The Internet and Politics

Agenda for Today• What is “political participation”?

• Why study political participation?

• Determinants of political participation

• Impact of the Internet and participation

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What is political participation? acts aimed at influencing policy,

including: voting protesting letter-writing volunteering for a party or interest

group

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Why study participation? key dimension of Internet’s impact

crucial to democratic legitimacy

address participatory dilemmas: low levels of participation systematic inequities of participation

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Voter turnout

Global voter turnout since 1945

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Voter turnout

Parliamentary Elections, Differences between regions 1945-97

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Voter turnout

Parliamentary Elections, Differences between regions over time

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Voter turnout: CanadaCanada Electoral System: FPTP, Voting Age: 18 (21 between 1945 and 1970)Year Total Vote Registration Vote/

RegVoting AgePopulation

Vote/VAP

Inval.Votes

FH Population 1st

1945 5 305 193 6 952 445 76.3% 7 560 340 70.2% 1.1% - 12 394 000 40.9%1949 5 903 572 7 893 629 74.8% 8 202 670 72.0% 0.9% - 13 447 000 49.5%1953 5 701 963 8 401 691 67.9% 8 720 790 65.4% 1.1% - 14 781 000 48.8%1957 6 680 690 8 902 125 75.0% 9 839 430 67.9% 1.1% - 16 677 000 40.9%1958 7 357 139 9 131 200 80.6% 9 758 400 75.4% 0.9% - 17 120 000 53.6%1962 7 772 656 9 700 325 80.1% 10 602 000 73.3% 1.1% - 18 600 000 37.3%1963 7 958 636 9 910 757 80.3% 10 599 680 75.1% 0.8% - 18 928 000 41.7%1965 7 796 728 10 274 904 75.9% 11 020 800 70.7% 1.1% - 19 680 000 40.2%1968 8 217 916 10 860 888 75.7% 12 023 400 68.3% 1.1% - 20 730 000 45.5%1972 9 966 148 12 909 179 77.2% 13 984 000 71.3% 3.0% 2 21 850 000 38.5%1974 9 671 002 13 620 553 71.0% 15 061 600 64.2% 1.7% 2 22 480 000 43.2%1979 11 531 000 15 234 997 75.7% 16 860 370 68.4% 0.7% 2 23 747 000 40.1%1980 11 014 914 15 890 416 69.3% 17 070 530 64.5% 0.6% 2 24 043 000 44.3%1984 12 638 424 16 775 011 75.3% 18 611 000 67.9% 0.7% 2 25 150 000 50.0%1988 13 281 191 17 639 001 75.3% 19 433 250 68.3% 0.8% 2 25 911 000 43.0%1993 13 863 135 19 906 796 69.6% 21 705 750 63.9% 1.4% 2 28 941 000 41.2%1997 13 174 698 19 663 478 67.0% 23 088 803 57.1% - 2 30 785 070 37.3%2000 12 997 185 21 243 473 61.2% 23 786 167 54.6% 1.1% 2 31 213 580 40.0%

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Voter turnout: Canada

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Participation: other activity

•declining levels of civic engagement

•“social capital”

•includes involvement in political and social organizations

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Why not participate?

•voter’s dilemma:

•voting as irrational

•share of total benefit

•impact on outcome

•example of collective action problem

•same dynamics apply to other forms of participation

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Why low participation matters

•legitimacy of system; representativeness

•voter vs non-voter preferences

•mandatory voting laws

•right to NOT vote

• social capital

•intrinsic value of participation

•social, economic, psychological, health effects

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Systematic inequities

Types of inequities:

•income

•education

•nationality

Significance:

•legitimacy of system

•stability of system

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Determinants of participation

• selective incentives

• prospects for success

• level of dissatisfaction or threat

• exit or voice

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Determinants of participation

• selective incentives

• cost-benefit analysis

• linked to specific types of action

•material benefits

•social gratification

•civic gratification

•collective policy

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Determinants of participation

• prospects for success

• expectation of policy impact

• group size matters

• leadership matters

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Determinants of participation

• level of dissatisfaction or threat

•degree of frustration

•risk aversion vs benefit seeking

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Determinants of participation

• exit or voice

•voice: ability to affect policy

•exit: if voice is not an option

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Participation concepts•low levels of participation

•voter’s dilemma, collective action problems

•systematic inequities of participation

•income, education, nationality

•significance of low/unequal participation

•legitimacy, representation, social capital, stability

•determinants of participation:

•selective incentives, prospects for success, level of dissatisfaction or threat, exit or voice

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Discussion