Unsettled in the starting blocks: a case study of internal efficacy socialisation in the Republic of Ireland

This study looks at the socialisation of internal political efficacy. It assesses the link from individual background, through socio-political learning experiences, to the perception of political competence. A quantitative survey of thresholders (n 849), i.e. adolescents on the threshold of voting age in the Republic of Ireland provides data for analysis, with a particular focus on their socialisation experiences in home, school and associational settings. It finds a higher sense of internal efficacy among young males than females, irrespective of socialisation experience. Family politicisation is found to mitigate the differences in internal efficacy associated with socio-economic status. Though some pseudo-political mastery experiences from school and associational environs assessed here are linked to thresholder’s internal efficacy, the link is minor.