12 Types of Political Climate

John Spacey, August 15, 2019 updated on May 29, 2023

A political climate is a general political mood that prevails for a time within a society or organization. This should not be confused with opinions or ideologies as a climate is independent of beliefs and viewpoints. The following are illustrative examples of a political climate.

Alienation

A feeling of estrangement from politics and general feeling that it is not relevant to real life.

Satisfied Apathy

Trust that political matters are being solved in a reasonable way by someone else.

Dissatisfied Apathy

The view that a system is too flawed or corrupt to be improved such that participation is useless.

Intense Politics

An environment of intense political competition whereby most people are heavily engaged in political struggles.

Political Polarization

Intense politics with two opposing sides that are locked in a bitter struggle for control.

Civility

Civility is an environment of respect for one's political opposition and the rules, institutions, culture and processes that guide the resolution of political matters.

Incivility

A lack of respect for the rules and culture of a political system such that one or more sides try to win influence and control by breaking these rules. Where this is the dominant political climate, a society or organization is likely to go into decline due to a lack of order, cooperation and confidence in the system.

Civil Disobedience

Resisting a political system and elite with vigorous methods that generate creative tension with peaceful methods that are morally justifiable in a particular situation.

Revolution

An environment with a strong and popular desire to simply overthrown the existing political establishment and start again. This can erupt suddenly after a long period of discontentment.

Cronyism

Cronyism is a political environment whereby leaders reward supporters and friends with the resources of a society or organization.

Pork Barrel

A political environment whereby groups or regions support a leader based on the promise that they will receive some sort of financial payback. For example, a construction industry that aligns behind a political candidate because the candidate has promised to increase government infrastructure spending that will benefit everyone in the industry. Pork barrel politics are often centered around programs that will benefit a single region at the expense of the rest of a nation.

Tribalism

A fragmented political climate whereby people strongly identify with relatively small groups within a society or organization and lack interest in cooperation with the entire group. This may be encouraged by a political elite as a divide and conquer political strategy.