Pyrma Roman

№ 4, 2019

• Electoral Participation of Youth in the USA, Great Britain, France, Germany, and Russia (Comparative Study)

  The article is devoted to studying shifts in the electoral behavior of young people in the USA, Great Britain, France, Germany, and Russia. A comparative analysis of the indicators of youth participation in national elections in four “canonical” Western democracies and the Russian Federation refutes the conventional wisdom that the younger generation has lost their interest in the electoral process, demonstrating the failure of linear predictions of electoral participation based on trends of the previous electoral cycles.

  The data presented in the article indicate that, contrary to the established stereotypes, today the rate of participation of young people in elections is increasing rather than decreasing. According to the author, this shows the flaw in the statement (which is widespread both in the Western and Russian scientific communities) about the erosion of traditional forms of political participation due to the change of generations and alteration in conditions of socialization. The growing popularity of alternative forms of political and civic activism among youth does not mean rejection of electoral procedures. Moreover, the electoral weight of young people is increasing, which makes it more relevant to study the behavior of youth in elections, in particular, applying the multivariate analysis.

  DOI: 10.30570/2078-5089-2019-95-4-188-204

  Pages: 188-204