num_pages: 232
description: The Symbolic Uses of Politics is the seminal work on symbolic politics, and it continues to exert a widespread influence on scholarly research. In it, Edelman explored the use of myths, rites, and other symbolic forms of communication in the formation of public opinion and policy. He drew a distinction between the conventional view of politics, which focuses on how people acquire what they want through government, and the reality of politics, in which political symbolism is used to influence a country’s citizens by placating them or compelling them to act. The book was centred on the notion that democracy is largely symbolic and expressive in function and has fostered vibrant scholarly debate. According to Edelman, political reality is concealed from the public through the generation of largely empty symbols by the political elite.
language: English
title: The Symbolic Uses of Politics
titlecomplete: The Symbolic Uses of Politics
genres: Political Science, Politics
ratings_count: 43
publisher: University of Illinois Press