Modes of Political Participation

StructureStructure

I. Theoretical overview: • Civic decline or evolution in political activism?p

II. Evidence1. Trends in party membership & civic activism p y p2. Rise of protest and cause-oriented politics3. Generational patterns of activism

III. Conclusions• Causes & consequences of trends?

ConceptsConcepts

Research on political activism compares the ways that citizens participate, the processes that y p p , plead them to do so, and the consequences of these acts.Readings:– Dalton Ch 3– Dalton Ch 3– Norris ‘Political activism’ online chapter

ClassicsClassics

Gabriel A. Almond and Sidney Verba’s The Civic Culture: Political Attitudes and Democracy in Five Nations (1963),Sidney Verba and Norman Nie’s Participation in America (1972), Sid V b N H Ni d J Ki ’ Sidney Verba, Norman H. Nie, and Jae-on Kim’s Participation and Political Equality: A Seven-Nation Comparison (1978), and p ( ),Samuel Barnes and Max Kaase’s Political Action: Mass Participation in Five Western Democracies (1979).

Democratic Phoenix

Newer themesNewer themes(i) Growing recognition of the importance of the institutional ( ) g g p

context of formal rules & multilevel analysis eg for electoral turnout;

(ii) Widespread erosion of party membership in established (ii) Widespread erosion of party membership in established democracies;

(iii) Revived interest in voluntary associations and social trust spurred by theories of social capital; andspurred by theories of social capital; and

(iv) The expansion of diverse forms of cause-oriented forms of activism, including the spread of demonstrations and protests,

liti f i l i t t d consumer politics, professional interest groups, and more diffuse new social movements and transnational advocacy networks.

Democratic Phoenix

The civic decline thesisThe civic decline thesis

Half-empty ballot box? (Wattenberg)Desertion of party members? (Dalton Mair)Desertion of party members? (Dalton, Mair)Partisan dealignment? H h i i ll ?Hemorrhaging union rolls?Emptying church pews?Anemic voluntary organizations? (Putnam)Rising political cynicism? (Nye et al)Rising political cynicism? (Nye et al)

Model of changeModel of changeFigure 1: Typology of the evolution of political action

REPERTOIRES

Citizen-oriented

repertoires, including

voting party work and

Cause-oriented

repertoires, including

consumer politicsvoting, party work and

contact activity

consumer politics,

demonstrations and

petitions

Traditional voluntary associations, including

churches, unions and

political parties

Older generation

ES

AG

ENC

I

New social movements

and advocacy

networks, including

environmental and

Younger generation

humanitarian

organizations

If participation is changingIf participation is changing…

Causes?– Long-term processes of societal modernization?

• Growing educational & civic skills• Decline of deferential loyalty to hierarchical institutions• Gradual ‘bottom up’ generational shift in ‘critical citizens’Gradual bottom up generational shift in critical citizens

– Result of changing institutions of representative democracy?• ‘Top down’ explanations• Globalization, decentralization & role of nation state• Growth of cross-cutting issues not accommodated by parties• Rational response to context of choices and channels of influencep

If participation is changingIf participation is changing…

Consequences?1. Social inequality?

» Greater civic skills, more demanding acts?» Who participates by class, income, education, gender, ethnicity

2 Quality of deliberative democracy2. Quality of deliberative democracy» F-to-f interaction, on-going co-operation, social trust?» Rise of more demanding citizens?

3 F ?3. For governance?» Stability and violence?» Fragmentation of policy process?

Evidence: civic activismEvidence: civic activism

US TurnoutUS TurnoutUS Turnout 1932-2000

(Presidential Vote/VAP)

40 0

60.0

80.0

%

0.0

20.0

40.0%

1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000

Source: U.S.Census Bureau 1932-1996.

