An Analysis of Youth Voter Turnout in the UK Dissertation

An Analysis of Youth Voter Turnout in the UK - Dissertation Example In order to effectively interpret and analyse low voter turnout in Britain this dissertation draws on the voter surveys conducted by the, the Electoral Commission, British Election Study (BES) and Ipsos MORI before and after general elections and a number of empirical research studies conducted over time. Thus secondary sources are used because they provide a more realistic representation of youth voter turnout over a long period of time among a larger representative population sample using both quantitative and qualitative analyses. A single empirical study would only be able to cover a small population sample of voters in a single location, who may vote or not vote in upcoming elections. Secondary studies identify youth who failed to vote in past elections and trends indicating that young people are becoming increasingly alienated economically, socially and politically as well as generally disenchanted with democracy in Britain. Table of Contents Abstract 3 Table of Contents 4 Part I: Introduction to the Study 5 I.Introduction 5 II.Research Questions 6 IV.Significance of the Study 8 V.Research Methodology 8 VI.Organization of the Study 9 Part II: A Review of the Literature 10 I.Introduction 10 II.Evidence of Young Voter Turnout 10 A.Global Trends 10 B.Youth Voting Trends in Britain 13 III.Explaining the Youth Voter Turnout Downward Trajectory 14 IV. Previous Studies 18 Part IV: Young Voter Turnout Trends in Britain 21 Part V: Research Findings/Conclusion 24 Bibliography 27 Table of Figures Figure 1: Global Voter Turnout From 1945-2005.......................................................11 Figure 2: Voter Turnout by Age in 15 Western European Democracies.....................13 Figure 3: Nonvoters by Age Group from 1964-2005...................................................22 An Analysis of Youth Voter Turnout in the UK Part I: Introduction to the Study I. Introduction It is generally accepted that youth voter turnout in the UK is significantly lower than th e voter turnout for older cohorts (Parry, Moyser & Day, 1992; Heath & Park, 1997; Jowell & Park, 1998; Keaney & Rogers, 2006). Although voting trends in general are on the decline, younger voters’ turnout is declining at a more alarming rate than older voter turnout. A poll conducted by MORI in coordination with the Electoral Commission in 2001 concluded that 24% of voters between the age of 18 and 24 reported that they have never voted while only 6% reported having ever voted (Ipsos MORI, 2002). Another survey conducted in 2005 found that although 75% of register voters over the age of 65 voted, only 37% of younger voters voted (Keaney & Rogers, 2006). The British Election Study (1997) revealed that only 56% of young voters between the age of 18 and 24 turned out to vote in the British General Election in 1997. The British Election Study (2005) also reported that less that 48% of registered 18-24 year old voters turned up to vote in the 2005 British General Elections compare d to 75% of older voters. The Electoral Commission (2002) provides some insight into the declining trends among young voters in terms of voter turnout. Using data from an Ispos MORI survey, the Electoral Commission (2002) concluded that there were two primary factors influencing young voter

Currency Future Contracts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Currency Future Contracts - Essay Example Some buyers and sellers of the instrument used it for speculation. The named instruments are not only used to hedge against unfavorable movements in the value of currency but also in other economic factors such as interest rate, exchange rates and natural calamities (CME group, n.d .). These contacts are reliant on some underlying assets thus are called the derivatives. First, swap is a derivative that involves an agreement between two or more traders to exchange the denomination of their cash flows. For instance, consider two investors from the US and the UK, who have invested in the local government securities. The two investors would agree that the US investor receives the cash flow of the UK investor, denominated in Sterling pound. The same would happen to the UK in investor. Secondly, an option is a contract that grants the buyer rights but not an obligation to participate in the contract, on maturity. On the other hand, the contract obliges the seller to participate when the co ntract matures. Thirdly, a forward is a contract between the counterparts to exchange currencies at a predetermined exchange rate. That is, the parties agree to exchange their currency at a given exchange rate agreed now, but during a future transaction, say after one year. Lastly, a future is a contract between parties to exchange currencies in the future, at a pre-determined rate. The nature of the contract is similar to that of forwards. The only difference is that futures are exchange traded whereas; the forwards are traded over the counter (CME group, n.d .). Have the current future prices fallen or risen? In the recent past, the currency future prices have demonstrated a downward trend. The reduction of the prices is said to have been caused by a high level of uncertainty about the future prices. Another reason for the fallen prices is the deteriorating US economy (CME group, n.d .). Types of exposures Most companies sign future contracts mainly to hedge against the unfavorabl e move of the exchange rates. A volatile exchange rate presents an environment that is too risky for businesses to operate. The risks are categorized into a transaction, operating and translation. A transactional exposure arises from the various trading activities that a company engages in. Globalization has made the world a small village where companies in the various parts of the world are well connected. The process of globalization has facilitated the sharing of resources between different companies. Businesses that operate in the international markets face greater risk of future price movements. This is because they borrow, lend and invest in those markets using foreign currencies. It is from the trading activities of a business that transactional risk arises. Secondly, operating risk is the adverse changes in a company’s revenue elements due to unfavorable movements in the currency prices. For instance, the prices of caterpillar tractors were at one time high in the int ernational market because the US$ gained more strength against other currencies. Other countries had to give up more of their currency in exchange for one dollar. This situation caused the tractors to be more expensive as compared to the competitor’s (Rheinla?nder & Sexton, 2011). During the period, the caterpillar company recorded lower sales due to the influence of the currency price fluctuations. Lastly,