Integrated approach for the positive development of trust in institutions and political participation of youth in policy making processes in Slovenia

A significant challenge facing contemporary representative democracies is low trust in institutions and low political participation among citizens, particularly young people. Numerous data indicate that this problem is also current and acute in Slovenia.

Viewing political participation as a multidimensional concept and a heterogeneous field of research, the project addresses the issue comprehensively, at the intersection of political science, psychology, sociology, and educational sciences. The project builds on the positive youth development perspective, which assumes that young people will participate in society and politics, or contribute to shaping them, when their external resources (in the micro, meso, exo, macro, and chrono environments) are aligned with their internal resources (indicators of positive youth development: competence, connection, confidence, character, and care).

The aim of the project is therefore to develop a comprehensive approach to fostering the positive development of young people’s trust in institutions and their participation in processes of policy- and regulation-making, taking into account the interplay of young people’s internal and external resources that encourage and support trust in institutions and youth participation in policy- and regulation-making processes.

To address the research questions, we will use a multi-method approach. Combining quantitative approaches (complex statistical analyses of various databases) with qualitative approaches (focus groups, interviews, and user experience testing of online portals (Predlagam.vladi.si, Stop birokraciji, eDemokracija, U-Report)) enables us to develop a comprehensive approach to the positive development of trust in institutions and youth participation in policy and regulation-making “from the top down” (theoretical framework) as well as “from the bottom up” (experiences and perceptions of public policy decision-makers and young people).

Based on the project results, we will develop guidelines (recommendations and measures) to increase young people’s awareness of existing opportunities to participate in political processes and in processes of drafting regulations, and to establish dialogue between young people and public institutions in the field of legislation and administrative processes, as envisaged by the Proposal for the Resolution of the National Youth Programme (2024–2030) (Government of the Republic of Slovenia, 2023).

The project is led by Dr. Urška Štremfel (Educational Research Institute), with the Faculty of Social Sciences participating as a collaborating organization.