Participation in a political endeavor entails more than just going out to vote. It is the ability to freely speak out, gather and associate without any form of interference. Further, it incorporates the ability to be part of the conduct of the affairs on the public gallery. Lastly, it grants the opportunity for one to register their political candidature, campaign, be elected, and take office at all levels of government. Political participation is, therefore, the foundation of representative democracy. Different forms of political participation are key in putting democracy matters into check.
The US constitution accords its citizens different forms of participation. That is considerably influential in shaping the political landscape and thus, gives credence to the popular will of the majority to reign and govern the state (Bimber & Copeland, 2013). Political forms entail the activities that the ordinary citizens can use to voice their opinions by contributing to the political process. The primary forms of political participation accorded to the citizens of the United States include and not limited signing a petition, drafting a letter to a public official, donations of money to a particular cause, and blogging about a political concern that affects the citizens. Other forms include joining an interest group or activist team, holding an official public position, committing an act of terrorism, and occupying a building during demonstrations of public protests (Van Deth, 2014). The forms of participation can take a conventional route, and such is expected of good citizens. That includes voting, doing campaign donations, volunteering for campaigns etc. other forms are unconventional and are considered inappropriate however legal they remain. That includes supporting boycotts, staging protests among others. The last category takes the illegal forms of participation, and that include political assassinations, terrorism, and sabotaging the campaigns of an opponent through vandalism and theft (Bimber & Copeland, 2013). These activities will put the government in check and prompt the concerned authorities to act accordingly with a view to addressing the malignant issues.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
There exist some Similarities and differences in the strategies that groups such as political parties, social movements and political parties use to enhance public participation (Williams, 2013). Both political parties and interest groups undergo a process of persuasion though with different targets to achieve their goal. In addition, they both have an aim of changing what the government does. They both do street demonstrations or protests. The political run their candidates for office and are therefore elected. The interest groups and social movements do not run candidates (Williams, 2013). The primary political parties have legal advantages over interest groups and use that in influencing policy. Political parties influence the daily operations of government. They propose, debate, and vote on the various policies. The interest groups and social movements have an indirect impact. They can either persuade or convince the elected officials to support their viewpoint or assist elected individuals who already share the goalpost. The primary strategy used by interest group is lobbying either directly or indirectly to achieve their agendum (Williams, 2013).
In conclusion, it can censoriously be summarized that political participation is a vital tool in enhancing democracy in a given institution. Respecting the popular will of the vast majority is critical in achieving justice. The various forms of participation assist the ordinary citizens to voice their concerns. The forms of participation can be conventional, unconventional or illegal. Different interest groups and political parties choose the form that is suitable in achieving their agenda.
References
Bimber, B., & Copeland, L. (2013). Digital media and traditional political participation over time in the US. Journal of Information Technology & Politics , 10 (2), 125-137.
Van Deth, J. W. (2014). A conceptual map of political participation. Acta Politica , 49 (3), 349-367.
Williams, J. (2013). Eyes on the prize: America's civil rights years, 1954-1965 . Penguin.
