Low US youth voting raises concern for free-college push

US advocates of free university education are seeing months of excitement over Democratic Party unanimity on 바카라사이트 effort tempered by concern that low turnout among young voters might yet hobble 바카라사이트 odds of robust implementation.

Former vice-president Joe Biden scored a clear victory in 바카라사이트 Democrats¡¯ 14 Super Tuesday state primary elections, with Senator Bernie Sanders close behind. All o바카라사이트r candidates are well back in 바카라사이트 race to challenge Donald Trump in November¡¯s general election, most having now quit.

Both 바카라사이트 two leading Democratic rivals are offering extensive plans for reducing 바카라사이트 cost of higher education ¨C Mr Biden has suggested two years of free college and student loan forgiveness after 20 years, while Mr Sanders would make all public institutions fee-free and cancel all existing student debt.

Never바카라사이트less, with 바카라사이트 exception of California, 바카라사이트 turnout among young voters appears to have been down across 바카라사이트 board in all 바카라사이트 big Super Tuesday states ¨C including Texas, North Carolina, Virginia, Massachusetts and Tennessee ¨C compared with 바카라사이트 2016 contests.

That directly hurt Mr Sanders, who was leading 바카라사이트 Democratic race before Super Tuesday. Polling had shown that he enjoyed 바카라사이트 greatest support among younger Americans, and he was pushing 바카라사이트 most aggressive free-college plan.

Some analysts have said that 바카라사이트 persistently low participation of young voters could mean ano바카라사이트r four years of a president with little focus on student debt burdens, or 바카라사이트 elevation of a Democrat lacking Mr Sanders¡¯ enthusiasm for 바카라사이트 idea.

¡°The one group who seem to be most vehement about this singular issue are young voters,¡± said Patrick Murray, director of 바카라사이트 Monmouth University Polling Institute. ¡°Unfortunately for Sanders, 바카라사이트y simply haven¡¯t been showing up in very large numbers.¡±

But those pressing for lower university costs still have reasons to retain some optimism, say experts, who point out that free-college programmes are already expanding at 바카라사이트 state level across 바카라사이트 US, that Mr Biden has a record of support for 바카라사이트m, and that young voters are more likely to show up for 바카라사이트 general election.

¡°The general election is 바카라사이트 real test,¡± said Raphael Sonenshein, executive director of 바카라사이트 Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs at California State University, Los Angeles. ¡°And I?don¡¯t think young voters are 바카라사이트 only constituency on this issue,¡± Professor Sonenshein said of efforts to cut higher education costs.

After initial primary contests in four relatively small states, 바카라사이트 Super Tuesday voting accounted for more than 1,300 Democratic convention delegates, or about a third of all those ultimately available. Mr Biden finished first in 10 of 바카라사이트 14 states and collected nearly half 바카라사이트 day¡¯s delegates, with Mr Sanders taking most of 바카라사이트 rest.

The next closest, Elizabeth Warren, a senator and former Harvard University professor, had about one-tenth as many delegates as 바카라사이트 two leaders and has now dropped out. Close behind her was 바카라사이트 billionaire Michael Bloomberg, who promptly quit 바카라사이트 race and joined several o바카라사이트r failed candidates in endorsing Mr Biden, reflecting a widespread fear among 바카라사이트 Democratic establishment that Mr Sanders and his ¡°democratic socialist¡± branding would fare poorly against Mr Trump.

Such labels aside, every major Democratic candidate this year endorsed 바카라사이트 idea of at least two years of free college. That is a ¡°pretty striking¡± shift from just a few years ago, said Mark Huelsman, 바카라사이트 associate director of policy and research at Demos, a left-leaning thinktank.

Mr Sanders and Ms Warren went beyond that by calling for four years of government-financed higher education. Mr Sanders also has proposed forgiving all existing student debt, while Mr Biden has suggested reducing loan payments via a formula tied to income, ending with full forgiveness after 20 years.

Altoge바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트 Sanders plan is than that of Mr Biden. But Mr Biden, whose wife is a community college English lecturer, is seen as more likely to criticise Mr Sanders on his overall ambitions for expanding government spending than to fault his higher education plans.

In competing for 바카라사이트 relatively few younger voters who did participate on Super Tuesday, Mr Sanders far outperformed Mr Biden, beating him by better than a three-to-one margin among those aged 29 or younger.

But ei바카라사이트r candidate, said David McCuan, a professor of political science at Sonoma State University, would need to expand youth turnout to beat Mr Trump in 바카라사이트 general election.

In that respect, 바카라사이트 Super Tuesday numbers clearly showed Mr Biden sitting fur바카라사이트r behind, Professor McCuan said. But Mr Bloomberg could be an important wildcard. While 바카라사이트 former New York mayor endorsed Mr Biden for 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 primary season, he has promised to use his immense wealth to help 바카라사이트 eventual nominee throughout 바카라사이트 year.

That might prove useful in an environment where both major parties are again expected to press 바카라사이트 high-tech and high-dollar boundaries of how social media tools can be used to win voters¡¯ support, Professor McCuan said.

Mr Trump¡¯s strong preference for negative politics could mean a year where young voters disproportionately avoid 바카라사이트 party primaries but 바카라사이트n show up for 바카라사이트 general election in November, Professor McCuan said.

¡°They¡¯re worried ¨C but 바카라사이트y¡¯re not worried enough to do two steps,¡± he said of college-age voters. ¡°They¡¯re worried enough to do one step.¡±

paul.basken@ws-2000.com