Political Science Research Articles

East Prussia 2.0: Persistent regions, rising nations

In this study, we examine the political effects of the breakup of East Prussia into what is today Poland, Russia, and Lithuania. We expect that East Prussian legacies of nationalist and conservative political preferences persist in the respective partitions of Poland, Russia, and Lithuania. We find that there is no pattern of persistence in the Polish partition of former East Prussia, whereas East Prussian persistence appears to be robust in the Lithuanian and Russian partitions. In the context of forced migration, comparative human capital between outgoing refugees (Germans) and incoming settlers (Soviets, Poles) predicts patterns of long-run political development. Hence, higher literacy rates of incoming settlers in the Russian partition (Kaliningrad) predict higher levels of support for conservative and nationalist political parties. The opposite is observed in the Polish partition. The persistence of East Prussian legacies in Eastern Europe relates to settler literacy.

Domesticating the Global War on Terrorism in West Africa: Implications for Sub-Regional Security

Objective: The objective of this study is to the recent incidences of terror attacks in the West African sub-region that have only overwhelmed national governments concerned. Using the case studies of Burkina Faso, Mali, Nigeria, and Niger, the paper interrogates the recent scourge of terrorism in these countries within the context of sub-regional security. Theoretical Framework: The structural conflict theory, which argues that conflict is built into the systems and structures of society, is employed in the work. This is based on the radical transformative agenda promoted by globalization and accentuated by the violent intra-state conflicts in Africa, especially following the restructuring of the international security architecture after the end of the Cold War in 1989. Method: The methodology adopted for this research utilizes the qualitative research design using the case study approach. Secondary data is engaged for this study, alongside thematic analysis for the harmonization of data. Results and Discussion: The study discovered that the activities of domestic terror groups is hinged on the unresolved rhetoric of globalization. The study concludes that until there are institutional measures to strengthen the fragile politico-economic structures hurriedly erected after prolonged dictatorships in the countries concerned, the solution to the threat of terrorism will remain a tantalizing mirage. It canvasses for the creation of a civil-military alliance in the war on terror, and the strengthening of democratic institutions to bring about good governance which will make states better equipped to curb terrorism. Research Implications: The practical and theoretical implications of this research are discussed, providing insights into how the results can be applied or influence practices in the fields of national security, strategic studies and even institutional democracy. These implications could encompass the protection of lives and property within the state, protection of the state’s territorial integrity and the consolidation of democracy by state governments. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the literature by highlighting the fragilitiy of democracy in West African states as a consequence of prolonged terrorist attacks that are yet to be adequately catered to by civilian governments. The relevance and value of this research are evidenced by it practical applicability across the fields of policy and strategic studies, and political science.

Shaping Modern Egypt: A Captivating Tale Of History and Political Transformation

Purpose: This article examines Egypt's transformation from an Ottoman province to a modern state, starting with Napoleon Bonaparte's 1798 incursion and the modernization efforts of Mehmet Ali Pasha. It covers key historical periods, including the monarchy, the Anglo-Egyptian Treaty of 1936, and the Cold War and post-Cold War era. Method: Using a historical-analytical approach, the study explores the eras of Gamal Abdel Nasser, Anwar Sadat, and Hosni Mubarak. It highlights Nasser's socialist policies and ties with the Soviet Union, Sadat's economic liberalization and the Camp David Accords, and Mubarak's economic reforms and political repression leading to the 2011 Arab Spring. Conclusion: The article critically analyzes Egypt's struggle for independence, democratic governance, and socio-economic development. It emphasizes the need for strengthening democratic institutions, diversifying the economy, enhancing education and healthcare, and promoting political inclusivity. Implication of the Research: The research offers recommendations to help Egypt build on its historical legacy and ensure a prosperous, democratic, and stable future, addressing key socio-political challenges. Originality of the Research: This article provides a nuanced historical account and analysis of Egypt's political evolution, integrating modernization and dependency theories, and offers valuable insights for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners interested in Middle Eastern politics and development.

