Young people and democracy in Portugal: looking for a new paradigm?

In Portugal, as in other European countries, political distrust and apathy are strong, particularly among younger generations. The article make reference to the democratic quality survey data in order to analyze the relation between young and politics in Portugal. Unconventional participation and cognitive mobilization are taking place, but to a lesser extent than in other countries, even if contentious politics is growing as a consequence of the economic crisis. The peculiarity of the portoguese case can be explained as a consequence of the short history of democracy and the characteristics of the political system.