

The reason for the gap in voter turnout between age groups is unclear. But since Japan devotes only 2.9 percent of its economic output to education, which is the lowest of the 34 members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, reformers urge greater financial support to schools aimed specifically at overcoming apathy.

That makes sense. For too long in both Japan and the U.S. the emphasis in schools has been almost exclusively on reading, math and science. Civics has been seen as an anachronism. But with low voter turnout among young people, more money for developing the civics curriculum is bound to follow.

The goal is to educate students not only about their rights but also about their responsibilities as citizens. Unfortunately, it's the latter that has been given short shrift at a time when a vibrant democracy depends on both.

Some reformers have urged that voting be made mandatory. That's ironic because wars have been fought over the right to vote, and yet in Japan and the U.S. the right is taken for granted.

The implications for Japan in particular are noteworthy. A quarter of Japanese are now older than 65, compared with just a 10th in 1985. By 2030, there will be two workers supporting each elderly person. The trend will adversely affect relations between the old and young because their self-interests will be in direct conflict with each other.

Unless schools do a better job inculcating in students the importance of voting after reaching 18, the balance of power will increasingly reside in retirees in the years ahead. That means politicians will pay more attention to issues such as generous pensions over job security and salaries.

Although the new law will not take effect for the Upper House election until the summer of 2016, pressure is already building on schools. Let's hope they can reverse the troubling trend.

Walt Gardner writes the Reality Check blog for Education Week in the U.S.