Active citizenship and political participation of the elderly in Spain

• Patricia Fernández de Castro Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha Avenida Real Fábrica de Sedas, s/n 45600, Talavera de la Reina (Toledo, España)
• David Alonso González Universidad Complutense de Madrid Campus de Somosaguas, s/n. 28223 Madrid, España
• Inmaculada Herranz Aguayo Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha Avenida Real Fábrica de Sedas, s/n 45600, Talavera de la Reina (Toledo, España)

Keywords: Political participation; Aging; Citizenship.

Abstract

In this paper we analyze the political participation of older people in Spain, understood as an essential tool for the exercise of active citizenship. For this, we study the way in which older people get involved in the future of their communities and the differences in behavior with respect to the population as a whole, according to their ideological positioning and according to the sex of the elderly, establishing various categories of analysis that show a map of their political participation from the different structures and/or ways that make it possible: electoral participation, militancy in political parties and intervention in associations, organizations and social movements from positions external to public administration.