Political participation of citizens

Political participation is a rather complex and substantial category. It implies, first of all, the activity or inactivity of an individual or collective in the life of society.

Political participation in a general sense is group or private actions aimed at influencing the power, no matter what level it is. At the present stage, this phenomenon is considered as a complex and multidimensional one. It includes a large number of techniques that help influence the power. The participation of citizens in political life, the degree of activity depends on social, psychological, cultural-historical, economic and other factors. The individual realizes it when he enters into formal, ordered relationships with different groups or with other people.

There are three types of political participation:

• Unconscious (not free), that is, that which is based on coercion, on custom or on spontaneous action;
• Conscious, but also unfree, when a person is forced to follow meaningfully some kind of regulations, norms;
• Conscious and at the same time free, that is, an individual is able to make a choice on his own, thereby expanding the limits of his own possibilities in the world of politics.

Sidney Verba and Gabriel Almond created their own theoretical model of political culture. Political participation of the first type is called parokial, that is, one that is limited to elementary interests; The second type - the subject, and the third - partisipator. Also, these scientists identified transitional forms of activity in which the traits of two bordering types are combined.

Political participation and its forms are constantly evolving. His old species are being improved and new ones appear in the course of any socio-historical process that has implications. This particularly applies to transitional moments, for example, to the republic from the monarchy, to a multiparty system from the absence of such organizations, to independence from the position of the colony, to democracy from authoritarianism, etc. In the 18-19th centuries, against the background of general modernization, Groups and categories of the population.

Since the activity of people is determined by many factors, there is no uniform classification of its forms. One of them suggests considering political participation in the following indicators:

• Legitimate (elections, petitions, demonstrations and meetings coordinated with the authorities) and illegitimate (terrorism, coup, insurrection or other forms of disobedience of citizens);
• Institutionalized (participation in the work of the party, voting) and non-institutionalized (groups that have political goals and are not recognized by law, mass riots);
• Having a local character and nationwide.

Typologization can have other options. But in any case, it must meet the following criteria:

- political participation should be manifested in the form of a concrete act, and not just at the level of emotions;

- it should be voluntary (except for service in the army, payment of taxes or a festive demonstration under totalitarianism);

- it must also end with a real choice, that is, be not fictitious, but real.

Some scholars, including Lipset and Huntington, believe that the type of participation is directly influenced by the type of political regime. For example, in a democratic system, it takes place voluntarily and autonomously. And under the totalitarian regime, political participation is mobilized, compulsory, when the masses are attracted only symbolically, to imitate the support of the authorities. Some forms of activity can even distort the psychology of groups and individuals. Fascism and varieties of totalitarianism serve as a clear indication of this.