Political Man

Political Man, by Seymour Martin Lipset, is one of the best works of political analysis I have read. It is clear, incisive and sophisticated without resorting to methodological techniques that obscure, rather than illuminate the argument. It is brimming with detail, providing the historical, psychological and organizational context that make the work read like a description of flesh and blood citizens engaged in political action, rather than the dry, impersonal, almost clinical analysis of data that characterizes most published journal articles.

Lipset is upfront about his commitment to democracy and the book is a theory of the social bases of democracy. He does not hesitate to make bold generalizations, which he always backs up with carefully documented comparative data, usually presented in a simple tabular, but unmistakably clear, format. Economic development and democracy are correlated and mutually reinforcing is one of the few political science theses that has stood the test of time. Working class people are more likely to have authoritarian attitudes. Fascism is middle class extremism and is different from old-fashioned conservatism. Trade unions tend to be organized as dictatorships, but contribute to the democracy of the social system. It is a true social science classic. A simple replication of its analyses for the Philippines is likely to increase understanding immensely. The brave analyst, however, will be looking in vain for the class bases of political parties in a country were true political parties do not exist.