Envy in Politics - Princeton Studies in Political Behavior by Gwyneth H McClendon Paperback

Book Synopsis

How envy, spite, and the pursuit of admiration influence politics

Why do governments underspend on policies that would make their constituents better off? Why do people participate in contentious politics when they could reap benefits if they were to abstain? In Envy in Politics, Gwyneth McClendon contends that if we want to understand these and other forms of puzzling political behavior, we should pay attention to envy, spite, and the pursuit of admiration--all manifestations of our desire to maintain or enhance our status within groups. Drawing together insights from political philosophy, behavioral economics, psychology, and anthropology, McClendon explores how and under what conditions status motivations influence politics.

Through surveys, case studies, interviews, and an experiment, McClendon argues that when concerns about in-group status are unmanaged by social conventions or are explicitly primed by elites, status motivations can become drivers of public opinion and political participation. McClendon focuses on the United States and South Africa--two countries that provide tough tests for her arguments while also demonstrating that the arguments apply in different contexts.

From debates over redistribution to the mobilization of collective action, Envy in Politics presents the first theoretical and empirical investigation of the connection between status motivations and political behavior.

From the Back Cover

"In Envy in Politics, McClendon shows that envy affects political behavior in varied and interesting ways that political scientists have previously ignored. This thought-provoking and important book is a very good read."--Ruth Grant, Duke University

"This book is likely the most comprehensive study of how envy and status-based motivations can shape political outcomes. It integrates material from a wide number of social science studies, develops clear definitions and testable hypotheses, and demonstrates the power of status motivations on important political decisions. McClendon's research is impressive."--Roger Petersen, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Review Quotes

"Envy [in Politics] is a brilliant, thought-provoking book that will be studied and referenced for years to come."---Laura Seay, Washington Post

"One of Choice Reviews' Outstanding Academic Titles of 2018"

"Overall, this excellent, eclectic, and thought-provoking book is sure to inspire intense discussion and significant follow-up research."---M.R. Michelson, Choice

"What motivates Donald Trump's political base . . . [McClendon's] big insight is that the seething and yearning focuses not on class conflict, but the Joneses. That is, while emotional cues may come from national voices, it's the people next door who churn minds to the point where their bodies will clamber into the arenas of politics."---Michael Cornfield, The Guardian

"Winner of the Robert E. Lane Award, Political Psychology Section of the American Political Science Association"

About the Author

Gwyneth H. McClendon is an assistant professor in the Wilf Family Department of Politics at New York University.