ABSTRACT
Political participation is central to democracy. To flourish, democratic governments need a continuous input of information and support from the societies they govern. Various forms of political participation inject this information into the political system. Political participation is also important in educating citizens to be supportive of the political system. Through political participation, citizens are socialised into the practice and ethos of good democratic citizenship; enhancing their interest in politics, learning their own political role and strengthening their sense of belonging to the political community. Political participation cultivates democratic capabilities. ‘The heirs of Tocqueville . . . point to the democratic orientations and skills that develop when people work together voluntarily: social trust, norms of reciprocity and cooperation, and the capacity to transcend narrow points of view and conceptualize the common good’ (Verba et al. 1995).
