political participation essays

political participation essays In this essay, to better understand the mode of communal activity, there will first be given a discussion about what political participation is. This discussion will include a look at all the modes of conventional participation, that is: Voting, campaign activities and most importantly communal activities. To answer the given question a more indebt discussion about communal activity will be given followed by an example of communal activity from South Africa. Political participation can broadly be defined as the active participation and the involvement of the public in politics to help define societal goals and carry it out in a democracy. The active involvement of the public in the process of democracy helps to establish and keep legitimacy and trust in the political system. Citizens in any political system that is democratically based place a lot of value on the right to have the democratic freedom to help decide their own future. Conventional ways in which citizens can participate politically include voting, campaign activities and communal activities. There are also forms of unconventional participation like protests and demonstrations that can also help citizens to let their voice be heard. No political system can endure without the support of its populace (Manheim, 1986: 52). If a linkage between the citizens and the political system [is not created and maintained], there is a failure of reinforcement and ultimately the political system will also fail (Manheim, 1986: 54). There exists a mutual dependency between the citizens and the political system. The political system can implement a great number of policies, but without the support of the political culture (the citizens); there will be no hope for the policies to work. In order to maintain the support of its citizens, without which it may well be unable to function effectively, the political system must appear similar enough to what those cit...