Political Economy of STI in China: Analyzing Official Discourse on Science, Technology and Innovation-Driven Development in the Contemporary China

Science, technology, and Innovation (STI) have been the cornerstone of China’s Reform and Opening-up processes. Employing a hybrid methodology, including textual analysis, this paper asserts that four decades of reform and opening-up have witnessed STI’s pivotal role across sectors despite numerous challengesб such as economic slowdown, growing disparities, environmental issues, and a huge burden on the state-owned enterprises. China’s substantial investments in the Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies, including Artificial Intelligence and New Energy Vehicles, exemplify its commitment to innovation, reflected in over 2.5% of GDP allocated for research and development in 2022. This robust investment has bolstered China’s innovative capabilities and brought about its high ranking on the Global Innovation Index. In Chinese STI politics and policy-making, the programs like MLP-2006, SEI-2010 and Made in China 2025 have created a watershed moment. Three central research questions guide our exploration: the trajectory of policy framing on STI-Driven development, the theoretical underpinnings of Innovation-Driven Development and Green Development in Chinese STI politics, and the significance of these paradigms in China’s context. This paper also hypothesizes the emergence of two distinct trajectories within China’s STI politics through the adoption of Innovation-Driven Development and Green Development, positioning STI at the core of China’s development paradigm. The study thoroughly dissects China’s official discourse, framing these paradigms within the Sustainable Development context and highlighting their crucial roles in China’s journey toward technological advancement and sustainability. The analysis of the evolution of China’s STI policy as portrayed in official discourse offers insights into the strategic role played by science, technology, and Innovation in moulding China’s socio-economic trajectory alongside global implications stemming from its transformative development agenda.

Initial in-hospital treatment of patients with penetrating trauma due to violence and war

Current political and social developments have brought the topics of violence,in this context attributable to terrorism and sabotage, and since February 2022 awareness of war in particular has again greatly increased. This article aims to present the contextualized dealing with penetrating injuries in terms of initial in-hospital treatment. The question remains to be answered as to what extent penetrating injuries require special attention and to what extent the treatment priorities, options and strategies as well as surgical treatment require adaptation of the usual approach in routine clinical practice in Germany. The experience of the authors in this field from military operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, the Republic of Mali, Kosovo and Georgia as well as the core content of the Terror and Disaster Surgical Care (TDSC®) course on this topic, have been contextualized and incorporated. In addition, aspects of acomprehensive systematic literature review and current data from anational evaluation on the topic of preparing hospitals in Germany for such scenarios are taken into account. The clinical systems need to be well-prepared for such casualties, especially if they require treatment in large numbers. This is precisely so because the majority of patients are in arelevantly threatening situation (usually in the sense of ahemorrhage), treatment must be very urgently provided and in such scenarios alack of resources must always be overcome, at least temporarily, especially for example for blood transfusions.

Estonia: Political Developments and Data in 2023

AbstractParliamentary elections in March 2023 brought a stronger than ever mandate for the ruling Reform Party, which formed a new all‐liberal coalition with the Social Democratic Party and Estonia 200. However, the deteriorating public image of the Prime Minister and her party, the fact that Estonia 200 lost its new party image, and the political decisions made by the new government brought government approval and support drastically down by the end of the year. Struggling to tackle a growing budget deficit and to invigorate an economy in recession, it was a politically tough year for Estonia. And the fact that all viable coalitions until the next parliamentary elections in 2027 must include the Reform Party was likely to keep politics rigid, on the one hand, and tense on the other.

The Effect of Promotion Through the Shopee Marketplace on Purchasing Decisions of Scarlett Body Lotion among Students

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of promotion on purchasing decisions. This type of research is descriptive quantitative, using a correlation approach and simple linear regression. The population in this study were students from the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Sam Ratulangi University Manado with sample criteria, namely students who have used or bought Scarlett Body Lotion products at Shopee, have bought similar products from the Scarlett Whitening brand, and have seen or visited advertisements about these products at Shopee. The research sample consisted of 97 respondents using a Likert scale questionnaire instrument. The results of the research in the t test show that there is a significant and positive effect of Promotion on Purchasing Decisions.

