Political Efficacy and Expected Political Participation among Lower and Upper Secondary Students. A Comparative Analysis with Data from the IEA Civic Education Study.

The process of political socialisation of adolescents includes more than the acquisition of knowledge about society, citizenship and the political system. In a democracy, citizens are expected to participate actively in the political process. Active participation, however, requires citizens to believe in their own ability to influence the course of politics, in other words, to feel politically efficacious.