We use these three data sources to a number of different ends, presenting results from cross-national correlations, individual-level regression analyses, multilevel (hierarchical) models that incorporate both individual and country-level predictions, and some more specialized attempts to establish causality. The survey we draw on for our analysis include measures of a number of different types of political participation. We focus in particular on three types of activities : voting, more intense forms of participation ( such as signing petitions or attending town hall meetings), and explicitly contestational
forms of participation ( especially political protest). Although we discuss a number of different specific survey questions, most fall into one of these three categories. In addition to examining individual-level correlates of life satisfaction, we also consider the extent to which certain system-level variables that are related to political participation, most importantly compulsory voting, affect life satisfaction.