Survey Finds Political Apathy Among Freshmen

They began their college careers just a few weeks before the pivotal 1994 election. Their student loan interest subsidies are among several proposed cuts touted by the new leadership of Congress.

But don’t talk to the nation’s college freshmen about politics. They’re not interested, according to a survey of freshman attitudes released today by UCLA’s Higher Education Research Institute.

In the annual survey, now in its 29th year, less than a third of freshmen who enrolled last fall said that keeping up with political affairs is an important goal in life--a record low. Fewer students than ever--just 16%--said they frequently discuss politics. And for the second year in a row, there were substantial declines in the percentages of students who felt it is important to participate in programs to promote racial understanding or clean up the environment.

“This year’s college freshmen are more disengaged from politics than any previous entering class,” concludes the survey, which is based on the responses of 237,777 students at 461 of the nation’s two-year and four-year colleges and universities. And that has serious implications, said survey director Alexander W. Astin.

“When people become disengaged, they don’t bother to inform themselves and they make themselves more vulnerable to manipulation,” said Astin, who described today’s freshmen as “people who don’t see themselves as being part of the democratic process, who don’t even understand how democracy works.”

The survey, the nation’s oldest and most comprehensive assessment of student attitudes and plans, also found some changes in the way freshmen describe their own political leanings. More than half of freshmen--52.6%--said they considered themselves “middle-of-the-road” politically, up from 49.9% a year ago.

Just a quarter of freshmen identified themselves as “liberal” or “far left,” down from 27.2% in 1993. Those who called themselves “conservative” or “far right” experienced just a slight decline--from 22.9% in fall of 1993 to 22.4% last year.

When it came to issues, students expressed a mixture of liberal and conservative views. Support for the legalization of marijuana increased for the fifth straight year--to 32.1%--while support for legislation to outlaw homosexuality fell to a record low: 33.9%.

Students appeared to be growing more conservative, however, when it came to crime and punishment. Opposition to capital punishment dropped to the lowest level in the survey’s history--just 20.1%. And nearly three-quarters of freshmen--an all-time high of 73%--agreed with the statement: “There is too much concern in the courts for the rights of criminals.”

The survey found students to be more stressed than ever. Relying increasingly on student loans to pay for college, a record percentage said they were concerned about college finances. Nearly 19% of freshmen--an all-time high--said they were unsure whether they will have enough money to complete college.

And in general, the survey found, students feel they are under pressure. A record high number of freshmen--more than 24%--said they frequently “felt overwhelmed by all I have to do.” The percentage reporting frequent feelings of depression increased for the fourth straight year, and the students’ assessments of their own emotional and physical health reached all-time lows.

Tobacco use was up among freshmen, reaching its highest point since 1979. One-eighth of freshmen said they frequently smoked cigarettes. Conversely, the percent who said they drank beer was at a record low--53.2%.

Astin attributed the shifts to changes in public awareness. “There is a definite heightened consciousness about alcohol,” he said. “People are seeing the connections between alcohol abuse and social problems--drinking and driving, sexual harassment, spousal abuse.”

Astin said he believes students are less worried about tobacco because the danger of smoking cigarettes has received less attention recently than has the threat of secondhand smoke.

“The public consciousness about the personal harm associated with smoking peaked 10 or 12 years ago,” he said. “In the meantime, the tobacco companies have become much more sophisticated in their advertising.”