Full Description
This book offers novel insights into the way in which people talk about politics across various countries. Drawing on focus groups research in nine countries, including 'mature' democracies, post-communist 'new' democracies and post-authoritarian 'new' democracies, it offers comparative reflection on how talk about political activity is shaped by peoples' perceptions of specific opportunities to participate, the issues that concern them and the broader political environment. It thus examines citizens' views of major issues and political grievances in their own words and helps to shed new light on reasons for engagement in political acts, whether through electoral or protest channels, or political disengagement.
Contents
Introduction: when citizens talk about politics: towards an analytical framework; 1. Anti-politics statements in fast-thinking: what comes to mind first when thinking about politics; 2. Discussing politics in the UK: non-violence, representativeness, consistency, and fairness as constitutional values; 3. Discourse about politics in the Netherlands: anti-politics and populism, more or less; 4. Idle democrats? Talking about politics in Germany; 5. Convinced direct democrats under strain: talking about politics in Switzerland; 6. Uprising in the streets and ballots: polarisation and radicalisation in the Greek crisis; 7. Reinvigorating Romania's civil society: talking about politics and corruption in Romania; 8. In the land of inefficacy: talking about Hungarian approaches to participation; 9. Distance and familiarity in political talk in Argentina; 10. Political education as a problem and solution: discussing participation in Brazil; 11. Conclusion: how citizens talk about electoral and protest politics, a cross-country comparison; Methodological Appendix
