College Student Political Participation in the Context of a Polarized Nation and an International Pandemic: Do Campus Civic Engagement Efforts Matter?
By Lori M. Kumler, Denison University and Aaron J. Howell, University of Mount Union
The many voting methods in the 2020 Presidential election increased voting rates across the board, including among college students. What other factors contributed? Our case study analyzed college student survey responses and in-depth interviews at one Midwestern university and found that polarization, political information efficacy, family, and a campus voting culture also mattered. Interestingly, students who felt both more accepting of Biden voters and more distant from Trump voters were more likely to vote, while those who felt closer to Biden voters had higher political information efficacy. A cultivated campus voting culture from 2016 onward, driven by campus resources devoted to events, voter education, and outreach, also factored.
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