Preaching in the Wilderness: Exploring the Macro Dynamics of Political Participation

Research on the relationship between contextual factors and individual-level participation has offered a new frontier in the study of political activity. These studies push beyond the core characteristics highlighted in the Civic Voluntarism Model to understand how individuals respond to political, economic, and social environments. This paper builds on the contributions of both of these literatures to explore how national, political, and economic contexts shape aggregate rates of participation from 1973-1994. The central argument is that changes in the political and economic context produce alterations in individuals ’ political orientations, and these changed orientations drive fluctuations in aggregate behavior. Based on standard time series techniques, the results show that economic difficulties, competition over policymaking authority, and presidential elections act as stimulants for aggregate participation. The message is simple: civic participation is a dynamic response to a constantly changing world. ∗We would like to thank the star lab for use of its resources in the writing and analysis of this paper. Addition-ally, we are thankful to Mark Franklin and participants in the University of Rochester’s American Politics Working Group for helpful comments and criticisms. The normal caveat applies. Direct correspondence to Matthew B. Platt