These voters went for the Democratic Party by about a 2-to-1 ratio, becoming a major factor in the country’s swing toward the party.

President-elect Barack Obama’s campaign targeted the youth demographic from day one of his candidacy. By turning himself and his campaign into a movement rather than “politics as usual,” Obama’s grassroots campaign was largely tied to the enthusiasm and energy of young voters.

This trend toward energizing the youth is something future candidates will have to look at in order to get votes in the future.

The enthusiasm the Obama campaign stirred up in its recruitment of young people cannot be lost to history with the end of the 2008 election cycle. As Obama has said, this is not the end of a historical moment, this is the beginning. Young people need to work just as hard to better their government and country as they did campaigning for their various candidates.

The country is in the middle of a serious paradigm shift — instead of creating short-term solutions to problems, long-term solutions are needed immediately.

The mass youth involvement during the long process of this election shows that young people are realizing the fact that the world’s problems are now their own.

It is impossible to ignore the crises affecting the country today any longer: the financial situation, global warming and a standing in worldwide politics that has been falling for seven years.

Though the baby boomer generation may have created these problems, they will not be the ones who are left to deal with them. That fact makes active youth involvement in every process of our democracy so very important.

President John F. Kennedy once said, “Ask not what you’re country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” Now, more than ever, the youth voters of America need to ask themselves that very question.

It is up to the youth to start finding solutions to the environmental crisis, which could threaten human existence by the time they are looking to retire. It is up to the youth to make smart financial decisions that won’t end up crippling America’s economy 20 years down the road.

It will never be enough to simply say you voted in the historic 2008 election. America’s future hangs in the balance with how this generation will continue its involvement in the democratic process. It is up to America’s young voters to set an example of success for generations to come.