The demonisation of politicians: moral panics, folk devils and MPs’ expenses

Abstract

This article makes an argument of almost primitive simplicity: politicians have become examples of Cohen's ‘folk devils’. This, in turn, raises as yet unexplored questions about demonisation and social discourse, the capacity of politicians, the role of invisible political actors, the dangers of ‘self-evident truths’ and the challenges of revitalising politics within a low-trust high-blame environment. More specifically, this article engages in a process of conceptual travelling through which the theory of moral panics and the concept of ‘folk devils’ are deployed in order to tease apart a recent political crisis. The core argument of this article is that Cohen's seminal work on folk devils provides a powerful conceptual lens through which to generate a more reasoned and balanced account of political behaviour. More broadly, it argues that the ‘bad faith model of politics’ presents a severely distorted view of political reality that urgently needs revision.

Keywords:

• public disengagement
• folk devils
• moral panic
• democracy
• political science
• expenses

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Matthew V. Flinders

Matthew V. Flinders is Professor of Parliamentary Government & Governance at the University of Sheffield. His recent books include Walking Without Order (2008), Democratic Drift (2009) and Defending Politics (2012, all Oxford University Press).