Political Preferences and Political Parties

Introduction to Politics and International Relations: Political Preferences and Parties (Week 3)

Learning Outcomes and Today's Content

  • Outline the origin and formation of political preferences according to:

    • Karl Marx

    • Max Weber

    • Ralf Dahrendorf

    • Herbert Kitschelt

    • Ronald Inglehart

  • Define and explain:

    • The left-right distinction in politics

    • Maps of political preferences

Opening Activity

  • An individual reflection on personal political preferences and how one would place themselves on a right-to-left political spectrum.

Voting Behaviour and Political Preferences

  • Definition: Refers to the ideological and policy orientation of a voter.

  • Includes whether or not an individual chooses to vote.

What is the Franchise?

  • Definition: 'Franchise' refers to the right and ability to participate in elections (vote).

  • Individuals, typically citizens, are enfranchised when granted the right to vote.

    • Connection to Week 2: The right to vote is a key component of democracy.

  • Purpose of Voting: Individuals express their desires and form common groups, engaging in political bargaining.

  • Legal Framework: Franchise is supported by a legal framework. Voting is a legal right, usually enshrined in a constitution (written or unwritten).

  • Example (UK): Adults aged 18 and over are enfranchised.

Electoral Systems

  • Definition: Various electoral systems determine the outcome of elections and the representation of votes.

  • Types of Systems:

    • Majoritarian systems:

      • Examples: First Past the Post (FPTP).

      • According to Duverger's Law, majoritarian systems tend to produce two-party systems.

    • Proportional systems:

      • Examples: Proportional Representation (PR), Alternative Vote (AV), Single Transferable Vote (STV).

      • More likely to result in party coalitions.

  • Trade-off: There is an inherent trade-off between representation and accountability in elections.

Theories on the Emergence of Political Preferences (A Snapshot)

  • Karl Marx: Class Theory (modified by Przeworski & Sprague)

  • Max Weber: Wealth & Consumption

  • Ralf Dahrendorf: The New Middle Class

  • Herbert Kitschelt: Income, Education, Work Conditions, Gender

  • Ronald Inglehart: Culture, Post-materialist values; self-expression & generations

Karl Marx: Class Theory

  • Argument: Class fundamentally determines political organization and voting behavior.

  • Key Concepts:

    • Class in itself: A descriptive category of an individual's position in society (e.g., working class, capitalist class, intermediate groups).

    • Class for itself: The political organizations that emerge from shared class identity (e.g., socialist parties representing working class and intermediate groups; conservative parties representing capitalist class and intermediate groups).

  • Class Struggle Explainer:

    • Society Divided by Ownership of the Means of Production:

      • Bourgeoisie (The Capitalist Class): Owners of the means of production (factories, companies, land, machinery, capital).

        • Modern Examples: Tech billionaires (Musk, Bezos, Zuckerberg), investment fund managers, major shareholders, real estate developers.

      • Proletariat (The Working Class): Those who sell their labor power to survive (labor power, time, skills, knowledge, energy).

        • Modern Examples: Amazon warehouse workers, software engineers (employees), service industry workers, gig economy drivers.

  • Understanding Mechanisms of Class Society:

    • Surplus Value: The difference between what workers produce and what they are paid, serving as the source of capitalist profit.

      • Example: A worker produces 200 worth of goods in a day but is paid 80. The 120 difference is surplus value extracted by the capitalist.

    • Alienation: Workers become disconnected from their labor, products, fellow workers, and their human essence.

      • Example: An assembly line worker performing one small task repeatedly thousands of times, never seeing the finished product or feeling pride in their work.

    • Class Consciousness: The recognition by workers of their shared interests and their unity as a class against exploitation.

      • Example: Workers forming unions, going on strike together, or organizing politically to fight for collective rights.

    • Historical Materialism: The belief that economic relationships primarily shape society, politics, culture, and consciousness, rather than the other way around.

      • Example: The transition from feudalism to capitalism was driven by changes in production methods and economic relations, not just ideas.

  • Critique of Class Theory:

    • Capitalist markets are differentiated (small vs. big business), limiting the notion of class solely by worker/producer distinction.

    • Consumption style is not adequately considered within class theory.

Modification of Class Theory: Przeworski & Sprague

  • Argument: Explained the decline of socialist parties due to two main reasons:

    • Electoral Engagement: Socialist parties engaged in elections rather than revolutions, which was viewed as a