A Multidimensional Conceptualization and Measure of Youth Civic Agency

Scholars of youth civic development have assessed agency using a wide range of constructs, including motivation, efficacy, empowerment, and sociopolitical control. We propose a multidimensional framework and describe the development and validation of a measure of civic agency, conceptualized as competence, drive, individual power, and collective power. In Study 1, we developed a set of items and employed exploratory factor analysis with a pilot sample of adolescents ( N = 295, M age = 17.1, 65.4% youth of color, 47.9% female, 15.8% nonbinary), which supported our hypothesized four‐factor model of civic agency. In Study 2, we conducted confirmatory factor analysis of our final items with a separate adolescent sample ( N = 1120, M age = 16.2, 73.0% youth of color, 55.7% female, 23.3% nonbinary), which demonstrated measurement invariance on race/ethnicity, gender, and age. In Study 3, we validated our scale in a sample of young activists ( N = 342, M age = 19.1, 57.6% youth of color, 72.6% female, 23.0% nonbinary). Confirmatory factor analysis supported a four‐dimensional hierarchical structure and we established measurement invariance between adolescents and young adults. Overall, the 16‐item Civic Agency Measure consistently demonstrated validity and reliability. We discuss the utility of our work for advancing sociopolitical development theory and supporting adolescents' efforts for social change.