Political participation can be loosely defined as citizens' activities aimed at influencing political decisions. It includes activities such as voting, signing a petition, or blocking streets. Political participation refers to people in their role as citizens and not, say, as politicians or civil servants. It is understood as an activity—simply watching television or being interested in politics does not constitute participation. Political participation is voluntary and is not ordered by a ruling class or obliged under some law. Finally, political participation concerns government and politics and is neither restricted to specific phases (such as parliamentary decision making), nor to specific levels or areas (such as national elections or contacts with officials). Political participation is directly related to the quality of democracy. Democracy is not worth ...