Perception of the Justice System and Undergraduates’ Participation in the Democratic System (Published)
This study examined undergraduates’ perception of justice system and participation in democratic activities Southwest Nigeria. Descriptive research design of the survey type was used in this study. The population of this study consisted of 872,100 undergraduate students, universities in Southwest, Nigeria. The sample for this study consisted of 1522 university undergraduates selected using multistage sampling procedure that include simple random, stratified and purposive sampling techniques. ‘Undergraduates Perception of Justice System and Democratic Activities Questionnaire’ (UPJSDAQ) was used to collect data. Face and content validity of the instrument, were ensured by experts in the fields of Social Studies Education, and Tests and Measurement in the Faculty of education, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti. Reliability of the instrument was ensured through test-retest method and a reliability coefficient of 0.88 was obtained. Data were analysed with descriptive and inferential statistics such as frequency counts, means, standard deviations, and percentages; and PPMC. It was reported that undergraduate have positive perception of justice system but their level of participation in democratic activities was low. A significant relationship between perception of justice system and participation in democratic activities. It was inferred that while undergraduates believe in the legitimacy and effectiveness of the justice system, this confidence has not sufficiently translated into active democratic participation, indicating the need for strategies that
Keywords: Democracy, civic activities, democratic activities, justice system. judiciary, undergraduate students