Starting young: How age limits shape political participation

Chloe Nibourel and Mattias Folkestad

European Journal of Political Economy, 2025, vol. 87, issue C

Abstract: Using rich data on Swedish politicians, this paper documents the importance of the first experience of an election on future political participation. A difference-in-discontinuity design, based on the interaction between the month of birth and the timing of elections, allows us to compare the behavior of individuals who can vote and run for office in an election for the second time to individuals of similar age who participate for the first time. We find that, while turnout rates of both groups remain the same, more demanding measures of political engagement, such as running for office and being elected, rise by 10%–14% and 60%–70%, respectively, with the second participation. We discuss the role of parties’ screening in generating these results. We then explore the consequences of lowering the minimum age limit to 16 years old on the age profiles of politicians.

Keywords: Youth political participation; Swedish politicians; Voting behavior; Minimum voting age (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:poleco:v:87:y:2025:i:c:s0176268025000321

DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpoleco.2025.102672

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