| Two aims of this research were to examine the effects of an intervention, with respect to the development of political empowerment, and to develop and empirically test a model of political empowerment. Undergraduates were randomly assigned to one of two conditions (intervention/control) and surveyed before and after the intervention (or the equivalent two semester interim).;ANCOVA analyses revealed that individuals who participated in the empowering intervention (N = 54) had increased feelings of political commitment (F = 4.81, p $<$.05) and a decreased sense of political efficacy (F = 5.35, p $<$.05) compared to individuals randomly assigned (N = 52) to a control group.;A model of political empowerment was developed, including the latent constructs Political Awareness, Political Competence, and Political Activism, as well as Condition (intervention/control group membership). Two competing models of hypothesized relationships among these latent variables were compared, using LISREL 8. Goodness of fit indices revealed that a nested model fit the data better than the complex model. These results suggest that upon intervention termination, students who participated in the intervention reported less political competence and more political activism than students in the control group. These results also suggest direct paths from Political Awareness at Time 1 to Political Awareness at Time 2. Political Competence at Time 1 predicted Political Competence at Time 2. Also, a trend was noted that Political Competence at Time 1 negatively predicted a change in Political Awareness at Time 2. Political Activism at Time 1 predicted Political Activism at Time 2, as well as Political Awareness at Time 2.;Based upon these findings, a developmental model of political empowerment was hypothesized. When a sense of political activism and commitment can be sparked in university settings, it may set the stage for the continued development of political empowerment.;Limitations of this study were discussed and suggestions for future research were presented. Overall, the goals of this research were to advance theory development, guide research and identify ways to promote political empowerment in university students. |
