What is a democracy? Why do we form democratic systems? Can democracy
survive in an age of distrust and polarisation?
The Psychology of Democracy explains the psychological underpinnings
behind why people engage with and participate in politics. Covering the
influence that political campaigns and media play, the book analyses
topical and real-world political events including the Arab Spring,
Brexit, Black Lives Matter, the US 2020 elections and the Covidd-19
pandemic. Lilleker and Ozgul take the reader on a journey to explore the
cognitive processes at play when engaging with a political news item all
the way through to taking to the streets to protest government policy
and action.
In an age of post-truth and populism, The Psychology of Democracy
shows us how a strong and healthy democracy depends upon the feelings
and emotions of its citizens, including trust, belonging, empowerment
and representation, as much as on electoral processes.