Voter turnout is falling in general elections, and this is an important point, because it means that governments are being elected on lowering numbers of votes, which can make their claim to power more questionable.
Party membership is another useful measure of participation. 1.6% of the electorate belongs to one of three main parties, compared to 3.8% in 1983.
Pressure group membership has been increasing in recent years, suggesting a changing nature of participation.
There have been over 30,000 petitions on the government’s website, showing that people engage in the issues they care about.
Facebook and Twitter have been hubs for political conversation and debate, showing people prefer to engage with politics in a more casual way.
Scottish Independence referendum in 2014 saw a turnout of 85%, and the European Union referendum in 2016 saw a turnout of 72%.

Test your knowledge about political participation and engagement through elections, party membership, pressure groups, petitions, and social media platforms. Explore how different factors affect democratic participation and citizen engagement in political processes.