Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey visited the Institute of Politics John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum last week, two weeks before the midterm elections, to discuss the role of youth in American democracy. As the clock ticked down, a collection of undergraduate and graduate students, business professionals, and local residents filed into the room eager to hear the senator’s words. Markey advocated strongly for students to get out and vote as well as to further their civic engagement in regard to salient issues, like climate change, gun safety, and human rights.
Senator Markey began by emphasizing the current threat to democracy and the need for high youth turnout. “Democracy is on the ballot in 2022…We need young people to come to the polls to make sure that we protect democracy otherwise none of the other issues—voting rights, climate change, gun safety, [and] a women’s right to choose—is safe if democracy does not work,” warned Markey.
For democracy to function effectively, the people must act, turnout to vote and organize—especially at the grassroots level. Merely hoping for the political tides to turn will not incite change; grassroots action and political participation are vital, perhaps now more than ever. “Hope does not just happen. Hope is the result of actions that are taken, otherwise there is no reason to be hopeful,” said Markey.
IOP John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum member Ryan Tierney ’24 echoed the importance of youth activism. “Historically, in order for substantial changes to occur, there has to be external pressure applied by activism, too.”
Recently, not all actions have incited hope, particularly as the Supreme Court attacks rights that many younger Americans have taken for granted in the past few decades. The United States’ democracy and initial constitution was built upon principles of basic egalitarianism that the Supreme Court has expanded since to include previously marginalized groups. Now, these rights and privileges—like a women’s right to choose, same-sex marriage, and affirmative action—are under attack. Franny Connors ’26 said, “There are some fears about the Supreme Court. We kind of discount these fears because we don’t know what will happen. You want to make sure everyone has the same rights. That is really important.”
The Senator explained that each Supreme Court decision “put[s] the burden back on Congress to respond to put those rights back on the books.” Markey emphasized that the current Supreme Court was distinct from previous Courts, and that such a Court requires a strong response from other institutions of American democracy.“We’re going to hit the critical mass with these Supreme Court because it’s six to three and they’re ideological and they’re on a mission to repeal the last 50 years of our country. We’re going to need ultimately to have democracy work to restore the laws that they’re gonna strip off the book,” said Senator Markey.
But can we trust today’s American democracy to achieve this mission? “I am concerned for our democracy on some level. I feel that people are politically active, but I don’t think that question is the worry. I am more worried about whether people are politically courageous; January 6th was largely stopped in its tracks because of a few brave decision makers, but that spirit is becoming more rare,” said Forum member Ryan Tierney.
The Senator elaborated that this election will help the United States determine what type of country we are: the country pursuing progress from January 5th, 2021, or the country on the verge of collapse from January 6th, 2021? Senator Markey recalled an image of American progress from January 5th, 2021. “Georgia elected a Jewish young man as one of their new senators and an African American man as their other senator,” he said. But from January 6th, he took a very different image of the state of our nation. “All of us who were in the capital that day had people coming up the walls of the Capitol Building to snatch an election away from Joe Biden and the American people.”
Senator Markey discussed the importance of bipartisanship for passing critical legislation and for protecting democratic discourse. In particular, he highlighted how today’s youth have the voice, the opinion, and the necessary media at their fingertips to enact real change.
Franny Connors ’26, says “Looking toward the future, it is really exciting to see how much our generation cares about politics and how we don’t really want to let the status quo remain and we want to see action be taken.” With more resources than ever before, and a country in peril, the youth of America have a responsibility to do more than just hope; we must act.
Hannah Davis ’25 (hannahdavis@college.harvard.edu) finally filled out her Illinois absentee ballot after writing this piece.