7.4 Who participate in politics? (3)

  • Education increases participation in two ways: by providing civic skills and by increasing political interest.
  • Experiences with government programs can also shape political participation. For example, in USA prior to the creation of the Social Security program, senior citizens participated far less than other Americans; but today, seniors are among the most politically involved Americans.
  • Why did Social Security increase participation among the aged? Social Security gave seniors income security and this gave them free time to become politically engaged.