The Development of Political Attitudes and Behaviour Among Young Adults

Bibliographic Data

ID6234560
AuthorsRichard G Niemi (University of Rochester), Jonathan D Klingler, Jonathan Klingler (0000-0002-5672-5479, University of Rochester)
Year2012
Volume47
Issue1
Pages31-54
Publication date2012-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAustralian Journal of Political Science (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1036-1146 • E-ISSN: 1363-030X
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/10361146.2011.643167
OpenAlexW2085466410
LanguageEN
Citations received25
References cited23

With young adults frequently characterised by distrust, inefficacy and disengagement from the political process, understanding how and when youth develop attitudes and participatory habits is increasingly important. With this in mind, the authors analyse nationwide surveys of American youths aged 18–24 from 2006 and 2007 with the goal of uncovering developmental patterns characteristic of this age. They find that political participation, narrowly interpreted, changes surprisingly little across this age range; community involvement, however, declines, more so among students than nonstudents. Political trust and efficacy also decline, again more among students than nonstudents. Disconcertingly, there was no greater acceptance of diversity among older individuals, even those attending university. Overall, the results indicate that late-adolescence through early adulthood is a time of meaningful, patterned change in people's attitudes and behaviour. The authors conclude by discussing potential policy solutions to address declining trust and efficacy during this period of life

Developmental psychology · Disengagement theory · Distrust · Diversity (politics · Political efficacy · Political science · Politics · Medicine · Psychology · Social Capital and Networks · Social Media and Politics · Social Psychology · Youth Development and Social Support · Gerontology

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