Popular Politics Flashcards
(31 cards)
Why should we treat our perceptions of EM politics with caution?
Focus on the elite due to the mass evidence focussing on them
Which Historian is the ‘Public Sphere’ associated with?
Jürgen Habermas
What is the ‘Public Sphere’?
A public place of discussion of governments by private individuals
What are examples of the ‘Public Sphere’?
Newspapers, Coffee Houses
Why was the ‘Public Sphere’ a place of critical thinking?
Not controlled by the state
What political ideology does the ‘Public Sphere’ adhere to?
Marxism
Why is the ‘Public Sphere’ theory Marxist?
Set up ability to overthrow governments
What does the ‘Public Sphere’ theory on overthrowing government suggest about its presence in the EM period?
Before this process
What has recent research suggested about the presence of the ‘Public Sphere’ in the EM period?
EM Phenomenon, print culture alongside rumour
What has Historiography focussed on regarding EM popular politics?
State Institutions (Kings) People (Laws)
Why have historians critiqued the notion that political culture was an elite phenomenon?
They have found it a places lower down that have been previously ignored
What example is there that proves political culture was not elite in nature?
The Elite had to acknowledge the populace, for example, England’s aggressive Protestation dealing with Catholic Spain unnerving
What did the government believe about the public and politics?
Should not be concerning selves with politics,
What were Corrants?
Popular 1620s news sheets from Netherlands (free press)
What does the popularity of Corrants show?
That populace had access to news despite illegality
What term was very common in the EM period?
‘What News?’
When and why did censorship laws collapse?
1640s/50s alongside reign of Charles I
What caused the collapse of censorship laws?
Explosion of printed press
What did the explosion of the printed press create?
A national, informed political culture
Who was targetted with the printed press?
The literate
Was literacy a blockade to a national political culture?
No, papers were read aloud and had pictures
What type of culture remained, esp. outside London?
Oral Culture
Why were Statutes passed?
To attempt to curb public discussion
What did Statutes prove?
That people were talking about Mary I, a catholic