Neither a Beast Nor a God: A Philosophical Anthropology of Humanistic Management

AbstractIs freedom and capability enough to sustain our well-being? For human flourishing to progress, defer, and avoid decline, managers as persons must grow in virtue to transcend to the ultimate source of the good. In our definition of a person we develop an anthropology of gift through the communication of one self to another and whose form is love, the willing the good of the other. We ask four questions about the humanistic manager as a person: what is the goal, end, good; what form, structure guides the manager; what materials, resources, technology, and context does the manager use within the structure to meet the end and exceed the goals, what is the means of effecting the change needed to meet the manager’s goals. Each of these questions form the basis to construct a philosophical anthropology of humanistic management. To these four questions we add three types of finality: the usual absolute terminal and horizontally immanent finalities plus the vertical finality of every growing and developing person among other persons in community. The need for a philosophical anthropology derives from a concomitant ethical requirement of what does and ought the manager, as person, undertake. What and how the person knows, wills, acts on provides the reality within which the manager, as person, operates. Along the way we will visit topics of transcendence, secularism, vulnerability, authentic personhood, and virtue. We conclude with a description, which is a dynamically evolving scheme of the meaning of a manager in the world, the social, and perhaps, the terminal goods of order. We move far from the homo farber of a technology-led world whose thought conforms being. We have begun to extend our manager into the species homo transcendens where being conforms thought and responsible action. We conclude with a sketch on the emerging role of spirituality in the workplace with connections to compassionate leadership, organizations as sites for healing and growth, and examples from the experience of humanistic organization who seem to have survived and thrived centuries of global operations. From an anthropology of gift we can identify several implications for managers. Humanistic management education would subsume the rational choice hegemony of economic modeling to a technological subset of tools, subject to the goals and nature of human persons. The scientism of thinking that psychology, sociology, political science, and economics would suitably describe, explain, and model human decisions would be replaced by an overarching framework leading to higher levels of knowledge, especially wisdom based educational experiences and content based on the natural integrity of human beings as learners. Since all technology follows, rather than leads, persons in an anthropology of gift, workplace practices would be founded in the structures immanent in persons and communities of persons. This would imply practices which transcend appraisal and assessment of performance to heights of contemplation and implementation of meaning in every task. Instead of beginning with a deficit of “what’s in it for me?” practices can begin with the surplus “how can I help you?” Proposed are practices which impound wisdom-based attributes of compassion, active listening, alterity, mercy, companionate and agapic love in decision analyses, interpretations of results, and incentives. The objective of the humanistically managed organization under the aegis of an anthropology of gift would be to minimize the maximum grief for the the most vulnerable. The objective would be applied as a policy across all authorities delegated by jurisdictions over organizations, and by boards, oversight groups, over decisions within organizations. This view from an anthropology of gift is consonant with emerging definitions of organizations as healing spaces where a balance of solidarity and subsidiarity guide decisions as opposed to simplistically applying supply and demand trade-offs.

