Democracy Research Articles

Contributing to Public Deliberation by Religious Behavior: Beyond the Inclusivism–Exclusivism Debate

Recently, political philosophers have debated the role of religious reasons in public deliberations, such as appealing to religious convictions and religious classics. Exclusivists, such as Rawls, Quong, Hartley, and Watson, argue that democratic governments and citizens should restrict or exclude the use of religious reasons in making laws and policies, while inclusivists, such as Gaus, Vallier, and Billingham, oppose such categorical exclusion. Nevertheless, the debate mainly focuses on the role of religious reasons in public deliberation. In this paper, I will argue that religious behaviors—defined as highly altruistic actions motivated by religious beliefs, such as dedicating substantial time and effort to serving the poor and advancing the common good—can exert positive influences on public deliberation. Through this kind of altruistic action, religious believers can subtly influence non-religious citizens. While religious believers may not rationally persuade non-religious citizens through religious reasoning, the altruistic actions exhibited by religious believers could emotionally inspire admiration and motivate non-religious citizens to learn more about those religions. This enhances mutual understanding among different religious and secular sects and thus improves public deliberation. Furthermore, I argue that the improved understanding fostered by religious behaviors can facilitate exclusivism and inclusivism to overcome certain philosophical challenges, such as the problems of incompleteness and anarchy, which are among the most frequent criticisms directed at exclusivism and inclusivism. Hence, this paper highlights an aspect overlooked in the exclusivism–inclusivism debate: no matter whether the democratic government and citizens should permit or restrict religious reasons, religious behavior is still beneficial in public deliberation.

The Multilevel Administrative State and the Future of Public Administration Research

ABSTRACT The administrative state, originally coined by Dwight Waldo, emphasizes the distinct role of public administration in democratic governance. Yet, public administration research has insufficiently theorized how administrative structures at one level of government may be consequential for public governance at another level. This study theorizes how the administrative state has transcended its mere domestic role in democracy, and suggests how future research should study multilevel administrative systems. Departing from the invitation and lessons of Waldo, the article theorizes how ways of organizing the administrative state at one level of government bias public governance across levels of authority.

Containing spaces for learning through experience: A psychosocial approach to co-operation.

This paper investigates one of the fundamental differences between a co-operative undertaking and a capitalist business: democratic participatory governance as opposed to hierarchical leadership. The latter often comes across as a ‘norm’ to be taken for granted. As such, co-operation is translated into the language of ‘team work’ and ‘staff consultation’, the domains of a successful capitalist company. Participation in co-operative governance, however, is more profound than this and requires an enhanced understanding of the somatic and affective qualities behind democratic decision-making. The paper suggests that a new language might be used to describe this difference, perhaps collective governance should be regarded as a virtue that can be recognised as working beyond values, even co-operative values. A further question arises: if indeed co-operative participatory governance is about relationships among equals, how can this be taught and/or learnt beyond the hard lessons of life experience? What can educational establishments do to teach people how to participate and govern by participating? The paper suggests that possible avenues of exploration in search of an answer to these questions might lie in a psycho-social approach that is able to encourage group learning from experience.

“When my teacher quits, I’ll quit too.” – A mixed methods study on trust and (dis-)continuation in adult basic education

ABSTRACT Democratic values and social cohesion face challenges globally, affecting education access and participation. Global education policies aim to reduce barriers, particularly in literacy and adult basic education (ABE). Low literacy levels correlate with decreased social trust and stigmatisation, hindering further education enrolment due to associated shame. Trust emerges as a pivotal need among learners, facilitating enrolment bridged by trusted individuals, and enhancing the emotional value of participation. This study investigates the role of interpersonal trust in course (dis)continuation in the field of literacy and ABE. It explores clusters of learners based on generalised and particularised trust, examining how trust influences course continuation. Survey data was collected from 79 ABE learners in Germany and an exploratory cluster analysis was conducted. In-depth interviews with 8 active learners were matched with the results of the cluster analysis and were further qualitatively analysed. The analysis revealed two distinct learner clusters determined by trust levels. Findings underline the relevance of trust in drop-out decisions, both intra-individually and interpersonally. This study seeks to contribute to the discourse on the role of trust in drop-out and retention, thus aligning with the goal of enhancing social participation through basic education.

