Inputs to the Political System
Milbrath‚ 1968
1. Participate in a political party between elections as well as at election time
2. Keep informed about politics
3. Vote in elections
4. Send messages of support to political‚ leaders when they are doing well
5. Send protest messages to political leaders when they are doing badly
6. Protest both vigorously and publicly if the government does something that is morally wrong
7. Join in public street demonstrations
8. Riot if necessary to get public officials to correct political wrongs
9. Take an active part in political campaigns
10.Engage in political discussion
11.Teach my children the importance of give and take in the democratic way of life
12.Pay all taxes
13.Be a candidate for public office
14.Inform others in my community about politics
15.Teach my children to Participate in politics beyond voting
16.Have undivided loyalty and love for my country
17.Question the legitimacy of regulations issued by authorities before obeying them
18.Personally see to it that my children understand and accept the responsibilities of citizenship
19.Join and support a political party
20.Be a calming and informing influence in my own community
21.Actively support community organizations
Political Outtakes
1. Being careful in using public money and trust
2. Taking actions that make me proud of my country
3. Taking actions that make me proud of my city
4. Trying to even out differences in wealth and prestige
5. Arranging things so it is easy for citizens to move from place to place‚ job to job‚ class to class
6. Providing a chance to make a good living
7. Seeing to it that every man who wants a job can have a job
8. Insuring equal opportunity for citizens to participate in making political decisions
9. Providing protection and security
10.Providing public order: for example‚ traffic regulations
11.Securing civil rights and liberties for all
12.Providing justice for all
13.Providing national system of health insurance for people of all ages
14.Making it possible for a person to be heard when he feels he has something to say
15.Competently handling foreign affairs
16.Providing welfare services
17.Provide courts for resolving conflicts between private parties
18.Providing strong leadership
19.Arranging things so that business is left alone
20.Providing free university education for all who can qualify
21.Intervening to stop an individual or group from persecuting another individual or group
22.Providing stability in society even if it means slowing down the role of progress
23.Make it possible for a person with the means to live where he wishes to live.
Real Sort Piles
1. Things the government does a very effective job of providing
2. Things the government does a moderately effective job of providing
3. Things the government is not very effective in providing
4. Things the government does i n effective l y or not at a l l
Ideal Sort Piles
1. Things you feel it is essential for the government to do
2. Things the government has an important responsibility to do
3. Things the government has some responsibility to do
4. Things you believe the government should not attempt to do at all
Things you do regularly
Things you do fairly often
Things you seldom do
Things you never do at all
Things you feel it is essential to do
Things you have an important responsibility to do
Things you have some responsibility to d o
Things you feel you have no responsibility to do
Party and Campaign P a r t i c i p a t i o n (Items 1‚ 9‚ 10‚ 13‚ 14‚ and 19); Protest and Question (Items 4‚ 5‚ 6‚ and 17); Teach Children (Items 11‚ 15‚ and 18)
This instrument can be found at: https://www.psc.isr.umich.edu/dis/infoserv/isrpub/pdf/Measuresofsocialpsychologicalattitudes_2928_.PDF
Milbrath ‚ L. W. (1968). The nature of political beliefs and the relationship of the individual to the government. The American Behavioral Scientist. 12(2)‚ 28-36.
Robinson‚ John P.‚ Shaver‚ Phillip R. (1969). Measures of Political Attitudes. Institute for Social Research‚ University of Michigan/. Ann Arbor‚ Michigan
Milbrath‚ Lester W. Goel‚ Madan Lal‚ (1977). Political Participation: How and why Do People Get Involved in Politics?. Second edition. Boston: University Press of America‚ Inc.