Youth Participation in Politics: Drivers and Barriers in Developing Societies

Abstract

Youth constitute the largest demographic cohort in many developing societies yet remain under-represented in formal political institutions. This article synthesizes comparative evidence across South Asia and other developing regions to explain the drivers and barriers of youth participation in electoral and non-electoral politics. We map five domains—resources and capabilities, opportunity structures, socialization and networks, political institutions, and safety/trust—to develop an integrated framework that connects micro-level motivations to meso-level organizations and macro-level rules. Positive drivers include civic education, digital mobilization, youth quotas/party reforms, and peer networks. Salient barriers include unemployment and precarity, patronage politics, procedural costs, gendered norms, and exposure to violence or repression. We conclude with policy levers—expanding civic learning, lowering transaction costs, institutionalizing youth representation, and safeguarding digital/physical spaces—to convert a “youth bulge” into democratic capacity