A community’s response to the risks posed by natural (and other) disasters is highly dependent on the political participation of its members. This study examines political participation data from 22 published studies, representing 183 historical and contemporary cultures experiencing disaster risk (including several monocultural countries, used as proxies for cultures). Using a combination of statistical and qualitative analyses, the authors comment on both what types of political engagement (voting vs. extra-governmental organizing vs. town hall-style consensus decision making, etc.) and what levels of engagement tend to result in optimal outcomes during disaster risk mitigation.