On Power & Political Capital: How Political Capital Shapes our Nation and is Co-constructed by Elites

What is political capital anyway? Academia has talked around the topic and has yet to settle on a shared definition. This study contends it is the imaginary but potent currency of politics—not one minted in a bank; but a co-constructed metric of power. That co-construction is guided by political sophisticates—an elite that encompasses staffers, politicians, journalists, and outside groups—who rely on each other to decipher and construct the relative value of this currency. Its value is not tied exclusively to public opinion or electoral success, but instead, its value is set by its perceived value among elites. The present study reveals the complex nature of political capital, describes the process of its co-construction and informs a new understanding of the concept. This exploratory research distinguishes political capital from political power, offers a model of political capital, and suggests that political capital may not be as easy to define as previously thought.

Author

• Waxham, Reed Elman

Language

• en

Keyword

• media effects
• legislative effectiveness
• power
• Congress
• political capital

Date created

• 2019

Type of Work

• Master's Thesis

License

• All rights reserved

Rights statement

• In Copyright

Degree

• M.A.

Advisor

• Karpf, David

Committee Member(s)

• Porter, Ethan
• Kimball, Michelle

Persistent URL

•  https://scholarspace.library.gwu.edu/etd/dn39x215z