Political Participation in Romania: Resources, Attitudes and the Mobilization Capacity of Civil Society.

As Romania and other new democracies began the process of regime consolidation, it was unclear whether initial rates of non-voting forms of political participation would continue or if we would witness a decline in participation. In this paper, I evaluate the pattern of Romanian political participation (1995-2004). Using data collected in 1996, 2001, and 2004, I develop a model of political participation that evaluates resources, engagement/ attitudes and membership to civil society organizations. Overall, rates of participation have declined. Application of the model overtime shows that correlated factors with political activity move from resource-based to recruitment-based (civil society membership). However, the decline in participation is proportional among members and non-members of civil society suggesting that political representation through non-voting forms of participation has not reached the ideals set forth in liberal democratic theory. ..PAT.-Conference Proceeding [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]