Politics and Citizen

Introduction

A progressive political agenda has of necessity to come to terms with reconfiguring the relationship between citizens and the state. The creation of a people's contract rooted in a vision of the good society that cares for the wellbeing of all its citizens is an indispensable component of a progressive agenda. Progressives nationally and globally are beginning to articulate a common vision and common political purpose directed at the creation of a non-sexist, non-racist world. Active political participation and civic engagement are central to the realisation of the progressive vision and the progressive agenda. Progressives are increasingly coming to recognise that participation in political institutions, political processes, and civic life are critical indicators of political inclusion. (Kahne Westheimer 34-40)

Discussion

There are principally two mechanisms by which individuals and groups seek to effect social and political change in democratic societies. One is through formal political participation and the other, as they seek to bridge the growing gap between them and their political processes and institutions, is through substantive political participation that goes beyond voting and engaging with political parties(Lickona 6-11). This is highly contested terrain, not simply because there is growing disenchantment with formal electoral politics but also because the very reasons individuals and groups engage politically vary considerably. In democratic countries of the North or the South, it is important to study levels of participation and engagement because they constitute a vital barometer of how well democracies are performing in relation to the needs and aspirations of the masses of our people. Levels of political and civic participation and engagement are also an effective gauge of social and political inclusion, and engaged citizenry are a useful measure of the degree to which democracy is democratised. There is a growing interest in the relationship between formal political participation and levels of civic engagement and there is growing evidence of a mutually reinforcing relationship between formal political participation and participation in community organisations(Westheimer Kahne 34) .

Those who operate in the sphere of formal political participation need to recognise that a focus on formal political participation can obscure the multiplicity of ways in which citizens engage politically - within communities, in social and protest movements, in trade unions, and in a variety of civic organisations at the grass roots level. Progressives therefore have to embrace a broader definition of political participation (to encompass non-formal, substantive participation), in the political arena.

Progressives need to understand the extent to which formal and non-formal participation by organisations representing the interests of the masses, especially of disaffected and disenchanted individuals and communities, can overcome their distance and alienation from the formal institutions of government and can leverage a higher profile for their issues and concerns. Progressive political parties have to think carefully about how to close gaps and distances between them and the people. They have to think carefully about how to deal constructively with political apathy, political disenchantment, and political distemper. They have to identify strategies to turn these negative perceptions around and build bridges of solidarity across an often fragmented polity(Lickona 6-11) . 

In South Africa, the struggle against apartheid was a revolutionary and a progressive struggle. And the African National Congress had to continually ensure that its political tent was sufficiently large so as to include all the forces that were anti-apartheid. The African National Congress from its inception has always been an organisation steeped in democratic norms and traditions. Positions in the organisation were and continue to be contested, elections are held, and there are winners and losers. This was also true while the organisation was banned and forced underground. While the organisation was banned inside South Africa, it still had to find new and innovative ways of engaging the masses through ...