Student governments are important actors in higher education governance and also in more general political processes, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. Most of the research on student governments has thus far focused on the relations with higher education authorities and political parties, often without investigating their internal dynamics,…

In a hermeneutic phenomenological study on the lived experiences of openly gay undergraduate men in elected student government (see Goodman, 2021, 2022), one major theme emerged: the men were elected and selected. This study contained multiple conversations with eight openly gay undergraduate men who were elected to their institution's student…

College students play a pivotal role in governance efforts in higher education. From student government and student associations to student regents and trustees, it is common for institutions--and systems--to engage students in the governance process (Lozano, 2020; Lozano & Hughes, 2017; May, 2010). This article highlights the noteworthy…

Does political ideology affect how students judge situations? Although students who are liberal or conservative might both show political bias, they differ in their views of how the world works. This experiment conducted with 739 students manipulates ideology in a scenario about a student government regulating a biased student newspaper. Results…

This article explores the connection between college student involvement and leadership identity development (LID), focusing specifically on the cocurricular experiences of student clubs and organizations, student government, sororities and fraternities, and student recreation/athletics. Key considerations for focusing on students' LID through…

College student government is a form of student involvement in higher education, and one that has evolved over time. But student government is not without politics, from legislating on campus to making statements on local, national, and international issues. This article illuminates data from a phenomenological study of nineteen former student…

Meaningful student participation is essential to realizing democratic ideals within the university. However, existing structures for involving students within university governance suffer from a variety of shortcomings, leaving scholars calling for ways to make student participation more inclusive, effective, and thoughtful. To address this…

While biographical sketches of many publicly elected leaders in the US exist, little is known about the connection between serving in college student government and running for or serving in elected public office after college. This phenomenological study explored the experiences of 19 former college student government officers in elected,…

Public higher education institutions in South Africa conduct Student Representative Council (SRC) elections yearly. However, there is a paucity of studies to determine factors that affect voter turnout in these elections. This descriptive quantitative study conducted an empirical analysis of factors influencing students' voter participation at…

The purpose of this narrative inquiry is to better understand why students in higher education are motivated to get involved in student government. We analyzed the responses of ten current student government leaders at public regional comprehensive institutions in the United States. The analysis is guided by Astin's theory of student involvement…

Student governments can play an important part of the habit development of participating in democracy. A study in 2012, however, illustrated just how few students actually voted in their own student government elections. With a changing world of national politics, there is a need to understand student voting as a possible reflection of…

Many notable leaders in the United States previously served in their college's student government, including Stacey Abrams, Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Elijah Cummings. Findings in this article derive from a larger study on the experiences of former college student government officers who ran for or served in post-college public office between…

Among other responsibilities, many college student governments (SGs) are responsible for overseeing student fees as part of their operation (Miles et al., 2008). In 2018 around 32% of SG presidents reported being very or extremely influential on decisions involving student life and student fees (Templeton et al., 2018). At some institutions, SGs…

A student body president's work involves addressing emerging crises and challenging institutional decision-makers to respond to the cost of higher education, campus sexual assault, mental health, free speech, and student safety (Student Voice Index, 2018). This phenomenological study unearths the experiences of individuals who previously served as…

Student government organizations exist across institutions of higher education and provide a platform for advocacy and empowerment of involved students. The purpose of this study was to explore whether relationships exist between quality and quantity of student government involvement and socially responsible leadership as well as provide insight…