Theories of Political Changes - Review - Book Report/Review Example

e existence of electoral-representative arrangement, (2)” which is not the case because of the “numerous obstacles to the realization of this ideal (2)” that have since emerged. In this paper we will be interrogating this powerful statement from this book. Piven uses the conflict theory to explain how citizens can trigger social change. Just like majority of neo-Marx theorists, Piven uses this theory to explain the operation of large-economic-systems together with the relationship that exist between class structure and capitalisms.

In this regard, he describes how social workers, as social control agent, apply rules that only benefit the elite while keeping the rest of the people powerless. As for social welfare institutions, Piven agree with Neo-Marxist theorists that they are basically mechanisms that political elites use to perpetuate their stranglehold on power and factors of production while minimizing political dissident. Piven examine how various social, political, and economic institutions are used to perpetuate social inequality.

According to Piven, even the electoral body that appear like a manifestation of democracy fails significantly in bringing about the desired social change. In this regard, one only needs to look at the various structural, practical and legal obstacles that continue to disenfranchise voters despite the liberalization of the electoral process and the resultant large number of supposedly eligible voters. New schemes of denying people their right continues to emerge despite the exit of former restrictive laws from our law books.

We have intimidation, electoral fraud, misinformation, and the corrupting power of money in an environment where money is valued more than even the greater good just as Marx described (55). There are still myriads of other bottlenecks that still exist despite the establishment of various institutions and particularly the electoral representative arrangement that have been set to enhance democracy and