<p>This study is case study of political participation among the Kani tribe from Kuttichal grama panchayat in the Thiruvananthapuram district in Kerala, India. The study is based on the collected data of 117 people of the Kani tribe living in four different settlements: Pankavu, Mangode-Valippara, Chonampara and Kaithode. The aim of the study is to examine the impact on political participation by different factors, which is done by the use of the quantitative method of cross tables. The study confirms previous studies in its conclusion that high status individuals, defined in terms of education and economic standard, are the group of the highest political participation, when this is defined as being involved in political work and holding a party membership. On the local political scene however, where political participation consists of participation in local assemblies and voluntary work, the impact of the examined variables are very limited. The main theory, which is used for the analysis, is a cost and benefit analysis.</p>

Denna uppsats handlar om lokaljournalistik i Strömsund, en ort i Jämtland. Mer precist om hur bevakningen av den kommunala verksamheten i Strömsund fungerar, och hur de lokala mediernas betydelse för demokratin förändras när lokalredaktionerna avvecklas. En kvantitativ innehållsanalys har genomförts av 170 kommunrelaterade artiklar publicerade i Östersunds-Posten och Länstidningen Östersund mellan 22 februari-22 mars åren 1997, 2007 och 2017. En analys av 34 artiklar från Östersunds-Posten och Länstidningen Östersund hemsidor har också gjorts i syfte att jämföra pappersversionen med webbsidorna. Denna analys kommer inte redovisas i denna uppsats då de var i princip identiska med papperstidningen. Teoriavsnittet tar avstamp i de tre demokratiska modellerna, konkurrensdemokratin, deltagardemokratin och samtalsdemokratin samt de journalistiska demokratiska uppgifterna. De demokratiska uppgifterna grundar sig i att medierna spelar en viktig roll för en fungerande demokrati. Diskussionen handlar om hur antalet kommunrelaterade artiklar minskat sedan 1997, debatten 2007 om Folkets hus som skapade en ökning i antalet artiklar samt hur de demokratiska uppgifterna blivit allt svårare att uppfylla i Strömsund. I diskussionen jämförs också resultaten från andra uppsatser inom området, där det konstateras att det finns både skillnader och likheter i resultatet. Slutligen diskuteras hyperlokala-mediers roll för bevakningen av Strömsund.

The Pariah Party Influence on Local Government Formation in Swedish Municipalities 2002-2018 This paper studies the correlation between the rise of the radical right party The Sweden Democrats and the rise of minority governments and bloc transcending/cross-partisan coalitions in Swedish local governments; the role of the Sweden Democrats in this development is studied and further its impact in the relation between right/left-wing governments. Taking off in classical coalition- and government formation theory together with the concept of pariah parties, I also continue to discuss the setting of local government in Sweden and its implication on local government studies in general. Regression analysis of formed government in the 290 Swedish municipalities over the last five local elections, 2002-2018, is used to answer the question of how the pariah party that is the Sweden Democrats, have affected the types of local government in Sweden. The study finds that the rise of the Sweden Democrats in Swedish municipal parliaments to a large extent can explain both an increase of cross-partisan coalitions and of minority governments. This can however only be said when the party holds the balance of power; just the size or sheer presence of the party in local parliaments does not seem to have a significant impact on government type. When the party does hold the power of balance, one can observe a significant shift in favour of right-wing governments over left-wing governments. Albeit not participating in government and being considered a pariah party, or perhaps because of this fact, the rise of the Sweden Democrats has significantly affected the character of Swedish local governments.

This study is case study of political participation among the Kani tribe from Kuttichal grama panchayat in the Thiruvananthapuram district in Kerala, India. The study is based on the collected data of 117 people of the Kani tribe living in four different settlements: Pankavu, Mangode-Valippara, Chonampara and Kaithode. The aim of the study is to examine the impact on political participation by different factors, which is done by the use of the quantitative method of cross tables. The study confirms previous studies in its conclusion that high status individuals, defined in terms of education and economic standard, are the group of the highest political participation, when this is defined as being involved in political work and holding a party membership. On the local political scene however, where political participation consists of participation in local assemblies and voluntary work, the impact of the examined variables are very limited. The main theory, which is used for the analysis, is a cost and benefit analysis.