US Turnout: 59.5% in 2000, 63.8% in 2004 (Vote/VAP) Source: US Census Bureau www.census.gov

Trends official party membersTrends official party membersTable 6.1 Phoenix

Change in N mbersParty membership as a

% of the electorate, late-1990s

% Change (i) Change in Numbers of Members

Change in Numbers as Percentage of

Original MembershipFrance 1978-1999 1.6 - 3.48 - 1,122,128 - 64.59

Italy 1980-1998 4.0 - 5.61 - 2,091,887 - 51.54

US 1980-1998 1 9 - 2.20 - 853,156 - 50.391.9Norway 1980-1997 7.3 - 8.04 - 218,891 - 47.49

Czech Rep 1993-1999 3.9 - 3.10 - 225,200 - 41.32

Finland 1980-1998 9.6 - 6.09 - 206,646 - 34.03

Netherlands 1980-2000 2.5 - 1.78 - 136,459 - 31.67

Austria 1980-1999 17.7 - 10.82 - 446,209 - 30.21

Switzerland 1977-1997 6.4 - 4.28 - 118,800 - 28.85

Sweden 1980-1998 5.5 - 2.87 - 142,533 - 28.05

Denmark 1980-1998 5.2 - 2.16 - 70,385 - 25.52

Ireland 1980-1998 - 1 86 - 27 856 - 24 47Ireland 1980-1998 3.1 - 1.86 - 27,856 - 24.47

Belgium 1980-1999 6.5 - 2.42 - 136,382 - 22.10

Germany 1980-1999 2.9 - 1.59 - 174,967 - 8.95

Hungary 1990-1999 2.1 + 0.04 + 8,300 + 5.02

Portugal 1980-2000 3.9 - 0.29 + 50,381 + 17.013.9Slovakia 1994-2000 4.1 + 0.82 + 37,777 + 29.63

Greece 1980-1998 6.8 + 3.58 + 375,000 + 166.67

Spain 1980-2000 3.4 + 2.22 + 808,705 + 250.73

ALL ABOVE

Party membershipParty membership

Decline in many Western nationsBroader erosion of partisanshipBroader erosion of partisanshipYet substantial cross-national variationsD i f b hi tt ?Does erosion of membership matter?– For party in government?– For party finance and staff? – For party or campaign activism?

Campaign Activism, US 1952-2000

20

25

15

20

10

15

5

10

01952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000

Meeting Party Work Button Money

Trends in Gross Union DensityTrends in Gross Union DensitySource: Bernhard Ebbinghaus and Jelle Visser. 2000. Trade Unions in Western Europe since 1945. London: Macmillan. CD-Rom.

Note: Net density I (Total union membership as a share of the gainfully employed wage and salary earners.)

40

60

80

Net

den

sity

R-Square = 0.31

Austria Belgium Denmark Finland

R-Square = 0.67

R-Square = 0.43R-Square = 0.89

20

N

France Germany Italy Neth

60

80

sity

Norway Switz UK

20

40

60

Net

den

s

R-Square = 0.72

R-Square = 0.41

R-Square = 0.13

R-Square = 0.77

20

40

60

80

Net

den

sity

R-Square = 0.53R-Square = 0.02

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

Year

20

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

Year

R-Square = 0.93

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

Year

U n i o n D e n s i t y , 1 9 9 5

B e l a r u s S w e d e n

0 1 0 2 0 3 0 4 0 5 0 6 0 7 0 8 0 9 0 1 0 0

S w e d e n A z e r b a i j a n

R u s s i a n F e d e r a t i o n I c e l a n d

D e n m a r k F i n l a n d

M a l t a C h i n a

C y p r u s H u n g a r y S l o v a k i a

N o r w a y B u l g a r i a

R o m a n i a L u x e m b o u r g

B e l g i u mB e l g i u m A u s t r i a C z e c h R e p u b l i c

I r e l a n d B r a z i l

C a n a d a M e x i c o

I t a l y E g y p t G e r m a n y

A u s t r a l i a T a i w a n

P o l a n d E s t o n i a U n i t e d K i n g d o m G h a n aG h a n a M a u r i t i u s

A r g e n t i n a G u y a n a

N i c a r a g u a N e w Z e a l a n d I s r a e l P h i l i p p i n e s

N a m i b i a T u r k e y S e n e g a l N e t h e r l a n d s S o u t h A f r i c a

