1. Citizens, Society & State
Social Cleavages
Citizen/State Relationships

2. Social Cleavages
Society is complex: religion, ethnic groups, race, social & economic classes all interact w/ the political system
These divisions are called social cleavages:
Social class:
Class awareness has declined in developed countries, still prevalent in voting patterns
UK: middle class voters tend to vote Conservative, working-class votes Labour Party
Ethnic cleavages:
Ethnic clashes are cause of full-scale civil wars in former Yugoslavia, former USSR republics & Liberia, Rwanda & Angola
These cleavages are based on different cultural identities, language & religion
Religious cleavages:
Religion is closely intertwined with ethnicity; conflict in Northern Ireland has strong religious background- Irish Nationalists are strong Catholics & Loyalists are strong Protestants
Regional cleavages:
In modern states different political views and attitudes characterize regions of a country
The populations compete for jobs, money, development projects
Regional differences also linked to varying degrees of economic development

3. Citizen/State Relationships
Gov’ts connect to their people in variety of ways
We can compare gov’t/citizen relationships by categorizing differences & similarities between them
Attitudes & Beliefs of Citizens
Political socialization
Types of participation
Voting behavior
Factors that influence political beliefs and behaviors
Level of transparency

4. Categories Attitudes & Beliefs: Do citizens trust their gov’t?
Do they believe the gov’t cares about what they think?
Political efficacy is one measurement of the connectedness between state & citizen
Political efficacy: citizen’s capacity to understand and influence political events
Citizens w/ high level of efficacy believe the gov’t takes their input seriously and cares about what they have to say
They also believe in their own ability to understand political issues
Political Socialization:
How do citizens learn about politics in their country?
Do print or electronic media shape their learning?
Does the gov’t put forth effort to politically educate their citizens?
How do children learn about politics?
How much of gov’t effort is propaganda?
Types of Participation:
In authoritarian gov’ts most citizens are subjected to activities and involve obedience
Obey laws, follow military orders, pay taxes
In democracies citizens play a more active role in shaping the course of policies
Participate in voting, citizens may work for politicians, attend meetings, attend rallies, contribute money to campaigns or join clubs or parties
Voting Behavior:
Do citizens participate in regular elections?
Are the elections truly competitive?
If not, what’s the purpose of the elections?
What citizens are eligible to vote?

5. UK Voter Efficacy: 2007 General Elections
Source:

6. Country Date of Election Voter Turnout Nigeria 04.21.07 57.5% * Uganda
Comparative Voter Turnout
Selected Presidential Elections:
Country
Date of Election
Voter Turnout
Nigeria
57.5% *
Uganda
69.19%
Yemen
61.16%
Colombia
45.05%
France
83.77%
Portugal
61.53%
Iran
85%
* Estimate, not official
Source: Election Guide,

7. Categories Factors that influence political beliefs & behaviors:
Do important cleavages make a difference in citizens’ political beliefs or behaviors?
Are women’s beliefs different than that of men?
Are younger people as likely to vote as the elderly?
Level of transparency:
A transparent gov’t operates openly by keeping citizens informed about gov’t operations & political issues
Corruption exists across the spectrum of political systems, but less corruption typically found in more democratic gov’ts
Or, if corruption is found, transparent gov’ts allow media and citizens to ask questions and demand answers
Corruption Perception Index: