Citizen Participation An Individual Choice - 956 Words

In a democratic government, citizen participation is essential and beneficial in order to ensure everyone’s opinions will be heard and represented. With a wide range of morals, socioeconomic statuses, personalities, and knowledge existing among the American population, citizens’ participation in the democratic system range from dedicated, involved, and uninvolved. The upbringing and life situation of individuals directly affects their governmental decisions including their stances on issues the country faces. Citizens can also make the decision to not contribute to the democratic process. Either way, the engagement or disengagement of citizens is considered an individual choice, and both decisions affect the way in which the government is run. From the time an American is born, his or her attitude towards the government is shaped and formed. If a child is born to a family who shares a political ideology, then the likelihood the family encourages and raises the child under their same beliefs is greater than not. For example, if a child’s parents hold more liberal views, then the way the child is raised reflects and encourages his or her parents’ liberal views. On the other hand, if a child is brought up in a household where his or her parents do not vote or participate in voicing their opinions, then that encouragement of political engagement is not available. The likelihood of the child engaging in political activity when he or she is an adult is slim. Another factorShow MoreRelatedThe United States Of America875 Words   |  4 PagesThe United States of America continues to confront a lack of electorate participation in political elections, which has seen the number decline to around 58 percent in the 2012 presidential election. In the state that has been seen by many as the template for a liberal democracy what explains the absence of participation by its citizen in one of the most fundamental exercises in democracy. With each attempt to included marginalized sectors of society – the 19th Amendment passed in 1920 giving womenRead MoreCompulsory Voting: Moral Issues and Necessities in A Democratic Nation1686 Words   |  7 Pagesbeen good, and reduces the threat of low voter turnout, while increasing the legitimacy of the government. Annabelle Lever, a research fellow at the Institute for Science, Ethics and Innovation at the Manchester University School of Law, states participation in elections is declining in most adv anced industrial countries; this lower turnout has begun to make democratic voting systems that can threaten the legitimacy of a country’s government and electoral system, because it significantly increasesRead MoreA Report On The Department Of Transportation Essay1744 Words   |  7 Pagesefficient and satisfy all of the citizens who have concerns with transportation topics. Underlying Cause For The Citizen Participation Component Not Being A Success. Steve Anderson who is the manager of the Department of Transportation has done an outstanding job solving problems that have affected the agency. However, there are a few problems that continue affecting the well-functioning of the agency that have not been solved. Such is the case of the of the citizen participation component. According toRead MoreAmerica Is Known For Its Freedom Of Speech1682 Words   |  7 Pagesgives the American people a voice in what goes on in the government. The right to vote gives all citizens the opportunity to vote on various positions in the government and local areas. Political parties perform a number of functions for the American political system. The functions and components of political parties, interest group activity, electoral politics, public opinion, political participation, and political socialization, all are essential factors towards the influences of the AmericanRead MoreGoals Of Utopia1297 Words   |  6 PagesUtopia I. Goals values Each citizen of Utopia should value total and complete equality above all else. Total and complete equality encompasses social matters and governmental matters; no individual is above another in any capacity. This also applies to dealings with the structure of government: the needs of the individual are equal to the needs of the government because the government is the people. This is achieved through the elimination of social hierarchy. Man cannot think of himself asRead MoreThe Government Should Public Participation1554 Words   |  7 Pages THE US GOVERNMENT SHOULD INSCREASE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN DECISION MAKING PROCESS IN ORDER TO PASS PARTICULAR POLICIES RESULTING TO A DECREASE IN CORRUPTION CAUSED BY CAPITALISM. Siddharth Phadke FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON UNIVERSITY Abstract Capitalism is must for a country’s development, as it helps to grow the economy of a country. Also the political parties governing the country need some capital in order to survive the election environment for campaigning. So the main sourceRead MoreThe Democratic Ideal And The Modern Challenges916 Words   |  4 Pagescomprises equality, participation, minority protection, inclusion, voting rights, human rights and civil liberties (Edwards, Wattenberg Lineberry, 12-13). However, the modern reality shows, that the ideal is far from reality and faces the numerous challenges. The research shows the widening of the gap between the democratic ideals and practice owing to the following factors: the polarizing of the political life, lowered tolerance towards political mistakes and the lowered participation of the peopleRead MoreVoting Is A Central Right992 Words   |  4 PagesVoting is a central right to each American citizen. Your vote is your chance to be listened, to hold cho sen elected officials responsible for their actions and to have a say in vital issues that influences your community. You can t have an effectively run democratic government without the backing and votes of the citizens. Voting gives the capacity for individuals to express their opinions about the administration. Each vote consoles our majority rule government and makes it stronger; we can tRead MoreFederalists Vs. Anti Federalists1518 Words   |  7 Pagesvote on Constitutional ratification. Two models of democracy were contested: the Anti-Federalists argued in favor of mass participation in the form of a state referendum, and the Federalists argued in favor of elite representation in the form of a state convention. On the whole, while the state referendum model used in the debates in Rhode Island allows for greater participation and an opportunity for equal representation, it also leaves policy decisions vulnerable to public ignorance. At the sameRead MoreThe Political Culture Of Politics1506 Words   |  7 Pagesculture could be how to play hopscotch in a playground or following the rules to a game of tennis or badminton. To address the question, this essay will firstly assess how any capable individual is able to participate in politics and secondly if the growth of political culture has increased or decreased participation. A question that is frequently asked is how can one be involved in politics? There are many options. One option can be by joining a political party which interests them and that has