Political Participation and Political culture

Question 1

what does political participation mean?

Answer 1

refers to the many different ways that people take part in politics and government

Question 2

what are different example ways of political participation?

Answer 2

voting, petitions, demonstrations, boycotts, assassinations, terrorism, etc.

Question 3

what are three distinctive modes of political participation?

Answer 3

1. conventional vs. unconventional
2. legal vs. illegal
3. lowkey vs. intensive

Question 4

what is the main method of political participation and what are its characteristics/modes?

Answer 4

voting is the main method of political participation

it is conventional, legal and lowkey

Question 5

what are the two main factors that can explain variations in electoral turnout levels?

Answer 5

institutional arrangements

competitiveness of elections

Question 6

what are some factors that fall under institutional arrangements in voting?

Answer 6

-compulsory voting
-registration requirements
-different electoral systems

Question 7

what are some factors that fall under competitiveness of elections in voting?

Answer 7

-policy differences between parties

-first or second order elections

Question 8

what are two factors that can explain why there are downward trends in political participation?

Answer 8

-shift towards new unconventional forms of participation

-changes in political culture

Question 9

what is meant by political culture?

Answer 9

a sum of individual values and norms regarding politics and political systems

Question 10

what are two general problems within political culture?

Answer 10

1. compactness or cohesion of culture
2. mass vs. elite culture

Question 11

what are the two main theories of the cultural explanations of political participation?

Answer 11

-Theory of interpersonal trust (social capital)

-Theory of post-materialism

Question 12

what is meant by the theory of interpersonal trust?

Answer 12

political culture characterised by strong interpersonal trust is good for democratic performance and political participation

Question 13

what is the importance of interpersonal trust?

Answer 13

-Generates diffuse support for democracy (political trust)

-Increases propensity for collective action (political participation)

Question 14

what is meant by the theory of post-materialism?

Answer 14

there is a shift in mass attitudes in Western post-war societies from materialist values to post-materialist values

Question 15

what is the importance of this change to post-materialism?

Answer 15

it explains the new forms of both political participation and electoral alignments