Political Marginalism

A political theory analyzing power through the value of the last, most incremental political action, promise, or unit of authority (the marginal political unit). It suggests that political capital, like any resource, has diminishing returns. A government's first actions in a crisis (e.g., disaster relief) have high utility and build legitimacy (cohesion). But the 10th micro-managing decree or broken campaign promise has low utility. It's often seen as purely about expanding control (coercion), eroding public trust. It asks: when does more politics become counterproductive?

Political Marginalism Example: During a pandemic, initial public health orders (like banning large gatherings) had high political marginal utility—they were broadly accepted as necessary for cohesion. But when the government then issues a highly specific, poorly justified order about the type of exercise allowed alone in a park, that last political unit is subjectively valued as low-utility coercion. According to political marginalism, this overreach weakens compliance with all orders, damaging the state's political cohesion.

by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal February 7, 2026

Theory of Political Social Control

This focuses on how state power and governing institutions directly and indirectly manage the population to ensure compliance and maintain the current political order. It’s about the tools—from propaganda and surveillance to patriotism and legal frameworks—used to shape what citizens believe is possible, proper, and permissible.

Theory of Political Social Control Example: A government implementing a national "social credit" system. It’s direct political control: linking your legal rights (travel, loans) to a score based on your political compliance (e.g., attending rallies, criticizing officials online). It uses state power to coercively engineer specific citizen behavior and squash dissent, ensuring political stability through enforced conformity.

by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal February 7, 2026

Political Marginalism

A political theory analyzing power through the value of the last, most incremental political action, promise, or unit of authority (the marginal political unit). It suggests that political capital, like any resource, has diminishing returns. A government's first actions in a crisis (e.g., disaster relief) have high utility and build legitimacy (cohesion). But the 10th micro-managing decree or broken campaign promise has low utility. It's often seen as purely about expanding control (coercion), eroding public trust. It asks: when does more politics become counterproductive?

Political Marginalism Example: During a pandemic, initial public health orders (like banning large gatherings) had high political marginal utility—they were broadly accepted as necessary for cohesion. But when the government then issues a highly specific, poorly justified order about the type of exercise allowed alone in a park, that last political unit is subjectively valued as low-utility coercion. According to political marginalism, this overreach weakens compliance with all orders, damaging the state's political cohesion.

by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal February 7, 2026

Political Gemology

The art of cutting, polishing, and setting political narratives so they sparkle just long enough to distract the electorate from their lack of substance. It’s the strategic deployment of shiny policy proposals—often as artificial as a cubic zirconia—to deflect attention from deeper, structural "inclusions" (like corruption or economic inequality). A skilled political gemologist knows exactly how to hold a rough, unpopular truth up to the light and rotate it until it catches the public eye as a glittering promise, even if it’s fundamentally just a lump of coal.

Example: "The mayor's new infrastructure plan is a masterclass in political gemology. He's managed to make a single repaired pothole look like the Hope Diamond of public works, and everyone's so dazzled they forgot he just raised their taxes to pay for it."

by Dumu The Void February 14, 2026

Critical Politics Theory

The belief that modern politics is less about governance and more of a scripted reality TV show where the "conflict" is manufactured to keep the audience (the voters) distracted and divided. It suggests that the left and right are not opposing forces, but two wings of the same bird, trained to squawk loudly at each other so no one notices the bird is circling a drain. It’s the study of how "debate" has become a performative art, designed to generate outrage, clicks, and campaign donations, while the actual work of running a country happens in back rooms, far from the cameras.

Example: "Watching the two pundits scream at each other about a trivial cultural issue, she shook her head and said, 'Textbook critical politics theory. They're not trying to solve anything; they're just trying to keep us from looking at the massive, unattended bonfire behind them.'"

by Dumu The Void February 14, 2026