Citizens’ anti-politics posturing serves right-wing policy goals.

Evidence

This political etiquette, the practical stance, is exactly the relation to politics that politicians count on when they blame all of our problems on ‘‘politics.’’ It is just what right-wing politicians rely on when they strengthen giant bureaucratic corporations, lengthen the work-week in the name of global competitiveness, and otherwise advocate policies that would make a real rebel shudder. In the officials’ new anti-politics, politicians all want to position themselves as ‘‘political outsiders,’’ and the private people’s ‘‘resistance’’ resonates with politicians’ adamant insistence that political debate is a waste of time. — Nina Eliasoph, Avoiding politics, 933

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to how manufactured apathy aligns with elite interests, echoing the reader’s broader civic-life research on structured silence. — connects to: The success of right-wing antipolitics gave birth to hyperpolitics — Anton Jäger, Hyperpolitics: Extreme Politicization…, 213; Anti-politics means moral counter-power aimed against state politics without seeking office — Anton Jäger, Hyperpolitics: Extreme Politicization…, 180; Best practices constitute a form of antipolitics that images politics itself as backwardness. — Wendy Brown, Undoing the Demos: Neoliberalism’s…, 268 (+2 more)
• DEEPTHINKING: The strongest mechanism claim in the chapter: apparent grassroots ‘rebellion’ against politics functionally dovetails with, rather than opposes, establishment power.

Broader Connections

• The success of right-wing antipolitics gave birth to hyperpolitics #expands (0.85) — Anton Jäger, Hyperpolitics, 213
• Best practices constitute a form of antipolitics that images politics itself as backwardness. #exemplifies (0.75) — Wendy Brown, Undoing the Demos, 268
• Anti-politics means moral counter-power aimed against state politics without seeking office #qualifies (0.72) — Anton Jäger, Hyperpolitics, 180