ABSTRACT
This chapter explores an issue that goes to the very heart of the democratic ideal. Democracy simply cannot work without mass political involvement or participation. Citizens who have a say in the national decision-making process show greater levels of satisfaction with the political system as a whole. Active citizen participation moves the United States closer to the ideal of a democratic political system. Mass political involvement through voting, campaign work, political protests, and civil disobedience, and many others. The standards of self-governance assume that most citizens will choose to participate in some form of political activity and that they will base their participation on a reasoned analysis of ideas, options, and choices. The ancient Greeks regarded participation in a democratic society a full-time job for males who had full citizenship and owned property. The Twelfth Amendment was quickly proposed and ratified, directing the electoral college to cast separate ballots for president and vice president.
