In addition to asking about the things, if any, that differentiate people who get involved in politics from the public, and the percentage of politicians who were privately educated, the Privilege and Participation survey was more explicit about privilege in politics. It asked about the privilege of two groups, politicians and people who get involvedContinue reading “Survey Variable: Perceived Privilege of Those in Politics”
Category Archives: Survey Variables: Perceptions of Politics
Survey Variable: Ranked Indicators of Difference in Politics
As with indicators of status more generally, respondents to the Privilege and Participation survey were asked not only to select but also to rank the indicators that they think distinguish people involved in politics from them. The results of their rankings can be seen in Figure 1 (above, using weighted data), which shows that thereContinue reading “Survey Variable: Ranked Indicators of Difference in Politics”
Survey Variable: Selected Indicators of Difference in Politics
It is commonly observed that the people who are involved in politics, and especially politicians, are somehow different from the general population. This feeds into narratives of a gap between people and those they elect, and the idea that representatives are out of touch with the public. However, surveys rarely, if ever, ask people aboutContinue reading “Survey Variable: Selected Indicators of Difference in Politics”
Survey Variable: When MPs Lose Touch
Alongside their assessments of how much influence the public generally and they specifically have over the political system, and their view of how much attention politicians would pay to them, we can also consider whether people think their representatives are in touch with the public. The idea that MPs are out of touch is commonplaceContinue reading “Survey Variable: When MPs Lose Touch”
Survey Variable: Attention Paid by Elected Representatives
Another facet of people’s assessments of the political system is whether they think elected representatives will pay attention to concerns that they raise. This can be thought of as another feature of external political efficacy, but focused on the individuals who populate the political system rather than the system itself. It may also relate toContinue reading “Survey Variable: Attention Paid by Elected Representatives”
Survey Variable: Internal Political Efficacy
In addition to their views of the efficacy of the political system, which we refer to as external political efficacy and which centres on the openness and responsiveness of the system, people also have views of their own abilities to engage with that system. We refer to these views as their sense of internal politicalContinue reading “Survey Variable: Internal Political Efficacy”
Survey Variable: External Political Efficacy
An important component of people’s perceptions of politics is their view of how open and responsive the political system is to influence by the public. This can be thought of as a key facet of the efficacy of the political system, and views on it are referred to as views on external political efficacy. ThisContinue reading “Survey Variable: External Political Efficacy”
Survey Variable: Perceived Private Education of MPs
Beyond perceptions of their own engagement with politics, people also have perceptions of politics itself. These might relate to how open, responsive, or efficacious the political system is, to the competence of specific politicians, or to the characteristics of politicians overall. Such perceptions can intersect with people’s perceptions of privilege, for instance if they thinkContinue reading “Survey Variable: Perceived Private Education of MPs”
Privilege and Participation 