Does the level of education affect political participation? This is not something new in academia, nor is it a concept that causes much controversy. However, it is a subject that many have approached from different angles. They vary in research, method, and what they seek to prove, but are unified by the correlation between education and political participation. Education is defined as the level of formal education or professional training received. Political participation is the level to which an individual has contributed to a democratic system, such as voting, researching a political issue, or participating in a political party. While this is the primary relationship this essay will focus on, the perceived positive relationship between income and political participation will also be discussed. The claim that education is positively correlated with political participation and is "beyond dispute, and is in fact one of the most robust observations in the political science literature: that more educated people play a more active role in politics and have more clearly defined political identities. (Elmer and Frazer, 1991). The exact reasons why education has a significant impact on political participation, however, requires further debate. Higher levels of education appear to allow people to better understand the complex and abstract concepts of democracy and how our political system works. This appears to be especially true when the student's education involves the development of verbal skills, a social science curriculum, and civic skills (Hillygus, 2005). This concept is sometimes called the education effect and reveals that educational attainment is correlated with voting intention, e...... middle of article ......I. The empirical facts.” Public choice. Flight. 11. 101-106. Hillygus, D.Sunshine. 2005. “The Missing Link: Exploring the Relationship Between Higher Education and Political Engagement.” Political behavior. Flight. 25. 25-37. Holland, Paul W. 1986. “Statistics and Causal Inference.” » Journal of the American Statistical Association 81 (396): 945–60. Kam, CD and Palmer, CL 2008. “Reconsidering the Effects of Education on Political Participation.” Journal of Politics. 70(3), 612-631. Mayer, Alexander K. 2011. “Does Education Increase Political Participation.” Journal of Politics. 73(3), 633-645. Russell, P. Keith. 1972. “Political Participation and Income Level: An Exchange.” Public choice. Flight. 13. 113-114. Verba, S. 1993. “Racial Ethnicity and Political Resources: Participation in the United States.” British Journal of Political Science. 23. 453-497.