'Promotional Cultures' by Aeron Davis [Book]

On why people don't vote
"The power of global trends and institutions suggest that voting for national governments is futile" P137.
"Mass media have changed the organization of parties themselves and eroded the direct and local links between politicians and voters" P137.

"political parties across the globe have become transformed into 'electoral-professional' parties" P138
"Professionalization has involved changing organizational structures, new campaign methods and the employment of external experts, including many from the promotional professions" P138.
"While most observers are in agreement about the rise and institutionalization of political promotional culture, there is considerable debate as to whether it has strengthened or weakened representative democracy overall" P139.

Strengthened
"For practitioners such developments have... been beneficial in terms of improving dialogue and communication between citizens, politicians and institutions" P139.
"...using modern political marketing techniques has made parties more representative because they are more consultative and citizen-orientated in policy development" P139.
Politics has "...become more managerial, expert-led and responsive" P140.
"Government communication... has come to be more multi-directional and user-friendly in nature" P140

Weakened
"...the use of political promotion has never been about two-way communication, dialogue with citizens or an enhanced public sphere. Instead... it is about managing public opinion during elections or during difficult periods for the state" P140.
"Digital advances mean that there is vastly more government and local institutional information now available to ordinary citizens" P141.
"Information release is selective and specifically timed, either to be 'buried' or for achieving maximum coverage with a positive spin" P142.
"In effect, political parties and institutions have deployed promotional activity as much to restrict as to facilitate public communication and debate" P142.

In the UK...
"...political reporting is focused increasingly on political personalities, conflict and scandals and less on policy issues" P142.