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31 What is meant by the "politics of personalities"? This is a system where the popularity of political candidates rather than issues count more than knowledge and competence. The popularity of personalities and the "connection" of personalities to the powers that be are more often than not the main criteria for judging who should be elected. Thus, candidates for political office who are popular in movies, sports, or are connected to powerful political families have a significant headstart in elections. Coupled with Filipino values of family-centeredness, family connections have resulted in family political dynasties. Moreover, the politics of personalities has made it possible for frequent changes in political party affiliation or political "turn-coatism". Parties do not have political ideologies that present voters with clear cut alternatives on key social issues such as environmental protection, globalization, trade liberalization, etc. PCP-II observed that people themselves "seem to care more for the projects and gifts and less for the substantive issues on which their elected political representatives should take a stand" (PCP-II, pp. 279-80).
FAQs taken from CBCP Catechism on Politics
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