Dictionnaire de la Science Politique

Authors: Hermet, Badie, Birnbaum & Braud
Summary: In this entry of about 370 words, political participation is defined as the real basis of democracy. The steadily suffrage extension, the freedom to found associations and political parties, and other civil rights represent, along the road towards democracy, all mechanisms to allow citizens political participation in the idea that only through it democracy could be really legitimated.
Nevertheless participation is at the centre of contrasting positions. For some, man is naturally a political being and hence interested in the 'res publica'; for others, man is fundamentally apathic, preferring dedicating himself to the private sphere. In this latter case it is preferable the competence of a professional political corps although being participation still considered essential for the life of democracy (Schumpeter, Dahl, Almond, Verba).
The decreasing electoral participation in some countries, such as USA and France, is hence not necessarily to be interpreted as a factor of strong citizens de-politicization, being available other participation forms (strike, demonstration, lobbying, associations, political membership, ...)