Today political expression is plentiful, electronic, and varied, yet around the world, democracy’s stakeholders are concerned about a decline in democracy’s well-being, the precariousness of the world economy, and the stubborn persistence of inequalities.
Political voice can be defined as the expression of needs and interests within the political system. Expression varies in form and magnitude, depending on position in the political power structure (e.g. everyday citizen, elite, NGOs, lobbying group), demographics and identity (urban/rural, intersections of gender, race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, and class, among others), and country and time. Voice’s desired audiences are the decision-makers who wield power at particular stations within the regime and everyday citizens who are swayed by political voice.
Social transformations impact the expression of voice; some groups’ voices are silenced during crises, and some previously marginalized groups suddenly emerge as vocal leaders. During change, conventional channels of voicing one’s interests might be ineffective, necessitating new and (re)invented means. Transformations offer new avenues for proximity: the protest outside a decision-maker's window is loud but distant, whereas the voice of the lobbyist who whispers in the ears of decision-makers is publicly quiet but closer to the decision.
We ask social scientists to assess critical questions in political voice today: Whose voice? How loud is that voice? Who is listening? We seek papers bolstered by empirical analysis that address these questions. They can be quantitative or qualitative, comparative or case studies, and about any place in the world. We seek novel approaches and new insights.
Olga ZELINSKA, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland and Joshua DUBROW, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland
