The millennial generation is the largest voting block in America to date. The Pew Research Center states that the millennial generation has "surpassed the Baby Boomers as the nation's largest living generation," (Fry, para 1) with over 75 million people. This is important because this means that the millennial generation has a big say when it comes to elections. However, many people claim that the millennial generation has no impact on politics. They claim that young people simply do not vote whether it be from apathy or distrust in government. The Economist's "Let's Set the World on Fire" claims that because of one reason or another, voter turnout for young people is at an all time low, therefore the millennial generation does not have a major effect on today's politics. However, this is far from the truth. The millennial generation does care about politics but they are discouraged. This frustration is leading millennials to make a change for themselves and for future generations. Barack Obama won in both the 2008 and 2012 elections with "at least 61 percent of the youth vote" (Robillard, para 2). Although young people have had low voter turnout in the past, that is changing and changing drastically. Almost "half of all eligible people ages 18-29" (Rollibard, para 3) voted in the 2012 election. Universities, politicians, and more are going out of their way trying to increase voter turnout in the millennial generation. The millennial generation, students in particular, face many hurdles trying to vote. Whether it be basic voter registration, voter I.D. laws or polling locations off campus, students come across many challenges trying to get to the polls. With organizations like Campus Vote Project, it is becoming easier and easier for students to be able to register and vote. Why does this matter? As we saw in the 2008 and 2012 elections, the millennial generation has the possibility to make or break a political candidate. Whether it be through social media activism and on site protests and events, to actually voting at the polls, the millennial generation, with over 75 million voices, has the greatest impact on American politics. If and when the millennial generation decides to use their full potential at the polls, they will be the ones deciding who runs our nation. 

It is fair to say that young people tend not to vote. In almost every past election, young people have the lowest voter turnout. In his article, "Millennials Love Bernie Sanders, But That May Not Be Enough" John Wagner says that only 25% of young voters "expressed trust in the federal government" (Wagner, para 23). Wagner goes on to explain that although Obama helped invigorate the youth vote, they still "accounted for only 22% of Iowa caucus goers in 2008" (Wagnor, para 25) meaning young voter turnout is still low. The Economist's "Let's Set The World On Fire" says that "young people do care about politics: they just dislike it" (Economist, para 4). Although that is their argument as to why young people do not vote, I am arguing that that is the exact reason why they will vote.

The millennial generation is tired of the political system that we've grown up in. Young people see the two party system as a division within our nation rather than a source of compromise, as it was intended to be. David Schimke, in "The Millennial Generation Prefers Collective Problem Solving Over Political Allegiance", explains how millennials tend to "gravitate towards specific personalities, not institutions or a fixed set of ideals" (Schimke, para 21). This attitude against the two party system is exactly why millennials are beginning to actually go out and vote. They saw the government literally shut down in 2013 instead of compromising and coming up with a solution that benefits the majority. The millennial generation would rather vote for a person who is willing to work together than for someone with strict, unwavering ideologies. This is important for democrats and republicans to understand when endorsing a candidate. Barack Obama was able to gain the youth vote because he was relatable to them. Obama appealed to the millennial generation. When Barack Obama talked about smoking weed in college or having Nicki Minaj on his iPod, he was pandering to the younger voters. And it worked. He didn't win because all millennials are instinctively liberal, but because he was more relatable than 71 year old candidate John McCain and ultra rich Mormon Mitt Romney. Barack Obama was able to pull in the indecisive voters. Even without actually voting, the millennial support helped put Obama in office. In "The GOP's Lost Generation" Craig Dixon Holland states that "Obama would have won in 2008 without the millennial vote, but he might not have won without their activism" (Holland, para 5). Millennials are able to spread information at the push of a button. They voice their support through millions of tweets and hashtags. By spreading general political awareness, they are encouraging other young people to go out and vote. Kirsten Powers talks about the effect of technology on millennials and their attitude towards politics. Powers states in "Millennial Doesn't Mean Liberal" that over "half of millennials identified as independents" (Powers, para 10). She explains that this younger view is a stand against the two party system. Again, this is something that each political party needs to pay attention to in upcoming elections. If they can reach the independent young voters, they can gain 22 million votes at the very least. Powers explains that millennials are the "on-demand" (Powers, para 3) generation, meaning they have anything and everything on hand with the click of a button. This environment has caused the millennial generation to not accept American politics as it is today. The millennial generation sees multiple answers to our nation's problems rather than a republican or democrat promoted program. This again ties back to the idea that millennials vote a for a person rather than a party. Because of this major difference in opinion from previous generations, the millennial generation is already considerably affecting American politics.

