Last week, the Kaiser Family Foundation and MTV published online the results of their election-year survey of 800 18-24 year olds. The survey found that substantially fewer young people were planning to vote in the upcoming elections than the national adult average (46% to 64%). The top three reasons cited for not planning to vote were "a lack of information on the candidates (60%); the belief that they can make more of a difference getting involved in their community than voting (58%); and the sense that 'politics is just about money and lying and I don't want to involve myself in it'" (39%). Nonetheless, respondents did have strong opinions on a range of issues, including overwhelming support for tougher gun control laws, comprehensive sex education in schools, and hate crime legislation to protect gays and lesbians. Opinions were much more closely split on issues of abortion (with gender making no statistical difference in responses) and affirmative action. Overall, the survey is a fascinating glimpse into the political attitudes of a generation bound to inherit the legacy of Clinton and his immediate successor.
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