Authors: Lipset
Summary: In slightly less than 2700 words, this entry defines political alienation, discusses academic research on it, analyzes trends and levels of alienation and support in the United States and other countries, and considers its consequences.
The entry defines political alienation as "a feeling of separation from or nonconnectedness with a political system, or active hostility toward it." Marx introduced this concept in his writings about alienated workers. In the 1960s, when political protest increased worldwide, the concept of alienation received renewed attention from political scholars working in two fields--systems theory and public opinion research. The incorporation of political alienation into scholarship from both these fields is detailed.
Next the entry focuses specifically on political alienation and support in the United States since the 1960s. Public opinion polls indicate a decline in political trust beginning in the 1960s. For example, in 1964, polls showed that 63% of whites and 69% of blacks thought government was run for the benefit of all. But by 1992, only 21% of whites and 20% of blacks felt the same way. Similar figures are reported about political efficacy and confidence in public institutions. The entry offers some insightful thoughts about the significance and meaning of these trends, as well as comparisons with other nations. Despite similar increases in political alienation worldwide, a majority of individuals in these same nations consistently express reasonable levels of national pride.
The entry concludes by looking at the consequences of low political trust and support and increasing political alienation. Some significant effects of political alienation and its corresponding feeling of low political efficacy are decreased voting, failure to obey government mandates, and demands for constitutional change. Each of these are discussed briefly, and are followed by a few thoughts about the difficulty of measuring political alienation and efficacy.