Description:Political behavior research starts from the assumption that democracy
cannot function properly without citizens' political involvement. In general,
studies of political activism aim to understand democratic processes, focusing
on the nature of the relationship between citizens and public authorities.
Despite a relatively large number of studies devoted to this research topic, many
controversies remain regarding political participation in contemporary
democracies. What is the optimal level of political engagement in a democracy
and the consequences, how do citizens get involved in political processes, and what
factors best explain the differences between participants and non-participants,
respectively? These questions guide the study of the relationship between
political participation and democracy in the present book.