Page 288 - DPOL202_COMPARATIVE_POLITICS_AND_GOVERNMENT_ENGLISH

Unit 12: Politics of Representation and Participation

The responses in citizens of France are more likely than citizens of the United States, Great Britain, Notes
or West Germany to participate in demonstrations and political strikes, whereas Americans are
more likely than the others to persuade other people how to vote and to work with citizen groups.
Several other studies have found that the form of participation most frequently claimed by Americans
is voting in elections (53 percent), followed by stating their political opinions to others (32 percent),
contributing money to campaigns (12 percent), displaying political bumper-stickers and signs (9
percent), and attending political meetings or rallies (8 percent). Only 4 percent report belonging to
a political club or working for a political party.
In short, Americans participate in politics in ways other than voting in elections as much or more
than the citizens of the other Western democracies for whom we have reliable information. These
data certainly do not support the conclusion that Americans are in any way more alienated or
lazier than the citizens of other democracies.
Political Participation in UK
Participation

If political participation is defined as paying taxes and drawing benefits from public programs,
then everyone is involved, for public policies provide benefits at every stage of life, from maternity
allowance to mothers through education, employment and unemployment benefits, health care,
and pensions in old age.
An election is the one opportunity people have to influence government directly. Every citizen aged.

Percentage

Voted
59

Made a speech
18
Very interested in politics
14
Officer organization, club
13
Urged someone to vote
13
Wrote letter to editor
7

Party member
2
Stood for public office
1
None of these
22

Figure: Participation in Politics
Source: MORI public opinion survey, January-March, 2001 pooling 14,010 interviews, as reported in Robert
Worcester and Roger Mortimore, Explaining Labour’s Second Landslide. London: Politico’s, 2001.

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