How Social Movements Important For A Democracy Like New...

3. Why are interest groups or social movements important for a democracy like New Zealand? Illustrate your answer. A social movement is, broadly, a mobilisation of people around an issue which challenges the political authority. Tilly describes a social movement as a â€Å"sustained challenge to powerholders in the name of a population [†¦] by means of repeated public displays† (Tilly, 1993, p 7, emphasis original). It is a space outside formal, institutionalised politics which â€Å"allows political energies to flow† (Norris, 2002). This alternative space can provide a platform for the voices of those who are disenfranchised and excluded from political institutions. The purpose of this essay is to examine the role of social movements in negating some of New Zealand’s most prominent democratic downfalls: youth disengagement and neoliberal consensus. These two issues are intimately intertwined (Edwards, 2009). Beginning with Labour’s unprecedented economic reforms in the mid 1980’s, New Zealand settled into an â€Å"unspoken neoliberal consensus† (Hacknell, 2013, p135). National and Labour now both legislate according to free market principles. Democracy and political participation is crippled by a neoliberal hegemony (Alakavuklar Dickson, 2016). Not only does the dominance of its ideology severely restrict the scope and development of policy, the economic system exacerbates inequalities (in education, wealth, and so on) which lead to barriers in political participation (Edwards, 2009;Show MoreRelatedHow Did The Nazis Gain Control Of Germany?1511 Words   |  7 PagesHitler Youth How did the Nazis gain control of Germany? Firstly, the Nazi’s used Germany’s defeat during the First World War (which began in the summer of 1914 and ended in November 1918) to their advantage. WWI claimed many lives and of course changed the lives of those in Germany forever. 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