Introduction: Youth quotas-mapping the field

Abstract

The purpose of this volume is to open up the debate and to explore the rationale for, and the feasibility of, applying youth quotas as a measure to counterbalance the trend of ageing societies. Given the current lack of research into youth quotas, one of our foremost aims is to map the field of youth quotas as a topic of scientific investigation. By contrast, gender and ethnic quotas have been investigated extensively in the research literature in recent decades, and such quotas (especially gender quotas) have achieved a fairly high degree of acceptance in both the research and large parts of the society. In this anthology, youth quotas and the other forms and methods of youth participation are investigated from the perspective of various disciplines, mainly philosophy, environmental ethics and political science. A distinctive feature of this volume is its broad approach. Alongside youth quotas, it also discusses other proposals for ways to prevent the younger generation from being politically sidelined, notably by means of suffrage reforms-such as lowering the current voting age in local, regional or national elections. The pros and cons of different methods aimed at achieving youth empowerment are discussed.