International Law: Regulation of Conflicts and International Relations

Objective: In the backdrop of escalating military confrontations and worsening economic and environmental challenges worldwide, this research aims to delve into effective systems for managing international conflicts and optimizing the global security framework. Theoretical framework: The study delves into the integration of legal frameworks within nations engaged in hostilities, examining key institutions influencing the regulation of international conflicts. It analyzes the evolution of conflicts in Ukraine and Israel, elucidating the involvement of legal institutions in regulating these conflicts. Methods: The research utilizes qualitative and quantitative approaches. It scrutinizes scholarly publications, evaluates prevailing strategies employed by states in conflicts, and assesses major geopolitical entities' support for such conflicts. It synthesizes insights from diverse disciplines, including international law, political science, and international relations. Results and conclusion: This research underscores international law's role in regulating conflicts through diplomatic frameworks, conflict oversight, and treaty enforcement despite challenges in politically charged environments. Case studies of Ukraine and Israel highlight the complexities of applying international law to modern conflicts. Research implications: The study highlights the need to reform the legal framework of international organizations like the European Union to enhance conflict management efficacy. It emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary research in developing more effective legal frameworks and strategies for conflict resolution and peacekeeping. Originality/value: This research contributes to understanding the dynamic interplay between law and politics in conflict resolution. It identifies areas for further research, including the role of international organizations in peacekeeping and the intersection of conflict regulation with other branches of international law.

Socio-environmental balance: How environmental conflicts can support the climate-security nexus

This article relies on interdisciplinary debates in geography, political ecology and political sciences in order to explore how interpretative analyses of environmental conflict can support the climate and security nexus debate. It analyses mining and environmental conflicts in Burkina Faso and mobilises a framework highlighting the co-constitutive relationship between the environment and human societies. From this perspective, environmental alterations are considered a central and multicausal factor that can lead to a profound change in social and political structures and thus lead to conflicts. This article will first contextualise mining development, environmental conservation and armed conflict in Burkina Faso before reviewing the literature on climate change, environment and conflicts and describing the conceptual and methodological framework. Then, it addresses the case study of four large-scale mining sites in Burkina Faso. Finally, the last subsection explains how this case study can enrich the climate and security debate with an interpretative understanding.

Identifying and managing defence and security stakeholders: a systematic literature review, bibliometric analysis and maturity assessment

ABSTRACT This paper’s purpose is to systematically analyse and understand the complexity of strategic-level stakeholder management within defence. Empirical data was collected via a rigorous systematic literature review of 10,369 manuscripts contained within the Web of Science, with 206 A1 studies constituting the final paper set. This was followed by bibliometric and maturity analysis leading to extraction, synthesis and integration of insights. In doing so, knowledge on defence stakeholders is consolidated beyond the traditional field of political science. The results illuminate aspects of stakeholder network complexity, including stakeholders that need to be better understood and holistic frameworks important for contextualising initiatives. Further, the need to move beyond bilaterally-focussed relationships towards the consideration of the larger ecosystem is emphasized. Finally, managers are encouraged to internalise engagement capabilities, able to continuously balance diverse stakeholder cultures and interests. Thereby, contributions are made towards the development of descriptive, instrumental and normative stakeholder theory within defence.

Affective polarization and dynamics of information spread in online networks

Members of different political groups not only disagree about issues but also dislike and distrust each other. While social media can amplify this emotional divide—called affective polarization by political scientists—there is a lack of agreement on its strength and prevalence. We measure affective polarization on social media by quantifying the emotions and toxicity of reply interactions. We demonstrate that, as predicted by affective polarization, interactions between users with same ideology (in-group replies) tend to be positive, while interactions between opposite-ideology users (out-group replies) are characterized by negativity and toxicity. Second, we show that affective polarization generalizes beyond the in-group/out-group dichotomy and can be considered a structural property of social networks. Specifically, we show that emotions vary with network distance between users, with closer interactions eliciting positive emotions and more distant interactions leading to anger, disgust, and toxicity. Finally, we show that similar information exhibits different dynamics when spreading in emotionally polarized groups. These findings are consistent across diverse datasets spanning discussions on topics such as the COVID-19 pandemic and abortion in the US. Our research provides insights into the complex social dynamics of affective polarization in the digital age and its implications for political discourse.

