CSUN On Point

As the 2020 presidential election draws closer, the political climate is heating up. Impeachment proceedings continue to dominate the news cycle, and a crowded field of Democratic candidates is jockeying for position in the fight to win the nomination to take on Donald Trump, setting up a contentious election season.

With American politics divided along partisan lines, as evidenced by the last two presidential elections, the future is unclear. It could, however, be influenced significantly by the growing number of young voters, many of whom will be voting for the first time in 2020.

CSUN Political Science Department chair Dr. David Leitch said that a growing “generational split,” especially in the Republican party, could change the political narrative.

“In this election in particular, actually I do believe that young voters are unusually important,” Leitch said. “I think that we’re in a cycle now where we’re starting to see real changes in what the party labels mean, and what it means to be either liberal or conservative.”

Grassroots activists are working to register and educate young voters ahead of the election.

“I’m seeing young voters who are preferring not to choose a party,” said Michelle Fowle, activist and founder of The Resistance – Northridge, Indivisible. “They don’t want to be associated with a party, but they want to make their voice heard.”

Fowle said she spends much of her time speaking to potential voters and encouraging them to become politically active. These personal interactions are critical, especially for the youth.

“My sense is that young people right now are struggling to find opportunities for that face-to-face interaction,” Leitch said. “So many interactions are mediated – mediated by a screen of some type, mediated by text of some type.”

Young people may be frustrated by the obstacles to political engagement, but they also have “an awareness of the pervasive importance of politics,” Leitch said. “I think that there is a tremendous amount of potential energy that is looking for a route, and I’m hopeful that it finds [it].”

In Los Angeles, officials are introducing changes for next year’s election that aim to modernize the voting system and increase access for potential voters. A new ballot system, Voting Solutions for All People, will replace punch cards, and polling centers will now be open for a full 11 days before the election. Even on Election Day, citizens will be able to register to vote.

Although Leitch said he has concerns about cybersecurity threats, he said that increasing access is fundamental to a successful democracy. “Americans who believe in democracy ought to be in favor of maximizing access,” Leitch said.

Officials hope these changes will have a positive impact on citizen engagement in the next election. If young voters turn out like they did for Obama, Leitch said, they could swing the election.

Fowle said she would continue working to engage citizens, ahead of what could be a pivotal moment in American politics.

“[The] future is literally at stake,” Fowle said. “It really is crucial.”

Moderator: Tamie Benitez

Producer: Vivian Rayos

Anchor: Joe Willeford

Social Media Editor: Damian Gordon

Reporters: Jenny Almanza, Tamie Benitez, Damian Gordon, Vivian Rayos and Joe Willeford

Moderator: Veronica Barriga

Producer: Jasper Harris

Associate Producers: Veronica Barriga, Ethan Hanson, Esteban Reynoso

Anchor: Bridgette Creamer

Social Media Editor: I’maiya Milan Wright

Reporters: Veronica Barriga, Bridgette Creamer, Ethan Hanson, Jasper Harris, Esteban Reynoso, Londy Sagastume and I’maiya Milan Wright

Moderator – Scott Sanders

Anchor – Gabrielle Ortega

Producer – Danielle Pendleton

Social Media Editors – Sophie Ashley and Alexandra Chidbachian

Reporters – Sophie Ashley, Alexandra Chidbachian, Gabrielle Ortega, Danielle Pendleton, Scott Sanders and Joshua Spidel

Black Lives Matter is a movement which began two years ago, after George Zimmerman was acquitted of the charges against him during the Trayvon Martin murder trial. CSUN was the site of a Black Lives Matters event recently, organized to bring awareness to students about the issues surrounding the cause.

One of the goals of the event was to teach students about what they can do to make a difference. Workshops were held so that students could learn how to become involved in the movement.

“The beautiful thing is, when we teach these things to students, then [they] get a foundation and they can use that foundation to move forward and help Black Lives Matter,” said Dr. Aimee Glocke said, a professor in CSUN’s Department of Africana Studies.

Some have questioned whether BLM’s decision to forego a traditional hierarchy and go without an appointed leader might limit the group’s ability to spread its message and accomplish its goals.

“I feel like that’s a phenomenal way to go,” Glocke said, “because then the idea is that there is a collective voice. There are different perspectives in it, and that includes same gender loving lives [and] black [transgender] individuals who have been murdered by the police…This is a leader-full movement, [and] this gives [it] an advantage, because it includes so many different black people in different walks of life.”

Another response has been to the name of the movement, and expression of the opinion that BLM should be focused on ‘all lives matter’, so it encompasses all ethnic backgrounds, but supporters of the BLM movement say this change would take away from the real problem.

