Prominent studies and opinion polls often claim that young people are disengaged from political institutions, distrustful of politicians, and disillusioned about democracy. Young People, Citizenship and Political Participation challenges these political stereotypes by asking whether young people have been contributing to or rectifying our civic deficit. In particular, it examines the role of civics education in addressing the so-called crisis of democracy. Turning away from conventional suggestions often advocated by politicians and educators that offer civics education as the solution, the book advances an alternate approach to civics – one that acknowledges the increasingly diverse ways in which young people are both engaging and disengaging politically.

"[T]his informed and informative study carefully examines the role of civics education in addressing the so-called crisis of democracy. Turning away from conventional suggestions often advocated by politicians and educators that offer civics education as the solution, Young People, Citizenship and Political Participation advances an alternate approach to civics that clearly acknowledges the increasingly diverse ways in which young people are both engaging and disengaging politically. While very highly recommended as a critically important addition to both community and academic library Political Science collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that Young People, Citizenship and Political Participation is also available in a paperback edition and in a Kindle format." - Midwest Book Review