In the fall of 2005, President Bush was facing the lowest approval ratings seen
during his presidency or many others of the recent past. A USA Today/ Gallup poll cited
presidential approval ratings of only 40% to 45% throughout the fall, and culminating in
the lowest level to that point, a dismal 39% presidential approval rating. This was largely
credited to the increased gas prices, the mishandling of Hurricane Katrina relief, the War
in Iraq, as well as dissentions within his administration. The American public seemed
nonplussed with Bush as he entered his second term, in fact, it seemed as though all of
America was turning on him.
However, one demographic seemed neglected in this indictment of the president
and his leadership. Specifically, the question of how the children of the country, the
future voters of tomorrow, viewed the president and his administration was neither
examined nor proposed. Yet, why do we neglect to look and see how the events of today
affect the electorate of tomorrow? Don’t the children of this age hold all of the hopes of
the generations to come? Do we not find ourselves constantly referring to them as “the
leaders of tomorrow” and the “changers of the world?”
It is essential that political and social scientists alike begin to re-examine the
children of society for their political views and opinions. Currently, when scholars need
to study children’s views of politics, the lack of current assessment forces little recourse
but for researchers to cite cases from the 1950’s and 1960’s that made sweeping
generalizations regarding political socialization during that time. However, the rise in
technology, the increased study in education techniques, the prominence that education
plays in society and the polarization of the voting electorate suggest that the studies of
yesteryear may be far from applicable to the same age groups today.
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Convention