The November lecture was presented by two high school seniors, Alexis Chen and Olivia Davis, on the topic of "Youth and Civic Voice: Are we listening to the next generation?"

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Councilman Jeremy Long opened the lecture with a brief reminder of what the Lyceum movement was and its presence in Flemington Borough. He then emphasized a mindset that the Founders of The United States held in high regard: the idea of the posterity. Those who inherit democracy in the next generation. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Alexis and Olivia used a "Spot the Youth" exercise to demonstrate the general lack of young people in standard municipal and state civic spaces compared to school-related board meetings.

• The Generation Gap in Government:

  • Democracy requires representing all people, including young people.

  • Over 130 million Americans are under the age of 30, a significant portion of the constituency.

  • Government (federal and state) skews older, with the median employee age around 47 years old. State leadership averages 56-58 years old, and Congress has more 70+ members than ever before.

• Youth Voter Turnout:

  • Youth voter turnout is lower than other age demographics.

  • It decreased from 53% in the 2020 Presidential election to 42% in 2024, meaning less than half of eligible youth voters participate.

• Youth Interests and Civic Action:

  • Youth are more likely to take civic action on social issues (e.g., gun policy, LGBTQ+ issues, free speech, racism, immigration) because they directly impact their daily lives.

  • However, a majority of young people prioritize economic issues (e.g., cost of living, healthcare, job security) as their top concern in the 2024 election (53% for cost of living).

  • This creates a discrepancy where the "loud minority" focused on social issues is more invigorated and visible, which reinforces their movement and isolates the majority who prioritize economic concerns.

• Recommendations for Fostering Youth Engagement:

  • Make Civic Spaces Engaging, Accessible, and Respectful: Provide activities young people can be part of, and accommodate student schedules (e.g., 7:00 p.m. Monday meetings with homework are not student-friendly).

  • Listen to Youth Voice: Allow young people to drive novelty and change, contributing perspective to improve civic spaces.

  • Create Youth-Serving Civic Spaces: Offer interdisciplinary civic pathways that incorporate fields beyond law and politics (like STEM, business, arts).

 

Audience Discussion Key Takeaways​

Expanding Engagement: Engagement should go beyond just attending meetings, moving toward direct integration into decision-making through youth advisory boards and leadership councils.

• Lowering the Voting Age: The idea of allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in school board elections was strongly supported, as it directly affects them and could encourage lifelong voting.

• Civic Education vs. Engagement: It was suggested that both civic education (teaching the why and the systems) and engagement (providing the how and the space to apply it) must work in tandem.

• The Posterity Mindset: The introduction and closing speakers emphasized the importance of the concept of "posterity" (future generations) from the revolutionary era, urging the audience to consider the long-term view of their actions.