| | | The pendulum theory in politics is a way of describing how public opinion and political power tend to swing back and forth over time between opposing ideologies, usually left (liberal, progressive) and right (conservative, traditionalist).
Like a pendulum, political momentum rarely stays fixed at one extreme. Instead:- Swing to one side: When one political ideology dominates for a time, people may eventually become dissatisfied with its excesses, mistakes, or unfulfilled promises.
- Swing back: This dissatisfaction fuels a shift toward the opposite ideology, giving rise to electoral victories or policy changes from the other side.
- Self-correcting cycle: The process repeats, with politics oscillating between left and right rather than remaining permanently in one position.
It’s not a strict law, but rather a metaphor for the natural ebb and flow of politics. The pendulum theory helps explain why democracies often see alternating governments, shifting policy priorities, and cycles of reform followed by retrenchment. |
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