Political efficacy: A comparative study of the United States, West Germany, Great Britain and Australia

Abstract. Although political efficacy is a key concept in theories of political participation and democratic governance, different studies have conceptualised and operationalised efficacy in different ways. Using comparable survey data from the United States, West Germany, Great Britain and Australia, this study builds upon previous research in an attempt to clarify our understanding of the dimensions of political efficacy and their relationship to socio-demographic factors. The results suggest that 'internal efficacy' and 'external efficacy' are distinct attitudinal dimensions which are comparable in all four nations, and that each is related to certain socio-demographic characteristics.     

MANAGING CULTURAL POLICY: PITFALLS AND PROSPECTS

Cultural policies have become increasingly used by governments to fulfil a large number of policy requirements. The extent to which such policies are capable of being effective in fulfilling governmental goals is open to doubt since there are considerable definitional, methodological, analytical and structural difficulties associated with such policies. This paper identifies and analyses these difficulties and indicates that considerable pitfalls lie in the way of attempts to develop, manage and implement effective cultural policies.