Tyranny of the Minority: The Subconstituency Politics Theory of Representation - Hardcover

Bishin, Benjamin

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1592136583 ISBN 13: 9781592136582

Publisher: Temple University Press, 2009

Synopsis

Why do politicians frequently heed the preferences of small groups of citizens over those of the majority? Breaking new theoretical ground, Benjamin Bishin explains how the desires of small groups, which he calls subconstituencies, often trump the preferences of much larger groups.

Tyranny of the Minority provides a unified theory of representation, based in social psychology and identity theory, to explain how citizens intensity fosters knowledge and participation and drives candidates behavior in campaigns and legislators' behavior in Congress. Demonstrating the wide applicability of the theory, Bishin traces politicians' behavior in connection with a wide range of issues, including the Cuban trade embargo, the extension of hate-crimes legislation to protect gay men and lesbians, the renewal of the assault-weapons ban, abortion politics, and Congress's attempt to recognize the Armenian genocide. He offers a unique explanation of when, why, and how special interests dominate American national politics.

About this title

Book Description

Why do politicians frequently heed the preferences of small groups of citizens over those of the general public? Breaking new theoretical ground, Benjamin Bishin explains how the desires of small groups, which he calls “subconstituencies,” often trump the preferences of much larger groups.

Tyranny of the Minority provides a “unified theory of representation,” based in social psychology and supported by extensive analyses of legislators’ voting behavior, that explains how citizens’ knowledge and participation affects candidates’ behavior in campaigns and legislators’ behavior in Congress. Demonstrating the wide applicability of the theory, the book traces politicians’ behavior on a wide range of issues, including the Cuban trade embargo, the extension of hate crimes legislation to protect gays and lesbians, the renewal of the assault weapons ban, abortion politics, and Congress’s battle to recognize the Armenian genocide. It offers a unique explanation of why and how special interests dominate American national politics.

About the Author

Benjamin G. Bishin is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Riverside.

Edition details

• Publisher: Temple University Press
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 1592136583
• ISBN 13: 9781592136582
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 216