“A healthy, resilient democracy is based on inclusiveness, which political parties and representative institutions are in a key position to safeguard. Yet parties are finding it harder to sustain an atmosphere of inclusiveness, particularly as women and youth are largely excluded from representative institutions. Younger generations are insufficiently represented in party membership, leadership and legislatures. Their marginalization from, and decreasing trust in, traditional party politics is of particular concern, as young people can make or break future models of representation.”[i]

In many countries, the relationship between youth and political parties is strained. Many young people do not trust political parties, while party leaders often complain that the youth are unwilling to get involved.

Source: The Global State of Democracy, 'Exploring Democracy's Resilience, 2017', International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance

Political Parties are the main gatekeepers for candidates to participate in elections. Parties therefore have great influence over the degree of young people’s political participation at local, regional, and national levels. In most countries, parties determine which candidates are nominated and elected and which issues achieve national prominence. They decide who will be placed on their candidate lists and at which position. Political parties’ nomination processes have not always favored young candidates, as they are often placed in low positions on candidates’ lists (in proportional representation ‘closed list’ electoral systems), with very limited possibilities to get elected. As intermediary institutions, they link the state and civil society, translating the policy preferences of citizens into political action. Individuals with political ambition are likely to seek out leadership positions within political parties. Most are of these aspiring leaders are middle-aged men.

The persistent exclusion of youth stems from a variety of factors, including: “old-boy” networks, recruitment, and promotion mechanisms based on seniority, a lack of individual capacities, and limited self-confidence and motivation. Engagement in political parties often requires long-term commitments, which is difficult for youth trying to obtain an education and to establish themselves in the labor market. Middle-aged men tend to have a greater powerbase, because they comprise a large percentage of members. In some cases, youth face more than one kind of discrimination because of their gender or because they can also belong to other marginalized groups (i.e. indigenous people, people with disabilities, and/or be lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender).

These obstacles fuel a cycle where youth are put off by the exclusionary nature of political parties and decide not to join them. In turn, because they do not join, they lack the internal powerbase to win elections and nominations. Both issues should be addressed to break the cycle: youth should be able to develop the skills and motivation to be successfully engaged in political parties, and parties should be encouraged to create space for youth. Affirmative action measures such as youth and women’s quotas and party youth wings can help move these processes forward.

Political parties could do more to encourage youth to run for office, and could consider nominating younger candidates for provincial/state elections and municipal elections. They could also advocate to have the legal age to run for office these levels of political office lowered to accommodate younger people.