Public Service Motivation and Political Action in College Undergraduates

Abstract

This article extends the application of the public service motivation (PSM) construct from differences between volunteers and employees in the public, nonprofit, and private sectors to the phenomenon of political activities that occurs during the public policy process. Based upon regression analysis performed on a sample of undergraduate students enrolled in introductory political science courses at a large public university, PSM appears to affect overall levels of political participation. Additionally, the rational, normative, and affective dimensions of PSM appear to affect specific types of political activity in different manners. This article argues that the PSM construct provides a way to measure individual‐level receptiveness to civic motivators, an important purposive incentive that spurs political participation. Este artículo extiende la aplicación del constructo motivacional por el servicio público a partir de diferencias entre voluntarios y empleados en el público, organizaciones sin fines de lucro y el sector privado al fenómeno de actividades políticas que ocurren durante el proceso de políticas públicas. Basado en un análisis de regresión usado en una muestra de estudiantes de licenciatura inscritos en un curso introductorio de ciencia política en una importante universidad pública, la motivación por el servicio público parece afectar todos los niveles de participación política. Adicionalmente, las dimensiones racionales, normativas y afectivas de la motivación por el servicio público parecen afectar géneros específicos de actividad política de diferentes maneras. Este estudio argumenta que el constructo motivacional por el servicio público proporciona una forma de medir niveles individuales de receptividad hacia motivadores cívicos, un importante incentivo deliberado que estimula la participación política.

The Public Service Motivated Volunteer: Devoting Time or Effort?

“…They argued that the instrumental motivational aspect of attraction to policy making might be particularly strong among university students (their sample) because it helps them build a sense of community. J. K. Taylor and Clerkin's (2011) study found strong support between undergraduates' attraction to policy making and political communal activities, campaigning, and contributing.…”

Raising the next generation of public servants? Parental influence on volunteering behavior and public service career aspirations

“…Recent efforts have, for example, explored the link between public service motivation (PSM) and voluntary workplace actions like organizational citizenship behaviors (Kim, 2006;Christensen et al, 2013). Other studies have examined the relationship between PSM and an individual's choice to volunteer time, talent, or treasure for society broadly (Clerkin et al, 2009;Houston, 2006;Lee, 2012;Taylor and Clerkin, 2011). Still others have extended the motives-behaviors relationship to examine job choiceincluding sector choicedecisions (Bangcheng et al, 2011;Clerkin and Coggburn, 2012;Houston, 2000;Kjeldsen and Jacobsen, 2013;Perry, 1996Perry, , 1997Perry and Wise, 1990;Vandenabeele, 2008;Christensen and Wright, 2011).…”

Gendered Student Political Participation and The Influences Of Voluntary Organizations

“…Taylor and Clerkin classified political participation into four main activities: campaigning, contributing for and donating to politics, participation in the communal activity, and political discourse [14].On the other hand, Swank emphasized the importance of social change as the goal for political participation. Political participation includes activities such as signing petitions, writing letters about public interest, showing political identity and symbols, contributing towards and donating to politics, voting, demonstrating, civil obedience, and protesting [15].…”

“…Swank examined predictors of political participation for students of the social work faculty from demographic factors, such as social, economic status, gender, and students'approval of mobilized structure and collective action frame. [15] Taylor and Clerkin tested demographic factors and public service motivation (PSM) [14]. Simmons and Lily examined the influence of the learning process on student political participation [20].…”