PSC 436LEC—Citizen Participation

This course explores various forms of citizen participation in the process of politics and how patterns of civic engagement vary across countries. It will look at different theoretical models of political participation and examine the individual-level correlates of political engagement, focusing specifically on how access to certain resources (e.g., time, money, and education) track with citizen involvement in the political process. Particular attention will also be paid to the institutional and structural factors that serve to either encourage or discourage widespread civic engagement in advanced industrial democracies across the globe. In addition, the course will showcase the barriers to participation that are faced by minority groups and how the policies governing access to the ballot box are often shaped by partisan motivations.