POLITICAL PARTICIPATION

POLITICAL PARTICIPATION

French citizens, like those in other democracies, participate in government primarily through voting. As we will see, numerous and regular elections characterize the system, and voting percentages are generally very high. The instability of the past is reflected in the large numbers of political parties that citizens identify with. However, in recent years, those parties have either become broader based or have formed coalitions that attract French voters.

POLITICAL PROTEST

Another important influence of the French Revolution is the tendency for political participation to take the form of protest. In the late 18th century that protest involved drastic regime change from an absolute monarchy to a democratic republic. Today even the most serious protests do not question the legitimacy of the Fifth Republic, but they do reflect the penchant toward mistrust of government.

The most serious threat to the legitimacy of the Fifth Republic came in 1968 with the "Events of May." Protests began in suburban Paris when students staged a rally at a branch of the University of Paris to protest campus facilities and dormitory rules. The university called students to a hearing at the central campus, the Sorbonne, on Paris' left bank. Other students gathered to support the accused, followed by a series of nightly demonstrations in March 1968 that led to violent clashes with the police. By May, students had erected barricades in the streets (early 19th century style), and students took over buildings on the Sorbonne campus. The discontent spread to workers, who began occupying factories all over the country, and by the middle of May about 8 million people were on strike. The events of May became much more important than protests against university facilities. They came to represent a large number of people and groups that objected to the centralization of political power under the conservative government. The tension was broken when President Charles De Gaulle dissolved the National Assembly, and called for new elections. The Gaullists (conservatives) won by a landslide, showing that the government had widespread popular support.

Since 1968 protests have continued, but none have been a serious challenge to the republic. Farmers, in particular, have staged public, highly publicized protests. For example, a few years ago they dumped manure in the roads leading to EuroDisney in protest to the American influence. They have staged tractor parades (slowing traffic down) and roadblocks regarding European Union farm policies that place new rules on farm productivity. Many protests highlight important class divisions between the working and middle classes. However, even though the French are still more likely to stage protests than the Americans or British, protests are more likely to target specific policies and procedures rather than the legitimacy of the government.

VOTING BEHAVIOR

French citizens vote in many different elections on the local, regional, and national levels. However, the large numbers of elections has not prevented high voter turnouts at all levels. Electoral participation in national levels has never fallen below 71% of registered voters, and frequently it has been much higher. As in other countries, social class, age, and education are important factors in determining the degree of electoral participation, both in voter registration and actual voting. Older, better educated people of higher income groups are the most likely to vote.

Only a few million people actually belong to political parties, but membership requires active support beyond voting. Party members pay dues, attend meetings, and actively work for their parties. Most citizens don't belong to parties, and in recent years, their voting patterns have been less predictable, with many switching support from left to right, and vice versa. Perhaps the most significant change in political behavior in recent years has been in the voting patterns of women. Before 1958, a majority of women voted for parties on the right. Increasingly, women have shifted their votes to the left, and in every national election since the 1980s, a clear majority of women have voted for parties on the left.

WOMEN AND POLITICS

France granted universal suffrage to men in 1848, but not to women until 1946. It was one of the last democracies to approve women's suffrage, and it has one of the lowest percentages of women representatives to their lower house (less than 11%). However, in 1999, France passed a parity law, which requires all political parties to run an equal number of men and women candidates. The law was the result of a movement that began on the left in 1997 with the Manifesto of 577, which was presented a parity proposal to the National Assembly (which has 577 members) by 289 women activists and 288 men. The law was voted in after the Socialist victories in the 1997 Assembly election. Only local elections have been held so far under this new rule, but once it is applied to national elections, it almost certainly will increase the number of women office holders.

Did the French really run 50% women candidates in the election of 2002? Reading a critical account of what really happened at http://www.womensenews.org/article.cfm/dyn/aid/934/context/archive