FRANCE Political Culture, Political Recruitment and Political Socialization.

FRANCE

Political Culture, Political Recruitment and Political Socialization

SOME RELEVANT HISTORY One of the oldest nation-states of Europe French Revolution began with the

establishment of a constitutional monarchy in 1791 (the First Republic)Three more constitutionsNapoleonRestoration of BourbonsHouse of OrleansParis Revolution in 1848

MORE: THE HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

Second Republic (1848-1852)Universal male suffrageNapoleon IIIFranco Prussian War

Third Republic (1871)WWII deeply divided FranceCharles de Gaulle

Fourth Republic (1946-1958)24 governments in 12 years

Fifth Republic (1958 onward)

POLITICAL CULTURE: CONCEPTUAL REVIEW

Public attitudes toward politics and their role in the political system Parochial Subject Partipatory

Levels of political culture System Process Policy

FRENCH POLITICAL CULTURE: THEMES

“Enlightened” monarchs allowed relatively free through – as long as it remained abstract

Concept of being “French”unites

Specifics of what that means divides

“Burden of history” Versailles

SHAPE OF POLITICAL TRUST

Conflicting orientations arising from valuation of individualism and equality

Participation in politics initially seen as means of weakening strong government

Assertion of individualism sometimes led to anarchy

RELIGIOUS AND ANTI-RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS

Roman Catholics vs. Huguenots

Anti-clerical sub-culture

Church teaching less authoritative in Catholic sub-culture

OTHER RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS ANTIRELIGIOUS TRADITIONS French Jews “de-christianized”

& secular culture Revolution of

1789 Impact of World

War II Muslims

New immigation

DEFENSE AGAINST ANARCHY Place individuals who reflected he popular

will in power Individuals who reflect popular will use

government to bring about equality Allows for the accommodation to large role

for the bureaucracy

HISTORY AND THE PROCESS OF CHANGE Sudden change –

rather than gradual mutation have dominated critical moments in French history

Leads to conclusion that no change can be brought about except by major upheaval

Lead to skepticism about the possibility of meaningful change

BETWEEN THE FRENCH REVOLUTION AND THE FIFTH REPUBLIC RULES OF THE POLITICAL REGIME IN FRANCE WERE SATISFACTORY TO ONLY ONE SEGMENT OF THE POLITY - AND HOTLY CONTESTED BY OTHERS

FIFTH REPUBLIC Early years political

culture resembled the situation that prevailed between 1789 and 1958

Election of Francois Mitterrand to presidency (1981) aid to rest two hundred

years of hostility among French political elites

Attitudes and orientations of masses followed developments among the elites

POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION: FAMILY

Traditionally conservative Modifications to traditional patriarchal

structure Associations as tools of political socializations

POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION: EDUCATION Historic importance of baccalauret and lycee Changes in the Fifth Republic

700,000 graduates in 1945 6.1 million in1994

Universities 48% in higher education during 1990’s Comparable to rest of W. Europe

GRANDES ECOLE

Functions outside of regular system of universities

Highly selective- no increase in enrollment

Training ground of highly specialized elites

SOCIALIZATION AND MASS COMMUNICATION: PRINT MEDIA For much of 20th century major newspapers

were in the hands of business tycoons or political parties

Currently: most papers owned by business conglomerates

TELEVISION

State ownership from 1945 – 1981 Television and radio opened to private

sector in 1982 - a project of the Socialists

State television forced to provide the opposition with time to reply to the government

Only two of six non-cable channels owned by government

ELITE POLITICAL RECRUITMENT Grandes écoles

higher education establishments outside the mainstream framework of the public universities system.

selection criteria of grandes écoles rests mainly on competitive written and oral exams

Fifth Republic – more senior civil servants from the professionals class than during the Fourth Republic

GRANDES ÉCOLES CORPS Recruited from Ecole

Nationale d’Administration & Ecole Polytechnique

Elite political class numbers less than 20, 000

Grand Corps now important in recruitment of business elites

École Nationale d'administration

created in 1945 by Charles de Gaulle to democratize access to the senior civil service.

IMPORTANCE OF GENDER Low representation of

women among French political elites

Political advancement requires deep investment in parties Segolene Royal

Graduate of the ENA Member of the Council

of State Dearth of women’s

representation recognized but not addressed

OUTSIDERS HAVE EXTREME DIFFICULTY IN PENETRATING THE FRENCH POLITICAL AND BUSINESS ELITE