Elite Theory Research Articles

«Islamic Socialism» in Pakistan: Evolution, Implementation and Legacy in Domestic and Foreign Policy

The article examines the phenomenon of "Islamic socialism" in Pakistan and its impact on the nation's current domestic and foreign policies. Employing critical theory, the author delves into an analysis of the political class's objectives and how the environmental context influenced the political process, offering insights into the perceptions held by higher echelons. The application of elite theory allows for a deconstruction of the Pakistani statehood, unveiling the specific social groups shaping developmental trajectories. By leveraging historical sociology in international relations, the article investigates the influence of historical underpinnings on the decision-making of social groups, shedding light on their endeavors to construct the past for political purposes.The study meticulously traces the origins of "Islamic socialism," exploring the discourse's evolution in the initial decades following the country's independence. It identifies the driving forces that led the state leadership to adopt the model of "Islamic socialism." Focused on the tenure of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto (1971-1977), the article examines the implementation of the "Islamic socialism" policy and the subsequent reasons for its failure, culminating in a military coup. The author contends that the principles of "Islamic socialism" introduced in Pakistan's domestic and foreign policy retained relevance even after its rejection.Conclusively, the article posits that the "Islamic socialism" constructed by Pakistani elites, often viewed through an orientalist lens, emerged not only as a response to the crisis in Pakistani statehood but paradoxically, became a crucial driver in shaping Islamabad's foreign policy determinants. Notably, this development forged integral relationships with China and the Islamic world, evolving into pivotal imperatives in Pakistan's grand strategy.This study highlights the interplay between "Islamic socialism," the crisis in Pakistani statehood, and its unforeseen impact on foreign policy, ultimately forming the bedrock for Islamabad's strategic engagements with China and the Islamic world.

Elite Theory in the Context of Public Policy Making

Behind the management of a state, there exists the minority ''elite" that dictates who gets what, when and how. Thus, the idea that the minority makes the decisions (policies) that affect the general public remains inviolable and sacrosanct and as such basis for understanding public policy analysis. It is on this premise that this paper though a directed and summative content analysis beams the searchlight on the relationship the elite and public policy with emphasis on elite theory. It conceptualizes elite as people who are distinguished by their status, income and knowledge, and have a significant impact on how public policy is decided across a range of political system. To this end, the influence of the elite on decision making is examined. It also examines the concept of elite theory, its criticisms and establishes its relevance in understanding public policy dynamics.

Mobilisasi Oleh Elit Tradisional Pada Pemilihan Kepala Daerah Tahun 2018 Di Kabupaten Kerinci

Elections are held periodically, namely once every five years, with the aim of a constitutional change of power as regulated in the 1945 Constitution (UUD 1945). General elections are held in the form of presidential elections, regional head elections and legislative elections. At this time political parties are no longer the only force in political contestation. Elections that take place at the local election level still often encounter interference from elites, especially traditional elites, such as the regional elections that occurred in Kerinci Regency, where one of the elite's roles is as a force in mobilizing the masses. Many candidates use traditional culture to get more supporters in the election. Through its mass power, it can be used as an effective political machine in political contestation. This confirms that political mobilization is the key to winning election contestations. In analyzing mass mobilization by traditional elites, researchers use mobilization theory according to Stefano Bartolini and elite theory from Pareto and Mosca because mobilization in politics is a series of processes carried out by traditional elites in recruiting participants to obtain special support in an election. This research uses a qualitative approach with an instrumental case study method. The research results show that mass mobilization was commanded by traditional elites, such as the Depati and Ninik Mamak of Kerinci Regency, who directed and ordered the community and their nephews to choose certain agreed candidate pairs. The order was issued by Depati Ninik Mamak in a joint meeting to decide on support for candidate pair Adirozal-Ami Taher, so that the results of the meeting resulted in a joint agreement to win the pair Adirozal-Ami Taher.

Diskursus Politik Dalam Proses Pemekaran Wilayah Pantai Timur

The purpose of my research is to analyze the regional development of Pantai discourse. Timur Calls for Separation of Ogan Kommering Illil Autonomous Region A district that has undergone a long journey of various local political elites. the method of Investigation using the qualitative descriptive method, a more urgent investigative strategy Searching for meaning using the Pareto theory of political elites (1984-1923). Data is collected by: Interview methodology, data collection, data reduction, data presentation and conclusions. Of As a result of this research, (1) it is the discourse of Pantai Timur development Community needs have led local elites to build means of communication Support at government and community levels. (2) New establishment process This district is subject to many restrictions due to changes in the central government's laws. 2014. Hence the aspirations of the political elite and the support of the community There is still a long way to go in the process and process of creating new districts to acquire and acquire positions. and power in the new governing body.

