Breaking the Cycle of Political Alienation : The Impact of Youth Representation on Democratic Engagement

This book explores the underrepresentation of youth in political institutions and its impact on young people’s connection to democracy. The underrepresentation of youth in politics fuels a vicious cycle of political alienation. Due to the low presence of youth in political institutions, their specific interests are not adequately represented and therefore policies important to youth are not implemented, which leaves youth with feelings of apathy and disconnect to the formal political systems. Through an original dataset spanning 52 democratic countries and over two decades, this book examines whether increasing youth representation in parliaments and government can disrupt this cycle of alienation and encourage higher electoral participation and greater satisfaction with democracy among young people. The findings suggest that while the effects may be moderate, increased youth representation can positively influence young people's political engagement and increase democratic satisfaction. This book offers insights for policymakers and advocates seeking to bridge the generational divide in political participation and is also an important contribution to the literature on youth political representation.