New Indicators for the Study of Pathways to Political Participation

The study of political participation is firstly based on the construction of data ensuring an adequate description of the structural aspects of this phenomenon. They represent the core element in sampling, in stratified analyses and in comparative research. In the light of the multiple and multiplying forms of political participation (diversified not only according to its organizational structure (institutions, parties, movements, associations, etc.), but also taking into account other aspects such as intensity, duration, scope, coherence along the right/left axis, or based on the civil society/institutions dichotomy or continuum etc.] the need emerges for a review of the old indicators or development of new indicators so as to detect and interpret changes . The research on transformations in party systems may inspire and meet such demand for innovation, especially as concerns the degree of fragmentation and of cross-party conflicts. This was the case for some indicators, which proved crucial for an analysis of political culture in Italy.