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Informationen zum Autor Benjamin G. Bishin is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Riverside. Klappentext Why do politicians frequently heed the preferences of small groups of citizens over those of the general public? Breaking new theoretical ground, Benjamin Bishin explains how the desires of small groups, which he calls âsubconstituencies,â often trump the preferences of much larger groups. Tyranny of the Minority provides a âunified theory of representation,â based in social psychology and supported by extensive analyses of legislatorsâ voting behavior, that explains how citizensâ knowledge and participation affects candidatesâ behaviour in campaigns and legislatorsâ behaviour in Congress. Demonstrating the wide applicability of the theory, the book traces politiciansâ behavior on a wide range of issues, including the Cuban trade embargo, the extension of hate crimes legislation to protect gays and lesbians, the renewal of the assault weapons ban, abortion politics, and Congressâs battle to recognize the Armenian genocide. It offers a unique explanation of why and how special interests dominate American national politics. Zusammenfassung Explains how the desires of small groups! which the author calls 'subconstituencies'! often trump the preferences of much larger groups. This book provides a 'unified theory of representation' that explains how citizens' knowledge and participation affects candidates' behaviour in campaigns and legislators' behaviour in Congress. Inhaltsverzeichnis Preface 1. “¡Quitemos a Castro Ahora!” 2. The Subconstituency Politics Theory of Representation 3. Overcoming Ignorance and Apathy: Testing Individual-Level Implications of Representation Theories 4. Subconstituencies in Campaigns 5. Subconstituencies in Congress 6. Heterogeneity and Representation Reconsidered 7. The Myth of Issue Visibility 8. Conclusion Notes References Index
