Before we can begin to understand the importance of these types of participation, we must have a concise and in-depth comprehension of exactly what each type of involvement entails. Voting exists in almost every nation in the world, however, in many authoritarian regimes, such as third world countries, it is only a formality. In countries such as this, only one name may appear on the ballot or there may be a general consensus that voting for opponents to the central candidate could lead to violence. This type of voting is not considered effective participation because the citizen\'s actions have no visible affect on electing officials or policy shaping. Therefore, for the purposes of this study, vo

Great Britain has a traditional modern parliamentary government that is dominated by two parties, the Labour Party and the Conservative Party. The Labour Party prides itself on being a democratic socialist party, essentially meaning that the party philosophy is to create a nation in which power, wealth, and opportunity are in the hands of the many and not the few (Labour Party). The Conservative Party is focused on liberal economic policies, as well as the preservation of traditional British cultural values and institutions (Conservative Party). This party supports a decentralized government in which the state plays a limited role in social welfare. One of the most notable areas of conflict between the Labour and Conservative parties is regarding Britain\'s involvement in the European Union. While there is a growing movement within the Conservative Party to embrace the EU, the platform itself is not in favor of increasing the United Kingdom\'s relationship with the EU, which the Labour Party is strongly in favor of. In comparing the two parties, we find that the party systems of Great Britain are consensual, as classified by Arend Lijphart, meaning that they are not too far apart on major issues, have a high degree of trust for each other and cooperate, and have a relatively homogenous political culture. Great Britain can be best classified as a Democratic Industrial nation. This means that approximately 10% of the citizens have a very dim concept of politics and their government, 30% are highly aware of their political system but do not believe they can have an impact on it, and 60% of members are very oriented with the political system and play an activist role in the polity.

Social Democratic Party. Social Democratic Party. April 24, 2000. .

It is also very important to have a developed understanding of political parties. Political parties began in the United States, so they are still a relatively new idea, that is now considered an essential part of democracy. Parties serve five basic functions in a political system. First, they allow a method of communication between citizens and their government. Through communication, citizens are informed of the processes of government and politics, and also receive information regarding political issues. Next, parties provide representation of the citizens to the government. Third, parties provide interest articulation, in which citizens can identify their feelings on particular issues that are important to them, but not necessarily the rest of the population. Fourth, political parties are the sole means of aggregating these issues into larger categories, which can then be expressed to the government in a logical and persuasive form. Finally, political parties are the only sector of society in which political leaders are selected and recruited, to later be voted for or against by the public of that nation, or a body elected by them. This paper will specifically focus on competitive party systems, defined as systems in which parties compete in an open political process through democratic process and accept the rules of engagement. These parties realize there are boundaries within which they must operate to insure the survival and preservation of democracy.

The above descriptions of the two democratic nations, although brief, exemplify many similar characteristics. Both Germany and Great Britain have a parliamentary government, two party systems, relatively centralist parties, and significant levels of political participation. Through careful analysis, it is now possible to determine why the political parties of Great Britain and Germany are successful in mobilizing the

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