Citizens' distance from electoral and political considerations: what aspects?

Abstract

This article deals with various disciplinary fields, in line with the theme of the present study. In other words, the alienation of citizens from electoral and political considerations raises a number of important issues. Political science plays a significant role in this respect, particularly with regard to political thought and its impact on citizen participation in decision-making since the electoral process. In this context, there are constraints posed by the citizen himself as a voter, such as individual preferences and the dynamics of the choice situation. There are other constraints to which the candidate contributes, such as cognitive constraints and the cost of disseminating information, as detailed below. In any case, the principle of distinction arising from society's behaviors, whether those of elected representatives or voters, pushes the latter away from the public and political affairs of the state. On the other hand, we are exposed to another disciplinary field, namely constitutional law. Indeed, the influence of society on citizen participation is reflected more in the constitutional text, because of its supremacy and primacy at the expense of other legal rules. For this reason, we take the example of constitutional jurisdictions, more specifically the French Constitutional Council (CC), given its important role in the functioning of the State and the protection of rights and freedoms. At the same time, it is worth noting that citizens are excluded from the appointment and referral of cases to the Constitutional Council, which distances them from the decision-making process concerning the organization of state institutions and the protection of their fundamental rights. Understanding the various details of the sociological and legal aspects gives us the perspectives, in conclusion, to find solutions likely to bring citizens closer to electoral and political considerations through far-reaching reforms.