Dinamika Pengaruh Eksternal dalam Pengambilan Keputusan Kebijakan Pertahanan

In contemporary geopolitics, the formulation of defense policies is subject to a complex interplay of external factors, ranging from the influence of powerful actors to economic interests and ideational factors. This research aims to deepen our understanding of the external factors shaping defense policy decisions and their implications for national security strategies. Drawing upon qualitative research methods using secondary data analysis, this study investigates three key dimensions: "The Interplay of Power: External Actors and National Defense Policy," "The Intersection of Money and Muscle: Economic Interests in Defense Policy," and "The Power of Ideas: How Ideational Factors Shape Defense Policy." The findings reveal the significant role of external actors, such as superpowers and international organizations, in shaping defense policy decisions through various mechanisms of influence. Moreover, economic interests, including arms trade and energy security considerations, emerge as critical determinants of defense policy priorities. Furthermore, conceptual factors, such as security narratives and public perceptions of threats, profoundly influence defense policy formulation. This research contributes to the existing literature by comprehensively analyzing the multifaceted nature of external factors shaping defense policy decisions. The novelty lies in the holistic approach that integrates insights from political science, economics, and security studies. Keywords: defense policy, economic interests, external factors, ideational factors

Beyond ‘Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay’: the simultaneous impacts of co-agency in migration

ABSTRACT What are the impacts of migration on those directly involved in it: those who stay and those who leave? The deceptive simplicity of this question becomes obvious once we look at the diverse and mutually contradictory empirical answers it has received. On the basis of Web of Science data, we provide a mapping of existing studies on migration’s impacts, which reveals a clearly pronounced modularity between different disciplines and theoretical approaches, with psychological studies on migrants’ mental health, political science studies of remittances, and economic studies on labour market impacts, for example, often speaking at cross-purposes and not engaging in a meaningful dialogue. To reconcile available evidence and bridge the gap between different disciplines and approaches, in this Special Issue, we put forward the concept of co-agency that underlines the dynamic, relational, co-constructed, and co-performed nature of migration and its impacts. The concept of co-agency draws attention not to what happens to actors involved in migration, but on what they attain, what they perform, ultimately: what they do through migration. Furthermore, co-agency emphasises what actors involved in migration – both those who leave and those who stay behind – do together, rejecting a distinction between migrants as active and those staying behind as simply passive recipients of remittances, development, etc. Focusing on the co-agency of a wide variety of actors – both individual and collective, our conceptual approach emphasises the need to study the interplay between simultaneous impacts of co-agency in migration – including, but not limited to, health impacts on individuals, care-provision impacts on families, and development and policy impacts on states as collective actors. Ultimately, rather than promoting migration-pessimism or migration-optimism, we argue for a nuanced multi-level understanding of the complex interacting impacts of co-agency in migration.

Navigating intersectoral collaboration in nutrition programming: implementors’ perspectives from Assam, India

BackgroundThere is a growing interest in the use of intersectoral collaborative (ISC) approaches to address complex health-related issues. However, relatively little empirical research exists on the challenges of implementing, fostering and sustaining these approaches. Our study explores the perceptions and experiences of programme implementers regarding the implementation of an ISC approach, focusing on a case study of nutrition programming in Assam, India.MethodsWe conducted qualitative semi-structured face-to-face in-depth interviews with eleven programme implementers from two selected districts of Assam, India. These participants were purposefully sampled to provide a comprehensive understanding of the experiences of implementing intersectoral collaboration. Following the interviews, an inductive thematic analysis was performed on the collected data.ResultsThe study identified three main themes: operationalisation of ISC in daily practice, facilitators of ISC, and barriers to effective ISC. These were further broken down into six subthemes: defined sectoral mandates, leadership dynamics, interpersonal relationships and engagement, collective vision and oversight, resource allocation, and power dynamics. These findings highlight the complexity of ISC, focusing on the important structural and relational aspects at the macro, meso, and micro levels. Interpersonal relationships and power dynamics among stakeholders substantially influenced ISC formation in both the districts.ConclusionDespite challenges, there is ongoing interest in establishing ISC in nutrition programming, supported by political development agendas. Success relies on clarifying sectoral roles, addressing power dynamics, and engaging stakeholders systematically. Actionable plans with measurable targets are crucial for promoting and sustaining ISC, ensuring positive programme outcomes. The insights from our study provide valuable guidance for global health practitioners and policymakers dealing with similar challenges, emphasising the urgent need for comprehensive research given the lack of universally recognised policies in the realm of ISC in global health practice.

