This article explores how a group of Spanish students (aged 11-19) understand the meaning of "political participation" in society and discusses the implications of their views for debates and practices in citizenship education. The ways in which these students (n = 112) describe and interpret political participation are analysed using an in-depth and interpretative approach employing open questionnaires and interviews. The results suggest that most students value political participation in positive terms and that "activist" students have a more optimistic view of the effectiveness of participation and especially of new forms of participation such as protests.