Military System Culture Archetype and Humanistic Thinking-In Sunzibingfa, Focusing on the Practical Will of Military System and Strengthening of Discipline

Regardless of the time and space differences between eastern and western countries before and after their origin, the improvement of military systems and solutions to problems all reflect the practical will of national defense strategic responsibility and tactics. From the anthropological point of view, no matter the development of the xianqin civilization and the victory or defeat of the war history, the establishment, development and changes of the system and discipline are discussed as the boundary and module of historical dialectics. This is a myth of the victory of the country's social and political diplomacy, a basic sanction of the security strategy, and a specific matter for the interpretation of the structural and institutional principles. Then, as a cultural prototype, can the other appearance and symbolic significance of this military system, as the AI social language view in the 21st century, become another status and security awareness of dominating the world? The positive answer to this is that as an individual country, its multiple roles are sufficient to enhance political strategies, diplomatic security, social tranquility and individual spirit of challenge. This issue actually plays a role as the boundary and module of the historical dialectics of military system through the changing process of the history of the times before discussing the concept and essence of a liberal democratic society.

Collective Wisdom in Constitutional, Informational and Digital Dimensions: on the Concept and Nature of Popular Deliberative Constitutionalism for Public Law

The article discusses the scientific and intellectual origins of collective wisdom in the constitutional, information and digital dimensions, reveals the doctrinal approaches and normative foundations of popular deliberative constitutionalism, the development of an inclusive constitutional paradigm and its significance for the use of procedures and technologies for citizen participation, expert opinion and civil society institutions in the constitutional development, in social transformations, in constitutional changes brought to life by the needs of society and the state. Popular deliberative constitutionalism is identified in the article as a public legal meta-concept that explains the process and need for constitutional involvement of citizens. The author concludes that popular deliberative constitutionalism allows us to better understand the problems of implementing the principle of popular sovereignty in modern democratic states, create an optimal model and consider the forms of exercising the constituent power of the people when implementing constitutional changes. In the article, the author notes that the future of democratic constitutionalism is associated with the creation and use of collective intelligence technologies in the public legal sphere, which, in the context of the development of an algorithmic and information society, combine classical procedures for discussing constitutional issues and the use of aggregated preferences. The practical application of the achievements of natural and artificial intelligence is intended to discuss and resolve issues of public legal significance, is based on co-evolutionary development and leads to the emergence of mini-publics, civil assemblies, and constitutional crowdsourcing.

The effect of the Public Order Act of 1994, (Act 491) on Democracy in Ghana

Background: The thirty-year-old Public Order Act of Ghana of 1994 (Act 491), is seen as archaic legislation over the people’s civil libertarian rights to assemble in protest against inimical and corrupt government actions. It has become the bane of democratic development in Ghana, preventing the citizens right to conduct non-violent civil disobedience acts, and seen as anti-establishment act. Methods: This is an exploratory as well as retrospective review of government security apparatchik’s interpersonal relationship with the Ghanaian public who engage(d) in non-violent demonstrations and protests since the promulgation of the act. Results: The assessment revealed that, for the average Ghanaian citizen, his or her only means of getting the attention of government is through public demonstration or protest. The Parliamentarians for their constituencies are disconnected from them giving them no avenue for the redress of grievances. It also found that, the international development partners operating in Ghana are perceived to be siphoning the life-blood out of the people of Ghana, sort of domestic economic hit men, who promote Ghana as a democracy despite the realities on the ground, due to the effect of their role on increasing income inequalities among the populations. Conclusion: Despite the persistent denial of the public’s right to assemble and protest against government conduct: corruption, stealing, extravagant living and spending, denial of meritocratic job placement, and the harm caused to their freedoms, the international development partners and nations continue to issue endorsements to the government as running a democratic system, despite evidence-based corruption, indebtedness to both international and domestic creditors and poor socio-economic outcomes for the people of Ghana due poor leadership and management of the economy.

