Sheaff, Simon Phillip ThomasYoung adults are drastically underrepresented at every level of government. This is not a necessary outcome of any political system and thus requires explanation. This dissertation focuses on the lack of young adult representation in state legislatures, a traditional steppingstone to higher office. Several different theories for the underrepresentation are proposed and tested. The results critically suggest thinking about young adults not as those who are choosing to stay outside of the political sphere, but as potential actors who have not yet been pushed into action.enDissertationPolitical science