Tuning in to formal politics: Mock elections at school and the intention of electoral participation among first time voters in Norway

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate the relation between political education in schools and the willingness of students to vote in parliamentary elections. Empirically tested through the case of mock elections at schools in Norway shortly before the 2013 parliamentary election, the multivariate logistic regression analyses of the data show a strong connection between voting in mock elections at school and students’ willingness to vote, even after controlling for background factors. The results strengthen the case for political education in schools while simultaneously acknowledging its limits.