Efficacy, Political

Since Campbell et al. (1954) first defined political efficacy, numerous studies emerged placing emphasis on: (1) the theoretical relevance of the concept for the functioning of liberal democracies; (2) its relationship with other political attitudes and behaviors, and (3) the (unresolved) controversy around its measurement. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the nature and evolution of the literature on political efficacy by presenting how disciplines such as political science, sociology, communication and media studies and psychology tackle these questions.