DIMENSIONS OF POLITICAL INVOLVEMENT

In: Public opinion quarterly: journal of the American Association for Public Opinion Research, Band 20, Heft 1, S. 128-142

Abstract

Communication & participation are not independent phenomena but are part of a wider set of motivational, perceptual, & att'al dimensions normally labeled pol'al interest, involvement, etc. The study explores the interrelationships among selected aspects of pol'al involvement. Using responses from 1,146 interviews in the 1952 elections 2 Guttman-type scales were developed to indicate 2 aspects of pol'al involvement: 'sense of efficacy'--the feeling by the individual that his pol'al action has an impact on the pol'al process, &'sense of citizen responsibility'--a strong conviction that it is one's duty to participate in politics. Combining the scaled responses, an index of 'relatedness' was derived. This index was tested against other dimensions of the pol'al involvement, such as competence ('sensitivity to those aspects of the political process that are crucial'), affect, party identification, exposure to pol'al information, & voting behavior in 1952 elections. Some findings include: R's who are highly related to the pol'al process were (1) more sensitive to diff's between the parties, (2) more issue-minded, (3) more partisan on issues, (4) are more exposed to mass media, & (5) are more likely to vote, than the less related. T. L. Blair.