Politische Arbeit in Parlamenten

This book offers the first analysis which explicitly addresses the complex mechanisms of political work. Parliamentary politics is examined, not mainly as processes of power or as sequences of decisions, but as a practice aimed at influencing the societal orders of meaning. Based on observational data gained at four parliamentary levels in Germany, this detailed analysis depicts parliamentary ‘business as usual’, which is characterised by its struggle against being swamped with political issues and its quick changes between complementary forms of work – namely, playing the political game, solving problems, and political formation – while dealing with these issues. But the goal of such political work is to achieve symbolic evidence: impregnating ideas with meaning in such a way that they engender support and mobilise the masses, and thus transforming our view of the world, however incrementally. A must-read for both scholars of politics and political practitioners!