Patronage Irish Style: Irish Politicians as Brokers

Samenvatting

The concept of patronage has widened with frequent use, necessitating its differentiation for analytical purposes. J. F. Boissevain ("Patrons as brokers," Sociologische Gids, 1969, nov-dec, 379-386) distinguished between resources 'patronage' and resources 'brokerage'; the former being directly controlled and the latter being second order resources. Patrons and brokers are roles, not persons, and can be operated by the same person in different contexts. The political system in Ireland, previously based on patronage, has given way to a system founded on brokerage. Patronage disappeared with a structural change of Irish society. The new electoral system has caused political brokerage, and other factors such as strong local influence in selecting candidates, a strong tendency of personalization of sr, and unemployment. The political broker assumes the role of intermediary between the electorate and administrative units of government. Local government is more important for broker politicians and the electorate; the central government representative faces management problems. These problems are solved with circles of small, local brokers. Because these local brokers may aspire to the position of government representative, they are simultaneously potential threats and indispensable coadjutors to the Irish political broker. R. Lent.