PARTICIPATION IN POLITICAL INTEREST GROUPS OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Rhon Joseph S Ramos,Rica Alyana D Molina,Ferdinand T Abocejo

doi:10.46827/ejpss.v5i1.1121

Abstract

Political interest groups (PIGs) are formed by people having common goals and working their way to make their goals a realization. These groups play a crucial role in influencing the minds of the youth in their outlook about varies societal issues. As a way for the youth to be able to participate, these groups found a way to organize political interest group chapters within universities. The organization allow university students to be able to actively participate in conducted activities within their campuses. This study investigated the different political interest groups which are existing in the universities within Cebu City, Philippines. The study also endeavored to examine the different reasons why students are willing participate in these so-called political interest groups and the factors that drive them in joining, how these institutional chapters are recognized and monitored by their respective universities. The findings revealed that students who participated in political interest groups find them interesting and beneficial serving as primary channel to voice their opinions regarding crucial and current societal issues. Also, the universities give them permits to conduct fora and seminars inside the campus. Many students confirm that joining political interest groups bring them more benefits, hone their political interests. Finally, joining political interest groups foster and deepen university students’ social development, broaden their political horizons and bring about positive social change while nurturing students’ rational choices.   Article visualizations:<img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0800/a.php" alt="Hit counter" />

Highlights

University students, especially those who already reached the voting age, desire that their voices be heard in the political arena within their political environment
In Cebu Normal University (CNU), the only accredited political interest group is the “Anakbayan”, this group has not yet fully accomplished all the requirements to be submitted but the university already considers this group as accredited. It was still on the process of accreditation, at the time of the study, making it new in the university. This political interest group has already been established outside the university and has organized an institution-based chapter in CNU
Political interest groups in universities serve as the primary channel of students to voice out their opinions concerning the different societal issues nowadays, even fewer universities in Cebu City accredit institutional chapters within their campuses

Summary

Introduction

University students, especially those who already reached the voting age, desire that their voices be heard in the political arena within their political environment. Political interest groups are organized by tertiary students, mostly pursuing University level studies, which serves as apolitical vanguard in the promulgation, enactment and implementation of laws and policies. Some university students who are more politically inclined are likely to participate in different political interest groups which meet their political aspirations. In the Philippines, it is common for different political interest groups to penetrate the universities and recruit prospective students to join their cluster. Institutional political interest groups engage themselves beyond the political arena so they can exist with or without politically inclined activities. They only become politically dynamic when defending their interests in the societal political system, policy and decision making (Evangelio and Abocejo, 2015)

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