Global Democracy Research Articles

Mobilising Behind Trump for Democracy: The Case of Hong Kong

ABSTRACT This article examines social media posts and uses surveys to determine whether and why pro-democracy individuals in Hong Kong reconcile two seemingly incongruent understandings of democracy – support for Hong Kong’s democratic future in alignment with global democracy and support for Donald Trump, who is often seen to have promoted democratic backsliding. We also examine how Hong Kong-based Trump supporters define global democracy and perceive the legitimacy of storming the Legislative Council (LegCo) in 2019 hong Kong and the US Capitol attack in 2021. Situating in the debate between strategic and ideological aspects of Trump’s support, as well as the complex perceptions of global democracy, our findings suggest that the respondents’ domestic political affiliations are a significant variable in understanding why Hong Kong’s protest sympathisers support Trump and how they define democracy in connection to the fight against China’s authoritarianism, without considering the critiques of Western-based imperial repression, internal colonialism, and democratic/liberal imperialism.

Staging a dialogue between Autonomist Marxists and Post-Marxists: The case of the alt-right multitude

Albeit in different ways, both Autonomist Marxists and Post-Marxists have proposed radical democratic theories. To Autonomist Marxists, the latest advances in capitalism would pave the way for global democracy. To Post-Marxists, the plurality of social movements would push society towards a radical model of democracy. Despite their contributions, both Autonomist Marxism and Post-Marxism have left underdeveloped the possibility that digital, affective capitalism could push society towards the opposite direction of global and radical democracy. This article explores the hypothesis that contemporary capitalism may have given birth to a multitude that aims at consolidating White, Western, and masculine supremacy. It argues that fantasies that have, for centuries, sustained the racist, xenophobic, and sexist ideological dimensions of capitalism have brought together multiple groups and individuals that have engaged in the collaborative production of conspiracy theories conveying the common belief that an idealised White/Western identity is under attack: the alt-right multitude. By merging part of the key features of the multitude proposed by Autonomist Marxists with what is known as a ‘Žižekian-Lacanian-Post-Marxist theory’, this article stages a dialogue between both schools of thought, opening new directions for research on how capitalism intersects with issues of race, ethnicity, and gender.

Creating virtual patients using large language models: scalable, global, and low cost

Virtual patients (VPs) have long been used to teach and assess clinical reasoning. VPs can be programmed to simulate authentic patient-clinician interactions and to reflect a variety of contextual permutations. However, their use has historically been limited by the high cost and logistical challenges of large-scale implementation. We describe a novel globally-accessible approach to develop low-cost VPs at scale using artificial intelligence (AI) large language models (LLMs). We leveraged OpenAI Generative Pretrained Transformer (GPT) to create and implement two interactive VPs, and created permutations that differed in contextual features. We used systematic prompt engineering to refine a prompt instructing ChatGPT to emulate the patient for a given case scenario, and then provide feedback on clinician performance. We implemented the prompts using GPT-3.5-turbo and GPT-4.0, and created a simple text-only interface using the OpenAI API. GPT-4.0 was far superior. We also conducted limited testing using another LLM (Anthropic Claude), with promising results. We provide the final prompt, case scenarios, and Python code. LLM-VPs represent a ‘disruptive innovation’ – an innovation that is unmistakably inferior to existing products but substantially more accessible (due to low cost, global reach, or ease of implementation) and thereby able to reach a previously underserved market. LLM-VPs will lay the foundation for global democratization via low-cost-low-risk scalable development of educational and clinical simulations. These powerful tools could revolutionize the teaching, assessment, and research of management reasoning, shared decision-making, and AI evaluation (e.g. ‘software as a medical device’ evaluations).

