Participation and Political Equality A Seven-Nation Comparison

In this survey of political participation in seven nations - Nigeria, Austria, Japan, India, the Netherlands, Yugoslavia and the United States - the authors examine the relationship between social, economic, and educational factors and political participation. The book provides insight into an ongoing debate among political scientists and sociologist: why is political participation in some nations distributed evenly across economic, social, and educational lines, whereas other nations foster participation only by their privileged classes? The book treats politics not only as a dependent variable influenced by socioeconomic factors, but also as an independent variable that affects levels of political participation through variations in party systems and linkages between parties and other organizations.

1. Introduction; 2. Comparing participatory systems; 3. The modes of democratic participation; 4. The puzzle; 5. Individual propensities and institutional constraints: a model; 6. Parties and organisations; 7. Individual and institutional forces: the model applied; 8. Some variations on our model: parties of the left and right; 9. Social segmentation and political equality: expectations; 10. Social segmentation and political equality: application; 11. Party and participation in Yugoslavia; 12. Men and women: sex-related differences in political activity; 13. the community context of participation; 14. Stratification and politics: some consequences; Appendices.

This book provides insight into an ongoing debate among political scientists and sociologist: why is political participation in some nations distributed evenly across economic, social, and educational lines, whereas other nations foster participation only by their privileged classes?