Democracy : a belonging of the 1% ?
More and more people in Western countries are voting for populist and/or extremist politics movements because they feel that they are the only one who don’t belong to “the cast” ; a confused concept including journalists, business leaders and of course standard politicians. This opinion about politics in a democracy is often condemned, yet according to Vincent Roscigno it seems that it’s not entirely wrong at the end. Indeed, the rules of the political game are elaborated by the powerful, whom of course act first for their interest.
Indeed, several studies showed that uneducated and/or poor people are disadvantaged in the elections, both in the United States and in Western Countries ; they don’t know how to express their interest or are not even able to know them. And this ignorance is actually shaped by the powerful, like it is demonstrated by John Gaventa and his “Three Dimensions of power”. This concept refers to the ability of the dominant group to form a cultural symbols, myths and even language of the dominated group in order to assure its domination. For example, you pretend unemployment is a result of laziness to create a feeling of shame among unemployed people who think now that they deserve these situation. So people are not entirely wrong to perceive traditional parties as member of the same dominant group.
At first sight, it almost seems that social and political hierarchy is impossible to shake ; the powerful are able to control your political opinions. But these pessimistic attitude has to be balanced, protestation and change are possible even if it’s a long time process. The dominated can refuse the “official” culture and myths by creating their own political and social culture, which allow them to express their interests. In France, history books speak of the “Labour culture” which was born among the workers to answer to the cultural elite. Today in America, this reject of the elite is illustrated by the rise of Donald Trump and to of lesser extent of Bernie Sanders, who appeared to be the only leaders really devoted to people as not part of the elite.
