This study investigates the link between economic instability and political alienation among Kurdish youth in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region (IKR). Based on a quantitative survey of 420 respondents (aged 18‒35), the research demonstrates that persistent economic precarity is a significant predictor of political powerlessness, normlessness, and social isolation. The findings challenge narratives of youth apathy, revealing instead a sophisticated critique of institutional failures rooted in economic experience. The study’s innovation lies in integrating economic dependency theory with alienation frameworks, offering new insights into political disengagement in post-conflict, resource-dependent societies.
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