Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Document Type

Poster

Publication Date

Spring 5-6-2026

Faculty Advisor(s)

Lewis Luartz

Abstract

This study examines how trust in mainstream elites influences the likelihood that young voters (ages 18-25) support right-wing parties in Germany and the United States. While existing research links declining trust in political elites to the rise of populist and right-wing support, less attention has been given to the relationship among young voters. This project addresses that gap by analyzing whether discrust in elite independently drives right-wing voting or whether it interacts with other potential attitudes. I argue that lower trust in mainstream elites increases the likelihood that younger voters will support right-wing parties, but this relationship is also shaped by people's attitudes towards immigration. While this relationship has been observed among adult voters, this study focuses on young voters, given that elite distrust works differently at earlier stages of political socialization. Using data from the Comparative Study of Electional Systems (CSES) Module 5, I analyze elections in Germany (2017, 2021) and the United States (2016, 2020). A logistic regression model with an interaction term between elite trust and immigration attitudes is used to estimate the predicted probabilities of voting right-wing and to compare patterns across election years in both Germany and the United States, to see whether the relationship changes over time within each country. The results reveal that anti-immigration attitudes significantly amplify the effect of low elites' trust, while higher trust in elites dampens the likelihood of right-wing support across both countries, with low variation in the relationship across election cycles. Overall, this study demonstrates that young voters' behavior should not be underestimated by highlighting how distrust in political elites and young voters' attitudes toward immigration interact with young voters' voting behavior. This offers insight into how early political attitudes take form.

Comments

Presented at the Spring 2026 Student Scholar Symposium at Chapman University.

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