Description
Book SynopsisHow do post-communist citizens engage in the new democracies of Eastern Europe after decades of repressive control exerted by the communist regimes? Are people's involvement in post-communist politics influenced by generic socioeconomic and attitudinal traits, or is it primarily driven by selective mobilization opportunities provided by social networks and organizations? This book presents a broad framework for conceptualizing and measuring citizen participation and applies it to Romania as a typical post-communist democracy illustrating the low rates of political activism in the region. Separate chapters examine post-communist citizens' participation in elections, attempts to influence authorities beyond voting, cognitive engagement in politics, and direct involvement in local decision-making. Using large-N statistical analyses, the author argues that individuals' socioeconomic and attitudinal characteristics have relatively weak influences on citizen participation in the post-comm
Trade Review
This is an insightful analysis of participation trends in Romania. The author marshals a large amount of empirical evidence and offers thought-provoking interpretation.
-- Filip Kostelka, University of Essex
Table of ContentsIntroduction
Chapter 1: Theories of Democracy and Political Participation
Chapter 2: Contextualizing Political Participation in Romania after 1989. The Illusions and Disappointments of the Post-Communist Transition
Chapter 3: The Dynamics of Electoral Participation and Types of Voters
Chapter 4: Participation as Attempts to Influence Public Authorities
Chapter 5: Cognitive Political Engagement: Information, Discussion, and Knowledge on Politics
Chapter 6: Participation in Local Decision Making
Chapter 7: Searching for “Another Democracy”? Changing Patterns of Political Participation during the Economic Crisis
Conclusion
