Keywords

Political Efficacy; Political Knowledge; Religiosity; Young Voters; Political Engagement

Abstract

As political engagement trends among young voters have continued to shift in the United States' political atmosphere, understanding the cognitive factors that influence these decisions is becoming increasingly important. Political efficacy, or the feeling that individual political action can impact the political process, impacting their civic duties, has long been regarded as a key determinant of an individual's political engagement. This study investigates how young voters' understanding of prominent political arguments relates to their sense of political efficacy, with a specific lens on individual religiosity.

Through an examination of this relationship between religiosity and overall comprehension of political arguments, this research aims to identify whether religious narratives within political affairs enhance or hinder understanding and efficacy among young voters.

Ultimately, the results indicate that an individual's religiosity does not significantly impact their understanding of political arguments. From this, it can be interpreted further that religiosity does not inherently increase one's political efficacy. This suggests that research should continue to examine the intersection of religiosity and one's understanding of political affairs, particularly on cultural issues. Determining factors that influence political efficacy is crucial, given that political efficacy is a key determinant of political participation.

Thesis Completion Year

2025

Thesis Completion Semester

Spring

Thesis Chair

Ilderton, Nathan

College

College of Sciences

Department

School of Politics, Security, & International Affairs

Thesis Discipline

Political Science

Language

English

Access Status

Open Access

Length of Campus Access

None

Campus Location

Orlando (Main) Campus

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Rights Statement

In Copyright