Abstract
This chapter defines some of the key terms that will be used, outline the various forms that youth civic and political engagement can take and take note of the findings of recent studies into patterns of youth engagement. It introduces the numerous factors that are related to youth engagement — these include psychological, social, demographic and macro factors. The chapter outlines the inter-relationships between these four sets of factors and explains how different forms of participation are influenced by different subsets of factors. Engagement usually involves some kind of participatory behaviour that is directed towards political institutions, political processes and public authorities or towards the fellow members of a community. Political participation can take many different forms. Some forms involve electoral processes and are called conventional forms of political participation. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.