Politics Against the Future: How Power Struggles in Liberia Are Turning Youth Against Themselves and Destroying Their Long-Term Prospects

Abstract

This study uses a philosophical approach to examine how electoral politics in Liberia systematically exploit, divide, and endanger young people, turning them into instruments of elite power struggles that undermine their own future prospects. Using the September 29, 2023 electoral violence in Foya District #1 as a case study, the paper applies political philosophy, ethical analysis, and critical social theory to explain how youth manipulation produces intergenerational harm. Drawing on recent literature (2020–2025), election observation reports, and normative philosophical reasoning, the study demonstrates that youth exploitation in politics constitutes structural violence and moral injustice. It concludes with a multi-layered, actionable framework for promoting youth protection, civic reconstruction, democratic integrity, and long-term developmental intervention in Liberia.