Political self-efficacy: theoretical approaches and contemporary research

Abstract

This article is a systematic review of relevant research on the study of political self-efficacy. The paper describes the theoretical prerequisites for the emergence of the construct, the basic definitions and classifications, the origins of political self-efficacy and its consequences at the behavioral level. Political self-efficacy is a special case of self-efficacy in the political sphere and is based on A. Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy. Modern researchers distinguish between three main types of PSE: internal (individual), collective (group) and external. Internal PSE is understood as a belief in one’s ability to influence events in a country, collective PSE - as a belief in one’s group’s ability to influence events in a country. External PSE, in turn, is the perception of how responsive the state and the socio-political system are to the actions of an individual or group.