Suchergebnisse

An exploration of Stephen Earl Bennett's argument that political participation which involves the conflict of ideas & requires individual initiative & input enhances political conceptualization (Apathy in America, 1960-1984: Consequences of Citizen Indifference, New York: Transnational, 1986). It is hypothesized that campaigning & national & local problem-solving activities enhance conceptualization, but that expressive activities do not. Analysis of data from the 1976 US National Election Study supports the hypothesis, with the exception of local problem-solving activities. These findings suggest that Bennett's criteria are incomplete, & that characteristics of the participatory experience (eg, success or failure) may determine the nature of its effect on conceptualization. 4 Tables, 1 Appendix, 49 References. Adapted from the source document.

America's increasing racial and ethnic diversity is viewed by some as an opportunity to challenge and so reinforce the country's social fabric; by others, as a portent of alarming disunity. While everyone agrees that this diversity is markedly influencing political dynamics not only nationally but often on the state and local levels, we know little about how racial and ethnic groups organize and participate in politics or how political elites try to mobilize them. This book tells us. By integrating class-based factors with racial and ethnic factors, Jan Leighley shows what motivates African-Americans, Latinos, and Anglos to mobilize and participate in politics. Drawing on national survey data and on interviews with party and elected officials in Texas, she develops a nuanced understanding of how class, race, and ethnicity act as individual and contextual influences on elite mobilization and mass participation. Leighley examines whether the diverse theoretical approaches generally used to explain individual participation in politics are supported for the groups under consideration. She concludes that the political and social context influences racial and ethnic minorities' decisions to participate, but that different features of those environments are important for different groups. Race and ethnicity structure participation more than previous research suggests. Casting new light on an issue at the crux of contemporary American politics, Strength in Numbers? will be welcomed by scholars and students of political science, African-American and Latino studies, urban politics, and social movements