Richard Dreyfuss on Civic Duty

The trend of declining voter turn out has been ongoing for over a century. In the most recent presidential election, only 57.5% of people eligible to vote actually voted.

What is causing this decline in our sense of civic duty?

It is proven that younger generations are less inclined to vote, but in the 2012 election not even half of the youngest generation of eligible voters made it to the ballot box.

According to a report from the United States Census Bureau, voter rates increase with age. In the most recent election only 41.2 percent for 18- to 24-year-olds voted, compared to 71.9 percent for those 65 and older.

Actor Richard Dreyfuss seems to think that it is the duty of the older generation to reverse this voter apathy. At UC San Diego’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, he introduced the Dreyfuss Initiative, a plan to better teach civics in schools with the hope that children will better understand our democracy before it is their to turn to run it.

Watch “Richard Dreyfuss: Common Sense is not Common” and don’t forget to register to vote!

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