Art, democratic commonality, and the production of knowledges

ABSTRACT In this paper, we are juxtaposing the notions of cosmopolitanism and koinopolitanism, to sketch a theoretical perspective in which local productions of knowledge, as a binding force of local communities, can meet more abstract regimes of knowing and more global concerns of democratic elites. We see this issue as politically significant in light of the current problems with democracy which we interpreted as resulting, among other factors, form the lack of connections between those regimes of knowing. The crucial part of our argument is that socially engaged art is capable of effectively building such connections, and we analyze community-based artistic interventions by Agnieszka Wołodźko in this perspective.

Nigeria: Failed State and the State of the Nation

Every failed or collapsed state in the world has a history. Such history is often laden with indices of practices abhorred in other progressive and relatively peaceful states. Nigeria has become infamous for her retarded growth when placed side by side with other developing countries. The reasons for these are not in the blues rather are seen in the day to day activities of an average Nigerian not to mention the seeming institutionalization of decadence in the political structure and polity. This article is anchored on the elite theory so as to plausibly explain this precarious situation. The methodology employed is mainly the analysis of secondary data from journals, literature and documentaries, while also carrying out relevant empirical review. Findings revealed that Nigeria as an entity has experienced in good measure and at a very high rate the characteristics of a failed state some of which include lack of adequate security, corruption, human rights violation, lack of development, weak governance, poor administration, enduring social tensions, violent conflicts, ruins or memories of a civil war, lack of respect for rule of law and loss of legitimacy. The study recommends among others that there should be National Action Plan to guide development strategies, reformation of electoral laws, respect for rule of law, public participation in decision making and a fiscal federalism.

Naqshbandīs and the Muslim Brotherhood: Diaspora and the Rise of the Political Islam in Modern Turkey

Abstract The secularizing reforms of the republican elites in modern Turkey encountered Islamic resistance orchestrated by Naqshbandīs, who were declared enemies of the regime, repressed, and banned. The literature on how Turkish Islamists and the Naqshbandiyya have responded to republicans predominantly deals with either how they withdrew into a sort of diaspora or how they submitted and/or adapted to the republican regime. The consensus has been that Naqshbandīs played a role in inhibiting the infiltration of radical Islamic ideologies in modern Turkey. However, there is a lacuna in the literature on the Naqshbandī diaspora outside Turkey and its cooperation with transnational Islamic movements in building networks of resistance to secularism. Addressing this gap, this paper argues that some Naqshbandīs evaded republican surveillance and bans by creating an Egypt-based diasporic community, developing an Islamic cadre intended to eventually re-Islamize the Turkish state, its politics and society. Based on the memoirs and biographies of the prominent figures of the diaspora in Cairo, the study uncovers the connection between the Naqshbandiyya and other Islamic transnational movements, principally the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, at the ideological and institutional levels from the 1920s to the 1980s, to show how this cadre emerged and subsequently shaped the character of Islamism in modern Turkey.

Analyzing the Effects of Political Power on Criminal Behavior among Political Elites in Nigeria

This study explores the correlation between political power and criminal behavior among political elites in Nigeria. It utilizes a qualitative methodology, including a thorough examination of existing literature, to understand the nature and consequences of criminal behavior in Nigeria. The study finds that socioeconomic inequality is a key factor influencing criminal behavior, and factors contributing to criminal behavior among political elites include weak law enforcement, corruption, and a culture of deviance. The study applies theoretical frameworks such as strain theory, social disorganization theory, rational choice theory, and elite theory to analyze the effects of political power on criminal behavior among political elites. Institutional factors play a significant role, and the level of transparency within institutional frameworks plays a crucial role in shaping the behavior of political elites. Criminal networks and power consolidation pose ongoing challenges for the government, with various criminal activities prevalent in Nigeria. The study recommends strengthening law enforcement and the legal system, enhancing transparency and accountability, combating corruption and bribery, strengthening oversight institutions, addressing socio-cultural factors, fostering international collaboration, promoting public accountability and civil society engagement, and establishing strong institutions to mitigate the influence of political power on criminal behavior. In conclusion, this study provides insights into the close connection between political power and criminal behavior in Nigeria, emphasizing the need for interventions and reforms to address this issue.

