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OverviewLay politics lies at the heart of democracy. Political offices are the only offices for which no formal qualifications are required. Contemporary political practices are diametrically opposed to this constitutional ideal. Most democracies in Western Europe are diploma democracies - ruled by those with the highest formal qualifications. Citizens with low or medium educational qualifications currently make up about 70 percent of the electorates, yet they have become virtually absent from almost all political arenas. University graduates have come to dominate all political institutions and venues, from political parties, parliaments and cabinets, to organised interests, deliberative settings, and Internet consultations. This rise of a political meritocracy is part of larger trend. In the information society, educational background, like class or religion, is an important source of social and political divides. Those who are well educated tend to be cosmopolitans, whereas the lesser educated citizens are more likely to be nationalists. This book documents the context, contours, and consequences of this rise of a political meritocracy. It explores the domination of higher educated citizens in political participation, civil society, and political office in Western Europe. It discusses the consequences of this rise of a political meritocracy, such as descriptive deficits, policy incongruences, biased standards, and cynicism and distrust. Also, it looks at ways to remedy, or at least mitigate, some of the negative effects of diploma democracy. Full Product DetailsAuthor: Mark Bovens (Professor of Public Administration, Professor of Public Administration, Utrecht University School of Governance) , Anchrit Wille (Associate Professor, Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs, Associate Professor, Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs, Leiden University)Publisher: Oxford University Press Imprint: Oxford University Press Dimensions: Width: 16.00cm , Height: 2.30cm , Length: 24.10cm Weight: 0.544kg ISBN: 9780198790631ISBN 10: 0198790635 Pages: 248 Publication Date: 29 June 2017 Audience: College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , Tertiary & Higher Education , Professional & Vocational Format: Hardback Publisher's Status: Active Availability: To order  Stock availability from the supplier is unknown. We will order it for you and ship this item to you once it is received by us. Table of Contents1: Diploma Democracy Part I: Concepts and Contexts 2: Diplomas 3: Democracy 4: Education as a Cleavage Part II: Contours 5: The Education Gap in Political Participation 6: The Meritocratization of Civil Society 7: Political Elites as Educational Elites Part III: Consequences 8: The Consequences of Diploma Democracy 9: Remedying Diploma Democracy AppendixReviewsFor all those who marvel how blue-collar workers from the rustbelt have come to vote for Donald Trump, this very well written, highly accessible text should come as an eye opener. Based on cutting edge social science research it not only shows how the citizens in the most advanced democracies are increasingly divided on the basis of education. It also documents that their democratically chosen representatives are almost exclusively recruited among the highly educated and exceptionally responsive to them. No wonder do the less educated feel left out. No wonder do they follow the sirens of populist leaders who speak their language and claim to give them a voice. This is a powerful statement that should be taken extremely seriously by politicians and political observers across Europe and the United States. Hanspeter Kriesi, Stein Rokkan Chair for Comparative Politics, European University Institute, Florence Author InformationMark Bovens is a Professor at the Utrecht University School of Governance. He is a member of the Royal Dutch Academy of Sciences and chairs its Social Science Council. He has published more than twenty monographs and edited volumes in the area of politics, government, and public policy. His publications include The Oxford Handbook of Public Accountability (co-edited with Robert E. Goodin and Thomas Schillemans, OUP, 2014), The Real World of EU Accountability (co-edited with Deirdre Curtin and Paul 't Hart, OUP, 2010), and Success and Failure in Public Governance (Edward Elgar, 2001). Anchrit Wille is Associate Professor at Leiden University's Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs. Her research focuses on executive politics, accountability, democratic governance, public policy, and citizen participation. She has (co)-authored many articles and books about political participation, political-administrative relationships, EU governance, and the European Commission. Her publications include The Normalization of the European Commission (OUP, 2013). Tab Content 6Author Website:Countries AvailableAll regions |
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