| Scholars have long studied political behavior in the United States and Western democracies. However, less in known about political participation patterns in the developing world and, more specifically, in Asia. This dissertation examines types of political participation in ten Asian countries. Previous political behavior scholarship in Asia has focused on voter turnout and aggregate level data instead of all types of participation and individual level analysis.;The inquiry begins by constructing and testing six dimensions of political participation in a survey dataset from the second wave of the Asian Barometer Survey. A confirmatory factor analysis is utilized to determine exact dimensions of political behavior types that exist in the region. The findings from this analysis indicate that, much like the Western world, Asians also fall into the following political participation types: political interest, voter, communalist, parochial participant, campaigner, and complete activist.;The analysis continues with an examination of social characteristics that help deteunine with which type of participation one will be involved. Weighted least squares regression analysis supports theories developed for Western democracies. After examining participation in the region as a whole, the scope of this dissertation turns to an investigation of individual countries in Asia. The same six political participation dimensions are found independently in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mongolia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand. Models are constructed to further test theories related to individual characteristics and their impact on political participation modes. Theories of participation that have been tested for decades in the developed and stable democracies prove to have explanatory power in the emerging democracies of Asia.;The implications of the findings are apparent in that this dissertation sheds light on "who participates" not only in voting, but in all forms of participation in Asia. While voting may not necessarily topple a regime, actively participating in protests, demonstrations, and other unconventional methods have helped countries such as Mongolia and the Philippines move towards democratization. Distinguishing between who is involved in such activities can help explain the nature of the political system and whether these actions will encourage democratic consolidation in the region. |
