Monday, June 13, 2011 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com CAMPUJS COMMUNITY Students demonstrate political support by volunteering for electoral campaigns Desire to see change prompts political activism for 2012 presidential election By AUSTIN WORDELL Daily StaffReporter While the idea of long hours of work for no pay isn't enticing for many individuals, University students who sayithey are driven by their faith in America's politi- cal institutions to improve the country are readily volunteering in electoral politics. Members of the University community said students play a pivotal role in shaping politics through both voting and actively participating in elections, and that student involvement will continue to be important in the upcoming 2012 presidential elec- tion. Edie Goldenberg, professor of political science and public pol- icy, said as campaigning for the 2012 presidential election begins, college students will prove to be instrumental in assisting the can- didates in garnering support. "Students are valuable as presidential campaign volunteers because they have time, energy and will work for free," Golden- berg said. According to Michael Heaney, assistant professor of organizational studies and politi- cal science, politicians often look toward college campuses for volunteers and voters because students are already in a central location and are often organized according to political beliefs. "One reason why students are sought after is because there are some strategies that can be pursued to go after them, which is you can target them on par- ticular campuses," Heaney said. "You have student groups that have been organized around pro- moting one candidate or anoth- er." Heaney said he believes the major point of contention during the 2012 presidential campaign will be the economy, adding that the state of economic affairs lead- ing up to election day will play a large role in determining voter sentiment toward incumbent United States President Barack Obama. "If the economy really picks up steam and you see a lot of eco- nomic growth between now and the next summer, then you are going to see a strong likelihood of Obama getting re-elected," Heaney said. "If you have any kind of increasing unemploy- ment or any kind of downturn, then that provides a really strong opportunity for a Republican pick up." Amanda Caldwell, chair of the University's chapter of the College Democrats, said she believes students volunteer for political campaigns because they are passionate about the issues. "I volunteer because I believe in the power of the political sys- tem to build a more just, compas- sionate, and sustainable nation," she said. "It is important to remember that our elected offi- cials not only shape our future, but also reflect on who we are as a society." Anton Dirnberger, secretary of the University's chapter of the College Republicans, echoed Caldwell's sentiment that student volunteers donate their time out of a strong belief in the parties and campaigns rather than for a personal career boost. "Campaign volunteers that come from the University of Michigan College Republicans are most assuredly not just look- ing for a resume booster," Dirn- berger said. "They understand the effect our government has on our everyday life and know how vital their participation is to see- ing the results they want." Caldwell added that stu- dent volunteers who don't wish to practice electoral politics as a career still see the effect that politics can have on their chosen career path. "Many of our volunteers are, for example, pre-med or in a pro- gram for the environment who do not plan on going into politics, but volunteer because they support the Democratic Party on health care and environmental policy, respectively," Caldwell said. Dirnberger added that stu- dent volunteers are often valued for the unique skills they offer campaigns, particularly in tech- nical areas such as social net- working. "Students are key to presiden- tial campaigns because they are extremely motivated, educated individuals that can appeal to other younger voters," Dirnberg- er said. "This is huge, especially on the grassroots level of cam- paigns." Despite the importance stu- dents have shown to have in elec- tions, Goldenberg said it has been speculated there will be a decline in student participation and vot- ing in the upcoming presidential election in comparison to the 2008 presidential elections. "I wouldn't be surprised to see (turnout) lower than in '08 when Obamas 'change' message generated a lot of excitement," Goldenberg said. However student volunteers with College Democrats and Col- lege Republicans said they are not expecting any decline in student participation for the upcoming election. Both Dirnberger and Caldwell said they don't believe Obama has not lost the youth appeal that made students favor him heavily in the 2008 election. "We are not expecting to see a decline in either student partici- pation as volunteers or voters," Caldwell said. "Obama continues to energize students." Dirnberger added he thinks the actions of the Obama admin- istration will lead to even more student involvement from the College Republicans. "While others may be expect- ing a decline in student participa- tion, the College Republicans at the University of Michigan are most definitely not," Dirnberger said. "President Obama and the Democrats' policies have been our most effective recruiting tools. Our membership has sky- rocketed since 2008 and contin- ues to grow. 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