Sweet Sixteen – mature enough for referendums and elections?
Are 16-year-olds ready for politics? Are they mature enough to make political decisions compared to young adults? Do they feel confident about making political decisions? How often do you keep yourself informed about political issues? A new study by the Centre for Democracy Aarau provides answers.
The debate on lowering the voting age to 16 is gaining momentum in Europe and raises important questions about the political maturity of minors. In political debates, one of the arguments put forward is that 16- and 17-year-olds are not yet mature enough to participate in political decision-making.
Comparing adolescents and young adults
The study by the Centre for Democracy Aarau examines the political maturity of young Swiss citizens aged between 16 and 25. It shows that 16- and 17-year-olds are politically as mature as the comparable category of 18- to 25-year-olds. The study is based on a representative survey of 4,000 young Swiss citizens.
Study author Robin Gut interprets the results as follows: «It is interesting to see that minors aged 16 and 17 are roughly as mature as young adults. These minors are not yet eligible to vote and are therefore not yet fully socialised into our political system. Nevertheless, they are just as politically mature as young adults. The result is consistent with most international studies on the political maturity of adolescents and young adults.»
What is political maturity?
The study measures «political maturity» using two subcategories: When it comes to «political disposition», i.e. attitudes towards politics in general, the data shows that 16- and 17-year-old Swiss citizens display a similar level of political interest and political self-efficacy as young adults. They also have a similar attitude towards voting as a civic duty. In addition, the younger group has a stronger intention to participate in elections. The intention to participate in referendums is comparable to that of 18- to 25-year-olds. Regarding «political behaviour shows that 16- and 17-year-olds consume political information in the media more frequently than 24- to 25-year-olds. They are also exposed to political discussions as frequently as young adults.
About the study
| The Political Maturity of Youths and Young Adults: Empirical Evidence from Switzerland Data basis: The study is based on a representative survey on political participation among young people, which was conducted by the Centre for Democracy Aarau in spring 2023 among teenagers and young adults aged between 16 and 25 in Switzerland. The Federal Statistical Office took a random sample of 20,000 people aged between 16 and 25 from the population register. A total of around 4,000 Swiss citizens took part in the survey. The survey was financed by the Swiss UNESCO Commission and the Swiss Society for the Common Good. Methodology: For the analysis, respondents were weighted according to age, gender and language. Ordinal and binary logistic models were applied. |
Download study
Gut, R., Ezzaini, J. & Kübler, D. (2025). The Political Maturity of Youths and Young Adults: Empirical Evidence from Switzerland. Swiss Political Science Review, 00, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1111/spsr.12662
Contact
Robin Gut
robin.gut@zda.uzh.ch
076 470 87 05
About the ZDA
The Centre for Democracy Aarau is a scientific research centre supported by the University of Zurich, the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, the Canton of Aargau and the City of Aarau. Es betreibt Grundlagenforschung und befasst sich mit aktuellen Fragen zur Demokratie – regional, in der Schweiz und weltweit. www.zdaarau.ch