The Psychology of Political Authority: A Causal Mechanism of Political Learning through Persuasion and Manipulation

I construct in this essay a social psychological explanation of a causal mechanism that is common in political life, particularly in the political life of politicians. The explanation consists of an interrelated set of rules about authority relationships between leaders and followers. These rules, w...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Political psychology 1995-12, Vol.16 (4), p.677-696
Main Author: Searing, Donald D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Authority
Biological and medical sciences
Conformity
Desire
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Learning
Normativity
Persuasion
Political authority
Political parties
Political psychology
Politicians
Politics
Power
Psychological aspects
Psychology
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Social interactions. Communication. Group processes
Social psychology
United Kingdom
Voting
Warnings
Whips
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
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Description
Summary:I construct in this essay a social psychological explanation of a causal mechanism that is common in political life, particularly in the political life of politicians. The explanation consists of an interrelated set of rules about authority relationships between leaders and followers. These rules, which create a structure for political learning through persuasion and manipulation, are explicated with interview data on whips and backbenchers in the British House of Commons and explained by integrating rational with normative models of action.
ISSN:0162-895X
1467-9221
DOI:10.2307/3791886