Political participation: influences and implications

• Main Author: Singapore Management University
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2012
• Subjects: Civic and Community Engagement; Political Science; Politics and Social Change
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/pers/267; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1284&context=pers

From the understanding of topical issues to activism, education has been said to play a major role in promoting political participation. Past research has shown that the educated would display stronger tendencies to vote, join political parties and engage in civic activities. However, if education predicts political participation, why do some countries with lower education rates face higher chances of political unrest? For instance, the average schooling in East Asian countries exceeds the average for Latin American countries. Yet, Latin America experiences higher levels of political unrest.