Political Consciousness of Students and Electoral Behavior of Moscow Youth

The purpose of the article is to diagnose the specifics of the political and electoral consciousness of Moscow students as part of a sociological survey. Research methods: analysis and interpretation of facts, analysis of scientific literature, sociological survey Study sample: 2 groups of youth representatives - students of Moscow universities (250 each) aged 21 to 23 years who had the right to vote during the elections to the Moscow City Duma of the seventh convocation on September 8, 2019. The first group is politically active youth; the second group is young people who have no experience of active participation in socio-political activities. Results. It was revealed that the priority attention of modern researchers on youth electoral behavior is focused on diagnosing the causes of absenteeism and protest behavior, while the issue of the influence of political events and, in particular, election campaigns on the political consciousness of young people is undeservedly overlooked. Based on the results of the author’s sociological survey of 500 representatives of Moscow student youth, it was concluded that young people who regularly participate in socio-political activities have a much more developed, logical, consistent political consciousness than those respondents who do not engage in socio-political activities regularly. Thus, according to the results of the study, politically active respondents are more often interested in the events of political life, are more consistent in their liberal or conservative political judgments and preferences, tend to take responsibility for their fate and well-being, defend violated rights and freedoms by legal methods than respondents who do not take regular part in political life. At the same time, politically inert student youth are more prone to political absenteeism, more susceptible to political manipulation and provocation. The article argues for the need to develop technologies to promote the constructive political consciousness of the youth of the capital, through civil law and patriotic education, educational activities in matters of participation in elections, as well as practical activities to protect the legal rights and freedoms of a person and citizen.

youth, political behavior, electoral behavior, youth policy