Democratic Phoenix

• List of tables; List of figures; Preface; Introduction: 1. The decline and fall of political activism?; 2. Theories of political activism; Part I. The Puzzle of Electoral Turnout: 3. Mapping turnout; 4. Do institutions matter?; 5. Who votes?; Part II. Political Parties: 6. Mapping party activism; 7. Who joins?; Part III. Social Capital and Civic Society: 8. Social capital and civic society; 9. Traditional mobilising agencies: unions and churches; 10. New social movements, protest politics and the internet; 11. Conclusions: the reinvention of political activism?; Appendix: comparative framework; Notes; Select bibliography; Index.

'… impressive in its interrogation of evidence comparing systematic data for electoral turnout, party membership and civic activism in countries around the word … a well-argued thesis that questions the popular decline of political activism … well executed, fascinating and extremely readable … it is delivered eloquently and engagingly … this is a brave, admirable and absorbing book that should be compulsory reading for anyone interested in political activism and citizen participation.' European Journal of Communication