Assessment of voters’ behaviour on 2019 general elections in Nigeria

This paper is on the assessment of voters’ behaviour on 2019 general elections in Nigeria: the challenges of voter's behaviour in Nigeria are numerous, but ethnicity and personality of contestant is very much a challenge across Nigerian states when it comes to voter’s behaviours. The methodology used in arriving at data used in this paper was purely secondary method of data collection, because the paper "itself” is descriptive research. The challenges affecting voter's behaviour in Nigeria with reference to Nigeria ranges from ethnicity, religion, level of illiteracy, personality traits and institutional challenges. The paper adopted the Elite theory of Mosca and Pareto for it theoretical frame work and posited by way of recommendation(s) that the government must improve the quality of education of its people to reduce the manipulation of their voter’s behaviour during election especially general elections.

African States, Democracy and Political Indicators of Development: The Nigerian Scorecard

This paper discusses African states, democracy and the political indicators of development while laying emphases on the Nigerian scorecard. The purpose of the modern African state is indeed still highly confounding and the embedded puzzle is largely attributable to democracy discontents. There was the supposition that democracy would lead to development on the continent. However, it is the position of this paper that this assumption is becoming increasingly mislaid. The paper adopted the documentary method of research which entails the use of textbooks, journals, internet and other documented materials and subsequently interrogates the linkages between democracy and development among African states with specific focus on Nigeria. It tables the political indicators of development and assesses the performance of the Nigerian state against the background of these indications. The thesis of the work is that as long as the political indicators of development are in deficiencies in Nigeria, democracy and development will remain immensely disarticulated. Relying on elite theory, the study concludes that elitist personification of the state and its institutions remains the major impediment to the linking of democracy with development in Nigeria. It recommends reforms of the institutions of the state to serve as catalyst for development in the country.

An Assessment of Politics in Anti Corruption Initiative in Nigeria

This paper critically examined the politics of the anti-corruption initiative to consider its influences on the anti-corruption war in Nigeria. Elite Theory was adopted as a framework while qualitative research design was used. Both primary and secondary data were collected. Primary data made use of Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) while secondary data were obtained from textbooks, newspapers, journals, Human Rights Watch and the Acts of the anti-corruption agencies. A total of twelve (12) KIIs were conducted with the scholars of anti-corruption and the officials of the anti-corruption agencies. The categories of people were purposively selected for the study due to their experience in anti-corruption studies in Nigeria. Data were subjected to thematic and content analyses. The study found that apart from witch-hunting political opponents, politicization turned the anti-corruption agencies into tools for forcing leadership change, brought about frequent changes in the leadership of the anti-corruption agencies, for the acquisition of legitimacy, select prosecution of corruption cases, etc. The paper concluded that politics largely determines what the agencies do, the laws they apply, their direction and legal tools. The paper recommended minimal political influence of politics in the anti-corruption initiative in Nigeria.

What If Leader Was (Not) One of Us?

Abstract By differentiating the dynamics of leader democracy from those of populist leadership, this paper provides a political-sociological theoretical framework that can identify the ideal-types of the personalisation of leadership in advanced democracies. In the first part, the article develops the main features of leader democracy from the perspective of democratic elitism, highlighting how process does not entail a partyless democracy. The second part focuses on the disintermediation process in populist leadership, which is presented as a particular form of plebiscitary politics. The proposed theoretical framework diverges from the stream of the literature on populism, which tends to equate populist leadership with charismatic leadership. Furthermore, the article points out the substantial differences between the personalisation of the populist and charismatic leadership styles by comparing the key issues of populism and charisma in the processes of personalisation thus proposing an interpretative framework to resolve the contradictions among the dominant interpretative frameworks.