Politicization of the Jewish and Muslim minorities in Poland

With Poland’s political transformation after 1989, religious minorities including Jews and Muslims gained more autonomy and support from the state authorities. At the same time, the liberal democracy principles of religious equality and the state’s neutrality have still not been fully implemented. The paper focuses on this problematic situation, using the concept of politicization to portray the situation of the Jews and Muslims in contemporary Poland, and their relations with the Polish state. It presents four instances of politicization of religious minorities (specifically, Muslims and/or Jews). The research is based on public surveys, interviews with members of the Jewish and Muslim communities, legal documents, and NGO reports. According to the hypothesis of the paper, Muslims and Jews are significantly politicized in the Polish public discourse, and both communities play significant roles in shaping the political identity of the Polish polity. Their roles differ in character due to historical factors and the contemporary international context.

Integrating ethics and democratic principles in chemistry education: a case study

Abstract This study presents a novel approach to integrating ethics and core values into chemistry education through the module “Culture of Democracy Through the Didactics of Chemistry.” Developed as part of a broader initiative aimed at educating future teachers for democracy and human rights, this module explores the ethical dimensions of chemical knowledge and its social and environmental impact. Utilizing the Council of Europe’s Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture, it introduces pre-service teachers to concepts such as responsibility, human dignity, and the rule of law. The module involved six pre-service teachers and two schoolteacher-mentors. Key activities included student-led discussions, such as exploring personal responsibility and moral dilemmas in chemistry, exemplified by the Heinz dilemma, and engaging in discourse on the possibility of breaking a law for morally justifiable reasons to comprehend the delicate balance between legal duties and moral responsibilities. Through reflective exercises and collaborative learning, pre-service teachers engage critically with the ethical implications of their future profession. Initial feedback highlights the value of integrating ethical discussions into chemistry education, fostering deeper reflection and a sense of responsibility among pre-service teachers. The study provides a valuable framework for educators integrating ethics into science curricula, fostering responsible chemistry practice aligned with social values.

Learning, sharing and caring: Pedagogical features of parents’ educational activism

Scholars of social movements have afforded increasing attention in recent years to pedagogical processes and practices within activist organisations. This article contributes to the ‘pedagogical turn’ in social movement studies by exploring pedagogical features of parents’ educational activism. Drawing on qualitative data collected from parent-led campaign groups operating in England, UK, the article attends to three aspects of activist pedagogy evident within the campaigns. The first concerns the learning that occurs through engaging in activism. The second, internal and external processes of knowledge-sharing. And third, parents’ perceptions of the educative potential of activism as a means for imparting democratic values to their children. I argue that the pedagogical dimension is a central feature of parents’ activism. Indeed, such activism constitutes itself a form of civic education in which democratic values and ideals are transmitted from one generation to another.

Free Speech, Green Power: The Impact of Freedom of Expression on Renewable Energy

Although there has been a growing interest in identifying the key drivers of renewable energy over the last few decades, theoretical connections and empirical evidence on the impact of freedom of expression still need to be made. Within the framework of this gap in the literature, this study tries to solve the mystery by focusing on the impact of freedom of expression on renewable energy in 20 high-income countries from 1990 to 2022. The effects of economic growth, carbon dioxide emissions, trade openness, and foreign direct investment were also examined. The evidence-based on second-generation econometric estimators such as AMG and CCEMG are consistent. Findings show that freedom of expression indicates increased renewable energy consumption. In addition, while economic growth and foreign direct investments increase renewable energy, CO2 emissions reduce renewable energy. Trade has no significant impact. The positive link between freedom of expression and renewable energy is promising for the countries involved and presents a significant win–win opportunity. Therefore, countries need to establish democratic principles.

Procedural Politicking for What? Bureaucratic Reputation and Democratic Governance

Abstract As the bureaucratic policymaking process has frequently deviated from conventional procedures contemplated by administrative law statutes, recent research suggests that bureaucrats strategically use rulemaking procedures to pursue their own goals and circumvent political interventions. However, the literature has often neglected implementation issues that bureaucrats confront in the policymaking process. Building on a bureaucratic reputation perspective that explicitly recognizes bureaucrats’ concern for implementation failure and reputational damage, this study examines when and why U.S. federal agencies issue rules without prior notice and comment instead of proposing rules through the conventional notice-and-comment process. Using logistic regressions with fixed effects, based on over 16,000 rules published between 2000 and 2020, we find that agencies are more likely to solicit prior public comment when making more complex and stringent rules. However, they tend to bypass it when making new rules and joint rules with other agencies. This study also shows that the positive effect of rule stringency on agencies’ use of the conventional notice-and-comment process tends to be more pronounced in agencies with higher proportions of professional bureaucrats. Overall, our findings indicate that bureaucrats’ choices of rulemaking procedures might be shaped by their incentives to prevent implementation failure and preserve agency reputation, which can be compatible with the norms of democratic governance.

