Teenage attitudes toward voting shape adult participation differently for men and women
A Swedish study following teenagers into adulthood finds that civic values—not political knowledge or confidence—determine whether people vote later in life. The gender gap matters: women's voting depends on multiple civic motivations, while men's depends mainly on prior habits and background, suggesting interventions to boost participation should target different audiences differently.
Originaltitel: From civic roots to voting booths: Gendered pathways from adolescent motivation to electoral participation in adulthood
<p>Why some individuals vote while others abstain remains acentral question in political behavior research, yet little isknown about whether civic motivations formed during ado-lescence endure into adulthood. Drawing on expectancy–value theory, this study examines whether civic motivationsin early adolescence (ages 13–16) including political efficacy,perceived political knowledge, political interest, and civicnorms are associated with electoral participation in earlyadulthood (ages 26–29). Using a longitudinal dataset fromSweden, we show that civic norms are the strongest predic-tor of adult voting, even after accounting for prior partici-pation, socioeconomic background, and immigrant origin.In contrast, expectancy-based beliefs do not independentlypredict turnout, suggesting that value-based motivations mayhave greater long-term relevance for electoral participation.Sex-specific analyses reveal clear differences. Among women,adult electoral participation is associated with a broader con-stellation of civic motivations, whereas men's participationis primarily predicted by prior voting and structural back-ground factors. Immigrant origin strongly reduces participa-tion for both male and female respondents, but the effect ismore pronounced among women, consistent with intersec-tional disadvantage. Overall, the findings demonstrate thatcivic motivations held in adolescence have lasting implica-tions for adult electoral participation and underscore theimportance of gender-sensitive, intersectional approaches tounderstanding political development.</p>