Germany: Political Developments and Data in 2023

Germany: Political Developments and Data in 2023

Critical Junctures, Ideological Continuity and Change in Western Europe: Comparing the Pandemic and the Global Financial Crises

ABSTRACT Research focusing on the Covid-19 crisis politics treats ideology mostly as an independent or intervening variable, lacking attention to the effects of the pandemic on ideological conflict and the configurations between ideas and actors and is ambiguous about its impact. To address these deficiencies, we provide an assessment of ideological change by combining accounts of political development and theories of hegemony and apply the resulting framework through a comparative history of “crisis” in Western Europe, juxtaposing the pandemic with the 2008 financial crisis. We argue that the pandemic’s ideological impact entails signs of both continuity and change, across both ideational and institutional dynamics, more change than the financial crisis, but not reaching the threshold of “a critical juncture” and thus amounts to a partial ideological reconfiguration. The analysis has implications for the Covid-19 pandemic legacy, the study of crises and the ideological terrain in the current context.

‘Who is going to talk about my grandad? Who is going to talk about me?’: Spatial politics in the advocacy of youth from the MENA region at COP 27

ABSTRACT In this article, we focus on the advocacy of youth from the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) region in the U.N. COP process through interviews (n = 12) with youth from the MENA region who participated in or organized around the 2022 COP 27 climate negotiations in Egypt. The perspectives of youth climate advocates in the region are relatively absent in the existing scholarly literature and there is a significant need for additional research about youth climate advocacy beyond the activism of white, western and wealthy young people (see Neas, S., Ward, A., & Bowman, B. [2022]. Young people’s climate activism: A review of the literature. Frontiers in Political Science, 4. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpos.2022.940876). Through thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews (n = 12) supplemented by context drawn from digital media about youth climate advocacy in the MENA region, our findings characterize the: (1) priorities and claims; (2) perceptions of influence and participation; and (3) motivations for and challenges to youth climate advocacy across the region. We argue for intersectional analysis of youth climate advocacy in the COP process and beyond and describe the importance of examining the uneven spatial politics of climate change and transnational youth advocacy.

Predicting Novel Terrorism: Media Coverage as Early-Warning System of Novelty in Terror Attacks

ABSTRACT In this article, we argue that the process of predicting terrorist attacks needs to integrate the evolving dynamic of terrorism and we make a case for novelty as crucial feature to encompass terrorism’s changing nature. To predict when and how terrorist organizations will conduct their next attack, and whether it will have a novel approach, we base our analysis on media coverage. As media continuously covers political, economic, and societal analyses on a national and international scale, it provides rich information that can fuel early-warning systems for terror attacks. We analyze the content of 2,173,544 newspaper articles, reporting on 42,252 terror attacks by 1,121 organizations. Our analyses show that content of media coverage relates to the interval until the following attack from the same terror organization as well as whether they will conduct a novel and even more devastating terror attack. Hence, our approach and findings can contribute to building early-warning systems.

Quantifying polarization in online political discourse

In an era of increasing political polarization, its analysis becomes crucial for the understanding of democratic dynamics. This paper presents a comprehensive research on measuring political polarization on X (Twitter) during election cycles in Spain, from 2011 to 2019. A wide comparative analysis is performed on algorithms used to identify and measure polarization or controversy on microblogging platforms. This analysis is specifically tailored towards publications made by official political party accounts during pre-campaign, campaign, election day, and the week post-election. Guided by the findings of this comparative evaluation, we propose a novel algorithm better suited to capture polarization in the context of political events, which is validated with real data. As a consequence, our research contributes a significant advancement in the field of political science, social network analysis, and overall computational social science, by providing a realistic method to capture polarization from online political discourse.