Ronald Brownstein in his article, "How Millennials Have Already Reshaped Politics" explains that the younger generation's support of gay marriage and marijuana has served "as a tipping point" (Brownstein, para 4) for the legalization of both hot button issues. Having the support of the massive millennial generation has already helped push new legislation through our system and will continue to do so through political campaigns. Whether voting or not, the millennial generation has put the heat on politicians to change American legislation and therefore changing American culture. Liz Nelson in her article "Getting the Snapchat Generation to the Polls" in USA Today, says that the millennial generation votes based on issues that "affect them personally" (Nelson, para 5), like gun laws and renewable energy. Nelson explains that politicians should focus on issues important to youth voters, rather than trying to build their own reputation. However, as stated previously, David Schimke says that millennials "gravitate to specific personalities" (Schimke, para 21) rather than political parties. Schimke goes on to say that although millennials are drawn to, and tend to vote based on personality types, they can also detect "BS" from a candidate. They've grown up in a world full of political scandals and have grown a "BS meter" (Schimke, para 21) as a result. We see this today with Bernie versus Hillary. Millennials have grown up with Hillary Clinton and have seen her put on the typical politician persona time and time again. They've seen her change her views based on public opinion. That is a major reason why Bernie has had a sizeable lead with young voters over Hillary. If you look on any social media site, you can see that millennials trust Bernie Sanders over Hillary. And with the help of technology they've been able to see exactly what both candidates have been saying and doing throughout the years. Videos and pictures of Hillary Clinton have circulated on twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr showing her constant change of views on gay marriage, marijuana, and war. Where as the videos and pictures of Bernie Sanders, show him marching in the civil rights movement in the 60s, and supporting universal healthcare in the 80s and 90s. They trust Bernie because he has been on the right side of history every time, where as Hillary has constantly changed her views. This distrust of politicians (like Hillary Clinton) and the political system as a whole is exactly why the millennial generation is stepping up and changing American politics. Young voters are voicing their opinion through every social website, blog, and social media app and are now finally turning to the polls to make a true difference. They are beginning to understand that if they want real change, they have to vote. If all 80 million millennials go out and vote during the 2016 presidential election, they have a real chance of getting their candidate into office. 

Although most millennials identify as independent, there is no doubt that the millennial generation leans disproportionately democrat. In "The Liberal Millennial Revolution" Derek Thompson explains why millennials lean more left. Thompson states that the millennial generation is "the most diverse demographic in American History" (Thompson, para 4) and minorities tend to be more liberal in general. Thompson explains why this is a main reason millennials want to change our nation's politics. Because of the millennial generation's diversity of race, gender, sexual orientation, etc., they are much more accepting and open minded than previous generations. They want to push legislation that will help ensure everyone's equal rights and safety. Thompson then goes onto explain that although millennials say they are independent, their support of Obama "was the most any young cohort has leaned towards a Democrat since 1972" (Thompson, para 4). In "The Millennial Generation Prefers Collective Problem Solving to Political Allegiance" David Schimke says that in the 2008 election, then Senator Barack Obama was scoring "positive approval ratings from a dizzying 75% of voters under 30" (Schimke, para 15) meaning the millennial generation helped get Barack Obama in the White House in 2008. He explains that this trend could "prove to be a jackpot" (Schimke, para 16) for the Democratic party, that "pays out" for years and years to come. This is important because if the republican party wants a chance of getting the millennial vote, they are going to have to change some key viewpoints. As the millennial voting bloc continues to grow, the republican party will eventually have to accommodate their cultural values if they hope to ever win an election. In "How Millennials Have Already Reshaped Politics" Ronald Brownstein explains that the democratic party's alignment with the millennial generation's cultural views, gives the democrats an advantage over the republican party. This circles back to Liz Nelson's article in USA Today where she explains that young voters tend to vote based on specific issues rather than party alignment or candidate personalities. Because the democrats have shifted their views to match the younger generation's, they have practically secured the youth vote. In "How To Win a Culture War: Young Americans Are Pro-Drug, Pro-Gay, and Pro-Life" Hunter Jack explains that if conservatives want to be able to compete with the democrats, they are going to have to shift some of their basic ideologies to match the changing culture of America. Jack explains that since young people are the ones who have served as a tipping point in this change, they are the ones with a major say in the next election. He says that if conservatives will "choose their cultural battles carefully," (Jack, para 19) meaning "align with youth culture" they can win back the youth vote. In "The GOP's Lost Generation: Millennials Decide Who Wins The Future" Craig Holland Dixon says that Obama "would have won the 2008 election without the millennial vote, but he might not have won without the Millennials' activism" (Holland, para 5). This goes back to one of my main points; young people are changing the culture, therefore changing the politics. You cannot argue the fact that the millennial generation has the greatest impact on social media. From Instagram and YouTube, to twitter and Tumblr, the millennial generation makes sure their voice is heard. Through hashtags like #BlackLivesMatter and #LoveWins, or #FeelTheBern and #ImWithHer, millennials come together from all over the world to stand together in support of their agenda. Even though it is not actual votes, the millennial generation's support online is enough to get what they want done. They spread awareness on a wide variety of topics that are important to them. They take the time to learn and educate themselves on every issue simply because they have the access. In her article, "Millennial Doesn't Mean Liberal" Kirsten Powers explains that the millennial generation has grown up in world of "information-on-demand" (Powers, para 3) meaning, they have access to every article, news piece, video coverage, etc. of American politics. They have access to any and every piece of information they could want, and they can share it with the touch of a screen. This easy access to information helps millennials find and push the ideals they believe in. With a group mindset, and a generation of 80 million, millennials are able to collectively push for the policies, legislation, and candidates that they want, with or without going to the polls.

