Ruiling the void + Chapter 13 & 14 caramani L7 Flashcards
(14 cards)
What is the central argument in Peter Mair’s ‘Ruling the Void’?
Mair argues that Western democracies are experiencing a mutual disengagement between citizens and the political class, leading to a hollowing out of democratic politics.
How does Mair describe the decline of party democracy?
Party democracy is becoming enfeebled (weak) as citizens disengage and political elites retreat into state institutions, weakening the connection between voters and parties.
What is meant by ‘audience democracy’ in Mair’s analysis?
A form of democracy where citizens become spectators rather than participants, and politics becomes a matter of performance and media spectacle.
What is the significance of ‘non-majoritarian institutions’ in Mair’s work?
They represent a shift towards depoliticized governance, where decisions are increasingly made by experts, courts, or supranational bodies rather than elected representatives.
How does electoral volatility reflect citizen disengagement?
High volatility signals weak partisan attachment and unpredictable voter behavior, indicating disengagement from stable political alignments.
What does Mair identify as a key driver of growing populism?
The gap between citizens and elites, created by mutual withdrawal, fuels populist hostility toward the political class.
What are the symptoms of democratic hollowing according to Mair?
Declining turnout, collapsing party membership, weaker party identification, and reduced participation in campaign activities.
What is the cleavage theory of party system formation?
It argues that long-term social divisions (e.g., class, religion) shape party systems, often crystallized during critical junctures.
According to Lipset and Rokkan, what are the four key historical cleavages?
Center-periphery, state-church, urban-rural, and class.
What does ‘freezing hypothesis’ mean in party system theory?
The idea that party systems become stable over time, reflecting the social cleavages of the time they were formed.
What defines a party family?
A group of parties across different countries that share a common ideological foundation and organizational tradition.
What are examples of major European party families?
Social democratic, Christian democratic, liberal, conservative, and green parties.
How do green parties differ from traditional party families?
They emphasize post-materialist values like environmental protection, participatory democracy, and social justice.
Why is the concept of party families important for comparative politics?
It allows researchers to compare ideologically similar parties across national contexts, revealing patterns of party competition and alignment.
