Suchergebnisse

Persons with disabilities (PWDs) rarely attain political positions in Ghana. This relates more to the scenario of PWDs as candidates contesting for political position than the mere participation as voters. The core objective of this article is to examine the extent to which local politics remain directly accessible to PWDs in Ghana. In specific terms, this study seeks to analyse the context within which PWDs strive for political inclusion into the local government system, to identify and examine the factors impeding the participation of PWDs in local politics. Findings from the survey linked the inadequate political representation of PWDs to multiple factors, namely: (1) stigmatization and negative social perception regarding the capabilities of PWDs, (2) lack of resources, including financial and logistical support, required for effective campaign, (3) accessibility challenges relating to the built environment, communication and information access and (4) educational background of PWDs. Flowing from these outcomes, the prospect of affirmative political action as a 'gap-bridging' alternative has been examined. The research methodology was primarily qualitative.

Internet usage has shown drastic growth in the initial half of the year 2015 in India. The user base has increased over 354 million and with this India has become the top second country after China in terms of internet usage. Facebook is the prime social networking site which is used by 96% of urban users, followed by Google Plus (61%), Twitter (43%) and LinkedIn (24%). This extensive use of social media by the public had attracted the attention of the politicians to use it for election campaigns and has given researchers a reason to find out how politicians are engaging the public through this platform. Influence of Social media on the electorate has been proved from its successful use in the US presidential election in 2008 and by political parties in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections in India. This paper intends to explore the use of social media and its effectiveness in political elections through an extensive literature review. Social media has become an effective tool for political engagement and political participation as it is a low cost media as compared to traditional media. The low cost of this media has made it one of the main source to get information for advanced analysis and in-depth understanding of the electoral process. This paper will provide an insight to politicians, political analysts, journalists and electoral candidates regarding social media usage. The paper will also present a future research agenda to study how political parties can benefit from use of social media and change their strategies to engage workers and the voters.

One consequence of aging is diminished physical powers. In some cases, mental capabilities deteriorate, with concomitant rigidity of thought, impairment of intellect, emotional instability, and denial of disability (e.g., Post, 1980). Some have speculated that biological factors may have an effect on the political behavior of the elderly (see, e.g., G. Schubert, 1983). Campbell, Converse, Miller, and Stokes (1960:262) note that decline of voter turnout with age is "… undoubtedly due to infirmities that make trips to the polling place more difficult." Hudson and Binstock (1976:370) suggest that lowered participation "… may be interpreted in terms of physical declines…." Light (1981:2343) hypothesizes that "Health and mobility problems apparently prevent the elderly from topping the middle-aged in turnout." On the other hand, Wolfinger and Rosenstone (1980) find that with the introduction of controls for length of residence, income, education, and gender, the political effects of aging seem to disappear. However, no direct tests of the physical effects of aging upon the political orientations and behavior of the aged have appeared.

The risk society has profoundly changed our way of life. Among the social phenomena most affected by its effects is undoubtedly political participation and the degree of trust in institutions. This work aims, through the construction of two different indices, to answer the question "How does the risk society influence conventional participation and trust in institutions?". The Indagine Multiscopo sulle famiglie and the Benessere Equo Sostenibile surveys provide a complete set of indicators to assess specific aspects of Italian daily life and well-being. This work uses a series of data from these surveys to analyze political participation and trust in institutions in Italy in 2019 at regional level using two composite indices obtained through the application of the MPI method. The result of this paper shows no particular effects of the risk society on conventional forms of political participation. Instead, the effects of the risk society are fully visible on levels of trust in institutions.

This article examines the challenges that democratic deepening has encountered in countries undertaking simultaneous economic and political reforms. It does so by examining the experience of Poland following the 1989 transition. It explores the Polish public's perceptions of democracy and their engagement in political and civic life. It argues that as a consequence of economic changes, there has been a growing bifurcation of the Polish society into a small, well-educated, urban sector and the mostly poor, lacking marketable skills residents of small towns and rural areas. The first group not only views the post-1989 economic and political changes in a more positive light than the second group but is also more engaged and active politically. The article suggests that the establishment of a truly participatory political system in Poland continues to remain a work in progress.

One of the most consistently documented relationships in the field of political behavior is the close association between educational attainment and political participation. Although most research assumes that this association arises because education causes participation, it could also arise because education proxies for the factors that lead to political engagement: the kinds of people who participate in politics may be the kinds of people who tend to stay in school. To test for a causal effect of education, we exploit the rise in education levels among males induced by the Vietnam draft. We find little reliable evidence that education induced by the draft significantly increases participation rates. Adapted from the source document.

A study of the role of urban communities in the development of citizenship & civil society in Spain before & after institution of a democratic regime. Focus is on: community-based solidarity for the development of urban social movements before the 1979 local democratic elections & the resultant rise of voluntary associations; the formal organizations based on consensus politics, eg, political parties & trade unions, that were formed regionally & nationally during the transitional period to democracy; & the civic associations enabling cultural, educational, & leisure activities that have developed during the last decade. Although local governments remain poorly financed, local politics & identities continue to be a significant part of citizen life; however, community action has weakened in the poorest neighborhoods & more recently in developed neighborhoods. 1 Table. Adapted from the source document.

Political happening is analyzed as a protest form of political participation. The happening is the direction of the promotional art (actionism); this is a certain form of acts, actions, works in which artists are trying to attract viewers to the play. It is shown that peculiarity of political happening is not just sight, but outside spontaneous action (provoked, improvised, unpredictable and similar), participants of which are not only actors, but also completely random people.