Psychology of Democracy: Of the People, By the People, For the People

Description

Democracy was forged in the furnaces of oppression, whether combatting tyranny or affirming the rights of the individual. As democracy is under threat in many parts of the world, there has never been a more urgent need to understand political thoughts and behaviours. This lucid and accessible book brings together a global group of scholars from psychology, political science, communication, sociology, education and psychiatry. The book's structure, based on Abraham Lincoln's well-known phrase 'Of, by and for' the people, scrutinises the psychological factors experienced by politicians as representatives 'of' the electorate, the political institutions and systems devised 'by' those we elect, and the societies that influence the context 'for' us as citizens. From trust to risk, from political values to moral and religious priorities, from the personality and language of leaders to fake news and anti-democratic forces, this book provides vital new insights for researchers, politicians and citizens alike. Cover Half-title Title page Copyright information Contents List of Figures List of Tables List of Contributors Preface Acknowledgements Chapter 1 Psychology of Democracy Who Counts? Who Has Power in a Democracy? People as Politicians From Sabres to Umbrellas: The Fortunes of Democracy Emotions and the Principles of Democracy The Fourth Estate The Structure of This Book Of the People By the People For the People What This Book Does References Part I Of the People Chapter 2 Personality, Politics and Strong Democracy: A Review of Research and Future Directions Introduction Personality and Politics Leader Emergence Political Engagement Motivation to Stand for Election Becoming a Candidate Getting Elected: Candidate Effects Leader Effectiveness Personality and Political Leadership Personality and the Contested Nature of Political Performance Future Directions Methodology and Measurement Authenticity: Personality as a Social Construct Conclusion References Chapter 3 From Big Ben to the Breakfast Table: Basic Values and Political Attitudes among Politicians and the Public Political Attitudes among Elites and Masses Theories of Attitude Formation Basic Values A Dynamic Model of Attitude Formation among Elites and Masses Conclusions References Appendix A Model statistics for OLS regressions of political attitudes among the British public (P), politicians (E) and unsuccessful candidates (C) Chapter 4 Under the Microscope: Prime Minister's Questions in the UK Parliament Historical Trends in PMQs Research Adversarialism Equivocation Public Perceptions of PMQs Focus Groups Audit of Political Engagement Reform of PMQs Conclusions References Chapter 5 Cognitive Complexity: Sometimes a Boon and Sometimes a Danger to Democracy Introduction: Cognitive Interactionism Complexity of Thought as a Personality Variable Authoritarianism as a Cognitive Style Conceptual Complexity Integrative Complexity The Relationship of Cognitive Complexity to Democracy A Second Look Complexity: Left, Right and Centre Complexity: Up and Down IC and Political Events: A Brief Review How Widespread Are IC Changes? Public IC in Stressful Times Complexity: Good or Bad IC Training for Democracy Conclusion Notes and Acknowledgements References Chapter 6 In 'A League of Their Own?': Judgement and Decision-Making by Politicians and Non-Politicians Introduction Existing Studies on (Non-Existing) Differences in Decision-Making between Politicians and Non-Politicians Leveraging Findings from a Previous Paired Experiment Data Results Representativeness Heuristics Conjunction Error I: The Linda/Vera Problem (H1) Conjunction Error II: 'Making the Headlines' Scenario (H2) Conjunction Error III: The Earthquake Scenario (H3) Scope Neglect I: Nuisance Scenario (Importance) (H4) Scope Neglect II: Nuisance Scenario (Total Budget) (H5) Availability Heuristic Scenarios Asymmetric Dominance Effect (H6) Cost Availability (H7) Scope Availability (H8) Reflection Effect (H9) Additional Analyses Discussion Acknowledgements References Chapter 7 The Mental Well-Being of Politicians The Case of Politics Prevalence and Stigma Experiences of Psychological Well-Being and Ill Health in Everyday Politics Well-Being, Political Performance and the Role of Parliament Sources of Pressure on Politicians Worldwide A Framework of Stressors Facing Politicians Macro-Level Stressors Meso-Level Stressors Micro-Level Stressors Too Hot to Handle? Change for the Better? Acknowledgements References Part II By the People Chapter 8 Trust in Political Institutions and Support for Authoritarianism: Latin American Students - Does Civic Knowledge Make a Difference? Introduction Institutional Trust Authoritarianism The Role of Civic Knowledge Methods Data Collection Variables Dependent Variables Independent Variables Analytical Strategy Results Descriptive Results