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Comparing Political Participation in Different Institutional Environments: The Mobilizing Effect of Direct Democracy on Young People

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Comparing Political Communication across Time and Space

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Abstract

Why do young people participate in politics more in one context than in another? This fundamental question is at the core of this study. It is best addressed with a comparative design, as comparative research guides our attention to the explanatory relevance of the contextual environment for communication outcomes. Comparative research aims to understand how differences in the macro-level context shape individual communication behaviors differentially. Any attempt to systematically link macro-level system conditions and micro-level communication behaviors is an impor- tant step towards explanatory research. From a comparative perspective, it is thus important to recognize that communication processes might be shaped by factors of systemic context.

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Authors
  1. Ruth Kunz
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  2. Judith Moeller
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  3. Frank Esser
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  4. Claes de Vreese
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University Complutense Madrid, Spain

    María José Canel

  2. University of Leeds, UK

    Katrin Voltmer

Copyright information

© 2014 Ruth Kunz, Judith Moeller, Frank Esser and Claes de Vreese

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Kunz, R., Moeller, J., Esser, F., Vreese, C.d. (2014). Comparing Political Participation in Different Institutional Environments: The Mobilizing Effect of Direct Democracy on Young People. In: Canel, M.J., Voltmer, K. (eds) Comparing Political Communication across Time and Space. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137366474_8

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