“If you are an 18 to 22-year-old in college . . . I think you look at the candidates who are not Bernie and see they are offering a half-measure,” says Chris Galdieri, an instructor at St Anselm College in New Hampshire.
78-year-old Bernie Sanders has emerged as the frontrunner in the polls for the 2020 Democratic Presidential elections. He has a prolific political history, as he was the former mayor of Burlington, was elected to the House of Representatives in 1990 and in 2006, he was elected to the Senate. In 2016, he was the runner up to Hilary Clinton in the Democratic Presidential Primary.
Sanders identifies as a democratic socialist, someone who believes that socialism should be integrated democratically. This kind of system is common in Europe and toes the line between social democracy and communism.
While he has a firm fan base, Sanders has remained an outsider in American politics, his agenda items were previously considered ‘too radical,’ but now they have been integrated into the Democratic plan. His signature issues include a 15-dollar minimum wage, tuition-free public college, and Medicare for all.
The Youth’s Take:
“I am keeping an open mind, but I do like my man. The internet joke is that he is our grandpa,” said Natalia Giacomozzi of Bernie Sanders, during the 2020 Primary voting.
Additionally, Abby Kiesa, the director of Impact at a research institute called Circle, says, “The Sanders campaign is talking to young people [and] inviting young people to participate. Not all campaigns do that.”
Sander’s campaign appeals to the youth precisely because of its roots in democratic socialism and the items put forth on the agenda. These have been detailed further below.
#1 Democratic Socialism as the Answer to Hopelessness:
The youth of America do not perceive their current circumstances and their future with optimism. They have had to reconcile with the idea that they might be subject to a lower standard of living than their parents had when they were young. Moreover, they are victims of a hostile environment that makes it extremely difficult to succeed from being burdened by heavy student loan debt, to poor standard low-wage jobs, and rising home and rental costs, the future of the youth looks bleak.
The youth has been betrayed by being denied the fulfillment of the American dream as they struggle to achieve the self-sufficiency and financial independence that they were promised. In addition, they have to delay the normal life course of getting married, having kids and buying a home. For many, these notions seem like a dream. In addition, the value of university degrees has been diluted as more people than before seek higher education. Many liberal arts students fail to acquire any skills for specialised well-paid jobs and thus end up being unemployed or employed in a job with low returns or in the gig economy.
Thus, the idea of democratic socialism seems to appeal to a youth that has little hope for a bright future.
#2 Student Loan Debt Legislation:
Perhaps one of the most attractive things about Bernie Sander’s agenda is his plan to eliminate all student loan debt. On 24th June 2019, Sanders introduced legislation to eliminate all of the country’s debt alongside his House Democrat counterparts. He also plans on changing the higher education system in place in America. The cost of the plan warrants the imposition of a ‘Wall Street Speculation Tax’ on financial investment transactions.
Of his education plan, Sanders stated at the event held outside Capitol, “I do not often use the phrase, but today we are, in fact, offering a revolutionary proposal. Today, we are entering a proposal that will allow every person in this country to get all of the education that they need to live out their dreams.”
The education plan would forgive student debts of approximately 45 million graduates – nearly 1.6 trillion dollars in total – and also do away with tuition fees at community colleges as well as public universities. The plan also places an upper limit on student loan interest rates, cancels tuition fees at trade schools and apprenticeships programs and expand Pell grants to cover housing, resources and conveyance fees.
Moreover, the education plan also seeks to channel funding into traditionally black universities, minority institutions, and tribal colleges.
Pramila Jayapal, a notable Democrat, said of the plan, “As a nation, we are killing ourselves by draining the enthusiasm, innovation, creativity, and potential of our next generation. Let’s free the generations to come.”
#3 Climate Change Activism:
Sander’s agenda item also includes dealing with Climate Change. The Youth Movement, which is based in New Hampshire, emerged as a ‘natural’ ally of his campaign.
Their website states that “Scientists tell us that we have less than ten years left to prevent irreversible damage from the climate crisis. Our ability to act on the climate crisis depends on who we elect to be our president. We need a president that is committed to passing a just and robust Green New Deal.”
The Green New Deal is central to the Sanders campaign. Essentially an energy and social transformation, the Green New Deal promises the declaration of climate change as a national emergency and the mobilisation of the plan via a 16.3 trillion-dollar investment. It also promises the creation of 20 million new jobs, the transformations of agriculture and the breaking up agribusiness that have a monopoly.
#3 Medicare:
The agenda also promises a Medicare for all System, which is the solution to the healthcare crisis currently brewing in America – mounds of medical debt on the backs of the people while insurance and pharmaceutical companies accumulate vast amounts of wealth. The young thus back the candidate that promises to grant access to quality healthcare to everyone regardless of their ability to pay.
The Youth Movement elaborates on this further on their website, “To address the healthcare crisis, we must elect a candidate who will fight for a Medicare for All system that includes everyone and eliminates private insurance companies.”
