POLITICAL PARTICIPATION: HUMANS AS A POLITICAL ANIMALS

Aristotle had once claimed that “Man is by nature a political animal,” which means
that human beings are naturally endowed with the ability to articulate moral principles such
as equality and justice that form one’s household and the city-state. According to him, human
beings cannot survive without having an inclination for partnership with others. He
mentioned various forms of human partnership but one of the essential partnerships that helps
people to accomplish the greatest good and to which they are naturally drawn is the political
partnership.

Political participation involves various activities wherein people make and voice out
their opinions about how the state is being governed, as well as to participate and influence
the decisions that impact their lives. Every political system is immersed into a specific
political culture. Political culture, on one hand, is the set of beliefs, symbols, and values
which people expressed with regards to the political objects such as political parties,
government, and constitution. Karl Marx has two theories of culture and one of it emphasized
culture as a form of power in which the ideas of the ruling class spread through the society
and become the dominant culture of the period. However, the social capital culture that
promotes public participation and a sense of social belonging is said to be declining because
of insufficient parenting, the rise of individualism, and the increase in geographical and social
mobility. With this, multiculturalism arose which recognizes cultural diversity and identity
politics within a society.

People's political attitudes, beliefs, and values form both their approach to the
democratic process and most importantly, their opinion of the regime in which they reside.
Public opinion, as what they called, is the foremost concern of each democratic systems. With
this, political communication has been developed through the emergence of mass media. The
media not just constitute the medium of communication, but also the political process itself,
influencing the distribution of power in society. Lengthy discussion on media’s relationship
with democracy and governance styles has been given a new turn by the emergence of
modern electronic media. One best example of this was when President Duterte gained his
millions of supporters through social media campaigns during the 2016 Presidential
Elections. Hence, in a modern democratic country such as Philippines, public opinion is
expressed not just in mass
media platforms and surveys but also in social media sites. This is to amplify the voices of
those who collectively call the government to act on certain social issues in accordance with
the interests of the majority.

Furthermore, the main instrument in ascertaining public opinion in modern democracy

is through representations, elections, and voting. A representative is elected to act for on
behalf of the bigger population. He/she is expected to represent the interests of his/her
constituents as well as to exercise independent decision that is best for everyone. With this
kind of democracy, the power is distributed yet limited because the functions of the elected
officials are determined by a constitution that lays down the basic rules, values, and structure
of the government. A representative democracy requires a systematic political participation
from the citizens to work. Hence, election and voting are always associated with the
representative process. Through elections, eligible voters of one’s country can select their
representatives who will rule and manage the legislation on their behalf. People also have the
chance to remove public officials who do not serve their interests anymore from their office.

A set of rules called electoral system regulates the conduct of electoral process during
elections. This set of rules gives options to the voters on how they will choose or select their
government officials. One’s vote is equal or has the same weight as other citizen’s vote.
Every member of the society has the right to vote as long as he/she is eligible to do so.
However, there is a thought which argues that the right to vote should not force an individual
to participate in political process because the right to abstain is as valuable as the right to
vote. Thus, when the right to vote is granted, the choice as to whether to exercise the right in
any democratic process should be left completely to the person. Nevertheless, others still
believe that by making the voting compulsory will strengthen the democracy because the
government will have a greater legitimacy, the civic duty of the citizens will be exercised,
and compulsory voting will counter social disadvantages.

The voting behavior of the citizens is the result of the short-term and long-term
influences such as the state of the economy, personality and public standing of party leaders,
style and effectiveness of the parties’ electoral campaigning, and mass media. Some voting
behavior shows the manifestation of partisanship, the importance of class alignment, voting
as a rational act, and the how the voting is shaped by a process of ideological manipulation
and control.
 Moreover, a political party is established to link the relationship between the
institutions of government and certain group and interests that works within a society. Pit also
aims to use government power by winning administrative office. But parties are not at all the
same. Some vary in terms of administrative structure, philosophical orientation, and functions
within the bigger political system. Political parties were then praised as a great tool of
democracy and condemned as a foundation of tyranny and repression. Furthermore, their
effect is greatly affected by party system, the system of connections among parties organized
specifically by the number of parties present, as they shape the scope and nature of options
accessible to the voters and affect the unity and constancy of government.

On the other hand, the development of groups, interests and movements also affects
the democratic process of one’s country in such a way that they function as a driving force of
citizens’ empowerment and a part of the government’s machinery. Groups seek to strengthen
the representation, stimulate debate and discussion, increase the political participation, and
function as a check on government power. An interest group aims to influence the course of
action of the government. While a social movement intends to bring together the committed
citizens for political activism. These are all established to represent the marginalized sectors,
oppressed societies, and protect the interests of the masses.

In conclusion, political participation plays a vital role in achieving a better

government for all because even if we change our political systems and electoral process or
amend the constitution, the success of one’s nation is still in the hands of its voters and
citizens. By exercising our right to vote, speak, assemble and associate, and to participate in
any public affairs, we demand changes in governance of one’s regime. Our right is our voice
and our voice is our power. We should not be the one to be controlled of by the elected
officials because in the first place, we are the one who give the power to them. They are
called representatives because their job is to represent the interests of the majority and act
according to what is good for their constituents. Hence, political participation should never be
disregarded since as what Napoleon Bonaparte had said, “Ten persons who speak make
more noise than ten thousand who are silent.”

References:

Heywood, A. (2000). Politics, 2nd ed., Palgrave.

Ranney, A. (2001). Governing: An Introduction to Political Science, 8th ed. Prentice Hall