Evaluation Of The Political Participation Processes Of Generation Z In Turkey

Abstract

Individuals, who make a society a democratic society and constitute the basic building block of the society, try to influence the decisions of the political authority either through voting behavior, according to the conditions of the period they are in, or through various other political participation actions. Generation Z, defined as the generation born in the last 20 years, is the most prominent generation in today's society, influencing today's decision-making mechanisms and attracting attention with their position in society. This generation, which is newly recognized, is the generation that can access all local and national information quickly due to its birth in information technologies, uses social media and technological devices the best and knows these technological devices closely. For this reason, the methods of political participation of the public have changed with this generation.  Because this generation, which voted for the first time in the society with a high number of 6 million in the 2023 elections, members of Generation Z, who have a high rate in the society compared to the population of Turkey, are individuals who attract the attention of the political authority and have an important say in political and other issues in society. For this reason, the study aims to contribute to the literature by reviewing the literature on Generation Z and establishing a relationship with the political participation actors affecting Generation Z.