Inputs to the Political System

Abstract

The scale known as Inputs to the Political System, developed by Lester W. Milbrath in 1968, is a comprehensive measure designed to assess the breadth and intensity of an individual’s engagement with the Political System. This instrument moves beyond simple voting metrics to capture a wide array of activities, ranging from conventional political engagement, such as joining a political party, to unconventional behaviors like organized protest or rioting. The scale comprises 21 items detailing various forms of citizen action, which are typically assessed based on frequency of performance and perceived responsibility. Furthermore, the instrument includes a related section detailing desired governmental outcomes, termed “Political Outtakes,” which capture citizens’ expectations of public officials and the state’s responsibilities.

Keywords

Political participation, civic engagement, political attitudes, political efficacy, democratic behavior, government inputs, Milbrath Scale, political socialization.

Authors

Lester W. Milbrath, John P. Robinson, Phillip R. Shaver.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Inputs to the Political System scale is twofold: first, to systematically quantify the extent of an individual’s political participation across a spectrum of activities, from passive civic duty to radical protest. The instrument allows researchers to map where individuals fall on the continuum of political involvement, identifying those who are highly engaged versus those who are politically apathetic.

Second, through the inclusion of “Political Outtakes,” the scale aims to gauge citizens’ expectations regarding the functions and effectiveness of the government, providing a holistic view of the citizen-state relationship. This measure was crucial for sociological and political science studies examining the dynamics of political involvement and political efficacy during the late 1960s.

Construct

The core construct measured is the individual’s level of political participation and their perceived responsibilities as a citizen. The input items cover various modes of political involvement, ranging from low-effort activities (e.g., keeping informed) to high-risk actions (e.g., rioting). These inputs are often categorized based on conventional versus unconventional political behavior, reflecting the complex roles individuals adopt within a democratic way of life.

The secondary construct, derived from the “Political Outtakes” section, relates to the normative expectations of governmental outputs, such as providing public order, ensuring civil rights, and promoting social welfare. By requiring respondents to sort both the perceived effectiveness of government (Real Sort Piles) and the ideal responsibility of government (Ideal Sort Piles), the scale facilitates the assessment of gaps between governmental performance and citizen expectations.

Validity

While specific psychometric validation statistics (e.g., correlation coefficients with external criteria) are not explicitly detailed in the original excerpt, the scale possesses strong content validity due to its comprehensive coverage of political behaviors identified in Milbrath’s foundational work on political participation. The scale items were developed to span the full continuum of citizen involvement, thereby ensuring that the construct of political participation is adequately represented across different political climates. The subsequent publication in the rigorous Measures of Political Attitudes compendium (Robinson & Shaver, 1969) further attests to its recognized academic utility.

Reliability

Detailed reliability measures, such as internal consistency (e.g., Cronbach’s alpha) or test-retest reliability, are typically reported in subsequent methodological compendiums, particularly those published by the Institute for Social Research (ISR). Given that the items are grouped into distinct subscales, researchers often calculate the reliability coefficients for these specific dimensions (e.g., Protest and Question) to ensure adequate measurement consistency for each facet of civic engagement.

Factor Analysis

The analysis of the 21 input items suggests the existence of several distinct dimensions of political engagement. The structure identified by Milbrath and later confirmed by other researchers (e.g., Robinson & Shaver, 1969) indicates that the items cluster into meaningful subscales. The original source explicitly identifies at least three primary factors derived from the input items using techniques such as Factor Analysis:

• Party and Campaign Participation (Items 1, 9, 10, 13, 14, and 19)
• Protest and Question (Items 4, 5, 6, and 17)
• Teach Children (Items 11, 15, and 18)

These factors demonstrate that political activity is not a monolithic construct but rather a collection of behaviors related to conventional political machinery, direct challenges to authority, and the intergenerational transmission of citizenship values.

Instrument

Test Type: Attitude and Behavior Inventory

Format: Multi-part instrument utilizing frequency scales (for inputs) and Q-sort methodology (for outtakes). Input items are typically rated on frequency (Things you do regularly, fairly often, seldom, never) and perceived responsibility (essential, important responsibility, some responsibility, no responsibility).

Language Available: English (Original)

Population Group: General Adult Population, focusing on citizens within a representative democracy.

