Political activism tied to higher representation in 40-nation study

KUALA LUMPUR, 29 SEPTEMBER 2026 —

Researchers from Lund University and the University of Gothenburg have found that people who participate in political activities between elections — such as demonstrating, signing petitions, boycotting and contacting politicians — see their policy preferences reflected in government action more often than those who only vote, according to a study published in the journal Political Behavior.

The study analysed survey responses from 270,000 people across 40 countries collected between 1996 and 2016, cross-referencing participants' reported political activities and policy views with whether those policies were implemented within five years, Jesper Lindqvist, a political scientist at Lund University, said.

In the dataset, 74 per cent of respondents said they had voted and 26 per cent said they had not. When the researchers compared the two groups, they found that voters' policy preferences were no more likely to be adopted than those of non-voters, Lindqvist said.

"Voting does not, therefore, correlate with better political representation," Lindqvist said.

By contrast, respondents who reported taking part in activities such as demonstrations, organising petitions, boycotting and contacting politicians showed a stronger association between their preferred policies and actual policy outcomes. The more such activities a person engaged in, the greater the chance their preferred policies were implemented five years later, the researchers found.

"This supports the hypothesis that it is in fact activism that brings about outcomes, but we cannot say for certain that this is the case," Lindqvist said.

The researchers controlled for education, income, age, gender and geographic location — factors that might also explain why some people are better represented. "These socioeconomic factors played a certain role, but even when they were taken into account, the link between political activism and better representation remained," Lindqvist said.

The study offers two main explanations for the correlation. Politically active individuals may have a better understanding of how politics works, and their views may already align more closely with decision-makers, making them feel they have greater scope to influence policy, the researchers said. Alternatively, activism may signal broader shifts in public opinion. "When people start holding demonstrations and organising petitions, it serves as a signal to politicians that public opinion is shifting," Lindqvist said.

Lindqvist emphasised that the findings do not diminish the role of elections. "No, absolutely not. Elections remain the foundation of representative democracy and determine which parties come to power," he said. "Our study, on the other hand, shows that the views of people who are also politically active between elections tend to be better represented in policy."

For anyone who wants to influence politics, Lindqvist suggested using democratic opportunities beyond the ballot box. "A useful tip is not just to vote, but also to make use of the other democratic opportunities available," he said.

The study, titled "Are the Politically Active Better Represented?", provides a basis for further research into the mechanisms linking participation and representation, Lindqvist said. "We have identified some fundamental correlations, but you cannot take them too far. Many people wonder whether it is worth, for example, taking part in demonstrations, and some evidence suggests that, yes, it is."

Related: Jesper Lindqvist