Who were the British MPs sympathetic to the Soviets - the 'crypto-communists' 'left-wing gadflys', the 'neo-Stalinist left' so derided by fellow politicians, historians and the public? This book examines the careers and motives of MPs like Tom Driberg who developed ideological links with Soviet Union and whose ideas influenced Labour's left-wing.
What is a democracy? Why do we form democratic systems? Can democracy survive in an age of distrust and polarization? The Psychology of Democracy explains the psychological underpinnings behind why people engage with and participate in politics. Covering the influence that political campaigns and media play, the book analyses topical and real-world political events including the Arab Spring, Brexit, Black Lives Matter, the US 2020 elections and the Covid-19 pandemic. Lilleker and Ozgul take the reader on a journey to explore the cognitive processes at play when engaging with a political news item all the way through to taking to the streets to protest government policy and action. In an age of post-truth and populism, The Psychology of Democracy shows us how a strong and healthy democracy depends upon the feelings and emotions of its citizens, from trust, belonging, empowerment and representation, as much as on electoral processes.
Political marketing has become a global phenomenon as parties try to copy the market-oriented approach employed by Tony Blair to win power for New Labour in 1997. It raises fresh perspectives on the more established political marketing practices in the UK and US, such as how to incorporate political leadership within the market-oriented framework and the democratic implications when faced with the actual business of governing. This book also highlights how the market-oriented party approach has spread around the world, including Europe and the new democracies of Brazil and Peru. The collection also introduces the debate on whether such practices enhance or undermine democracy, raising important questions on the future of political marketing.
Provides an introduction to the concepts, structures, and professional practices of political communication. This book considers both practical and theoretical issues central to political communication, and offers an assessment of developments in political communication