Explaining political participation intention through the lens of the civic voluntarism model and extended theory of planned behavior

Abstract

Citizens can express their views on environmental policies such as the redesign of urban streets in a number of ways, including participating in deliberative forums, signing petitions, or sharing their views on social media. However, political participation intentions arise from the interaction of various socio-demographic, psychological, and contextual factors. To better understand these dynamics, this study applies the Civic Voluntarism Model (CVM; Verba et al., 1995) and the extended Theory of Planned Behavior (eTPB; Ajzen, 1991), linking the fields of political science and psychology to provide a comprehensive explanation of political participation intentions. Using structural equation modeling on a large sample (N = 2532) and integrating variables from both theories, we found strong relationships between CVM and eTPB variables. While eTPB variables such as social norms, perceived behavioral control, and attitudes towards political participation directly shaped participation intentions, CVM variables provided a deeper insight into the relevant background factors. For example, involvement in local networks such as sports clubs was associated with stronger social norms for political participation. In addition, resources such as education, income, and male socialization were associated with higher internal political efficacy, which in turn influenced perceived behavioral control. Political interest had a strong effect on attitudes towards participation, internal political efficacy, and recruitment networks. Trust in local government was associated with both positive and negative emotional responses to the policy measure. However, only negative affect was directly related to political participation intentions, while positive affect had no significant effect. In sum, our study contributes both conceptually and empirically to integrating political science and psychological theories, providing a framework for empowering citizens to become politically involved in urban transition processes and beyond.