What is Politics?

The definitive guide to politics in our polarized times Politics is everywhere. It touches almost every aspect of our lives. And it is present wherever individuals face collective choices. It is hardly surprising, then, that politics so often divides us, above all in an age in which the collective choices we face seem more daunting and more consequential than they have perhaps ever been. Exploring what it means to 'think politically' in these troubled times, this cutting-edge textbook reveals the many dimensions of politics. It does so by opening a series of analytic lenses through which we can make sense of politics and its impact upon societies and individuals. Each chapter, written by a leading scholar in the field, encourages us to view politics in a particular way, making a succinct and focused case for the insight this brings to our understanding of political practice, political behaviour, and political outcomes. Among the perspectives considered are politics as power, politics as moral choice, politics as identification, politics as ritual, politics as rhetoric, and politics as crisis management. Written with the new student in mind, this probing introduction will be essential reading for all those who strive to make sense of politics in today's world.

Preface About the contributors 1. What is politics? Colin Hay 2. Politics as the exercise of power Liam Stanley 3. Politics as moral choice Jonathan Parry and Johanna Thoma 4. Politics as collective action Albert Weale 5. Politics as behaviour Will Jennings and Stuart J. Turnbull-Dugarte 6. Politics as identification Vivienne Jabri 7. Politics as gendered Johanna Kantola 8. Politics as institutionalised performance Shirin M. Rai 9. Politics as cognition Alyt Damstra and Paul ‘t Hart 10. Politics as ritual Florence Faucher 11. Politics as rhetoric Alan Finlayson 12. Politics as the history of the present Andrew Hindmoor 13. Politics as crisis management Matthew Paterson Notes References Index