A recent survey of college students finds that students are dissatisfied with America’s leadership and are paying a lot of attention to the Presidential election. The poll was conducted by the Panetta Institute, the public policy think tank founded by former Clinton Chief of Staff Leon Panetta and his wife Sylvia.
A comparison of this year’s results with previous survey results shows that college students’ attitudes have changed significantly. In 2001 (the survey’s first year), 68 % of students said they were either very or fairly satisfied with their country’s leadership. This year, that number dropped to 38 %.
The number that really stood out to us is the interest that college students are taking in this year’s presidential election, particularly when compared to 2004. During that election cycle, only 22 % of college students reported that they paid a lot of attention to the election. Contrast that to this year’s cycle, where a whopping 82 percent are paying a lot of attention. At the field level, we can confirm this assessment in our PoliSci classes this year.
The survey also asked students which candidate they favor in the general election. Not surprisingly, Obama leads McCain 59 - 27%. The reason why it’s not a surprise is that the Obama-McCain numbers are quite similar to the numbers for Kerry and Bush in 2004…