The Challenge of Political Will, Global Democracy and Environmentalism

In 2024, around the world nearly 60 national elections will be held involving billions of people. Many commentators see this as a make-or-break moment in terms of re-establishing democracy and pushing back against rising authoritarian regimes that have been increasing in recent years. This essay explores why –despite worldwide scientific consensus that we are facing ecological collapse –there is little discussion about the climate crisis among the upcoming wave of national elections. This silence around the climate emergency raises several pressing questions: Why is there limited political will on behalf of national leaders when it comes to mitigating the climate crisis? What does this suggest about the state of democracy when political leaders can sidestep and ignore the escalating demands of their constituencies? Finally, what actions can be taken by ordinary people who are increasingly subject to repressive anti-protest laws that prevent them from speaking out against antidemocratic leaders and their political collusion with the fossil fuel sector?

Dimensions of Transnational Feminism: Autonomous Organizing, Multilateralism and Agenda-Setting in Global Civil Society

The importance and impact of feminist mobilization across borders is well documented, but the impact of autonomy as an aspect of such organizing has not been explored in the transnational context. We argue that to understand the impact of transnational feminist mobilization, at least two distinct types of feminist mobilization require further conceptual development and empirical exploration in the transnational context, namely, autonomous as contrasted with multilateral mobilization. We offer a conceptual framework for distinguishing and studying these two forms. Further, using a mixed-methods study design, we empirically distinguish domestic and transnational dimensions of feminist activism and illuminate the impact of both multilateral feminist organizing and autonomous feminist organizing in the transnational space. Our analysis reveals that domestic and transnational organizing are distinct but related phenomena. We also find that in online organizing spaces, autonomous feminist campaigns amplify the messaging of geographically dispersed grassroots and individual activists more than multilateral ones. It further suggests that autonomous movements may offer more potential for representing marginalized groups of women, though this potential may not always be realized. The paper offers new concepts and empirical insights for the study of transnational feminism, thereby enabling a new research agenda. Further, this research contributes to the study of the ways that Transnational Social Movements can enrich global civil society and deepen global democracy.

THE NATIONAL STATE IN THE CONTEXT OF GLOBALIZATION AND GLOBAL DEMOCRACY

The article provides a theoretical and methodological analysis of the processes of globalization and global democracy, examining how these processes alter the position, role, and functions of the modern nation-state while it contends with challenges posed by globalization yet strives to maintain its sovereignty.
 It is characterized that under the pressure of globalization, changes are occurring in the political and economic spheres that influence nation-states, leading to a gradual erosion of their sovereignty and increased susceptibility to economic influences from other states or transnational corporations.
 It is noted that the processes of globalization demonstrate the inability of states to fully protect their own interests and citizens from global economic and financial crises, informational impacts, environmental degradation, etc. In such circumstances, the nation-state is no longer the primary actor in the system of international relations, resulting in weakened centralized state institutions, shifts in the perception of state sovereignty, and the emergence of new structures within the global governance system.
 It is substantiated that global democracy, as a phenomenon introduced by the processes of globalization, is a form of implementation of the universal system of political democratic values as the basis for building a democratic society and the formation of public institutions that are the basis of democracy.
 It is determined that global democracy is a process of relations between states based on a certain value and normative basis that unites them and keeps them active in the field of certain relations, characterized by the improvement of interconnection between states through the formation of a single information space and the need for a new political order of the world.
 It is emphasized that the processes of globalization and global democracy are objective processes of convergence of political systems of the world, formation of a policy of common standards and approaches to solving common civilization problems.
 It is concluded that for Ukraine, in the context of globalization and global democracy, the main factors of strengthening its sovereignty are the establishment of relations with the international community on the principles of democratic governance, development of a competitive economy, democratization of all spheres of public life, socio-political unity of a civil nation, territorial integrity, and sustainable development of the state.

The Critical Analysis of the Viability of Cosmopolitan Democracy in the 21st Century: Cosmopolitanism, the Present and the Future

This review aims to critically analyse the concept of cosmopolitanism as applicable to global democracy. It firstly questions the viability of cosmopolitan democracy from the practicality of this concept on a pragmatic, rather than an idealistic lens, to its 'world state' concept where a decentralised system of governance is sustained by various decision-making sources whilst honouring states with some level of national autonomy. Issues raised, such as distributive justice, coercion and partiality, the cosmopolitan conceptual legitimacy at a global level, citizenship, reciprocity and sovereignty, oppose the legitimacy and practicality of this concept, giving statists, sovereigntists, nationalists and other sceptics of the cosmopolitan Agenda reasons to question this ideology. The second part of this review aims to answer these questions, explaining how this concept practically fits into today's global society as an effective form of global governance. The Moderate-Moral Cosmopolitan ideology will be used to critically address the issues of military interventions: the legality of human rights, the preference for transnational laws over international laws in the propagation of cosmopolitan rights and the role of expert bodies in ensuring that the enforcement of these rights whilst spreading cosmopolitan democracy is effective.

Global Social Movements (GSMs) and Non-Governmental Organizations: Investigating the Impact on Global Social Change

Global Social Movements (GSMs) have become integral to the study of Sociology and International Politics, reflecting the interconnectedness of global communities on diverse issues. Orchestrated by NGOs and INGOs, GSMs encompass environmental, women’s, human rights, racial, fair trade, and refugee movements, among others, reflecting the breadth of global concerns. However, challenges arise from political affiliations between civil society members and state authorities, as well as pressures from donor countries and ruling elites in economically disadvantaged nations. This study, employing content analysis methodology, aims to delineate the causes of GSMs, investigate the roles of INGOs and civil society, and explore the interplay between GSMs and global governance. Through critical analysis, it provides insights and recommendations to enhance the effectiveness and inclusivity of GSMs in addressing global challenges, thus contributing to the advancement of global democracy and governance structures.

Reimagining Democracy: An Exploration of Anies Baswedan's "Desak Anies" Program

Global democracy is at a crossroads, amidst geopolitical turmoil and socioeconomic upheaval. Despite widespread support for democratic principles such as popular sovereignty and civic involvement, their practical implementation is frequently hampered by entrenched power dynamics and vested interests. Anies Baswedan's pioneering "Desak Anies" program in Indonesia takes a novel approach to democratic government, questioning traditional top-down methods and calling for active citizen participation in decision-making processes. This study, based on theoretical frameworks proposed by authors such as Dahl and Rousseau, investigates the Desak Anies initiative's complex impact. The study's qualitative research approaches, which include a literature review and content analysis observations, aim to provide thorough insights into Desak Anies' transformative potential in transforming democratic behaviors. The findings show that Desak Anies had a significant impact on youth empowerment, instilling a sense of agency and political efficacy in young Indonesians. Furthermore, the program has made a substantial contribution to improving community cohesiveness by giving a forum for varied views to be heard and respected. Desak Anies has ushered in a new era of governmental openness, with an emphasis on open data projects and citizen involvement, which promote accountability and trust in government institutions; establishes a new benchmark for democratic renewal and sustainability by leveraging grassroots mobilization and adopting inclusive policies, providing a replicable model for advancing democracy and fostering inclusive government on a global scale.

What We Do and Do Not Know about Democratic Backsliding

We are humbled by the quantity and quality of the commentaries on our article in this special issue. Our goal was not to answer definitively how global democracy has changed in recent years but rather to provoke a debate about how we collectively can improve the scholarship on this question. The range of viewpoints raised in this special issue have made important advances on this goal.

The Practice of Radicalism: A Bibliometric Analysis

This study aims to conduct a bibliometric analysis of the theme of radicalism. This topic has always been the center of attention because radicalism is one of the world's problems or phenomena faced by many countries. By using the Scopus database from 2016 to 2021, concept mapping and clustering related to the theme of radicalism will be seen. The data was collected through a search on the Scopus database with the keyword radicalism. The data analysis focused on cluster analysis, dominant topics, related themes, and mapping of radicalism study topics based on the number of articles visualized and analyzed using VOSviewer software. This research shows that the study of radicalism has five dominant keywords that often appear, namely Radicalism, Islamism, terrorism, Religion, and Identity. This shows that the five topics are the main focus of attention written by most authors. This research contributes to delivering the development and mapping of the study of radicalism as one of the problems in global democracy. Meanwhile, the limitation is that the articles reviewed are only sourced from Scopus, so they do not have comparative data. Therefore, future studies require using a comparative analysis approach that uses a Web of Science (WoS) database.

U.S. Global Democracy Promotion: Change, Challenges, and Continuity

Every recent presidential administration praises global democracy, but how do they do in funding democracy-supporting activities? Building on analyses of the George W. Bush and Barack Obama presidencies, this essay looks at the disappointing landscape of international democracy, and then considers what the Donald Trump administration said, particularly in its National Security Strategy, and what it did in terms of funding of activities to support democracy abroad. Rooted in wider social science evidence, this analysis suggests that there are differences between top-down, bottom-up, and middle-range democracy promotion activities. It demonstrates that the Trump administration’s National Security Strategy privileged a holistic approach to democracy and human rights, and when it came to funding levels, according to government data, there was not the overall decline expected by many. The Trump National Security Strategy emphasized especially international religious freedom as fundamental to human rights and democratic governance in ways considerably different from previous administrations.

Global Democracy Theories: Reshaping Political Authority

Global Democracy Theories: Reshaping Political Authority

Глобальні виклики та ризики як детермінанти економічного прогресу країн у контексті глобальних трансформацій

The aim of the article is to identify the global challenges and risks that determine the economic progress of countries in the context of global transformations. The study argues that the global transformations of recent decades have radically changed the geopolitical and geo-economic space, influencing the dynamics of economic development and socioeconomic progress. It has been established that in research, economic progress is often equated with economic development and economic growth. Scientific approaches of domestic researchers to the understanding of economic progress are considered. It is confirmed that global economic progress is a multidimensional process and is not limited only to the economic sphere, it combines technological, social, political, informational and other kinds of progress. The dynamics of the distribution of the countries of the world by the level of gross national income (GNI) per capita has been determined. The dynamics of economic growth in the world is analyzed. A slowdown in economic growth for countries has been identified and the main reasons for this phenomenon have been identified. An assessment of the risk structure for the short-term (2 years) and long-term (10 years) periods was carried out in accordance with a study by the World Economic Forum. The role of false information and disinformation among the threats to economic progress is revealed. The spread of propaganda and false information has been confirmed to affect press freedom. It is argued that the disinformation industry threatens both political and economic stability, deepens the crisis of democracy in the world. An analysis of the change of political regimes in the world is carried out, changes in political systems in the regions are evaluated. Threats to global democracy have been identified. Among the determinants of economic progress, cybersecurity is singled out. The main global cyber threats are analyzed. The role of violation of the principles of peace and security in maintaining global economic development is argued. The main environmental risks, which are important determinants of economic progress, have been identified. It is emphasized that climate change leads to the depletion of natural resources, which are important for economic activity. Another threat is the growing number of so-called climate refugees. Social polarization is confirmed to be a risk to the global economy and global economic progress. The dynamics of the Social Progress Index is analyzed. The measures necessary to achieve global economic progress taking into account global challenges and risks are proposed.

MORAL AND ETHICAL COMPONENT OF SCIENCE IN TIMES OF WAR

MORAL AND ETHICAL COMPONENT OF SCIENCE IN TIMES OF WAR

Ambedkar's Śūnyatā and the Impermanence of the Theologico-Political

This article engages with B. R. Ambedkar as political philosopher and key contributor to debates on global democracy and the genealogy of democratic ideas outside the West. I focus specifically on Ambedkar's use of Buddhist philosophy and the concept of śūnyatā (emptiness/impermanence), which plays a central role in his search for a nontheological democratic politics. In order to explore the implications of such a politics, the article brings Ambedkar into conversation with Claude Lefort and his theorization of the relationships between politics, religion, and democracy. Through this reading, Ambedkar's political philosophy becomes legible not only as a profound challenge to what Lefort has called the “permanence of the theologico-political” but also as a radical way of combining everyday political practice with an emphatic notion of negative identity.

Faculty of Applied & Creative Arts, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak

The advent of globalised connectivity has intricately linked local communities with worldwide information dissemination, forming a global consciousness among individuals. This essay explores the interplay between globalised connectivity and the “risk society,” analyzing its impact on democracy. Through cases such as Cambridge Analytica, the Arab Spring, and the ICIJ, it reveals the dual nature of globalised connectivity, fostering democratic advancement while compromising data privacy. The essay underscores the need for active democratic participation while managing associated risks. As society navigates this transformative phase, harnessing globalised connectivity’s potential to amplify voices and ensure accountability is crucial for a balanced future of enhanced global democracy and personal information security.

A Newfound Hub of Global Democracy Promotion: Lithuania Playing to its Strengths

After gaining membership in the European Union and NATO, models portraying Lithuania as a bridge between the East and the West, or a networked state uniting in-country nationals and global diaspora were put forth, while others even forecasted inevitable collapse in the face of a lack of a unified geopolitical program. In the light of this plethora of geopolitical visions, in 2000s Lithuania’s approach to its Eastern neighbors could have been described as “multivectoral.” While Lithuanian leaders outspokenly supported pro-democratic protests and European aspirations of the colored revolutions in Georgia and Ukraine, attempts to “restart” relations with Eastern European autocrats also ensued. However, the 2014 Russian annexation of Crimea really struck a chord, and the new chapter in the Russian war against Ukraine in February 2022 contributed to consolidation of a clear-cut Lithuanian geopolitical positionality. In the face of Russian aggression, squeezed between the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad and Russian partner-in-crime Belarus, Lithuania rebranded itself as an outpost of a global democratizing agenda and embraced a discourse of care vis-à-vis repressed Russian and Belarusian civil societies and Ukrainians fighting back for national survival. Echoing historical solidarity narratives of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, new-found Lithuanian agency also aims to reframe Russian aggression as a neo-colonial performance. This piece (1) explores how the unfolding war has constituted a “democratic outpost” identity espoused by the Lithuanian political elite and (2) links these shifts with increased Lithuanian agency in Euro-Atlantic structures and the unexpected attempts to rework itself as a hub of democracy promotion globally. Finally, (3) the contribution problematizes the “outpost Europe” idea by scrutinizing the telling silence on the creeping autocratization in Poland, and the implicit paternalism of the pro-democratic care targeting Russian, Belarusian civil societies, and the Ukrainian state.

Give peace a chance … for what? Paine, Kant and democratic peace

AbstractPaul Kelly pays scant attention to the so‐called ‘democratic peace’ thesis that has played a major role in recent International Relations scholarship, a lacuna which we regard to be serious. Our paper investigates the normative background to the connection between democracy and peace, commonly associated with Immanuel Kant. We argue that attention should be devoted instead to the critique of international conflict found in the writings of Thomas Paine, who (unlike Kant) offers a politically grounded account of both why peace among nations is desirable and how that might be achieved. In particular, we consider Paine's views on democratic peace through the lens of his goals of eliminating the tyranny of kings and aristocrats and of ameliorating the material conditions of the poor. Paine contended that the establishment of global peace paralleled a process of global democratisation that would liberate the masses from their political and economic exploitation at the hands of a powerful few, whose interests converged in the prosecution of war.

Ever again 1918? The threatening return of nationalism

Since we live in one single world society the national state is the wrong reference for solving problems of war and peace. Social integration beyond global Institutionalization and Symbolization increasingly becomes illusionary. A good indicator is the fact that national democracy could be implemented with full participatory inclusion in ever more countries only through the rise of autonomous world law, defining citizenship and democrartic legitimation in last resort. Until 1945, democracy failed nearly everywhere because of nationalism, militarism, imperialism, especially after the first wave of reluctant global democratization after 1918. However, the system of world law was fataly demolished by eight massive violations of the prohibition of war through four of the five permanent members of the Security Council. The threat of 1918 is back and growing the longer the war in Ukraine lasts: destruction of democracy through nationalism, militarism, imperialism.