Wolfgang Reinhard on the Symbolic Power of Elections – The Secret Behind Democracy

„Politicians who want to stay in power have to keep the voters happy, even though the election itself is only symbolic. But it is the central ritual of the democratic theater state. After all, it is no longer about substantive decisions, but only about the confirmation or replacement of political figureheads, who are legitimized by the fact that citizens are allowed to perform this ritual. This symbolically reinforces the fiction of popular sovereignty on which modern constitutional states are founded. In this way, and not through substantive decisions, elections contribute to its stabilization.“

Wolfgang ReinhardWolfgang Reinhard reveals how elections symbolically reinforce popular sovereignty and legitimize political power in democracies.
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Wolfgang Reinhard is professor emeritus of modern history at the University of Freiburg. He received the Historian Prize in 2001.

This quote vividly illustrates how elections in modern democracies often primarily hold symbolic significance, securing the legitimacy of political power – a fascinating insight behind the scenes of democracy.


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Literature on propaganda

Quote by Wolfgang Reinhard about the symbolic power of elections in democracy

Wolfgang Reinhard is a prominent historian specializing in modern history. His research focuses on social, cultural, and political history. He is professor emeritus at the University of Freiburg and was awarded the Historian Prize in 2001.

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"Give the people a toy to keep them busy long enough, give them 'political parties'! Then they will waste all their energy and wit on meaningless occupation with individuals and other trivialities. So they won't bother us anymore, and we can run our business at will. But to keep the toy from getting boring eventually and the population's discontent from boiling over, a ritual game with a cathartic function as a pressure valve must be inserted at regular intervals. We call it "parliamentary elections," which sounds important. Then there is peace for the next four years, especially since everyone believes they decided something themselves. The media? They play our game all by themselves—without realizing it. Occasionally we give them a morsel when we want to functionally neutralize a somewhat more alert, and thus unwelcome, person or group. Then they are satisfied, and so is the population; after all, they have something to gossip about. By splitting the voters through the political party system, we can get them to expend their energy fighting for battles over issues of no importance." Montagu Norman
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