Local Participation Study, 2001; Local Participation Study and the 2002 Local Elections

This project is designed to improve our understanding of the factors which influence the levels of electoral participation in British local government. It makes use of prior quantitative research findings about those areas which display consistently higher or lower than expected local election turnouts as the springboard for examining a new range of possible explanatory variables. Through a range of methodological tools, including individual level surveys, aggregate data analysis, and primary research into the historical, social and spatial character of the chosen research sites, it aims to study the context in which individuals make their decision about whether to vote or not and the impact of that context on their behaviour. The research was guided by the theoretical conception that, rather than simply being a reflection of socio-economic status and resources, citizen participation is a product of motivation provided both by their social relations with others and by the nature of the community in which they live. The findings of the research are likely to prove of practical relevance not only to guiding and shaping changes in policy but also to improving links between the local authority and its citizens.