Work

Political Trust and Electoral Behavior Among 16- and 17-Year-Old First-Time-Voters in Belgium

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Citizens’ electoral behaviors tend to persist over time and are driven by long-standing political attitudes acquired during the formative years of adolescence. We contribute to this literature by building on the object-specific nature of political trust, captured by trust in order and representative institutions, and investigating its relationship with turnout and vote choices among Belgian 16- and 17-year-olds, who were eligible to vote during the 2024 European elections. Using this unique data from adolescent first-time voters, the results confirm the two-dimensionality of political trust and show that low trust leads to protest and radical voting. These findings highlight the importance of early political socialization in shaping political trust and electoral behavior to encourage constructive political engagement.

Source: International Journal of Public Opinion Research

DOI: 10.1093/ijpor/edaf026

Authors: Linde Stals, Dieter Stiers, Anna Kern

Institutions: KU Leuven, Ghent University

Language: English

Topic: Electoral Systems and Political Participation

Subfield: Political Science and International Relations

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: green

Funder: Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek