Political Environment Research Articles

Civil Society's Role in Shaping Political Discourse: Comparative Analysis


 
 
 This comparative analysis explores the pivotal role of civil society in shaping political discourse across different socio-political contexts. Through a qualitative approach, this study delves into the dynamics of civil society engagement and its impact on political discourse through an extensive review of literature and library research. The study examines various case studies and empirical evidence from diverse regions to elucidate the multifaceted nature of civil society's influence on political discourse. The findings reveal that civil society organizations play a crucial role in promoting pluralistic and inclusive political discourse by fostering dialogue, advocacy, and civic engagement. Moreover, the comparative analysis highlights the significance of contextual factors such as historical legacies, institutional frameworks, and socio-cultural dynamics in shaping the effectiveness of civil society's engagement in political discourse. The study underscores the need for further research to explore the nuances of civil society's role in different political environments and to identify best practices for enhancing its contribution to democratic governance. By shedding light on the comparative dynamics of civil society's engagement in political discourse, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms through which civil society can promote democratic values and foster informed and inclusive political debates.
 
 

Political Choices of Muhammadiyah Citizens as a Muslim Minority in the 2018 Bali Governor Election in Indonesia

Purpose: the primary aim of this study is to explore how the Muhammadiyah community in Bali, a minority Muslim group, engaged in the 2018 Bali gubernatorial election to assert and navigate their political identity. This research seeks to understand the impact of their political participation within the broader dynamics of identity politics in a predominantly non-Muslim setting. Theoretical Reference: the study is framed within theories of political identity and political communication, which provide insights into how identities are formed, communicated, and leveraged in political contexts. These theories help elucidate the complex interactions between minority groups and the political environment, particularly in areas where identity politics play a significant role. Method: A qualitative descriptive approach was employed to capture the political preferences and behaviors of Muhammadiyah members during the 2018 gubernatorial election. Data was gathered through interviews, focus groups, and analysis of campaign materials and public statements. This method enabled a detailed and nuanced understanding of the Muhammadiyah community's political engagement. Results and Conclusion: the findings indicate that Muhammadiyah members actively participated in the election, using it as a platform to advocate for their political and social interests. Their engagement was shaped by their minority status and the need to assert their identity in a socio-political landscape dominated by different religious and cultural norms. The election outcomes revealed both the challenges and opportunities faced by Muhammadiyah in navigating identity politics in Bali. Implications of Research: this study highlights the critical role of minority religious communities in shaping political landscapes, even in regions where they do not form the majority. Understanding these dynamics is essential for policymakers, political leaders, and civil society organizations that aim to foster inclusive political processes. It also underscores the importance of effective political communication strategies that cater to diverse communities. Originality/Value: this research contributes to the limited literature on the political behavior of Islamic organizations like Muhammadiyah in regional politics, particularly within non-Muslim majority regions. It offers a unique insight into how identity politics and minority status influence political engagement and communication, adding depth to the discussions on multiculturalism and political inclusion in Southeast Asia.

To be or not to be a state? The alignment behaviours of Abkhazia and South Ossetia with Russia

This article presents an adaptation of Kuik's hedging theory to analyse the secessionist movements in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, both seeking independence from Georgia with Russian support. By examining their distinctive strategies, this study addresses the extent to which these regions seek to maintain their independence from Russia, as their patron state. The article argues for the need to modify hedging theory to accommodate the unique context of former Soviet actors and de facto states. The adaptation develops the concept of a "political hedge," with a focus on elite-driven nation-building as a mechanism to influence the likelihood of Russian integration. Abkhazia is identified as an illustrative case of hedging behaviour, whereas South Ossetia displays characteristics resembling but distinct from bandwagoning. This analysis contributes to refining the applicability of hedging theory within novel political environments and underscores the significance of elite-led nation-building in shaping state and national legitimacy in secessionist regions.

The Implication of Political Risk and Specific Macroeconomic Variables on Total Revenue in Tourism Industry

Political risk is one factor that influences tourism performance as a tourist is more sensitive to the hosting country’s political environment. In addition, to the effect of country risk on the tourism industry, the global economy has recently experienced severe shocks due to high inflation rates, political risk, and currency volatility. This paper aims to investigate the implications of political risk, inflation, and exchange rate volatilities on tourism revenue in South Africa. A sample of 144 monthly data was used to assess both long-run and short-run relationships amongst the study variables using the ARDL cointegration and error correction model approaches to achieve the study objective. Results indicated that political risk, inflation rate, and exchange rate volatility influence long-term revenue changes in the tourism industry. In contrast, real effective exchange rates and inflation significantly impact total revenue in the tourism sector. The findings also indicated that political risk has no short-term effect on tourism revenue. Based on these findings, the study recommends that the country's political stability increase, increasing the number of tourist arrivals and resulting in growing revenue for the tourism industry in S.A. Additionally, the South African reserve bank should revise its exchange-rate pegging, monetary targeting, and inflation targeting to reduce the effects of inflation on tourism revenue.

