Youth Political Participation and Trust in Democratic Institutions: A Study of University Students
Keywords:
Youth political participation, democratic institutions, trust, digital activism, political engagementAbstract
Background: Political participation and trust in democratic institutions are critical indicators of the strength and sustainability of democratic systems. Among youth, particularly university students, these factors shape future civic engagement and governance outcomes.
Objective: To examine the patterns of political participation and levels of trust in democratic institutions among university students, and to explore how institutional trust influences youth engagement in political processes.
Methods: A mixed-methods approach was employed, surveying 400 university students and conducting in-depth interviews with 20 participants. Quantitative data captured trends in political participation, while qualitative interviews provided insights into perceptions, motivations, and barriers to engagement.
Results: The result showed that political involvement was moderate, and the most common form of participation was voting and digital activism, but official party membership was low. Democratic institutions were largely distrusted with poor scores in political parties and parliament but the judiciary scored relatively higher. Institutional trust and political participation have a positive and weak relationship. A set of qualitative themes consisted of ideas of corruption, inefficiency, and representation absence as obstacles and positive expectations about youth-led politics and the empowering influence of digital platforms.
Conclusion: The paper highlights the role of institutional trust in juvenile political participation and the Digital Divide as a significant limitation, especially among the more rural students. Increasing transparency, accountability, and digital inclusivity is the key to improving youth participation and resilience among democratic institutions.
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