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About the Book

Youth to Power

Nearly half of today's young voters under thirty-known as the Millennial Generation-identify themselves as Democrats, and they voted overwhelmingly Democratic in the 2006 election. Since youthful voting habits are a strong indicator of future party loyalty, we may be seeing the beginnings of a progressive resurgence in American politics.

In combination with their progressive ideals, the millennials are both civic-minded and entrepreneurial, having come of age in the safety of a post-Cold War world marked by an unprecedented revolution in technology. Using their unsurpassed social and technological skills, they have fostered a community spirit that is beginning to reverse the decades-long decline in social capital that was famously recorded by Robert Putnam in Bowling Alone.

Youth to Power: How Today's Young Voters Are Building Tomorrow's Progressive Majority examines how today's young people are combining technology with a vigorous social spirit to revive progressive politics. In addition to recounting the history of youth politics since its emergence in the 1972 election, as well as showing where the movement still lags behind its more organized conservative counterpart, the book features interviews with many of the major figures in the youth political movement, and identifies strategies that the Democratic Party can use to capitalize on its new advantages with young voters. Youth to Power is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the political and cultural future of America.

Michael Connery portrait

Michael Connery is a political junkie and accidental activist who got sucked into the early Dean Campaign and growth of the netroots not long after completing a Masters in English Literature from IU-Bloomington. In 2004, he also co-found Music for America, and served as its Communications Director and Web Editor from February 2003 - December of 2004.

Currently Michael is a participant in the Center for Independent Media New Journalism Program. Through his fellowship with the Center, he writes full-time, about progressive youth politics at his blog, Future Majority. In addition, he is also a weekend front-page writer on the popular political blog MyDD.com, and an occasional contributer to TechPresident.com and the Huffingon Post's "Off the Bus" blog.

Michael is a Board Member of the Young Voter PAC, an At-Large member of the DNC Youth Council, and sits on the Advisory Board of HeadCount, a non profit that registers young voters at live music events.

He currently lives in Brooklyn, NY.