Politics, Products, and Markets: Exploring Political Consumerism Past and Present

Political consumerism means that the politics is a product; as such, it can the marketed to consumers (voters). Individuals and institutions use the market to develop political issues, create a sense of responsibility, control uncertainty, and encourage people to solve common problems on the basis of attitudes and values. These may concern issues of personal and family well-being as well as ethical or political assessments of favorable and unfavorable business and government practices. Political consumerism is thus reflected in a complex social and normative context that we call politics.