A study in Austria back examined the differences in political interest of 16- and 17-year-old Austrians before and after the country lowered the voting age to 16 in 2008. Published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Youth Studies, “Political interest of adolescents before and after lowering the voting age: the case of Austria,” suggests that with enfranchisement comes increased interest in politics.

“Young people are said to be uninterested in politics. This lack of political interest among adolescents has been used as an argument against lowering the voting age. But why should someone be interested in politics if he or she is not eligible to vote,” the study asked. “We observe that political interest of 16- and 17-year-olds was higher after lowering the voting age…In the specific societal and situational context of Austria, the development of political interest among young people seems to be associated with the ‘life event’ of enfranchisement.”