BIFYA
Young people coming of age in the 21st Century are facing new and complex social, political, economic, and environmental risks.
The Initiative for Young Americans undertakes path-breaking research to better understand these challenges and to develop the public policy interventions needed to solve them.
Talk Policy To Me is a podcast that spotlights the personal stories and creative solutions from the next generation of public policy leaders. It’s brought to you by the Berkeley Initiative for Young Americas and the Goldman School of Public Policy. On the show, we highlight advocates, policymakers, and researchers who are doing innovative work – those people who show us that policy is both powerful and personal.
Lowering the voting age to 17 in California
For over 50 years, the minimum voting age in the U.S. has been 18 years old for national, state, and most local elections. Yet in recent years, researchers, policymakers, and youth advocates across the U.S. and around the world have questioned whether the voting age should be lowered to engage more youth in the democratic process. The intent of this policy report is to inform the debate to lower the voting age in California to 17 for all elections (local, state, and national) as proposed by Senate Constitutional Amendment (SCA) 2
In this mixed methods research project, we aim to understand how the Millennial and Gen Z generations are reacting to new risks that have evolved in American society in recent decades. We research changes in generational values, beliefs, and worldviews that shape risk perceptions and political behavior. This project provides a foundation for understanding the unique worldviews and perspectives of younger generations and their desire for a more sustainable, equitable, and prosperous future.