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Life Span Civic Development and Voting Participation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2014

John M. Strate ,
Charles J. Parrish ,
Charles D. Elder  and
Coit Ford III
John M. Strate
Affiliation:
Wayne State University
Charles J. Parrish
Affiliation:
Wayne State University
Charles D. Elder
Affiliation:
Wayne State University
Coit Ford III
Affiliation:
Wayne State University
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Abstract

Although a variety of age-related processes are known to affect rates of political participation over the adult life span, little is known about their interrelationships and relative impact. We set out a theory of life span civic development that focuses on how age-related changes in community attachment, strength of partisanship, church attendance, government responsiveness, family income, and civic competence impinge on voting participation. To test the theory, we estimated the coefficients of a structural equation model using data from nine National Election Studies combined into a large, cross-sectional time series data set. The model specifies the age-related processes and also controls for the effects of a large number of other variables. Overall, about one-half of the age-related increases in voting participation were attributable to these processes.

Type
Articles
Information
American Political Science Review , Volume 83 , Issue 2 , June 1989 , pp. 443 - 464
Copyright
Copyright © American Political Science Association 1989

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