The 1980s shifted politicians from representing sectors to selling to publics

Evidence

While political scientists had been discussing electoral competition in terms of “supply and demand” since at least the 1950s, only in the 1980s did politics itself become so openly marketized. Politicians began to relate to their society differently, as well. Instead of representatives defending a sectorial interest, they became entrepreneurs trying to sell a product to a public on which they now projected opinions. “Performance” and appearance became essential attributes for politicians, not simply a means of dressing up party programs. — Arthur Borriello and Anton Jäger, The Populist Moment, 145

Categorization

• XREF: Relates to the earlier readings on how market language upends representative democracy and to Colin Crouch’s post-democracy thesis. — connects to: Modern politics shifted focus from aggregate goods to discrete individuals; Pre-modern rule harvested aggregate goods while modern politics targets individuals — Timothy Mitchell, Colonising Egypt, 339; Capitalism moved from commodifying having to commodifying appearing. — Aris Komporozos-Athanasiou, Speculative Communities: Living with…, 304

Broader Connections

• Modern politics shifted focus from aggregate goods to discrete individuals #expands (0.85)
• Pre-modern rule harvested aggregate goods while modern politics targets individuals #expands (0.85) — Timothy Mitchell, Colonising Egypt, 339
• Capitalism moved from commodifying having to commodifying appearing. #complicates (0.75) — Aris Komporozos-Athanasiou, Speculative Communities, 304