Achieving the democratic goal of political participation involves tradeoffs between freedom, equality, and order. According to normative theory, individuals should be free to participate in politics as they wish and as much as they wish. Citizens' ability to influence government should be equal regardless of differences in personal resources. Governments have a stake in channeling participation to conventional channels to maintain order. E. Apart from allowing citizens to choose candidates or issues, elections serve other important purposes.
Elections socialize political activity.
Elections institutionalize access to political power. Elections bolster states' power and authority. We can better understand participation through two models of democracy.