Using panel data from a Swedish national population survey—covering almost 3.000 individuals between 1968 and 2000—this paper explores which factors that contribute most to make citizens participate in demonstrations, political parties and trade unions. The analysis compares the relative impact of general civic engagement (in sport, leisure and cultural associations and activities, etc.), as well as socio-economic and generational factors, for individuals’ propensity to take part in collective political action. We use different panel probit procedures to allow for unobserved heterogeneity that is potentially correlated with the covariates that determine participation in demonstrations.
