'Tastes' for political participation: a lifestyle approach to democratic design

This paper argues that practices of political participation can be seen as expressions of different styles of democratic citizenship. Through these styles, citizens exhibit certain 'tastes' for particular forms of political activity. Typical empirical analyses of lifestyles and styles of democratic citizenship are discussed. A reinterpretation of these findings according to cultural theory suggests a universe of basic ways of life underlying these citizenship styles. A lifestyle approach to democratic design that focuses on the match between participation opportunities and citizens' tastes for participation is proposed.

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