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POLITICAL PARTICIPATION AND VOTING RIGHTS

An Indian citizen has his finger stained with ink as he votes in his country’s national elections in 2009.

governance of the country in a regulated manner. This gives citizens both a stake in the government and a means to voice their frustrations or concerns. Democratic governments share a range of characteristics. First, citizens control the political processes and shape policy through elections, public opinion, and political participation . Second, governments strive to promote equality among their citizens and prevent any one group from dominating other portions of the population. Third, democracies provide citizens with access to power through regular, fair elections.

Formal Political Participation Political participation is one of the foundations of democracy. It’s the main way through which citizens exercise control over their government or influence policy decisions. There

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