Group Polarization And Competi
On Tuesday, November 14, 1995, in what has been perceived as the years
biggest non-event, the federal
government shut down all "non-essential" services due to what was, for
all intents and purposes, a game of national
"chicken" between the House Speaker and the President. And, at an
estimated cost of 200 million dollars a day, this
dubious battle of dueling egos did not come cheap (Bradsher, 1995,
p.16). Why do politicians find it almost congenitally
impossible to cooperate? What is it about politics and power that seem
to always put them at odds with good
government? Indeed, is an effective, well run government even possible
given the current adversarial relationship
between our two ...
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gives way to
political posturing and power-mongering.
In this paper I will analyze recent political behavior in terms of two
factors: Group behavior with an emphasis
on polarization, and competition. However, one should keep in mind that
these two factors are interrelated. Group
polarization tends to exacerbate inter-group competition by driving any
two groups who initially disagree farther apart in
their respective views. In turn, a competitive situation in which one
side must lose in order for the other to win (and
political situations are nearly always competitive), will codify the
differences between groups - leading to further
extremism by those seeking power within the group - and thus, to further
group polarization.
In the above example, the two main combatants, Bill Clinton and Newt
Gingrich, were virtually forced to take
uncompromising, disparate views because of the very nature of authority
within their respective political groups. Group
polarization ...
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attainment" (one side
must lose in order for the other to win), then compromise and
cooperation are impossible (p. 136). This is especially so
if the opponents are dedicated to retaining power "at all costs." That
power is an end in itself is made clear by the recent
shutdown of the government. It served no logical purpose. Beyond
costing a lot of money, it had no discernible effect
except as a power struggle between two political heavyweights.
According to David Kipnis (1976, cited in Baron &
Graziano, 1991), one of the negative effects of power is, in fact, the
tendency to regard it as its own end, and to ignore
the possibility of disastrous results from the reckless use of ...
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Group Polarization And Competi. (2005, June 27). Retrieved April 26, 2024, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Group-Polarization-And-Competi/29172
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"Group Polarization And Competi." Essayworld.com. June 27, 2005. Accessed April 26, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Group-Polarization-And-Competi/29172.
"Group Polarization And Competi." Essayworld.com. June 27, 2005. Accessed April 26, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Group-Polarization-And-Competi/29172.
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