Millennials’ Perception of the Practice of Democracy

Abstract

The practice of democracy faces challenges and opportunities from communication technology advancement, which facilitates the public to access political information and to participate directly in various democracy practices. Considering the development in democracy practices, this study aimed to discover millennials' perception of the practice of democracy in relation to technological advancement. It employed survey method with quantitative approach. The respondents were 112 people from state and private universities selected through purposive sampling. The results showed that respondents' level of trust on democracy practices such as general election and on credibility of political figures and institutions were quite high. This perception needs to be improved through implementation of democracy practices that give priority to objectivity, sincerity, and fairness, which are shown in political activities and responsive efforts from the government to ensure the fulfilment of people's rights. Meanwhile, social media as a channel for political information needs to optimize its educational, monitoring, and public-opinion shaping functions as part of ideal democracy practice implementation.