Political engagement has become something of an oxymoron for many young Canadians. Youth have no trouble engaging with each other on issues that we care about, but many of us fail to convert our online and in-person social interactions into\u00a0political participation. Without political participation \u2013 namely voting, interacting with political parties, and staying informed on current events \u2013 we cannot meaningfully shape and inform the future of our country.<\/p>\n
I spent a great deal of time grappling with the gap between how youth communicate their political ideas and how they participate in formal political processes during my four-month tenure as a Jaimie Anderson Parliamentary Intern<\/a>. The internship was established in 2011 to honour the memory of Jaimie Anderson, a young woman who was deeply passionate about politics and public life and died of neuro-endocrine cancer at the age of 23. Each year, three young Canadians are given the opportunity to work with a member of Parliament for the summer, to carry on Jaimie\u2019s legacy and make a positive impact on Canadian politics.<\/p>\n I had many questions at the beginning of my time on the Hill. Some were technical: How do committee meetings work? How many words is an average SO-31? Where are the washrooms? Many, however, were less tangible and, therefore, more difficult to answer in a few short sentences. Among the most important of these normative questions was, What, if anything, can already-politically-engaged young people do to get our friends, peers, and colleagues excited about politics?<\/p>\n Perhaps one of the most interesting observations I made while working on the Hill was that most \u2013 if not almost all \u2013 parliamentary staff (executive assistants, legislative assistants, office administrators) are\u00a0under\u00a030. Many are fresh out of university\u00a0\u2013 recent political science graduates looking to gain some practical experience before law school or a master\u2019s degree. It is no secret that these young people work closely with their MPs, senators, and ministers \u2013 or, as some staff affectionately call them,\u00a0\u201cpolitical overlords.\u201d As such, they play a not insignificant role in national affairs.<\/p>\n I witnessed\u00a0first hand the central role that political staff play in our democracy during my four\u00a0very eye-opening months on\u00a0the Hill. Questions and briefing notes for committee meetings, consultations, and Question Period strategies are often researched and drafted by people who were in diapers in the 1990s. Policy briefs and the pamphlets MPs send to their constituents (called \u201chouseholders\u201d and \u201c10 percenters\u201d) are compiled and distributed by people who grew up listening to the Backstreet Boys. Expense claims, administrative work and data entry are carried out by those who have no living memory of the Cold War.\u00a0In a very real way, the day-to-day functioning of the federal government is almost entirely contingent on the hard work of youth. Yet, somehow, our demographic appears unable to marry soft forms of engagement \u2013 such as sharing an article on social media or starting a new hashtag \u2013 with\u00a0tangible\u00a0modes of political participation.<\/p>\n The notion that a small group of young people plays a central role in perpetuating a system that youth are notoriously disengaged with is puzzling, to say the least.\u00a0While earning\u00a0my undergraduate degree, I learned about the challenges that modern democracies face, as well as the theories and philosophies that underpin these challenges. In the classroom, I was shown data that suggests millennials are inherently incapable of checking off a name on a ballot; that we are the ungrateful benefactors of a cushy liberal democracy. Outside the classroom, however, I witnessed something radically different. After countless discussions about political engagement with friends, peers, and colleagues, I was reminded that Canadian youth are incredibly curious and do not lack the analytical tools to care about politics.\u00a0What we lack is the relevant education and resources. The sad reality is that most Canadians are systematically alienated from politics, because provinces have failed to implement a comprehensive and engaging curriculum for civics education. As well, there are factors such as unaffordable post-secondary education, embedded racism and environmental degradation that further alienate young people from engaging with politics.<\/p>\n Perhaps it is time for the young people who work on Parliament Hill \u2013 those who are already interested in and excited about politics \u2013 to do their part in empowering and educating youth. They can do this by engaging in face-to-face conversations; however, in an age where a Pok\u00e9mon app can capture the imagination of millions in a matter of days, I\u00a0would suggest that the millennial generation is positioned to be far more innovative in how we close the gap between politics and engagement. For example, a group of Canadian university students recently created an interactive, online political newsletter, PoliPerspective<\/a>, where readers vote on the partisan perspective they agree with most. Poll results from each issue are shared on social media, which allows readers to see where people lie on the political spectrum on a given topic. Initiatives like this do not replace voting; however, they do encourage positive partisanship, spark informed political debate, and ultimately bring political participation into the 21st century.<\/p>\n The solution to the engagement deficit may not be readily apparent. What is clear is that the onus is on young Canadians to work together in search of a way forward. From my\u00a0short time on Parliament Hill, I believe that\u00a0this is best achieved when those who are already involved in politics \u2013 namely political staff, young journalists, and the youth wings of political parties \u2013 reach beyond the well-worn political circles to inspire other young Canadians to see themselves for what they truly are: an innovative, passionate, and curious generation that thinks and cares deeply about what that \u201cX\u201d on the ballot really means.<\/p>\n Photo: Mike Loiselle \/ Shutterstock.com<\/p>\n This article is part of the Public Policy and Young Canadians special feature<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Do you have something to say about the article you just read? Be part of the\u00a0<\/em>Policy Options\u00a0discussion, and send in your own submission.\u00a0Here is a\u00a0<\/em>link<\/em><\/a>\u00a0on how to do it. <\/em>|\u00a0Souhaitez-vous r\u00e9agir \u00e0 cet article ? <\/em>Joignez-vous aux d\u00e9bats d\u2019<\/em>Options politiques\u00a0et soumettez-nous votre texte en suivant ces\u00a0<\/em>directives<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Political engagement has become something of an oxymoron for many young Canadians. Youth have no trouble engaging with each other on issues that we care about, but many of us fail to convert our online and in-person social interactions into\u00a0political participation. Without political participation \u2013 namely voting, interacting with political parties, and staying informed on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":251829,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","ep_exclude_from_search":false,"apple_news_api_created_at":"2025-08-30T05:31:54Z","apple_news_api_id":"a43d0ab6-311a-43d7-ad5d-0261b7499249","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2025-08-30T05:31:54Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAD\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/w==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/ApD0KtjEaQ9etXQJht0mSSQ","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[9379,9358],"tags":[9132],"article-status":[],"irpp-category":[4209,4295],"section":[],"irpp-tag":[],"class_list":["post-264422","issues","type-issues","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education","category-politique","tag-politique-canadienne","irpp-category-education","irpp-category-politique"],"acf":[],"apple_news_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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