THE NEED OF YOUTH EMPOWERMENT THROUGH CIVIC EDUCATION

Reality often shows that young people are disconnected from civic and political life, which leads to a noticeable lack of education and participatory involvement. This paper aims to highlight an empirical analysis performed among students in business and economics, in order to reflect the need for education regarding participatory civic and the level of knowledge on the basic concepts of participatory democracy. The study presents results from a questionnaire with 250 respondents. They were asked to evaluate certain statements and express their opinion (agreement or disagreement) on the role of participatory democracy and their involvement in resolving issues in the society. Results showed that the majority of respondents do not know the specific notions of participatory democracy. The main conclusion of this investigation on civic education states that there is a low level of participation or active involvement of young people in the Romanian society. In order to solve this problem, particular attention needs to be paid on adapting and improving the educational offer in terms of the development of civic and ethical skills.