Although voter turnout for the younger generation tends to be very low, they still voice their support for their candidate very loudly. By putting their opinions out there with their hashtags and blogs and tweets, they are changing the American culture and therefore changing the American political system. They are able to shift political opinion without going to the polls and actually voting. They are able to support a candidate through social media rather than going to the polls and actually voting. The millennial generation is changing how we as a nation support our candidates, our policies, and our ideologies. The millennial generation has shown that if you get enough people to back you, you can be loud enough to get the politicians in Washington D.C. to actually listen to you, without ever having to go to the polls. That is not to say that millennials don't see voting as an important part of the political process. They just see social media, as an easier way to participate in politics. That's why people like Elizabeth Sohns are fighting for easier voting experiences. In "College Campus Voting Booths and Their Impact on Millennials" Sohns, explains that the younger generation has to go through so many steps in order to actually vote. They have to properly register, make sure they have the correct I.D. for their states and counties, and then they have to make sure that they can even vote in their campus' county. Sohns argues that because the millennial generation has grown up with everything at the touch of their hands, they should make the voting process similar. Sohns not only explains why we should change the voting experience for millennials, but how. She says that students should be allowed to use their student I.D.'s as a proper form of identification at the polls and that they should set up voting booths on college campuses so that students have an easy place to vote, rather than trying to find a ride to somewhere off campus and risk missing their classes. This would be beneficial to the millennial generation as well as the candidates for many reasons. The first being, it is their right as American citizens to be able vote. All of these obstacles when trying to vote are undemocratic. They support a privileged system that most young people are not apart of. Students cannot afford to miss class to vote and most will not map out a plan to try and get around the obstacles as they do not have the time. By having voting booths on campus and eliminating half the battle, universities would be supporting America's democratic system. As well as supporting every citizen's right to vote, voting booths on campus could drastically help candidates. Of the millennials who voted in 2012, those with "college experience were more likely to vote" (Sohns, para 1) than those with no college experience. This means that students are the people with the biggest say within the millennial voting bloc. Voting booths on campus mean that whichever candidate millennials choose to support have a higher chance of getting more actual votes. 

Even with low voter turnout, the millennial generation still has the ability to effect elections. A chart from The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Education, shows how Barack Obama won Ohio, Florida, Virginia and Pennsylvania with only the youth vote. Obama was able to get over 60% of the youth vote in each of those states, securing 80 electoral votes. Had Mitt Romney and the Republican party been able to gain the support of millennials in those states, he could have been "the next President" (CIRCLE, para 1). Political parties need to see the power of the millennial vote and use it to their best advantage in this next election. CIRCLE also had another article with ten states where the millennial vote could have a major affect. It showed that in states like Iowa, New Hampshire, and Ohio, voter turnout for young people is at an all time high. This could result in another election like Obama's, where winning the youth vote wins the entire state. 

Whether America likes it or not, the millennial generation is a strong force when it comes to election time. As I've talked about in this paper, millennials show support through more than just voting. Their activism has changed policies and legislation from gay marriage to the legalization of marijuana and has helped candidates like Barack Obama and Bernie Sanders gain support all over the nation. In order for the millennial generation to fully reach their potential, there needs to be a change in the voting process and political candidates should spearhead that change. Political parties and campaigns need to realize how massive this generation is and how decisive they could be in winning an election. By actively going after the millennial vote through social media, getting voting booths on campuses, etc. political candidates could win the entire election through the millennial vote. The millennial generation has the numbers, they just need someone to believe in them and fight for them. Political candidates must actively seek out the millennial vote and do whatever it takes to get them to the polls if they hope to win in future elections. 