S w i t z e r l a n d S w a z i l a n d

P o r t u g a l Union DensitP o r t u g a l J a p a n

T a n z a n i a D o m i n i c a n R e p u b l i c N i g e r i a C a p e V e r d e K e n y a

B o l i v i a C h i l e

G r e e c e V e n e z u e l a C a m e r o o n

P a n a m a C a n a l Z o n e Z i m b a b w e M a l i S i n g a p o r e

Union Density:

Table 9.1S i n g a p o r e

C o s t a R i c a C o t e D ' I v o i r e

U n i t e d S t a t e s Z a m b i a

U r u g u a y B o t s w a n a S p a i n

E c u a d o r T u n i s i a

P a r a g u a y K o r e a , R e p u b l i c O f

P e r u E l S a l v a d o r E r i t r e a C o l o m b i aC o l o m b i a

F r a n c e P a k i s t a n I n d i a

M o r o c c o H o n d u r a s G u a t e m a l a B a n g l a d e s h E t h i o p i a U g a n d a

T h a i l a n d M a u r i t a n i a I n d o n e s i a G u i n e a G a b o n

InterpretationInterpretation

No simple decline in union membership across Western EuropepSubstantial cross-national variations worldwideInstitutional explanations not secular trendsInstitutional explanations not secular trends

Secularization TrendsBelgium Den France GB

Secularization Trends% Church attendance Eurobarometer 1970-2000

20.0

40.0

60.0

80.0

chur

ch

Belgium Den France GB

Germany Greece Ire Italy

20 0

40.0

60.0

80.0

chur

ch

Lux Neth NI Portugal

20.0

40.0

60.0

80.0

chur

ch

Spain

20.0

c

60.0

80.0

rch

1970 1980 1990

year

20.0

40.0chur

Interpretation?Interpretation?

Evidence of secularization in W.EuropeDevelopment is linked to secularizationDevelopment is linked to secularizationPolitical implications?

Experience of Political ActivismpSource: WVS mid-1990s

% ‘Have done’ All

Discuss politics 70.0

Voting turnout 64.5

Civic activism 62.4

Signed a petition * 28.5

Att d d d t ti * 15 7Attended demonstrations* 15.7

Joined in boycott * 8.9

Active union member 5.4Active union member 5.4

Joined unofficial strike * 5.0

Active party member 4.6

Occupied buildings * 1.6

Rise of Protest PoliticsRise of Protest Politics% ‘Have done’ in 8 postindustrial societies: WVS

Mid 1970 1980 1990 id 1990Mid-1970s 1980s 1990 mid-1990s

Signed petition 32 46 54 60

Demonstrated 9 14 18 17

Consumer Boycott 5 8 11 15

Unofficial Strike 2 3 4 4Unofficial Strike 2 3 4 4

Occupied buildings 1 2 2 2

Source: World Values Surveys

Protest & democracyProtest & democracy

Protest & econ developmentProtest & econ development

Generational shifts?Generational shifts?

Age differences?Age differences?

Age differences?– If so three possible causes:If so three possible causes:

• Generational effects, • Period effects, and • Lifecycle effects.

European Social Survey 2002p y15 European nations (22)

Type of actsType of acts

Citizen-oriented repertoires– Voted– Contacted a politician or official– Donated money to political organization– Party member– Worked for a political party

Cause-oriented repertoires– Bought products for political reasons– Signed a petition

B tt d t i d t – Boycotted certain products – Lawfully demonstrated– Took part in illegal protest

Age profile of activistsAge profile of activistsAll Younger

(i)Middle-

Aged (ii)Older

(iii)Age Gap

(i-iii)

18-29 30-59 60+

Citizen-oriented repertoires

Voted 72 50 79 84 -34

Contacted a politician or official 16 12 19 14 -2Contacted a politician or official 16 12 19 14 -2