Feminism within parties: Implications for political elite evaluations and policy attitudes

Although gender-related attitudes have played an increasingly larger role in recent U.S. elections, the implications of feminist identity beyond electoral politics remain largely understudied. This paper examines how the interaction of feminist and party ID impacts political elite evaluations and policy attitudes that are not gender-based by relying on an original survey fielded as part of the 2020 CES and the 2016 ANES. Our analyses show that feminists of both parties give the highest feminist ratings to co-partisan elites. However, while Democratic feminists rate Democratic elites as more feminist than Republican elites, Republican feminists rate the two similarly. Furthermore, within both parties, feminist self-labeling is associated with increased support for policies that advance social equity and inclusion. This gap in policy preferences between feminists and non-feminists largely persists across ideologies—among liberal, moderate, and conservative members of both parties. These findings suggest that feminist identifiers constitute a distinct group within each party, and fostering feminism across political leanings may strengthen public support for more equitable and inclusive policy goals and outcomes.

The Emergence of Dr (Mrs.) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as The World Economic Elite of The 21st Century

Behind every facets of life; political, economic, religion, social etc., there exists the minority ''elite" that dictates who gets what, when and how. Thus, the idea that the minority makes the decisions that affect the general public remains inviolable and sacrosanct and as such basis for understanding political analysis. It is on this premise that this research paper tends to beam the searchlight on the reality of elite theory of politics and the political process of recruiting elite called circulation of elite in the society with a particular reference to the emergency of Dr (Mrs.) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; the 1st female and African Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the world economic elite of the 21st Century.

Klasyczna teoria elit i pojęcie głębokiego państwa. Perspektywy badawcze na przykładzie Turcji i Włoch

CLASSICAL ELITE THEORY AND THE CONCEPT OF THE DEEP STATE: RESEARCH OUTLOOK ON THE EXAMPLES OF TURKEY AND ITALY This paper is an attempt to clarify the relationship between the elite theory and the idea of the deep state. Both approaches address similar questions about how concentrated political power is created in the state, and both offer similar answers. An analysis of the historical context based on Italian and Turkish experiences with deep-state entities like mafia and intelligence agencies helps us understand dysfunctional elites in action. Consequently, the article explores research possibilities and theoretical solutions combining elitists view of politics with historical data.

Structure of Society From the Rugby to the Rubik’s Cube: A Stability Perspective on Social Structural Transformation

The Rugby-shaped society is considered a nearly ideal type of social structure, becoming an essentially stereotyped elite theory in the global mainstream sociology, which is fundamentally based on the practice and theoretically repeated confirmation of the super-stability function of the Rugby-shaped society in developed capitalist countries. As a result, the Rugby-shaped society has become a theoretical goal of social transformation and a general social consensus. The feasibility of localized social groupings exhibiting a Rugby-shaped structure is not necessarily adequately replicable under the condition of closer global social linkages, and the occupation-based social class structure is not always hyper-stable. The more multidimensional Rubik’s cube society contains both uncertainty and hyper-stability, and the proposed Rugby-shaped society for China should take into account the more complex influencing factors in the systemic global social structure of a Rubik’s cube society. Non-occupational factors may also increase the risk of social instability.

An evaluation of the Australian Community Pharmacy Agreement from a public policy perspective: industry policy cloaked as health policy?

BackgroundA series of Community Pharmacy Agreements (Agreements) between the Federal government and a pharmacy-owners’ body, the Pharmacy Guild of Australia (PGA) have been influential policy in Australian community pharmacy (CP) since 1990. While ostensibly to support the public’s access and use of medicines, the core elements of the Agreements have been remuneration for dispensing and rules that limit the establishment of new pharmacies. Criticism has focused on the self-interest of pharmacy owners, the exclusion of other pharmacy stakeholders from the Agreement negotiations, the lack of transparency, and the impact on competition. The objective of this paper is to determine the true nature of the policy by examining the evolution of the CPA from a policy theory perspective.MethodsA qualitative evaluation of all seven Agreement documents and their impact was undertaken using policy theories including a linear policy development model, Multiple Streams Framework, Incremental Theory, the Advocacy Coalition Framework, the Theory of Economic Regulation, the Punctuated Equilibrium Framework, and Elite Theory. The Agreements were evaluated using four lenses: their objectives, evidentiary base, stakeholders and beneficiaries.ResultsThe PGA has acted as an elite organisation with long-standing influence on the policy’s development and implementation. Notable has been the failure of other pharmacy stakeholders to establish broad-based advocacy coalitions in order to influence the Agreements. The incremental changes negotiated every 5 years to the core elements of the Agreements have supported the publics’ access to medication, provided stability for the government, and security for existing pharmacy owners. Their impact on the evolution of pharmacists’ scope of practice and through that, on the public’s safe and appropriate use of medication, has been less clear.ConclusionsThe Agreements can be characterised predominantly as industry policy benefiting pharmacy owners, rather than health policy. An emerging issue is whether incremental change will continue to be an adequate policy response to the social, political, and technological changes that are affecting health care, or whether policy disruption is likely to arise.

