YOUTH POLICY AND DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE IN GEORGIA: A SURVEY-BASED ANALYSIS OF CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

Abstract

This study examines the effectiveness of youth policy frameworks in Georgia and their implications for democratic governance and state institutional development. Through a comprehensive mixed-methods approach incorporating theoretical analysis and empirical survey data from a hundred participants with ages between eighteen and twenty-nine years old, from across multiple Georgian regions, the research employs purposive non-probability sampling to ensure geographic, gender, and socioeconomic diversity. While the sample size of N=100 limits external validity, findings are treated as indicative and are triangulated with document analysis to strengthen validity. The analysis identifies significant gaps between policy implementation and youth engagement outcomes. Despite comprising twenty-nine point-eight percent of Georgia’s population, young people demonstrate limited awareness of state youth initiatives (thirty-two percent) and minimal participation in civic activities (sixty-eight percent report no volunteer experience). Statistical analysis indicates strong correlations between institutional trust and engagement willingness, while economic constraints emerge as the primary barrier to participation (sixty-four percent of respondents). The study contributes to understanding youth policy effectiveness and offers analytical insights into the conditions shaping youth civic engagement in post-Soviet transitional democracies.