Contrasts between Political Appeal and Good Governance Trajectories

Abstract

This is a longitudinal case study that applies pattern-matching analytical techniques to explain the highly contextualized phenomena of the ‘Velvet Revolution’ and to establish dominant themes and comparative patterns that have influenced the policy and governance agenda of Armenia since May 2018. The research sets out with questions on the message embedded within the ‘Velvet Revolution’ and the extent to which it corresponds to the policy objectives and expressed outcomes that the government aims to accomplish. It then investigates the policy priorities and governance agenda that Pashinyan proposed to achieve during his tenure as prime minister of Armenia, weighed against the message he transmitted as activist, politician and protest leader, and the consequent deportment he assumed in order to build and sustain public appeal and trust. This article presents findings from the analysis of collected data pertaining to the period May 2018 through August 2019.