Political Participation
The article attached explains different types of political
participation and why people do or don’t choose to participate in politics. First
off, it explains what political participation is, the actions of private
citizens by which they seek to influence or to support government and politics.
Participation in politics involves more than just voting, political
participation is the freedom to speak out, assemble and associate, and the
opportunity to register as a candidate, to campaign, to be elected and to hold
office in government. Next, there are 2 types of participation, conventional vs.
unconventional. The first type, conventional, conventional participation is a relatively
routine, added behavior that uses the channels of representative government. There
are 2 behaviors expressed in conventional government, supportive and influencing.
Supportive behaviors are used to show allegiance to your government and country
and influencing behaviors are used to modify or reverse government policy. Compared
with other countries, American citizens are less likely to vote in elections,
but more likely to engage in other forms of conventional participation. The other
for of political participation is unconventional participation. Unconventional participation
is an uncommon behavior that changes or defies the government, and it is usually
stressful for participants and their opponents. Americans generally disapprove of
unconventional political action, especially the ones that interfere with daily
living. Unconventional participation has been successful in influencing
government decisions. People participating in unconventional ways tend to share
three beliefs: distrust of political system, strong sense of political efficiency,
and a highly developed sense of group consciousness. Americans are more likely
to participate in unconventional politics than are citizens in other democratic
countries. The reasons for political participation are political socialization,
the process by which an individual acquires his or her political beliefs, and
agents of socializations, numerous things that influence people such as family,
media, and schools. Participation rates are a function of resources and civic
skills.
This article talks
about the different ways that citizens can participate in politics. New media, such as social networking sites,
blogs, and online campaign donations, have provided new ways for political participation.
Citizens can participate in civil society, an important part of political
participation, with activities like volunteering, attending events associated
with causes, or joining a civic organization. Citizens can protest, riot, or
refuse to vote to show unhappiness with certain elements of the political
system. Citizens can also participate in politics by being directly involved in
campaigns, they can run for office themselves, donate money or time to
candidates, or discuss political issues and campaigns with friends and family.
