Political efficacy is a citizen's belief that they can understand and influence political affairs. It has two parts: internal efficacy and external efficacy. Internal efficacy is the belief that you can understand politics and participate effectively. External efficacy is the belief that the government will respond to your participation. High efficacy leads to engagement. Low efficacy leads to apathy.

Political efficacy is measured by surveys. Questions ask whether politics is too complicated, whether officials care about people like you, and whether voting makes a difference. The results show a decline in efficacy in many democracies. Young people often feel less efficacious than older people. Minority groups often feel less efficacious than majority groups. The feeling is not always accurate. It is a perception. But perceptions shape behavior.

Factors affecting political efficacy

• Education: higher education increases internal efficacy.
• Income: higher income increases external efficacy.
• Media: news consumption increases knowledge and efficacy.
• Trust: trust in government increases external efficacy.
• Discrimination: reduces efficacy for marginalized groups.

Political efficacy matters for democracy. A democracy needs engaged citizens. If people believe they cannot influence politics, they stop trying. They stop voting. They stop protesting. They stop paying attention. The result is a democracy of the few. The few have more influence. The many have less. That is a downward spiral. Political efficacy is the antidote. It is the belief that participation matters. It is the belief that the system can respond. It is not always true. But it is a necessary fiction. Without it, democracy cannot function. The challenge is to make it true. To make government responsive. To make participation meaningful. To make every citizen believe their voice counts. That is the work of democracy.