The erosion of democracy in an age of wealth inequality: Unravelling the impact of subjective socioeconomic stratification

Since the 1980s, the growing wealth disparity in advanced capitalist societies has drawn attention from political economy scholars due to its profound effects on political systems. This research explores the relationship between wealth inequality and the stability of democratic institutions, focusing on how subjective class perceptions shape support for democratic governance. The findings indicate that as wealth inequality intensifies, it significantly reshapes class identities, influencing attitudes towards democracy. Both the subjective lower and upper classes exhibit diminished support for democratic systems, albeit for different reasons, which may pose risks to democratic stability. In contrast, the subjective middle class, a stronghold of democratic values, is shrinking in both proportion and influence as wealth inequality widens, potentially weakening democratic institutions further. This study underscores the connection between increasing wealth inequality and challenges to democratic values, highlighting the importance of policy measures to protect democratic integrity in the face of rising economic disparities.

The challenges of media and information literacy in the artificial intelligence ecology: deepfakes and misinformation

In the ecosystem of artificial intelligence (AI), generative models enable the creation of hyper-realistic manipulations that are extremely plausible due to the precision of the audiovisual objects. These deepfakes are undetectable thanks to their components, which heightens concerns about the distortion of reality in the information ecosystem and how the ability to distinguish between real and fake audiovisual content affects public trust and democratic systems. This is a major challenge for media and information literacy if it is to combat misinfor­mation effectively. In this context, this study presents the results of a quasi-experiment conducted with 80 young people from the Community of Madrid (Spain) to assess their ability to detect deepfakes in immersive environments and to establish whether the context-identifying elements that enable detection of the reputation of the media source shape the credibility of the images. The results show that the images take precedence over the context identifiers, preventing a critical reading of the information that would make it possible to detect visual forgeries, something that is reinforced by their exceptional verisimilitude. It is concluded that the new post-humanist biome of virtual reality and artificial intelligence requires a reorien­tation of media and information literacy to raise the public’s awareness and educate them to make them less susceptible to disinformation based on deepfakes created with generative models.

THE PHENOMENON OF FAJR ATTACKS IN THE ELECTIONS

This research focuses on the phenomenon of fajr raids in elections analyzed using Hasbi Ash-Shidieqy’s interpretation of Q.S. Al-Baqarah [2]: 188. As a country with a democratic political system, Indonesia holds a democratic party called elections every 5 years to elect representatives of the people. The People’s democratic party, which is expected to give birth to honest leaders who are free from corruption, collusion, and nepotism, instead brings new corrupt seeds. This is based on the election system that has been corrupted by money politics. All means are used by prospective leaders to smooth their way to winning the election. Candidates distribute money to the public to buy people’s votes covered with the word alms. The purpose of this study is to identify the relationship between the phenomenon of fajr raids that often occur before elections with Q.S. Al-Baqarah [2]: 188. The method used in this research is descriptive-qualitative by using literature review. The results of this study indicate that the narrative of the Qur’anic text in Q.S. Al-Baqarah [2]: 188 indicates the prohibition of taking and controlling other people’s property in a way that is not justified by shara, including the practice of fajr attacks in elections because it is classified as rashwah. The gift is not based on sincerity because they expect the public to vote for the one who gave the fajr attack.

Technical Innovations and Social Implications: Mapping Global Research Focus in AI, Blockchain, Cybersecurity, and Privacy

This study examines the balance between technical and social focus in artificial intelligence, blockchain, cybersecurity, and privacy publications in Web of Science across countries, exploring the social factors that influence these research priorities. We use regression analysis to identify predictors of research focus and cluster analysis to reveal patterns across countries, combining these methods to provide a broader view of global research priorities. Our findings reveal that liberal democracy index, life expectancy, and happiness are significant predictors of research focus, while traditional indicators like education and income show weaker relationships. This unexpected result challenges conventional assumptions about the drivers of research priorities in digital technologies. The study identifies distinct clusters of countries with similar patterns of research focus across the four technologies, revealing previously unrecognized global typologies. Notably, more democratic societies tend to emphasize social implications of technologies, while some rapidly developing countries focus more on technical aspects. These findings suggest that political and social factors may play a larger role in shaping research agendas than previously thought, necessitating a re-evaluation of how we understand and predict research focus in rapidly evolving technological fields. The study provides valuable information for policymakers and researchers, informing strategies for technological development and international collaboration in an increasingly digital world.