Donated money to political organization 8 7 9 8 -1

Party member 6 3 6 8 -4

Worked for a political party 5 4 5 5 -1

Cause oriented repertoiresCause-oriented repertoires

Bought products for political reasons 24 24 28 17 7

Signed a petition 22 23 24 15 8

Boycotted certain products 15 14 17 11 3Boycotted certain products 15 14 17 11 3

Lawfully demonstrated 6 9 6 3 6

Took part in illegal protest 0.9 1.4 0.8 0.6 0.8

Citizen oriented actsCitizen-oriented acts1.6

1.4

activ

ism

sca

le 1.2

1.0Major Region

zen-

orient

ed a

c

.8

.6

Nordic Europe

Northern Europe

1980-19851970 1979

1960-19691950 1959

1940-19491930 1939

1920-1929

Mea

n Citiz

.4

.2

Mediterranean Europe

Postcommunist Europ

Cases weighted by DWEIGHT

Cohort

1970-19791950-19591930-1939

Citizen oriented acts by cohortC h R bli Fi l d G H

Citizen-oriented acts by cohort

0.5

1.0

1.5

Citiz

en-orie

nted

act

Czech Republic Finland Greece Hungary

C

Ireland Israel Netherlands Norway

0.5

1.0

1.5

zen-or

iented

act

Poland Portugal Slovenia Spain

Citiz

1.0

1.5

n-or

iented

act

Sweden Switzerland United Kingdom

0.5

Citiz

en-

1.0

1.5

iented

act

2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0

Cohort

0.5

Citiz

en-orie

2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0

Cohort2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0

Cohort

Mean age of activistsMean age of activists

4850

52

50

55

40 40

44 44 4446

47 4748

45

40 40

35

40

d y s s n s n y y d r

Demonstrated

Protes

ted illeg

ally

Boycott

ed prod

ucts

Bough

t prod

ucts

Signed

a pe

tition

ALL Res

ponde

nts

Contacte

d a po

litician

Donated

mon

ey

Worked f

or part

yVote

d

Party m

embe

r

Note: Whether the respondent did these acts during the previous 12-monthsSource: The European Social Survey, 2002

Cause oriented actsCause–oriented acts

1.6

1.4

1 2

ctiv

ism

sca

le 1.2

1.0

.8Major Region

ause

-orie

nted

ac

.6

.4

Nordic Europe

Northern Europe

1980-19851970-1979

1960-19691950-1959

1940-19491930-1939

1920-1929

Mea

n C

a

.2

0.0

Mediterranean Europe

Postcommunist Europ

Cases weighted by DWEIGHT

Cohort

1970 19791950 19591930 1939

Czech Republic Finland Greece Hungary

Cause-0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

Caus

e-or

ient

ed a

ctCzech Republic Finland Greece Hungary

Cause-oriented

Ireland Israel Netherlands Norway

0 0

0.5

1.0

1.5

Caus

e-or

ient

ed a

ct

acts by cohort

Poland Portugal Slovenia Spain0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

Cau

se-o

rient

ed a

ct

cohortSweden Switzerland United Kingdom0.0

C

0.5

1.0

1.5

ause

-orie

nted

act

2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0

Cohort

0.0

C

2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0

Cohort2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0

Cohort

Age of membersAge of members

525455

43

46 46 4647 47

4849 49 49

45

50

4243

40

45

35

Sport

ation

alnd

ents

Union

mental

Hobby

ssion

alnit

arian

sumer

Church

Other

Party

al clu

b

SEdu

cat

ALL R

espon

d UEnv

ironm H

Profes

sHum

anit

Consu Ch O

Social

Membership in associationsMembership in associationsci

atio

ns

3.0

2.5

volu

ntar

y as

soc

2.0

1.5Major Region

Tot.

mem

bers

in

1.0

.5

Nordic Europe

Northern Europe

Mediterranean Europe

1980-19851970-1979

1960-19691950-1959

1940-19491930-1939

1920-1929

Mea

n T

0.0

Mediterranean Europe

Postcommunist Europ

Cases weighted by DWEIGHT

Cohort

ConclusionsConclusions

From the politics of loyalties to the politics of choice?– Citizen oriented action peak in middle age– Cause-oriented acts most common among young Cause oriented acts most common among young

people – Associations: Mixed patternp– Young people not more engaged in new social

movements