Regime trajectories of Tunisia and Turkey: a comparative analysis

ABSTRACT Both Turkey and Tunisia have attracted significant attention regarding their democratization and religious politics. While Turkey was considered a successful case of blending Islam and democracy in the decade of 2000s, it plunged into autocratization in the following decade. Tunisia became the only Arab spring country to go through democratic transition between 2011 and 2015 but 6 years later, an elected president grabbed power over the democratic institutions. Inspired by the elite theories of democratization and combining the comparative method with a within-case analysis, this article evaluates the regime trajectories of the two countries, emphasizing the points of convergence and divergence. First, it argues that the emergence of a power symmetry between the elites representing the religious-secular cleavage constituted a critical juncture in each case, paving the way for democratic reforms. Second, it argues that the power symmetry was of an adversarial nature in Turkey and a consensual nature in Tunisia, which affected the elite choices to deal with the masses in different ways. The article concludes with a discussion of how the elite-mass interactions ultimately eroded the power symmetries and reversed the democratic processes in Turkey and Tunisia.

Settler-Indigene Conflicts and National Integration in Nigeria: A Study of Lokoja Metropolis, Kogi State

Crisis in the world at large has become a phenomena issue. This situation has gone far that even remotest villages across borderlines have toed the part of war rather than dialogue. There are severally cases of communal clashes emanating from perennial matters among major ethnic groups in Kogi State. The objective of the study is to examine the role of settler-indigene conflict and its attendant consequences on national integration especially as it affects Lokoja metropolis. The theoretical framework of this research work was drawn from elite theory. This research has its methodology rooted in both quantitative and qualitative method and systematic technique was used to draw 100 respondents and data obtained was analyzed descriptively via content analysis. The study argues that settler-indigene conflict has created disunity among different ethnic groups in Kogi State. This perspective also assumes that frequent conflict among settlers will degenerate into chaos and breed disunity. The results of the study reveal that the major causes of conflict among settler-indigene in Lokoja was the quest for power, struggle for ownership of land and access to water for fishing. The study recommends amongst others that; there should be a strong sharing formula to foster unity among settler-indigenes; meritocracy should also be the watch word for appointments into key positions in the state. In other words, there is need for national integration through peaceful procedural way that will promote peaceful co-existence.

Nigerian State, Leadership Deficiency and the Challenges of Good Governance in the Fourth Republic.

State is essentially created to provide and sustain good governance for its citizenry. The ability of the state to fulfill this fundamental responsibility is greatly depended on the physical, social and political capacity of the leaders entrusted with the management of the affairs of the state. Significantly, the nature and quality of leadership and governance in any state determines to a large extent how such state will be socially described, politically evaluated and economically rated among the comity of nations within the global community. Consequently, every state strives to ensure that its leadership recruitment processes is jealously guided and protected by the essential qualities capable of engendering good governance and ensuring effective service delivery system. Nigerian state has been battling with leadership and governance crisis since independence without any strong hope of surmounting these unending challenges as poverty, insecurity, corruption and the like continued unabated. With this ugly and unceasing situation, one is forced to ask the following questions; one, despite various policy attempts and ceaseless use of resources at ensuring good governance by successive governments in Nigeria, why has it been so difficult to achieve? to what has been responsible for this never-ending leadership debacle in Nigeria in spite of series of implemented reforms on leadership recruitment? Based on the foregoing, the study examined critically leadership recruitment and governance processes in Nigeria with the intention of identifying the various factors that are strongly responsible for leadership deficiency and the apparent failure of governance in the last decades. The study adopted Elite theory for its analysis. The study employed the use of existing data from texts, journals, magazines, conference proceedings, newspapers, bulletins, published and unpublished theses and the internet to source its information. The study observed that leadership deficiency has been responsible for governance crisis in Nigeria, and therefore recommended cultivation of public interest, constitutionalism, integrity, accountability and transparency as panacea to good leadership and governance.