M. Margaret Conway is Professor of Political Science at the University of Florida, Gainesville. She is coauthor
with Gertrude A. Steuernagel and David W. Ahern of Women and Public Policy: A Revolution in Progress, Second
Edition (1999, CQ Press), and Women and Political Participation: Cultural Change in the Political Arena
(1997, CQ Press). Conway has written extensively on political parties, electoral behavior, political socialization,
and political participation. She has published widely in academic journals.
Summary
Political Participation in the United States analyzes patterns of political participation by citizens
and offers five different explanations for those patterns based on recent research findings.
Symbolic and instrumental forms of participation are analyzed�from the simple act of discussing politics to the
more complex one of running for office. The book examines who participates, what forms of participation they choose,
and what they hope to accomplish. M. Margaret Conway also considers the reasons for, and the consequences of, non-participation.
She concludes with a discussion of the impact of participation on individuals and on the policies and processes
of government in the United States.
This new third edition is updated throughout both in its discussion of research about participation, and its examination
of participation patterns (through the 1998 elections). Expanded discussions cover: the role of political mobilization
in recruiting people to participate; the impact of relative education levels on the types of participation people
engage in; and the importance of social connectedness in stimulating participation and acting as a channel for
political recruitment.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Social Characteristics and Patterns of Political Participation
3. The Psychology of Political Participation
4. The Political Environment and Political Participation
5. The Legal Structure and Political Participation
6. The Rationality of Political Participation
7. Explanations of Patterns of Participation
8. Does Political Participation Make a Difference?
