Emerging Adult Civic and Political Disengagement: A Longitudinal Analysis of Lack of Involvement With Politics

Abstract

Political engagement among U.S. emerging adults aged 18 to 24 was examined via quantitative and qualitative data. The data analyzed are from the National Study of Youth and Religion (NSYR). The NSYR consists of three waves of a nationally representative (a) telephone survey (Wave 1 n = 4,161), (b) in-person interviews (Wave 3 n = 230) collected with adolescents and emerging adults, and (c) in the first wave, their parents ( n = 3,235). Third-wave interview transcripts are examined for descriptions of political engagement. Findings indicate that emerging adults are generally politically disengaged. Political engagement is disaggregated into six types based on levels of and motivations for political engagement. A number of hypotheses are examined for explanations of political involvement variance. Voluntary association participation, religious practices, political affiliation, and parental political engagement are found to be insufficient explanations. Results indicate that individualized moral beliefs are a significant predictor of political engagement, especially certain types of disengagement.