A recent study shows initiatives taken by A-list celebrities like Beyoncé and rap mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs to motivate young people to vote have been highly successful, according to Reuters.
The research, complied by Washington State University, was published in the Mass Communication and Society Journal. Reuters reports that the study was based on a survey of 305 students at WSU, compared with a number of other polls which indicated celebrity endorsements of presidential candidates were unlikely to move voters.
It said, “Celebrity-endorsed campaigns successfully lowered complacency and helped young people believe in their own impact on the political system. Young people got involved at higher levels and became increasingly aware of societal issues.”
The study also found that “the cause of this dramatic increase in voter participation of young people in 2004 can largely be attributed to celebrity get-out-the-vote promotions.”