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Reading Response #2 - Chapter 7: Political Culture and Political Participation
This response will discuss the political culture and participation chapter from the
textbook, “Politics, power and the common good: An Introduction to Political Science.” Some
concepts will be linked from my field of study, child and youth care and how it relates to
political participation. Throughout this response, I’ll discuss why young people’s voting
behaviour and turnout change over time. There are links between advocacy and political
participation, something that child and youth care students like myself are learning further. At
the time of writing, there will be an upcoming mayoral election in Toronto which presents a
perfect opportunity for more political participation and a better turnout in terms of voting.
ANALYSIS
According to Mintz and the authors of this book, political participation refers to “the
civic activities, such as voting, that citizens used to take part in political processes and express
their opinions and preferences (Mintz et al.).” This term might also be their argument, with
which I agree. We live in a world where we express our opinions which can be applied to politics
when specific social issues are on the agenda and can be transferred through the government,
depending on the level. Another central argument surrounding political participation is voter
turnout. Moreover, it discusses how some countries make voting compulsory, so voter turnout is
high. Examples include Australia and Belgium at the time of the textbook's release. Countries
such as Uruguay, Turkey, and Peru have higher voter turnouts than the United States, the United
Kingdom and even Switzerland, which have lower voter turnouts (DeSilver). Having mandatory
voting practices is something I do agree with because people have opinions about what they want
to see in society. It's a matter of themselves making an effort to vote on those issues. At the same
Reading Response #2 - Chapter 7: Political Culture and Political Participation
This response will discuss the political culture and participation chapter from the
textbook, “Politics, power and the common good: An Introduction to Political Science.” Some
concepts will be linked from my field of study, child and youth care and how it relates to
political participation. Throughout this response, I’ll discuss why young people’s voting
behaviour and turnout change over time. There are links between advocacy and political
participation, something that child and youth care students like myself are learning further. At
the time of writing, there will be an upcoming mayoral election in Toronto which presents a
perfect opportunity for more political participation and a better turnout in terms of voting.
ANALYSIS
According to Mintz and the authors of this book, political participation refers to “the
civic activities, such as voting, that citizens used to take part in political processes and express
their opinions and preferences (Mintz et al.).” This term might also be their argument, with
which I agree. We live in a world where we express our opinions which can be applied to politics
when specific social issues are on the agenda and can be transferred through the government,
depending on the level. Another central argument surrounding political participation is voter
turnout. Moreover, it discusses how some countries make voting compulsory, so voter turnout is
high. Examples include Australia and Belgium at the time of the textbook's release. Countries
such as Uruguay, Turkey, and Peru have higher voter turnouts than the United States, the United
Kingdom and even Switzerland, which have lower voter turnouts (DeSilver). Having mandatory
voting practices is something I do agree with because people have opinions about what they want
to see in society. It's a matter of themselves making an effort to vote on those issues. At the same
