Populism (19TH CENTURY- )

Attribution of virtue and/or authority to the ‘common people’. ‘Ordinary people’ are possessed of simple qualities and straightforward insights, which distinguish them from politicians and members of other elites, all of whom are characterized as devious and self-seeking. Politics should thus be carried out on behalf of ‘the people’. Source: David Miller et al.,

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Possibilism (19TH CENTURY)

Non-revolutionary revision of ‘purist’ socialism. The argument that immediate gains for the working class by conventional means such as parliamentary politics, tactical voting and trade union negotiation were not a compromise with the existing order, but a preferable alternative to maintaining political purity and consequent political ineffectiveness. A term originally applied within the late 19th

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Post-materialism (20TH CENTURY)

A theory of the eclipse of material values. In the second half of the 20th century, particularly amongst the young, the search for material utility which had underlain both capitalist and communist analyses was replaced by a priority to non-material values: quality of life, culture, the preservation of the environment. The theory has been

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Power

Theory of individuals’ and groups’ ability to achieve their ends. In social relations, power is exercised by persons or institutions acting in such a way that their interestsor wishes prevail over those of others. They are thus responsible for the consequences. There is dispute, however, over the extent to which they need to be aware

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Power corrupts (19TH CENTURY)

Theory, or at least aphorism, of the English historian Lord Acton (1834-1902). ‘All power corrupts, but absolute power corrupts absolutely’. The sentence expresses a fundamental suspicion of the ability of any person to be trusted with unaccountable discretion, however noble their expressed motives. Proverb power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely The corrupting influence of power is total when one’s power is total. Lord Acton see: Wikiquote

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Prisoner’s dilemma (20th century)

Instance within game theory. Two prisoners given the chance of reduced sentences if they incriminate each other – even though with no confessions at all they might not be convicted – will hedge their bets whereas solidarity would have been in their best interests. Basing their behavior on a calculation that others will not act as

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Progress

Optimistic theory of history. Human societies move towards higher and higher forms of culture or organization. There is much disagreement as to the character of this improvement, as there is also much skepticismabout it. Source: David Miller et al., eds, The Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Political Thought (Oxford, 1987) Measuring progress Specific indicators for measuring progress

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Proletarianism

A socialist version of populism. The belief that the working class is both the repository of particular cultural and intellectual virtues, and the only feasible source of political progress under capitalism. More frequently used against those who are alleged to hold this view than as a term of self-description. English Etymology proletarian +‎ -ism; compare proletarism. Pronunciation (Received

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Propaganda by the deed

Theory of political tactics within anarchism. Selectively violent acts against government, by provoking a more violent repressive response, can reveal to people at large the ‘true’ nature of the state as a coercive institution. Such propaganda ‘by the deed’ achieves results which more conventional persuasion cannot. Source: David Miller, Anarchism (London, 1984) Anarchist origins Various

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Property is theft (19th century)

Argument of French anarchist Pierre-Joseph Proudhon (1809-1865). In translation the claim is self-contradictory, since without the concept of property ‘theft’ is meaningless. What Proudhon meant was that purely legal ownership without any of the responsibilities which went with it was a theft from those who actually worked the land, or the raw materials, from which the owners profited. Source: George

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Public interest

Critical revision of the theory of interests. More important than an attempt to identify individual or group interests is the identification of the public interest or common good which is shared by members of society as a whole. Source: David Miller et al., eds, The Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Political Thought (Oxford, 1987) Overview Economist Lok Sang Ho

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Public private divide

Theory underlying much liberal political thought. There is a division between the public world of paid employment and public affairs, and the private world of the household or family. For mainstream liberal theorists, the private world is the arena of free individual choice; for feminist and Marxist critics, the division is a sham which

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Radical feminism (20TH CENTURY)

Theory of the primacy of sexual division and oppression in human society. The most widely found division of advantage, power, and material well-being is between men and women. This system of oppression, termed patriarchy, is not derived from other systems such as capitalism but is distinct from them. In consequence, women should organize on their own

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Radicalism

Theory that political action must aim at fundamental change. It is necessary to identify the root (radix) of current institutions and practices in order to begin afresh on superior foundations. Although radicalism is normally opposed to conservatism, the policies and theories of the new right appeared to unite both, to the frequent consternation of both enemies and

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Raison d’etat

Justification of overriding state power. There are circumstances when the need to ensure the security or well-being of the state or the nation justifies governments ignoring the normal considerations of law or morality. Source: David Robertson, The Penguin Dictionary of Politics (London, 1986) History Prior to reformations that swept 16th century Europe, national interest was often understood as secondary to

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Rational choice (20TH CENTURY)

Theory underlying public choice analysis. The behavior of individuals, groups and institutions can be understood as a series of rational choices designed, in an analogy with economics, to maximize their utility. Source: Patrick Dunleavy, Democracy, Bureaucracy and Public Choice (London, 1991) Rational choice theory, also known as theory of rational choice, choice theory or rational action theory, is a framework

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Realism

View of international relations as the pursuit of interests. States pursue their own security and prosperity in international relations, whatever their apparent aims, alliances or moral claims. Source: Graham Evans and Jeffrey Newnham, The Dictionary of World Politics (Hemel Hempstead, 1990) Realism was an artistic movement that emerged in France in the 1840s, around the 1848 Revolution.[1] Realists

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Relative autonomy

Account of modern state found within recent Marxism employed by the Greek theorist Nicos Poulantzas (1936-1979). States work within the limits set by the socio-economic structures within which they operate and which they function to sustain. Their autonomy is thus relative to this overall constraint. Source: Tom Bottomore, A Dictionary of Marxist Thought, 2nd edn (Oxford, 1991) Sociology In the sociology

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Representation

Theory of political participation in complex, large, or modern societies. The only way in which most people can participate in the government of their societies is by being represented by a relatively small number of people who will in some sense act on their behalf. There is disagreement about the most appropriate way in

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Republicanism

Theory of government by citizens. In a republic – which is not necessarily presidential – government is in the hands of citizens, or of those accountable to them rather than in the control of a monarch or despot. Source: David Miller et al., eds, The Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Political Thought (Oxford, 1987) Historical development

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