Democracy in Unequal Terms

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Russell J. Dalton
Keyword(s):  
Political Participation ◽  
Social Structure ◽  
Social Status ◽  
Citizen Participation ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Educational Levels ◽  
Lower Status ◽  
National Analysis ◽  
Cross National

This chapter summarizes the results of this study: changes in social structure and participation patterns are increasing social-status-based inequality in political participation. Those with higher educational levels, incomes, or occupation have greater political voice, while lower-status individuals are less politically involved. Moreover, the politically rich are getting richer, and the politically poor are getting poorer. The chapter then discusses the implications of these results. The chapter considers claims that participation erodes governance and some form of epistocracy (rule by the knowledgeable) is preferable. Cross-national analysis shows that well-governed democracies have high levels of citizen participation, including both conventional and contentious forms of action. In addition, the size of the SES participation gap is negatively related to good governance. The conclusion discusses ways that democracies might narrow the participation gap and give voice to those citizens who need government support.

Understanding political participation in West Africa: the relationship between good governance and local citizen engagement

2016 ◽  
Vol 83 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. 136-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly Ann Krawczyk ◽  
Jennie Sweet-Cushman
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Political Participation ◽  
West Africa ◽  
Citizen Participation ◽  
Negative Binomial ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Negative Binomial Regression Model ◽  
Citizen Engagement

Strengthening citizen participation in West Africa is an increasingly important aspect of democratic development – especially in mitigating setbacks arising from poor governance. This article uses Round 4 Afrobarometer data to explore what stimulates local-level participation by examining determinants against the backdrop of eight West African nations: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Ghana, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, and Senegal. Using a negative binomial regression model, our results are evaluated within the framework of good governance, and show that local context, specifically relative to citizens’ perceptions of and attitudes about the performance of local government, matters when it comes to local political participation. Points for practitioners This study provides public administrators with a framework for understanding what drives local-level, non-electoral citizen participation in West Africa, and helps them understand how to increase local citizen engagement and build a more democratic society through the pursuit of good governance principles. In addition, this study highlights the critical importance of local government performance, and the role of citizens’ attitudes and evaluations, in local civic engagement.

Social Structure and Political Participation: Developmental Relationships, II

1969 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 808-832 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norman H. Nie ◽  
G. Bingham Powell ◽  
Kenneth Prewitt
Keyword(s):  
Political Participation ◽  
Social Structure ◽  
Social Status ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Relative Size ◽  
Social Changes ◽  
Developmental Relationships ◽  
Political Awareness ◽  
Image Position ◽  
Organizational Involvement

Mass political participation increases as nations become more economically developed. In Part I of this study we attempted to identify the significant social experiences which explain the high levels of participation in economically developed nations. We formulated and explored the following general theory:Economic development alters the social structure of a nation. As nations become more economically developed, three major changes occur: (1) the relative size of the upper and middle classes becomes greater; (2) larger numbers of citizens are concentrated in the urban areas; and (3) the density and complexity of economic and secondary organizations increases. These social changes imply political changes. Greater proportions of the population find themselves in life situations which lead to increased political information, political awareness, sense of personal political efficacy, and other relevant attitudes. These attitude changes, in turn, lead to increases in political participation.The theory can be presented schematically in the following form:We were able to demonstrate that individuals' levels of social status and organizational involvement were strongly and consistently related to their levels of political participation. The survey data from five nations showed, further, that organizational involvement was more strongly related to participation, and more consistently from nation to nation, than was social status.

Government retrenchment and citizen participation in volunteering: A cross-national analysis of OECD countries

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 266-288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kohei Suzuki
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Participation ◽  
Oecd Countries ◽  
National Study ◽  
Industrialized Countries ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Government Role ◽  
National Analysis ◽  
Fiscal Pressure ◽  
Cross National

In most industrialized countries, politicians and policy makers face unprecedented levels of fiscal pressure. Such pressure has compelled governments to conduct substantial cuts in government spending and services. While policy makers have attempted to build a strong civil society to compensate for the declining government role, previous studies have not examined the link between government retrenchment and citizen involvement in volunteering. This study examines such a relationship by conducting a cross-national study of OECD countries. After controlling for individual- and country-level factors, the findings show that government retrenchment is positively associated with citizen volunteering.

The Political Bases of Citizen Contacting: A Cross-National Analysis

1985 ◽  
Vol 79 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan S. Zuckerman ◽  
Darrell M. West
Keyword(s):  
Political Parties ◽  
Political Participation ◽  
Economic Resources ◽  
The Political ◽  
Election Campaigns ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Political Ties ◽  
National Analysis ◽  
Cross National

This article examines a mode of political participation that frequently has been overlooked—individual efforts to obtain assistance from government officials. Using the seven-nation data set of Verba, Nie, and Kim, we develop and empirically evaluate alternatiave models of citizen contacting. Our first model draws on variations in the distribution of social and economic resources to explain the likelihood of contacting. The second focuses on differences in political ties to locate those most likely to contact government officials. We find greater support for the political ties model. Persons active in political parties and election campaigns are the most likely to engage in citizen contacting. Without political ties, few poor or uneducated persons would ask officials for assistance. We conclude by noting the more general theoretical and normative implications of our study.

Governance Quality, Fairness Perceptions, and Satisfaction with Democracy in Latin America

2021 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 122-145
Author(s):  
Gregory W. Saxton
Keyword(s):  
Income Distribution ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Negative Influence ◽  
Satisfaction With Democracy ◽  
Fairness Judgments ◽  
National Analysis ◽  
Latin American Countries ◽  
Cross National

ABSTRACTHow do individuals’ fairness judgments affect their political evaluations? This article argues that when citizens perceive high levels of distributive unfairness in society, they will be less satisfied with the way democracy functions. Yet good governance—that is, impartiality in the exercise of political authority—should mitigate the negative influence of perceived distributive unfairness on satisfaction. Using a cross-national analysis of 18 Latin American countries from 2011 to 2015, this study demonstrates that individuals are significantly less satisfied with democracy when they perceive their country’s income distribution as unfair. Yet good governance significantly offsets this negative relationship, even in a region with the highest level of inequality in the world. These findings imply that policymakers can bolster democratic satisfaction, even in places where citizens perceive the income distribution as fundamentally unfair, by committing to good governance and fair democratic procedures.

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