Inputs to the Political System Scale
Measures an individual's self-reported political participation, civic duties, and protest behaviors.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Inputs to the Political System Scale was developed by Lester W. Milbrath (1968). It is designed to measure Political Participation. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 21 items organized into 4 factors/subscales: Party and Campaign Participation, Protest and Question, Teach Children, General Civic Duty and Involvement.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Party and Campaign Participation | 1,9,10,13,14,19 | 6 |
| Protest and Question | 4,5,6,7,8,17 | 6 |
| Teach Children | 11,15,18 | 3 |
| General Civic Duty and Involvement | 2,3,12,16,20,21 | 6 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Things you never do at all, 2 = Things you seldom do, 3 = Things you do fairly often, 4 = Things you do regularly.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 21 to 84. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Political Input: 21 – 42
- Moderate Political Input: 43 – 64
- High Political Input: 65 – 84
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Not specified.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.