by Kristeen Mandak

Created on: June 09, 2009

Within the last couple of years, young Americans have become more active in politics than they have been in over a decade. In fact, more young Americans voted in the last Presidential election than any other in recent years. With the United States going through some trying times, young people are finally waking up and getting involved in issues that directly affect them.

EDUCATION

The majority of aspiring students simply cannot afford the ever-rising costs of a college education. Gone are the days when parents could provide the costs (they are struggling to survive themselves!). Scholarships are becoming harder to come by, since many states and private companies who used to provide numerous forms of aid cannot afford the extra costs now. Also, loans are becoming harder to come by, as financial institutions are not able to lend as much money, not even for college.

JOB LOSSES

For some recent college graduates, the current unemployment rate is disheartening as they struggle to find jobs in their fields of study. As loan bills are starting to come in, some grads wonder whether their education was worth obtaining during such a bad job market. More trouble arises for those who have to pay loans and cannot start to repay them right away, because they cannot find work. Most lenders will give you another grace period if you are out of work, but in the meantime, more interest will accrue and virtually make it impossible to pay back in a timely manner.

HEALTHCARE

Nowadays, good affordable health care is virtually hard to come by. With inflation on the rise, health care cuts into a young person's average mediocre salary, taking away funds for other basic necessities. College students can also find themselves in a dilemma, as parents lose their jobs, thus losing health insurance policies which their children were on. Health issues affect people of all ages; thus, young people should not be subjected to a system in which they cannot afford any healthcare coverage.

HOME OWNERSHIP

There was once a time when young people had the opportunity to obtain the American Dream by purchasing a home. With so many home foreclosures on the rise, there is a common misconception that this is a great time for young people to buy. Unfortunately, banks are not lending as they used to. Although the finance rates are low for most, in many cases, you have to come up with an outrageously high down payment to even be considered. Thus, many young people may not have the opportunity to become home owners for several years.

WAR

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are an important issue to young people. Many youth, or their friends have served or are currently serving in these two countries, thus making the realities of war more clear to them. However, the issue of whether to be at war are not is still a divisive issue, but an ever pertinent one nonetheless.

Young American interest in politics is certainly not limited to these five issues. There are many other concerns that arise from each person's unique situation. From more local issues, such as unemployment rates, to much broader ones, like the Iraqi war, young people are realizing they have just as much at stake as every other American citizen.

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