Age Group: Adults (18+)

Population Details: Originally utilized in studies of American political attitudes and behavior, but adaptable for cross-cultural studies of participation.

Test Methodology: The instrument requires respondents to evaluate 21 actions related to political participation and 23 actions related to governmental outputs. The governmental outputs (“Political Outtakes”) are sorted into “Real Sort Piles” (effectiveness) and “Ideal Sort Piles” (responsibility) using a four-category sorting method for each.

Keywords

Lester Milbrath, political efficacy, Q-sort, political protest, civic duty, democracy, governmental outputs, socialization, political attitudes.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A (Information not available in source)

Affiliation Email addresses: N/A (Information not available in source)

Correspondence Address: Likely Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan (based on Robinson & Shaver reference).

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The scale was developed in 1968 by Lester W. Milbrath. It was subsequently included in the influential 1969 compendium, Measures of Political Attitudes, published by the Institute for Social Research (ISR) at the University of Michigan. While the scale itself is widely cited in academic research, specific usage permissions or commercial fees should be directed to the publishing body, the ISR, or the estate of the author.

The original PDF documentation for the larger compendium containing this instrument can be downloaded here: https://www.psc.isr.umich.edu/dis/infoserv/isrpub/pdf/Measuresofsocialpsychologicalattitudes_2928_.PDF

Reference’s

1. Milbrath ‚ L. W. (1968). The nature of political beliefs and the relationship of the individual to the government. The American Behavioral Scientist. 12(2)‚ 28-36.
2. Robinson‚ John P.‚ Shaver‚ Phillip R. (1969). Measures of Political Attitudes. Institute for Social Research‚ University of Michigan/. Ann Arbor‚ Michigan.
3. Milbrath‚ Lester W. Goel‚ Madan Lal‚ (1977). Political Participation: How and why Do People Get Involved in Politics?. Second edition. Boston: University Press of America‚ Inc.

Items of the Inputs to the Political System

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

1. Participate in a political party between elections as well as at election time
2. Keep informed about politics
3. Vote in elections
4. Send messages of support to political‚ leaders when they are doing well
5. Send protest messages to political leaders when they are doing badly
6. Protest both vigorously and publicly if the government does something that is morally wrong
7. Join in public street demonstrations
8. Riot if necessary to get public officials to correct political wrongs
9. Take an active part in political campaigns
10. Engage in political discussion
11. Teach my children the importance of give and take in the democratic way of life
12. Pay all taxes
13. Be a candidate for public office
14. Inform others in my community about politics
15. Teach my children to Participate in politics beyond voting
16. Have undivided loyalty and love for my country
17. Question the legitimacy of regulations issued by authorities before obeying them
18. Personally see to it that my children understand and accept the responsibilities of citizenship
19. Join and support a political party
20. Be a calming and informing influence in my own community
21. Actively support community organizations

Political Outtakes

1. Being careful in using public money and trust
2. Taking actions that make me proud of my country
3. Taking actions that make me proud of my city
4. Trying to even out differences in wealth and prestige
5. Arranging things so it is easy for citizens to move from place to place‚ job to job‚ class to class
6. Providing a chance to make a good living
7. Seeing to it that every man who wants a job can have a job
8. Insuring equal opportunity for citizens to participate in making political decisions
9. Providing protection and security
10. Providing public order: for example‚ traffic regulations
11. Securing civil rights and liberties for all
12. Providing justice for all
13. Providing national system of health insurance for people of all ages
14. Making it possible for a person to be heard when he feels he has something to say
15. Competently handling foreign affairs
16. Providing welfare services
17. Provide courts for resolving conflicts between private parties
18. Providing strong leadership
19. Arranging things so that business is left alone
20. Providing free university education for all who can qualify
21. Intervening to stop an individual or group from persecuting another individual or group
22. Providing stability in society even if it means slowing down the role of progress
23. Make it possible for a person with the means to live where he wishes to live.

Real Sort Piles (Effectiveness)

1. Things the government does a very effective job of providing
2. Things the government does a moderately effective job of providing
3. Things the government is not very effective in providing
4. Things the government does i n effective l y or not at a l l

Ideal Sort Piles (Responsibility)

1. Things you feel it is essential for the government to do
2. Things the government has an important responsibility to do
3. Things the government has some responsibility to do
4. Things you believe the government should not attempt to do at all