People’s Political participation in the General Election of Phichit Province Constituency 1

Abstract

The objectives of this research article were 1) to study the level of people’s political participation in the general election of Phichit Province, constituency 1; 2) to analyze the relationship between Saraniyadhamma and people’s political participation in the general election of Phichit Province, constituency 1; and 3) to propose guidelines for developing people’s political participation in the general election of Phichit Province, constituency 1, based on Saraniyadhamma. This was the mixed-methods research. Quantitative research was employed, employing a survey with a sample of 399 eligible voters in constituency 1, Phichit Province. The research statistics used were frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and correlation coefficient. The quantitative research used a survey research method with a sample group of 399 eligible voters in constituency 1, Phichit Province. The statistics used in the research were frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation and Pearson's correlation coefficient. The qualitative research used in-depth interviews with 17 key informants and used descriptive content analysis techniques to analyze the context. The research results found that 1) overall, political participation was moderate, with an average value of (= 2.29, S.D. = 0.70), while participation based on Saraniyadhamma was high, with an average value of (= 3.64, S.D. = 0.76); 2) the relationship between Saraniyadhamma and political participation in elections in all four dimensions was positive, with a high overall positive relationship (0.607**); 3) development guidelines revealed that ongoing campaigns to raise public awareness of the importance of elections were essential. A variety of creative activities should be used to raise public awareness, including providing knowledge about the process, laws, and information about election candidates. Furthermore, the registration process should be improved, polling stations should be prepared for easy access, a positive atmosphere, and transparency should be promoted, and participation in election monitoring should be promoted, and campaigns should be held to recognize the importance of elections at all levels. This will encourage people to exercise their right to vote with quality and recognize their civic responsibilities.