as “attending a caucus or a strategy meeting” or “being a candidate for office”
(1965, p.18). Crucially, “political participation is understood as an activity
(‘action’) – simply watching television or claiming to be curious about politics
does not constitute participation” (Van Deth, 2001, p.5). This distinction is what
separates participatory actions such as voting in an election or writing to a public
official from actions that would only constitute political engagement. Lilleker
understands political engagement as a cognitive process, highlighting the key
difference between the terms (2014, p.151). While engagement is an umbrella
term that encompasses anything political, participation describes an activity that
aims to directly influence the political process. The separation of political
participation and political engagement is crucial, as in recent years there has
been a significant expansion in activities that may constitute political
participation.
“New forms of representation and public participation are emerging in all of our countries.” (OECD, 2000)
Much of the literature around the issue fails to effectively separate the two
terms, which can prove problematic. The rise of social media has created a
multitude of ways in which people can engage with political content.
Consequently, it is necessary to differentiate between political engagement and
political participation, both for the purposes of this report and for further study
into the topic of political participation.
“Political participation refers to voluntary activities undertaken by the mass public to influence public policy” (Uhlaner, 2015)
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