Angolano, Joseph
(2012)
Politics as a craft: the equal advancement and consideration of interests.
PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.
Abstract
This thesis aims to provide a frame work by which citizens in a democracy can become empowered and take
ownership of their democratic institutions and the public sphere in which they discuss solving the problems that
they face as a society. In short, this work will argue that politics is a craft, and that political actions are skills. If
citizens learn to better practice this skill, then democracy will be better off. It will become better off since more
citizens will feel more empowered to participate in the political process if they have their political skills well
developed. As will be argued in the second chapter of this thesis, disempowerment can come about even in the
face of an equal distribution of formal power and the absence of what Iris Marion Young has called internal
exclusions, when citizens have a general feeling of inadequacy while participating. Another term for this
psychological malaise that some participants feel is political mortification. Instituting politics as a craft entails
creating school curriculums and adult education programs that have students develop their political skills, and that
this can help create empowered citizens that want to engage in the political process.
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