| Sumario: | This paper proposes to understand both political participation and civic participation according to Robert A. Dahl’s theory of democracy. It develops a conceptual framework that differentiates them, and which is intended to contribute to their explanation through the configuration of institutional arrangements. The driving idea is the notion that there is a structure of incentives for participation, which is defined by different types of formal and informal rules, which are modified in democratization periods. Participation levels vary not only due to political culture variables, but also because of the institutional context, which plays a great role. Even though democracy is an ideal, poliarchies may approach it as civil and political freedoms associated with participation expand in breadth.
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