1. Political Participation
Who participates and what difference does it make?

2. Forms of participation:
Voluntary participation: self-motivated – individuals decide to participate
Regimented participation: the government (or ruling party) forces people to participate
Characteristic of totalitarian and some authoritarian regimes
Mobilized participation: parties, trade unions, churches, interest groups encourage people to participate – not coerced but combination of incentives plus strong element of persuasion

3. Some key questions: Who participates in politics? How does it vary?
from country to country?
within countries?
What accounts for differences and similarities?
What difference does it make? The ‘so what’ question

4. The ‘more the more’ hypothesis:
People with higher social and economic status (SES), and more education more likely to participate
If so, then:
There will be more participation in wealthier societies than in poorer societies
Participating more, better-offs in any society should have more influence than worse-offs

5. Post-materialism and value change
`Erst das fressen, dan die morale’
According to Ronald Inglehart, people who are raised (or come of age) in affluent societies are more likely to to hold post-material or radical quality of life values
People who are raised in situations of economic scarcity are more likely to hold materialistic values

6. Is this true?
Those at the bottom should have greater motivation to participate
Working class parties have mobilized followers in order to ensure a voice
But, how effectively and how recently?
If the very poor do not participate as much, why do they not participate?

7. Is this true?
Those at the bottom should have greater motivation to participate
Working class parties have mobilized followers in order to ensure a voice
But, how effectively and how recently?
If the very poor do not participate as much, why do they not participate?