Wesley Williams, the president of CSUN’s Black Male Initiative Organization, explained why the name Black Lives Matter is so important.

“It’s like there are two houses,” Williams said. “A perfectly standing [home] and a burning home….Because all houses matter, we’re going to water down this perfectly fine house while the other one burns. Even though one needs [the water] more than the other.”

“We’re getting murdered; we’re having the trouble with the police,” Williams said. “And other races aren’t being affected by it this dramatically.”

Another problem Black Lives Matter addresses is the media’s often unfair and selective view of Black America.

“The media embraces white supremacy and racism, so how can we ever expect them to give [this movement] a fair portrayal?” Glocke asked.

Glocke said the news media can manipulate the audience by showing only black violence, and almost none of the progressive work that is being done.

“How many news stations showed [the recent Million Man March]?” Glocke asked. “ The idea is here [was] a peaceful, wonderful, community-oriented movement, that revolved around Black Lives Matter, and that doesn’t get shown.”

Police brutality towards the black community is nothing new, but many Americans have become more aware of the issue because of the Internet. The internet’s accessibility makes it easy for people to share any videos documenting these incidents.

BLM has been successful using social media to spread its message. Even the name started out as a hashtag on twitter, and then the movement took off using social media.

“[The police] have control over media as a mass,” Williams said. “They own those. But they don’t own what I post on my Instagram, my Twitter, my Snapchat. Those go around and touch millions of people.”

Social media also make it easy for celebrity figures to get involved and bring these issues into the forefront.

“The people who [are] in a position of power and have the influence, [aren’t always using] it for good,” Williams said. “[These] are the people who the black people really need, and because they don’t care, is why white America [doesn’t] care.”

Moderator: Daisy Lightfoot

Anchor: Sarina Sandoval

Reporters: Jon Gripe, Ashley Horton, Daisy Lightfoot, Andrew Pitters, Sarina Sandoval

Social Media Editors: Jon Gripe, Daisy Lightfoot, Andrew Pitters

Common sense would suggest that candidates for powerful elective office be knowledgeable and experienced, but some of this year’s presidential candidates seem to be using their lack of experience in government as a selling point.

The United States is one year away from electing its next president, and the leading candidates — Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Donald Trump and Ben Carson — are all trying, in one way or another, to sell themselves to voters as ‘outsiders.’

“There are no outsiders really,” Pierce College Political Science Professor Denise Robb said. “We always end up with the person experienced in government. An outsider would be someone with no experience. Trump, for example, is an outsider.”

Trump is a billionaire real estate mogul and TV personality on NBC’s ‘The Celebrity Apprentice’.

Carson, Trump’s closest competitor, is an author, philanthropist and retired neurosurgeon, who became famous for separating conjoined twins.“I am never going to be politically correct since I am not a politician,” he said during an appearance on CNN.

On the Democratic side, Clinton and Sanders have both been spent decades working in government and politics, yet both are trying to adopt this ‘outsider’ label.

Article II, Section I of the Constitution says that in order to run for the office of president, a candidate must be a natural born citizen of the U.S.; he or she must be thirty-five years of age or older, and have at least a fourteen year residency in the country. Even though these basic qualifications to run for office aren’t much, some experts say voters consider more than that.

“American politics is determined by money,” Los Angeles Valley College History Professor Michael Powelson said. “The reason why Trump is leading is because he’s a multimillionaire. With money you can do what you want despite the [lack of an] education.”

Powelson said he thinks that no matter which candidate wins, there will be only one true victor: “Wall Street.”

Still, Powelson said he doesn’t believe these ‘outsider’ candidates have a chance of making it to the national elections.

“Hillary Clinton is going to be the Democratic nominee, especially now that [Vice-President Joseph] Biden has said he’s not going to run, and Bernie’s numbers are starting to fizzle,” CSUN Political Science Professor Tyler Hughes said.

Moderator: Nick Popham

Anchor: Ashton Smith

Producer: Mirna Duron

Reporter: Anna Akopyan

Social Media Editor: Ericka Sims

CSUN’s On Point takes a close look at the issue of religion in the Presidential campaign: GOP candidate and likely nominee Mitt Romney is in the spotlight, as voters and commentators question the role his Mormon faith will have in his race to the White House.

Guests include: Dr. Greggory DeVore, former Bishop in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Days Saints; Leigh Bradberry, an assistant professor in the California State University-Northridge Political Science Department; and Patrick Q. Mason, Howard W. Hunter Chair of Mormon Studies at  Claremont Graduate University.