Adaptive leadership in times of crisis: Exploring situational responses and contingent factors at sub-national levels

Adaptive leadership in times of crisis: Exploring situational responses and contingent factors at sub-national levels

THE EFFECT OF FEMINISM ON EGYPTIAN LITERATURE

This study examines the contemporary Egyptian female subculture movements that have brought life to the nation's media landscape. According to the study, women have created unique strategies for encouraging a shared discussion on the significance of social change. Their emphasis on lifestyle issues often reserved for closed-door private discussions enables them to question social norms without upsetting the government or security services and entering the polarised political environment. This article examines the objectives and internal workings of three distinct online feminist initiatives using case studies. Through semi-structured interviews with important participants, we were able to understand the evolution of these groups from networks to movements and ultimately into the organizations we are familiar with today.

Effects of geopolitical risk on environmental sustainability and the moderating role of environmental policy stringency

This study investigates the impact of geopolitical risk (GPR) on consumption-based carbon (CCO2) emissions as well as the moderating role of environmental policy stringency (EPS) on the above relationship. Based on data collected from 27 countries from 1990 to 2020, the basic results from the sample of the study indicate that GPR accelerates CCO2 emissions. Quantile regression results reveal that the effect of GPR is more pronounced in countries with higher CCO2 emissions. Moreover, EPS weakens the escalating effect of GPR on CCO2 emissions. The robust test results validate the findings reported in the basic regression model. The heterogeneity test indicates that the impact of GPR on CCO2 emissions is greater in developing countries compared in developed countries. The study also proposes these policy implications based on the findings: (1) countries should ensure a stable political environment, establish a robust legal system and promote energy transition; and (2) the scope of environmental taxes should be expanded where different tax rates should be imposed in order to be useful in reducing CCO2 emissions.

Impact of R&D innovation and political background on corporate growth: A study based on private listed companies in China.

Based on a review of related concepts and theories this study investigates the different impacts of research and development (R&D) innovation and political background on corporate growth in a particular context. Unlike other studies, we integrate these two factors. We empirically analyze 6079 sets of data from 1292 A-share private manufacturing enterprises in Shanghai and Shenzhen from 2012 to 2019. The results show that these factors directly impact corporate growth and have heterogeneous effects at different enterprise growth levels. We find the effect of R&D innovation on corporate growth is more pronounced for young firms. These findings highlight the need for firms to adjust their investments in R&D innovation and political backgrounds at different stages of development to adapt to different markets and political environments.

Students’ Entrepreneurial Intention and Its Influencing Factors: A Systematic Literature Review

Many researchers have studied the factors that impact on students’ entrepreneurial intention; however, findings are conflicting. The present study attempts, through an extensive review of the literature, to provide a holistic view and deeper knowledge of the most significant factors that influence university students’ decisions to be self-employed or to start a business. A systematic review as well as a bibliometric analysis of the literature was implemented, using a three-step literature mapping protocol to search, select, evaluate, and validate the literature by examining and analyzing numerous papers from the scientific community. The process ended up with 677 papers, from which the forty-three most cited were used as our research sample. Findings revealed that there are four primary categories of factors: the contextual factors, such as the economic, social, and political environment, the motivational factors, such as individuals’ personal needs, personality traits, and characteristics, and the factors related with the personal background of individuals such as family, education, and peers. We also examined the countries with the maximum number of papers on university students’ entrepreneurial intentions. These findings can be useful for policy makers and educators and will serve as a basis for future research, while they also contribute to the literature by highlighting the factors that most affect the entrepreneurial intention of university students.

Fiscal Policy, Government Ideology, and Economic Activity: Evidence from OECD Countries

AbstractThis study explores the role played by a country's political environment in the origin and effect of government spending. Using a rich data set that contains time‐varying ideological party positions, I show that both government ideology and the timing of elections are key determinants of government spending shocks and Granger‐cause government spending shocks estimated from traditional structural vector autoregressive (SVAR) models that ignore political considerations. I find that the magnitude of the spending multiplier depends on the political context: highly polarized countries have smaller multipliers relative to countries with a low degree of polarization, and established democracies have smaller multipliers than younger democracies.

