Advances and Ambivalence: The Consequences of Women's Educational and Workforce Changes for Women's Political Participation in the United States, 1952 to 2012

Digital media is expected to promote political participation in government. Around the world, from the United States to Europe, governments have been implementing e-government (use of of the Internet to make bureaucracy more efficient) and promising e-democracy (increased political participation by citizens). Does digital media enable citizens to participate more easily in government, or can authoritarian governments interfere with citizens' ability to speak freely and obtain information? This study of digital media in Russia will show that while digital media can be used by Russian citizens to gain information and express opinions, Kremlin ownership of print media, along with censorship laws and Internet surveillance, can stifle the growth of digital democracy. Though digital media appears to hold promise for increasing citizen participation, this study will show that greater consideration needs to be given to the power of authoritarian governments to suppress civic discourse on the Internet.

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A Look Ahead at the 2020 US Elections: The Role of Candidate Diversity in Political Participation

AEA Papers and Proceedings ◽

10.1257/pandp.20201116 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 110 ◽

pp. 436-441

Author(s):

Catalina Amuedo-Dorantes ◽

Jose R. Bucheli

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Political Participation ◽

The United States ◽

Diverse Population ◽

Individual Level ◽

Representative Data ◽

Look Ahead ◽

Growing Body ◽

Hispanic Voters

An increasingly diverse population in the United States has given rise to a growing body of literature that analyzes the causes and consequences of descriptive representation. Using individual-level representative data on registration and voting for the entire United States over the 2008-2018 decade, we find that diversity in the candidate pool promotes the registration and voting of eligible-to-vote individuals, particularly those belonging to the youngest generations of voters, those located in swing states, and growing minorities, as in the case of Hispanic voters. Given the changing electorate, increasing candidate diversity might prove crucial in promoting political and electoral engagement.

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Political Talk Over Here, Over There, Over Time

British Journal of Political Science ◽

10.1017/s0007123400000053 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 30 (1) ◽

pp. 99-119 ◽

Cited By ~ 65

Author(s):

STEPHEN E. BENNETT ◽

RICHARD S. FLICKINGER ◽

STACI L. RHINE

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Great Britain ◽

Political Participation ◽

Political Knowledge ◽

The United States ◽

Public Affairs ◽

Political Behaviour ◽

Political Talk ◽

Important Form ◽

Over Time

Data from Great Britain and the United States from the late 1950s to the early 1990s show relatively little change in the frequency with which citizens engage in political discussions, with whom they are likely to speak, and the variables that shape their propensity to engage in political talk. In addition, analyses of the data show that discussing politics enhances citizens' knowledge of public affairs, even net of other variables known to affect political knowledge. Students of political behaviour and those interested in strengthening democracy need to treat political discussions as an important form of political participation.

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