Youth Engagement or Disengagement, Civic Mindsets, and Democracy

This book began by elaborating a model of youth attitudes and behaviors toward civic life that was dynamic and fluid. It theorized that youth’s attitudes and actions were the product of the interaction of their internal and external factors, which create a particular civic mindset in youth. Internal factors are considered to be such elements as personality traits, attitudes, knowledge, and feelings of efficacy. External elements include school, family, and culture.