The Relationship between Education and Political Self-Efficacy: Fea-tures of Influence on Political Participation

This article examines the influence of education level on political self-efficacy and citizens’ participa-tion in political life. The theoretical part includes an analysis of the concepts of “causal theory” and “sorting mechanism”, as well as a discussion of the role of political self-efficacy as a mediator. The empirical analysis uses data from the 11th round of the European Social Survey (31 countries) and employs logistic regression modeling. Three hypotheses are tested: a positive relationship between education and political self-efficacy; no direct link between education and participation; and the mediating role of self-efficacy. The results confirm that education significantly affects political engagement both directly and indirectly through increased self-efficacy. Education strengthens citizens’ confidence in their ability to influence political processes, fostering greater political involvement. These findings have practical impli-cations for civic education policy and strategies to enhance political participation.