Conservation and conviviality in the American West

The emerging field of convivial conservation (CC) draws on the tradition of political ecology (PE) to present a “radical” alternative to contemporary environmentalisms, speaking to the challenges of conservation in the Anthropocene as well as the global ascent of reactionary populism. Building on previous work arguing for the ongoing value of dialogue between PE and the American West, I here develop a conversation between CC and another radical intervention, the collaborative conservation of the West’s so-called “radical center” (RC). Using the nexus of wolf–livestock conflict and public lands grazing, I first trace a genealogical history of western environmental politics before turning to CC as critical corrective to the shortcomings of the RC. Scholarship on the commons and commoning provides an analytical bridge and political toolkit for linking the empirics of place with the aspirational aims of conviviality, and naming and navigating on-the-ground obstacles to collaborative conservation efforts in the region. This dialogue in turn highlights deeply rooted tensions of capitalist political economy and questions of non/belonging rooted in settler colonialism—necessary regional engagements for building from polarized antagonism toward an alternative environmental politics of coexistence and conviviality.

Approaching the SDG targets with sustained political commitment: drivers of the notable decline in maternal and neonatal mortality in Morocco

BackgroundBetween 2000 and 2017/2018, Morocco reduced its maternal mortality ratio by 68% and its neonatal mortality rate by 52%—a higher improvement than other North African countries. We conducted the Exemplars...

Geneza rosyjskiej wielopartyjności u kresu ZSRR – aspekt instytucjonalno-decydencko-prawny

The article presents the genesis of the process of formation of multi-partyism in Russia in relation to the changes at the institutional-decisional-legal level that were carried out in the last years of the USSR under Mikhail Gorbachev's perestroika policy. Firstly, proceedings of an institutional-normative nature initiated by the then authorities are discussed, namely the reorganisation of the organs of state power: first and foremost, the holding of elections of deputies to the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR. This was to be a genuinely competitively elected body, which it was decided to resurrect in line with an appeal to the origins of communism - an overturning of the model of power based on the functioning of councils with its superstructure the Congress, which constituted the main decision-making body in the state. Secondly, the transformations at the decision-making level, concerning the sphere of elite alternation in the process of transformational change, were analysed. Thirdly, the legal changes that effectively changed the basis of the Soviet system and initiated the emergence of a new order are shown. The totality of these proceedings initiated by the authorities at the time were, according to the logic assumed by those in power, actually intended to strengthen the position of the Communist Party and its apparatus as a force supporting perestroika. In reality, these actions laid the groundwork for future systemic, social and worldview changes and paved the way for multipartyism in an already different (new) political, legal and state environment (Russian Federation).

The Health Status of the Population of Sellye District, a Disadvantaged Micro-Region, in the Light of Sociodemographic Factors- Literature Review

Tackling health inequalities is a global goal also set by the WHO and is in the common interest of all societies. Keeping in mind the extremely close correlation between socio-economic status and health outcomes is of particular importance in planning health promotion and making health policy decisions. The research aimed at assessing the health status of the population of Sellye district, one of the most disadvantaged micro-regions according to available statistics, to examine the relationship between socio-economic status and health conditions, and to compare health status internationally with populations living in other disadvantaged regions. Research questions: How does the impact of sociodemographic factors on health prevail? Through what mechanisms does race/ethnicity affect health? Our present study is a literature review, the first stage of a comprehensive investigation, in which we examine the Hungarian and international literature. Health status is largely determined by sociodemographic characteristics, it is also influenced by the wider social, economic, political, and cultural environment. Health must always be considered in the context of the environment. Ethnicity is strongly connected to social class, but it can still be important in terms of social cohesion and the resources available to the Roma

Commissioning and co-production in health and care services in the United Kingdom and Ireland: An exploratory literature review.

This exploratory literature review seeks to examine the literature around commissioning processes in the co-production of health and care services, focusing on two questions: How do health and care commissioning processes facilitate and/or pose barriers to co-production in service design and delivery? What are the contextual factors that influence these processes? A systematic search of three databases (Medline, Public Health and Social Policy and Practice) and a search platform (Web of Science) was conducted for the period 2008-2023. A total of 2675 records were retrieved. After deduplication, 1925 were screened at title and abstract level. Forty-seven reports from 42 United Kingdom and Ireland studies were included in the review. A thematic synthesis of included studies was conducted in relation to the research questions. The review identified one overarching theme across the synthesised literature: the complexity of the commissioning landscape. Three interconnected subthemes illuminate the contextual factors that influence this landscape: commissioners as leaders of co-production; navigating relationships and the collective voice. Commissioning processes were commonly a barrier to the co-production of health and care services. Though co-production was an aspiration for many commissioners, the political and economic environment and service pressures meant that it was often not fully realised. More flexible funding models, longer-term pilot projects, an increased emphasis in social value across the health and care system and building capacity for strong leadership in commissioning is needed. Patients and the public did not contribute to this review as it was a small piece of work following on from a completed project, with no budget for public involvement.

