Why and how do people participate in the political process?

Citizens vote and become engaged in other civic activities. Citizens may contact public officials via phone, mail, e-mail, or other means. Citizens can promote public awareness in meetings, advertisements and political campaigns. Citizens can volunteer in local and nationwide organizations. They can also donate resources such as money, connections, time, and advice. People may pursue public office and other forms of public service. Parents volunteer at local schools and after school programs. Students get involved in school-based and other programs that improve community life. People get involved in politics for a variety of reasons. They may be personally motivated because of an event that changed their lives. They may receive invitations to participate from friends, organizations, political parties, or a candidate’s campaign. A person’s socialization, life experience, and attitudes toward politics can influence participation. Some people have a strong sense of civic duty and a belief that they can influence government, which compels them to act. Barriers, such as legal obstacles, may preclude some people from engaging politically.

Political parties. A political party is a group of officials that is linked with a sizable group of citizens into an organization;

a chief object of this organization is to ensure that its officials attain power or are maintained in power.

parties have as their central purpose the acquisition of power and the direction of policy.

•a party joins people together in a more or less formally organized structure with membership that sets those who are in the party apart from the rest.

•For instance, the Conservative party of Britain has about 400,000 dues-paying members.

•The Communist party of China has 48 million members, who must pass a probationary period before they are accepted for full membership.

•Because of their organizational structure and because they link the state and society, political parties are the "miracle glue" of modern politics.

•They were invented by politicians for a particular, self-interested reason, but have proved adaptable to such a wide variety of other purposes