Project Materials

Changing The Trend Of Voters Apathy Through Political Communication. Case Study of Ikorodu local government of Lagos state

Abstract 

This study is on changing the trend of voters apathy through political communication. The total population for the study is 200 selected residents in Ikorodu local government of Lagos state. The researcher used questionnaires as the instrument for the data collection. Descriptive Survey research design was adopted for this study.

A total of 133 respondents made of civil servants, youths, politicians and married men were used for the study. The data collected were presented in tables and analyzed using simple percentages and frequencies.

Table of contents of Changing The Trend Of Voters Apathy Through Political Communication

Title Page
Certification
Approval Page
Acknowledgements
Dedication
Table of Contents
List of Tables
Abstract
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
1.2 Statement of the Research Problem
1.3 Objectives of the Study
1.4 Research Questions
1.5 Research Hypotheses
1.6 Significance of the Study
1.7 Scope and Limitations of Study
1.8 Operational Definition of Terms
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Sources of Literature
2.2 The Review
2.2.1 Conceptual Review
2.2.2 Empirical Review
2.3 Theoretical Framework
2.4 Summary of the Review
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Research Method
3.2. Research Design/Technique
3.3 Research Population
3.4 Sampling and Sampling Technique
3.5 Sampling Size
3.6 Method of Data Collection
3.7 Method of Data Analysis
3.8 Validity of Research Instrument
3.9 Reliability of Research Instrument
CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
4.1 Data Presentation and Analysis
4.2 Analysis of Hypotheses
4.3 Discussion of Findings
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Summary
5.2 Conclusion
5.3 Recommendations
REFERENCES
APPENDIX (ES)

Chapter one

INTRODUCTION

Possessing the freedom to vote is considered a cornerstone of political democracy. However, for the last half a century, voting turnout has been in decline. This worries our politicians because it undermines the legitimacy of the incumbent government, as well as acting as an indirect indicator of distrust and disbelief in democracy as a political idea.

It is worrisome, therefore, that there is at the same time global evidence of political apathy, the lack of psychological involvement in public affairs, emotional detachment from civic obligations, and abstention from political activity. Understandably, therefore, there is ongoing concern to understand the sources and character of political abstention.

Voter apathy, a subset of political apathy, has thus emerged as a major problem in mature and emerging democracies, settled and volatile societies, large and thriving economies, as well as small and troubled ones, among youth, women and other marginalized groups as much as among mainstream dominant interests.

Several factors that affect voter apathy have been highlighted in relevant literature. Some of these include broad psychological factors and collective memory of historical and contemporary events. Others are patterns of trust, feelings of efficacy, political engagement and disengagement at individual, group and regional levels.

While there is empirical evidence that the global trend has been toward a decline in voter turnout, there is lack of grounded and sustained scholarly attention to voter apathy in the context of voter turnout in Nigeria.

Political communications is an interactive process concerning the transmission of information among politicians, the news media and the public. The process operates down-wards from governing institutions towards citizens, horizontally in linkages among political actors, and also upwards from public opinion towards authorities. The way politicians carryout information do influence voters decision concerning their decision freedom to vote or not.

The challenge for politicians is how to engage meaningfully and communicate effectively with an increasingly disaffected and disengaged electorate. Ironically, this challenge exists in an age of rapid technological innovation that now enables people to collect and share more information and data than ever before in what some call ‘a new public information space .

This issue is especially pertinent to the younger generation, who are not only a key demographic of voter apathy, but also the ‘information doers’ who utilize ‘go anywhere’ technology in a persistent and real-time manner.

Therefore, if politicians want their electorate to engage with the political process and increase voter turnout then they need to update their models of how they understand, connect and communicate with their voters. Politicians who continue to use time-worn and one dimensional words of encouragement to simply ‘get out and vote’ are already out-of-date and behind the curve with their electorate.

This challenge has been perfectly articulated by the Chair of the Political and Constitutional Reform Select Committee, who stated that ‘urgent action is needed to make elections more accessible to the public and to convince people that it is worth voting no matter who they vote for. On this background the researcher wants to investigate changing the trend of voters apathy through political communication.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Politicians want their electorate to engage with the political process and increase voter turnout then they need to update their models of how they understand, connect and communicate with their voters.

The way they disseminate their political information also matters to the voters. Politicians who continue to use time-worn and one dimensional words of encouragement to simply ‘get out and vote’ are already out-of-date and behind the curve with their electorate. It’s a major concern that’s why the researcher wants to investigate the trend of voter’s apathy through political communication

The objectives of the study are;

1. To ascertain the relationship between voters apathy and political communication
2. To ascertain the impact of political communication to voters
3. To find out the effect of political communication on the turnout of voters during election day

For the successful completion of the study, the following research hypotheses were formulated by the researcher;

H₀:  there is no relationship between voter’s apathy and political communication

H₁ there is relationship between voter’s apathy and political communication

 H₀²:  there is no impact of political communication to voters

H₂:  there is impact of political communication to voters

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The study will give more clear insight on the changing the trend of voters apathy through political communication. The study will be beneficial to students, politician and the general public. The study will highlight on how to communicate politically for a better turnout of voters during Election Day. The study will also serve a reference to other researchers that will embark on this topic

• SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The scope of the study covers changing the trend of voters apathy through political communication. The researcher encounters some constrain which limited the scope of the study;

1. a) AVAILABILITY OF RESEARCH MATERIAL: The research material available to the researcher is insufficient, thereby limiting the study
2. b) TIME: The time frame allocated to the study does not enhance wider coverage as the researcher has to combine other academic activities and examinations with the study.
3. c) Organizational privacy: Limited Access to the selected auditing firm makes it difficult to get all the necessary and required information concerning the activities.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

VOTER APATHY: In politics, voter apathy is perceived apathy among voters in an election. Voter apathy or lack of interest is often cited as a cause of low turnout among eligible voters in jurisdictions where voting is optional and the donkey vote where voting is compulsory.

POLITICAL COMMUNICATION: Political communication is a subfield of communication and political science that is concerned with how information spreads and influences politics and policy makers, the news media and citizens.

1.8 ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY

This research work is organized in five chapters, for easy understanding, as follows

Chapter one is concern with the introduction, which consist of the (overview, of the study), historical background, statement of problem, objectives of the study, research hypotheses, significance of the study, scope and limitation of the study, definition of terms and historical background of the study.

Chapter two highlights the theoretical framework on which the study is based, thus the review of related literature. Chapter three deals on the research design and methodology adopted in the study. Chapter four concentrate on the data collection and analysis and presentation of finding.  Chapter five gives summary, conclusion, and recommendations made of the study.

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