The Taft Institute for Government at Queens College is carrying on the mission of promoting civic education through teacher institutes that combine pedagogy, academic political science, and programs of 'meet the politician' all of which attempt to bolster and stimulate interest in participation in democratic institutions as well as voting for young people and new voters. We are deeply concerned about the long-term decline in percentage of the population voting in local and national elections, and particularly concerned about the neutral or negative views young adults have of their social studies and civic education materials in grades 5-12, resulting in very low voter turnout for the age 18-25 group. Because of these trends, we believe that voter education is critical to our political system's survival and traditions.

Taft Institute for Government,
Queens College/City University of New York
Jack Zevin and Michael Krasner, directors