Gen-Z's Rational Choice in Influencing Political Participation in the 2024 Regional Elections

The basic assumption of the rational choice approach is that humans are basically selfish, rational, and always try to maximize utility and profit for themselves. In this view, individuals as actors are assumed to have a series of special property rights (set of properties), including certain tastes or preferences. This is also applied in political participation, where rational choice is able to influence actors in participating in politics such as general elections. In its development, Indonesia's political participation level is still experiencing ups and downs due to the low level of public trust in government performance. This has an impact on Gen Z's negative view of the implementation of the Election. Gen Z as a new voter is one of the votes that are taken into account, so this study aims to determine how rational actors own choice in this case Gen Z to participate in politics. Especially in the implementation of the 2024 Sumenep Regency Election. Qualitative methods were used in this study with the results that Gen Z's political participation in the election. The results show the influence of rational choice theory, greatly influenced by their calculations regarding the benefits and costs of participating. Factors such as trust in the political system, relevance of issues, and social involvement greatly determine their decisions. If they feel that their voice can make a significant difference and the process is accessible, they are more likely to get involved.