Abstract
The present work analyses the theoretical perspectives on the role education plays in the formation and recruitment of politicians in Romania. We have analysed the legislative mandates of the parliamentarians of the Chamber of Deputies from the 2004-2008, 2008-2012 and 2012- 2016 periods, whose mandates overlapped with two types of electoral systems. Additionally, we have analysed the CVs of the parliamentarians who, in 2016-2020, ran as number one nominees on party- lists of both the Social Democrat and the National Liberal parties. In this analysis we took into account the validity of the degrees they received from Romanian universities, as well as the number of degrees: Bachelor’s Degree, Masters’s Degree, PhD. From the capital theory standpoint, we noticed that there is a two-way transaction between the political capital and the educational capital. The results highlight that the parties opted for a negative selection education-wise of those nominated to occupy a Parliamentary seat or a public office.
Highlights
The present work analyses the theoretical perspectives on the role education plays in the formation and recruitment of politicians in Romania
The data analysis has been pitted against other similar studies carried out on a national level, such as recruitment methods and the cases of plagiarism uncovered nationwide. For all these elements we have proposed three inquiries: 1.What is the role of education in the identification and grooming of a candidate by Romanian parties? The conclusion was drawn from the analysis of the electoral lists for the 2012-2016 mandates and the identification of the traits of the electoral list front liners. 2.What was the evolution of the educational formation of Romanian deputies from one legislative stint to another, taking into account graduated studies? The analysis drew on the 2004-2008, 2008-2012 and 2012-2016 mandates, and enabled us to analyze the percentage of deputies who garnered Bachelor’s Degree, Masters’s Degree and PhDs issued by category A, B and C universities
The higher the education level, the lower the quality and prestige of the diploma provider. This inverse ratio shows that the PNL spearheads use political capital as a way of attaining educational capital, especially when it comes to higher education and doctoral studies
Summary
Politics has always been one of the phenomena that impact social layers, whether it was seen as science, strategy, art of governing, power exercise or an assertion of sovereignty. The bottom line is, in their desire to make up for the absence of capital, politicians may resort to various strategies to obtain the sought certifications This is not necessarily a negative aspect, as long as the diplomas are a token of an authentic professional formation and attest to extensive knowledge in various fields, as well as in the field of politics and public administration. The educational formation of politicians has always entailed earning an array of diplomas and certificates testament to the skills and competences vital to the political act Needless to say, this phenomenon is a double-edged sword, as the praxis of plagiarism and counterfeit diplomas often made it to the front page of Romanian press.
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