Factors Contributing To the Reluctance to Participate In
Widespread Political Engagement – Dr. Amer Abdul Rasen Al-Mousawi
I am pleased to share with you our research paper entitled:
“Factors Influencing the Reluctance to Engage in Broad Political Participation: Iraq as a Case Study”
The paper was published in the Journal of Legal Sciences / University of Baghdad, Volume 41, Issue 1, 2026.
The research addresses an issue that I consider to be among the most significant challenges affecting the future of Iraq’s democratic experience. It argues that political disengagement should not be viewed merely as a negative attitude on the part of citizens; rather, it may serve as an indicator of a deeper dysfunction in the relationship between citizens, the state, and the political system.
The study seeks to examine a range of social, cultural, political, and economic factors underlying the decline in political participation. These include limited political awareness, declining trust in institutions, political and administrative corruption, the gap between political promises and reality, as well as the impact of social and economic divisions on citizens’ perceptions of whether their participation in public life can make a meaningful difference.
The study is based on the premise that democracy should not be measured by the number of elections held, but rather by the ability of the political system to sustain citizens’ belief that their voices and participation can have a meaningful impact on public decision-making.
Accordingly, the research does not merely identify the causes of political disengagement; it also proposes a set of measures aimed at addressing these causes, strengthening political awareness, transparency, and accountability, and rebuilding trust between citizens and state institutions, with the ultimate goal of achieving more effective and sustainable political participation.
I hope that this research will make a modest contribution to the academic and national debate on the future of political participation in Iraq. I would be delighted to receive the views, comments, and scholarly feedback of professors, researchers, and others interested in this field.
Dr. Amer Abdul Rasan Al-Mousawi