Konstruksi Ideologi Partai Politik: Studi Kasus Peran Rasionalitas Mahasiswa USU

Abstract

This research explores how political party ideology is constructed and perceived by students at Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU), particularly within the political landscape of Medan City. The main focus is to understand how far students rationally consider party ideology when forming their political preferences. As part of the educated youth, university students are expected to have a higher level of critical thinking, but in reality, their political choices may still be influenced by many other factors beyond ideology. Using a qualitative approach and case study method, this study collects data through in-depth interviews with several USU students from diverse academic and social backgrounds. The data is then analyzed to identify their patterns of political reasoning, especially regarding how they understand and respond to the ideologies offered by political parties. Moreover, many students express skepticism toward political parties, seeing them as inconsistent in implementing their declared ideologies. They feel that parties often use ideology only for branding during campaigns, but rarely follow through with real policies. In conclusion, while ideology still plays a role in shaping students’ political choices, it is not the only or even the most dominant factor. Student rationality is dynamic and shaped by personal experience, social environment, and political awareness. This study shows that the construction of political ideology among students is not only about political knowledge, but also about how they interpret politics as part of their everyday life.