Survey Data and Methods for the Study of Political Participation

This chapter reviews some key aspects of the analysis of political participation using surveys. The first section focuses on the challenges related to conceptualization and measurement. The standardization pursued by survey methods is challenged by the changing reality of political participation, which is permanently redefining its conceptual boundaries and including new repertoires. Measurement needs to balance different objectives: tapping on detailed and updated repertoires of action, reducing potential sources of bias such as social desirability or recall error, and maximizing the possibilities for comparison both across space and along time. A second section presents alternative research designs including cross-sectional surveys, panel surveys, surveys to specific groups (including minorities and protesters) and recent innovative research designs. Their potential contributions and limitations in terms of description, generalization, and the identification of causal relations are examined. A final section discusses some of the pending matters for future research.