Electoral behavior: be an active citizen!

It is unlikely that in the era of technology, innovation, and raising public awareness due to informatization, one can meet a person who has never heard of political science. Certainly, every citizen considers himself at least half understanding what is happening at the top of the power, because it is said in the media. In addition, the news every day proclaims that political science in modern Russia has reached new frontiers, but only to what and by what criteria is a mystery.

So the level of literacy of the population leaves much to be desired. Few people know what, in general, is, for example, electoral behavior, how it relates to each of us. How to use this concept to determine the true motives for your participation in the life of the country. Ideally, a citizen needs to know the different types of political participation. I'd like to talk about all this in more detail.

Electoral behavior - the actions of a citizen, which are related to the choice of candidates for government at all levels. In addition to standard elections, referenda are also included here.

It should be noted that not everyone of us ever voted, and if he did, he chose the favorites according to certain criteria. All have their own criteria, therefore, and say that electoral behavior is homogeneous, it is impossible. Let us single out three groups.

The first includes rational voters who are guided solely by the actions of candidates, assess the prospects for their "flowering at the helm," and then draw conclusions. There are almost no such responsible citizens in Russia, or they are very well disguised.

In the second group, voters depend on someone else's opinion. This includes the usual way to vote "to make things worse", that is, for the party that is. Thus, we simply disclaim responsibility, sail with the flow, and so, unfortunately, in Russia occurs everywhere.

The third group is cognitive behavior, or mixed. It is important here as your opinion, formed under the influence of education, books read, place of work, etc., and the foundations, traditions of the family.

It is also important to consider such a concept as the types of political participation. According to the methods of activity, they are divided into conventional participation, when any actions taken do not go beyond the existing norms, and unconventional (unauthorized rallies, etc.). Electoral behavior is closely intertwined with this category.

The conventional one is divided into passive participation when the individual is interested in politics, but is not a conformist actor, under which the support of the existing regime is observed because this is the opinion of the majority and the protest one.

Protest behavior is activist and reformist. The first assumes cardinal measures to change the existing political order, while the second part is aimed at gradual improvement through peaceful reforms.

Types of political participation differ not only in their methods of activity, but also in motives: autonomous and mobilization. At the first citizens actively express their political position of goodwill, and according to the second - only by coercion.

Political science in modern Russia considers many concepts, besides those described above. However, it should be borne in mind that as such political thinking our citizens do not have, because there is no prerequisite for that: the popularity of the departments of political science on which a new political elite could be brought up is not very high. And those who received such a higher education earlier, it is unlikely because of age and Soviet education will actively advocate for fundamental changes in the country.

Undoubtedly, the authorities are trying to make people better understand the reforms, realize the advantages of democracy and become active citizens of their country. However, in fact it turns out that citizens who are interested and understanding are "pushed" so that they do not spoil their opinion with the general favorable picture. While illiterate, but supporting all beginnings, are more often at the top. Here is a paradox.