Regression Models Discussion and Conclusions Funding References Chapter 9 New Technology, Language and Gesture in Contemporary Indian Political Discourse Personal Power: Integrating the Verbal and Non-Verbal in a Mediated Political Sphere The Linguistic Axis in Indian Political Discourse The Gestural System in the Indian Political Sphere The Performative Dimension in the Indian Political Arena Public Endeavour: Projecting Ordinariness and Extraordinariness in a Polarised Political Context Theory and Praxis Narrative, Biography and Dynasty Gestures and Language in Everyday Politics Towards a Typology of Gesture Based on Political Displays Acknowledgements References Chapter 10 Fact or Fiction: Influences on Voter Decision-Making in a Disinformation Environment Data and Methods Research Design Experimental Procedure Results Use of the Keep and Fact-Check Options Voters' Interest in Negativity When Do Voters Look for Fact-Checks? Voting Decisions: The Price of Going Negative Voting Decisions: Multivariate Analysis Discussion References Chapter 11 Dissecting the Psychology of a Voter: A Citizen-Centric Approach in Studying Electoral Experience and Behaviour A Paradox of Democracy Research Some Untold Institution-centric Assumptions Voter-centric Concepts, the Psychology of Democracy and the Integration of the Articulation between the Individual and Societal Dimensions of the Vote The Question of Electoral Identity Empirical Findings from Electoral Psychology Research Is the Proof in the Pudding? Psychology of Democracy and Emotionality of the Vote: The Case of First-Time Voters References Chapter 12 Building Trust through a Revolving Door of Leaders: The Poisoned Chalice Introduction The Changing of the Guard: A Poisoned Chalice Long-Term Domestic and Foreign Policy Issues Asylum-Seekers Climate Change Short-Term Domestic and Foreign Policy Issues Trust 'I Can't be Trusted. Trust Me': Trust in Australian Politics Methods Findings: Prime Ministers' Beliefs and Responses to Key Issues during their Leadership Julia Gillard Tony Abbott Malcolm Turnbull Discussion Conclusion References Chapter 13 After the Party Is Over Introduction What We Know about Losing Political Office The Power of Emotions It's About Loss - of Course Implications for Representative Democracy References Part III For the People Chapter 14 Democracy as a Moral Challenge About Democracy: A Moral Case for Its Defence Democracy as a Moral Maze? Personalising Politics Personality's Determinants of Political Orientation and Participation Basic Traits, Basic Values, Political Values and Political Orientation and Participation The Moral Underpinnings of Democracy Inequality as a Major Obstacle to Democracy Conclusions References Chapter 15 'Can I Trust My Future?': Youth Civic Engagement, Civic Identity and Dystopias Introduction Change and Rupture Crises, Contention and De-Politicisation The Meaning of 'Democracy' in Greece and Individual Aspirations Young People's Everyday Politics of Dystopia in the UK Future Thinking References Chapter 16 Religious Identity Politics and Genuine Support for Democracy Introduction Dimensions of Democratic Support: Overt Versus Genuine Religious Identity and Genuine Support for Democracy: Contextual Boundary Conditions Findings from Fifty-Eight Nations The Effect of Minority Status and Religious Identity Strength on Genuine Support for Democracy Conclusions References Chapter 17 Psychology, Democracy and the Media: Are Citizens Learning from the News? A Self-Regulated Learning Perspective Why Is News Important? Defining Political Knowledge Political Knowledge as 'Factual' Knowledge 'Factual Knowledge' of People, Places and Policies 'Factual Knowledge' of Institutions and Processes Knowledge as Ability to Draw Inferences Knowledge as Construction Setting the Agenda The Rise of the Internet and Implications for Research on Informed Citizenship A Psychological Approach Learning from the News as Self-Regulated Adult Learning: A GAMES Approach News and Self-Regulated Learning Personal Identity and Roles Social Identity Motivation Emotions Conclusion References Chapter 18 A Social Psychological Approach to Understanding China's Democratisation Introduction A Paradox in China's Politics Public Support for the Current Regime The Political Psychological Consequences of Economic Modernisation The Impact of Political Culture Public Support for Democracy Prospects for China's Democratisation Superficial Democratisation in China Profound Democratisation in China The Relationship Between the Two Idealised Types of Democratisation References Chapter 19 The Psychology of Radicalised Conceptions of Democracy: Steps Too Far? Seeds of Extremism? The Emergence of Radicalised Groups and Movements Building Political 'Cults' The 'Individual' Within the Extremist Group The Psychology of Coercive Control in Extreme Groups Far-Right and Religious Cults What Is to Be Done? References Index