Diploma Democracy
The Rise of Political Meritocracy
Published on 29. June 2017
Book
Hardback
248 pages
978-0-19-879063-1 (ISBN)
Description
Lay politics lies at the heart of democracy. Political offices are the only offices for which no formal qualifications are required. Contemporary political practices are diametrically opposed to this constitutional ideal. Most democracies in Western Europe are diploma democracies - ruled by those with the highest formal qualifications. Citizens with low or medium educational qualifications currently make up about 70 percent of the electorates, yet they have become virtually absent from almost all political arenas. University graduates have come to dominate all political institutions and venues, from political parties, parliaments and cabinets, to organised interests, deliberative settings, and Internet consultations. This rise of a political meritocracy is part of larger trend. In the information society, educational background, like class or religion, is an important source of social and political divides. Those who are well educated tend to be cosmopolitans, whereas the lesser educated citizens are more likely to be nationalists.
This book documents the context, contours, and consequences of this rise of a political meritocracy. It explores the domination of higher educated citizens in political participation, civil society, and political office in Western Europe. It discusses the consequences of this rise of a political meritocracy, such as descriptive deficits, policy incongruences, biased standards, and cynicism and distrust. Also, it looks at ways to remedy, or at least mitigate, some of the negative effects of diploma democracy.
This book documents the context, contours, and consequences of this rise of a political meritocracy. It explores the domination of higher educated citizens in political participation, civil society, and political office in Western Europe. It discusses the consequences of this rise of a political meritocracy, such as descriptive deficits, policy incongruences, biased standards, and cynicism and distrust. Also, it looks at ways to remedy, or at least mitigate, some of the negative effects of diploma democracy.
Reviews / Votes
A fascinating book by Mark Bovens and Anchrit Wille, Diploma Democracy, shows that what they call political meritocracy is advancing across the rich world. * The Economist * This book is accessible and engaging with chapters often opening with humorous anecdotes. There are a lot of helpful graphs and tables and one does not need a PhD in maths to follow them. Its recommendations aside, this is a convincing book. It fulfils its explicit purposes and, I think, is good for undergraduate and graduate students in primarily English-speaking countries to learn about how and why politics, society and education are markedly different in some of the countries of Western Europe. * Jameel Hampton, London School of Economics and Political Science * For all those who marvel how blue-collar workers from the rustbelt have come to vote for Donald Trump, this very well written, highly accessible text should come as an eye opener. Based on cutting edge social science research it not only shows how the citizens in the most advanced democracies are increasingly divided on the basis of education. It also documents that their democratically chosen representatives are almost exclusively recruited among the highly educated and exceptionally responsive to them. No wonder do the less educated feel left out. No wonder do they follow the sirens of populist leaders who speak their language and claim to give them a voice. This is a powerful statement that should be taken extremely seriously by politicians and political observers across Europe and the United States. * Hanspeter Kriesi, Stein Rokkan Chair for Comparative Politics, European University Institute, Florence *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 161 mm
Thickness: 18 mm
Weight
540 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-879063-1 (9780198790631)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
06/2017
1st Edition
OUP eBook
€49.99
Available for download
E-Book
06/2017
1st Edition
OUP eBook
€55.49
Available for download
Persons
Mark Bovens is a Professor at the Utrecht University School of Governance. He is a member of the Royal Dutch Academy of Sciences and chairs its Social Science Council. He has published more than twenty monographs and edited volumes in the area of politics, government, and public policy. His publications include The Oxford Handbook of Public Accountability (co-edited with Robert E. Goodin and Thomas Schillemans, OUP, 2014), The Real World of EU Accountability (co-edited with Deirdre Curtin and Paul 't Hart, OUP, 2010), and Success and Failure in Public Governance (Edward Elgar, 2001).
Anchrit Wille is Associate Professor at Leiden University's Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs. Her research focuses on executive politics, accountability, democratic governance, public policy, and citizen participation. She has (co)-authored many articles and books about political participation, political-administrative relationships, EU governance, and the European Commission. Her publications include The Normalization of the European Commission (OUP, 2013).
Anchrit Wille is Associate Professor at Leiden University's Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs. Her research focuses on executive politics, accountability, democratic governance, public policy, and citizen participation. She has (co)-authored many articles and books about political participation, political-administrative relationships, EU governance, and the European Commission. Her publications include The Normalization of the European Commission (OUP, 2013).
Content
PART I: CONCEPTS AND CONTEXTS; PART II: CONTOURS; PART III: CONSEQUENCES