Commuting and Citizen Participation in Swedish City-Regions Anders Lidström Umeå University Commuting has become an increasingly important feature of modern life.Theories of public participa- tion, such as the civic voluntarism model, claim that commuting is likely to reduce the time available for political activism. Based on data from an American context, Robert Putnam in Bowling Alone has concluded that this is exactly what happens. However, empirical studies based on European data on how commuting may affect political participation are rare.This article aims to address this question with regard to Swedish city-regions.Is there also a negative relationship between commuting and citizen participation in Sweden? The analysis is based on survey data for 7,200 citizens from seven Swedish city-regions belonging to three different size categories. The relationship between commuting and several different forms of public participation is investigated, controlling for the variables suggested by the civic voluntarism model.The analysis indicates that there are no signs of a negative relationship and some aspects of participation are actually positively linked to commuting.These findings suggest that the civic voluntarism model needs to be revised, at least in a European context. The article ends with a discussion about how differences between Sweden and the US can be accounted for and what the more general consequences for democracy may be. What is the relationship between commuting and citizen participation?The civic voluntarism (CV) model (Verba et al., 1995) and empirical investigations in the US (for example Putnam, 2000) suggest that commuting is harmful for political activism. However, despite the increasing importance of commuting, whether or not this has a detrimental effect on citizens’ engagement in politics has not been studied in a European setting.The purpose of this article is to shed light on these matters with regard to Swedish city-regions. Is the relationship between com- muting and citizen participation negative in a Swedish context? The Increasing Importance of Commuting In most of theWestern world, working and living spaces have become increas- ingly separated. The form of housing that is desired or economically feasible is often located far from preferred or available employment.Commuting is a means of bridging this gap. Indeed, effective mass commuting is necessary for a modern city to function properly. It is facilitated through an extensive road network and/or systems of public transport. Commuting has become an increasingly important phenomenon in Sweden. In 1985,22 percent of the workforce commuted across a municipal border on a daily POLITICAL STUDIES: 2006 VOL 54, 865–888 © 2006 The Author. Journal compilation © 2006 Political Studies Association