Democratic Political Culture that Influences Political Participation of People in Pathum Thani Province

Abstract

This research article aims to: ๖1) Examine the level of political participation among citizens in Pathum Thani Province, (2) Analyze the influence of democratic political culture on political participation, and ๖3)Propose strategies to promote political participation in the area. A mixed-methods approach was employed, guided by the theoretical frameworks of Almond & Powell and Thinnapan Nakata (2003). The quantitative component involved a sample of 400 citizens aged 18 and over, selected from a total population of 1,190,060 using Krejcie and Morgan's sample size table. The qualitative component consisted of in-depth interviews with 5 municipal clerks and 10 community leaders, totaling 15 participants. Research tools included a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire and a structured interview guide. Data were analyzed using basic statistics and multiple regression analysis. The research findings revealed that: 1)The overall level of political participation in Pathum Thani Province was high, covering all four aspects. The highest mean score was for political news consumption, while the lowest was for voting. 2)Eight aspects of democratic political culture—such as faith in democracy, respect for human rights, and civic consciousness—were statistically significant predictors of political participation, accounting for 91.20% of the variance at the 0.05 level. 3)To enhance political participation, efforts should focus on building public confidence in democracy through initiatives such as democracy promotion projects, national cultural programs, and campaigns emphasizing the public good.