“I don’t like to put labels on it”: Activism, Political Identity Development, and the Cultivation of Student Political Fluency

Based on intensive interviews with 39 participants across four geographically and politically diverse public institutions, this study describes the concept of “student political fluency,” the core category developed using constructivist grounded theory. The development of political fluency reflects the expertise a student has based on their political knowledge and actions, informed by their salient social identities, and contextualized by their desired political outcome(s). Four phases frame the development of student political fluency within the collegiate environment, including politically motivating experiences, cognitive negotiation, applying political identity(ies), and political identity congruence. Informed by the new concept, implications for policy and practice draw attention to optimal strategies and tactics that encourage equitable forms of campus-based political pedagogy leading to the realization of a politically dynamic and inclusive campus climate, which can contribute to a range of desirable individual and societal outcomes.