DECLINING ELECTORAL PARTICIPATION IN THE ESTABLISHED DEMOCRACIES –THE UNINTENDED ROLE OF THEIR NEO-LIBERAL POLICIES

ABSTRACT The number of countries having democratic governments elected through public votes has almost quadrupled as a result of second and third waves of democratization. Incongruously, however, countries that were once involved in the development of this idea of one-person-one-vote are witnessing continuous regression in the political participation. The paper looks at the empirical and theoretical research on the factors influencing electoral participation and explains how they are insufficient in explaining the observed decline. An impetus is provided for studying regression in political participation as an unintended consequence of neoliberal policies of Western democracies