When women run: explaining the emergence of women state legislative candidates

ABSTRACT Since 2016, the number of women running for office has dramatically increased. Although much of the congressional research has demonstrated that women candidates do not face significant disadvantages, other more recent work shows that women often face different challenges and advantages based on their race and ethnicity. We examine the factors that influence how the political and institutional context shapes the emergence of female candidates for state legislative seats using an intersectional framework. By exploring these dynamics at the state level, we leverage significant variability in the institutional and political environments to understand how institutions may shape the emergence of a more diverse pool of candidates. Our findings underscore the importance of district demographics in shaping the pool of candidates from diverse backgrounds. Institutional and electoral features play a role as well, yet this varies across different racial and ethnic groups.

The receipt of medications for opioid use disorder among pregnant individuals in the USA: a multilevel analysis

PurposeThis study aims to examine the relationship between medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) among pregnant individuals, referral source, mental health, political affiliation and substance use policies in all 50 states in the USA.Design/methodology/approachThis study describes MOUD receipt among pregnant people with an opioid use disorder (OUD) in 2018. The authors explored sociodemographic differences in MOUD receipt, referrals and co-occurring mental health disorders. The authors included a comparison of MOUD receipt among states that have varying substance use policies and examined the impact of these policies and the political affiliation on MOUD. The authors used multilevel binary logistic regression to examine effects of individual and state-level characteristics on MOUD.FindingsAmong 8,790 pregnant admissions with OUD, the majority who received MOUD occurred in the Northeast region (71.52%), and 14.99% were referred by the criminal justice system (n = 1,318). Of those who were self-referred, 66.39% received MOUD, while only 30.8% of referrals from the criminal justice system received MOUD. Those referred from the criminal justice system or who had a co-occurring mental health disorder were least likely to receive MOUD. The multilevel model showed that while policies were not a significant predictor, a state’s political affiliation was a significant predictor of MOUD.Research limitations/implicationsThe study has some methodological limitations; a state-level analysis, even when considering the individual factors, may not provide sufficient description of community-level or other social factors that may influence MOUD receipt. This study adds to the growing literature on the ineffectiveness of prenatal substance use policies designed specifically to increase the use of MOUD. If such policies are consistently assessed as not contributing to substantial increase in MOUD among pregnant women over time, it is imperative to investigate potential mechanisms in these policies that may not facilitate MOUD access the way they are intended to.Practical implicationsFindings from this study aid in understanding the impact that a political affiliation may have on treatment access; states that leaned more Democratic were more likely to have higher rates of MOUD, and this finding can lead to research that focuses on how and why this contributes to greater treatment utilization. This study provides estimates of underutilization at a state level and the mechanisms that act as barriers, which is a stronger assessment of how state-specific policies and practices are performing in addressing prenatal substance use and a necessary step in implementing changes that can improve the links between pregnant women and MOUD.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to explore individual-level factors that include mental health and referral sources to treatment that lead to MOUD use in the context of state-level policy and political environments. Most studies estimate national-level rates of treatment use only, which can be useful, but what is necessary is to understand what mechanisms are at work that vary by state. This study also found that while substance use policies were designed to increase MOUD for pregnant women, this was not as prominent a predictor as other factors, like mental health, being referred from the criminal justice system, and living in a state with more Democratic-leaning affiliations.

Toward a Green Jobs Alternative: Examining the Politics of Internationalism and Labour Environmentalism in a Local Union Campaign

Toward a Green Jobs Alternative: Examining the Politics of Internationalism and Labour Environmentalism in a Local Union Campaign

高职院校塑料模具设计与制造课程思政生态建设与研究

With the comprehensive advancement of the fundamental education task of moral education, the curriculum ideological and political construction has become an important way for higher vocational colleges to implement the concept of three-complete education and the task of moral education. Higher vocational colleges should continue to promote the deep integration of professional course teaching and ideological and political elements, so as to build a full, full and all-round ideological and political education ecological environment for students. Taking the course of Plastic Mold Design and Manufacturing in higher vocational colleges as an example, this paper proposes the strategy of ideological and political ecological construction of Plastic Mold Design and Manufacturing course by analyzing the construction plan of ideological and political resource system of Plastic Mold Design and Manufacturing course, and then integrates value shaping, knowledge imparts and skills training to comprehensively improve the teaching quality and effect of the course.

The Rave Panic

The Rave Panic