ABSTRACT
Being interested in politics, having political knowledge, and feeling competent to participate politically are core dimensions of political engagement. This chapter shows that older generations hold higher levels of political engagement—understood as political interest, knowledge, and efficacy—than younger generations. It also shows that political news exposure has a positive effect on political engagement and is especially beneficial for engaging younger generations in politics. Political interest is an important dimension of political engagement. Citizens with a high interest in politics are more likely to use the news media and to participate in political activities. Thus, devoting some attention to the levels of political interest across generations and to the role of political news exposure in this regard is of vital importance for understanding the dynamics of political engagement in contemporary democracies. The news media play an important role in narrowing generational gaps in political engagement.
