Political Trust and Electoral Behavior Among 16- and 17-Year-Old First-Time-Voters in Belgium

Abstract Citizens’ electoral behaviors tend to persist over time and are driven by long-standing political attitudes acquired during the formative years of adolescence. We contribute to this literature by building on the object-specific nature of political trust, captured by trust in order and representative institutions, and investigating its relationship with turnout and vote choices among Belgian 16- and 17-year-olds, who were eligible to vote during the 2024 European elections. Using this unique data from adolescent first-time voters, the results confirm the two-dimensionality of political trust and show that low trust leads to protest and radical voting. These findings highlight the importance of early political socialization in shaping political trust and electoral behavior to encourage constructive political engagement.