Politics has become a frustrating social activity for many young people. However, there is no escape from it: the only choice in democratic society is between ―good‖ politics and ―bad‖ politics. The performance of ―independent‖ media, our cultural and social norms, some constitutionals provisions, liberalism and cynicism are among those principal factors that are responsible for the alienation of you from politics. Federal structure, in the meantime, has encouraged the youth to engage in politics. In a federal-democratic society, youth needs to possess critical and deliberative mind to make politics meaningful and productive. This paper explores the roles youth can play in strengthening federal democracy in Nepal.Key words: Democracy, federalism, constitution, participation, socialization, liberalism, critical mind.IntroductionWith the promulgation of the Constitution of Nepal in 2015 which established Nepal as a federal democratic republic brought about through countless sacrifices, many new aspirations, dreams and hopes have made an upward swing. Ideals such as prosperity, justice, equality, socialism, inclusion and development found important places in the new Constitution (Government of Nepal, 2015, p. 1 & 27). The people became sovereign, the architect of their destiny. Parties and leaders appeared as the sole political actor, with enough power and opportunity to deliver on many good things to the nation and the people. The people, in general, and the youth became much enthusiastic and placed their high hopes on leaders and parties. But, to our dismay, the nation has not witnessed expected changes for the better. The old problems have remained intact and the new ones have emerged. The hopes of great many people have been dashed, with the dreams of the nation and the people remaining far from materialized. People‘s disenchantment with the leaders, parties and governments, and democracy and federalism is growing.