Cross-country comparison analysis of individual and institutional factors of anomie and online offending

This article addresses the gap in the literature by empirically assessing a cross-national comparison of institutional anomie theory (IAT) and self-reported cyberoffending. We used survey data from Finland, Hungary, and the United States to examine the relationship between institutional anomie and cybercrime. Each country represents different types of societies, which makes them interesting cases for cross-national comparison. With Hungary representing a conservative welfare regime, Finland a social democratic welfare regime, and the United States a liberal welfare regime, we predict that the more political regimes intervene in economic relations and support non-economic institutions, the less applicable IAT's variables will be in predicting cybercrime perpetration. In line with these predictions, binomial regression models suggest that IAT works best in the United States, where individualism, achievement, and fetishism of money increased the indices of cybercrime offending. IAT variables were less useful in predicting cybercrime offending in the other nations. Yet, also in line with our prediction, family has a strong external control function in Finland, protecting participants from cybercrime offending. However, no IAT indexes achieved statistical significance in Hungary, where a work-based welfare system suppresses family-related values. Education has a mixed effect on cybercrime offending. Thus, IAT is valuable for understanding cybercrime offending; however, it should be examined in more countries with social institutions and individual value systems different from that of the United States.

Procedural Justice, Representation, and Institutional Trust in Mexico

Both theoretical and empirical studies suggest that confidence in institutions is crucial for the functioning of democratic political systems and is an important element of the citizen–state relationship. Trust in institutions has been mainly explained in terms of institutional performance or as an extension of interpersonal trust. Using data from the 2020 National Survey of Civic Culture (Encuesta Nacional de Cultura Cívica), we examined the determinants of Mexicans’ trust in two institutions elected via popular vote: Congress and the Presidency. We focus on procedural justice and representation to account for trust in both institutions. We found positive relationships (of different magnitudes) between citizens’ trust in both Congress and the Presidency and the indicators of perceived representation, procedural justice, institutional performance, and interpersonal trust. In addition, we found different and significant effects of party identification on trust levels in both institutions.

Exploring the Dimensions of Religious Freedom: A Global and Comparative Analysis

Religion constitutes a fundamental aspect of the cultural and spiritual lives of individuals globally, encompassing an array of traditions, rituals, and practices. Within the context of liberal democracy's evolution, religion emerges as a critical element of political liberty and personal conscience. On an international scale, the right to religious freedom has been established as a core human right, essential for the sustenance of democratic governance. Despite its recognition, the right to religious liberty remains a highly contentious issue. Even in democracies that provide constitutional protections for religious freedom, debates persist regarding the extensive interpretation and implementation of this right, particularly concerning the rights of religious minorities within these nations. This study explores the concept of religious freedom as a globally recognized right, examining its representation and interpretation across various international and regional legal frameworks. Through this analysis, the paper endeavors to provide a comprehensive overview of religious freedom on both a global and regional scale. Furthermore, it delves into the state of religious freedom in various political systems, ranging from democracies such as United States to theocracies and monarchies like the United Kingdom and countries characterized by a strict demarcation between religion and state affairs, exemplified by France's secularist approach.

Democracy as a Goal and a Driving Force for Development: The Case Study of Vietnam

The article explores the complex interplay between democracy and development in Vietnam, a country with a unique historical and political context. Through document analysis, it examines the legal and political reforms implemented since the Doi Moi in 1986 to understand how democratic elements have contributed to Vietnam's socio-economic development. We argue that, despite existing challenges, the integration of democratic principles into Vietnam's development framework serves not only as an ultimate goal but also as a powerful catalyst for economic innovation, human development, and sustainable governance. The conclusion emphasizes that to maintain sustainable and inclusive development, Vietnam must continue its commitment to democratic values by improving governance mechanisms, expanding citizen participation, increasing transparency, and ensuring that development processes reflect the needs of the people. Only by deeply integrating these principles into its development strategy can Vietnam achieve long-term growth and stability.