In countries with representative democracies and developed civil societies, individuals (citizens) are endowed with equal units of power (votes) based on the principle of "one person - one vote."
No one, except the citizen, has the right to determine their choice. Furthermore, citizens are not only endowed with the right to vote but also the right to be elected. However, since the time of the French Revolution, it has been known that legal equality does not necessarily translate into equality in reality.
Citizens are not equal in terms of property and political rights. Moreover, this inequality is a necessary condition for the existence of a capitalist society. In a capitalist society, the fear of personal poverty binds citizens to civil society, making them politically active. The prospect of losing their money - investments, stable income, the value of their property, privileges, and so on - compels citizens to align with one or another political force whose promises and actions seem most understandable and attractive to specific social groups.
These "active citizens," who consistently uphold their political positions in elections (for example, supporting "Democrats" or "Republicans" in the United States), represent about two-thirds of society. Another third is dissatisfied with this way of life, and it is they who are often tried to be excluded from elections or drawn to their side through situational manipulations of consciousness.
For example, American Democrats often play the card of Latin American migrants before elections, promising amnesty for undocumented immigrants or relaxed entry rules into the country. In this way, they hope to attract the votes of naturalized Latin Americans in the United States, who are still interested in reuniting with their families and support their diaspora in the U.S.
Republicans, on the other hand, promise stricter immigration policies each time, such as the construction of a border wall with Mexico, an initiative that was never fully realized despite Donald Trump's election as the 45th President of the United States. However, the House of Representatives did not provide funding for full-scale construction.
In any case, the election promises of politicians are usually populist and highly manipulative, as their concrete implementation is often tied to changes in existing legislation, which, for various reasons, may be impossible to amend.
As a result, any pre-election promise can be nullified without significant damage to the reputation of the politician or political force, simply by using existing laws and the country's constitution. It should be noted that populist forces often win elections because they do not hesitate to make promises they do not intend to keep, as their goal is to gain power rather than enact societal change.
Furthermore, elections themselves are a form of manipulation that is necessary to maintain social consent. Responsibility for power is shifted onto the citizen: no one (supposedly) forced them to make an unsuccessful choice. The individual, being a thinking being, weighed all the pros and cons, familiarized themselves with the parties' platforms and candidates, and made their informed choice.
In reality, this is not often the case (at least in the majority of instances), but it's difficult for an individual to admit, even to themselves, that someone influenced their decision. They become victims of manipulation, which is both hurtful and damaging to their self-esteem. As a result, they begin to rationalize their choice to themselves and others in the most complementary and positive way.
In summary, manipulation not only solves the specific task of bringing a candidate into power but also has a longer-lasting impact by creating additional loyalty, seemingly perpetuating itself indefinitely. The individual becomes a staunch supporter of the political force that deceived them.
#manipulations #state
