Government Instability Research Articles

Brazil and regional fisheries management organizations - What is at stake?

This study compares Brazil's participation in two distinct Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (ICCAT and CCAMLR) from the mid-2000s to 2019 to reveal how domestic governance issues such as substitutability and regulatory capture shape its international negotiation strategies. By contrasting Brazil's active fishing role in ICCAT with its conservation-focused stance in CCAMLR, the study demonstrates how varying domestic interests influence the country’s international engagement and sustainability commitments. By analyzing primary and secondary sources, including government documents, international submissions, and reports from non-governmental organizations, this study offers insights into the complexities of fisheries management in Brazil. The findings reveal that Brazil's contributions to and stance on RFMOs are significantly shaped by internal challenges, including governance instability and insufficient fisheries data, which hinder the formulation of coherent and effective international fishery policies. This study highlights the need for improved governance framework, data reliability, and a balanced approach to environmental and economic objectives to enhance the sustainability of fishery management practices. It provides critical perspectives for policymakers, stakeholders, and researchers concerned with advancing sustainable fisheries governance in Brazil and similar global contexts.

Quantile via Moments Panel Data Analysis: Dissecting Political Regimes and the Spectrum of Internal Conflicts

AbstractThis study investigates whether the political regime affects internal conflicts and specific types (e.g., civil war, political violence, and civil disorder). The study reveals that even incremental movements toward democracy are associated with reduced internal conflict, challenging some elements of the inverted U hypothesis. Moreover, factors such as government stability are better indicators of smaller-scale forms of internal conflict than the political regime type. Finally, scenarios of acute internal conflict, cultural tension, and government instability serve as more reliable indicators, implying that these elements eclipse the stabilizing influence of a regime's progression toward a more inclusive government.

The Tunisian Central Bank’s Efficiency Benchmarks: A Dynamic Approach

The topic of banking performance and efficiency has received considerable attention, yet there is a noticeable gap in examining the performance and efficiency of central banks. Moreover, there is a scarcity of studies on central bank efficiency. This paper aims to investigate the factors that influenced the efficiency of the Central Bank of Tunisia from 2000 to 2020, using an Autoregressive Distributed Lag Model. The appropriate econometric methodology was first established to achieve this goal, after which the model's results were presented and interpreted. The study's findings indicate that the Tunisian Central Bank’s efficiency is influenced by several macroeconomic (inflation, public deficit, growth rate), international (exchange rate, foreign debt), and political variables (political and government instability, conflict of interest), each with a varying degree of impact. Interestingly, the transition of the Central Bank of Tunisia from a dependent to an independent institution in 2016 did not yield a notable change in efficiency.Copyright© 2024 The Author(s). This article is distributed under the terms of the license CC-BY 4.0., which permits any further distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Party identification as a mediating variable in the perception of governmental legitimacy in Israel during the coronavirus epidemic

AbstractObjectiveThe policy implemented in Israel with the purpose of eradicating the COVID‐19 pandemic restricted Israeli citizens’ individual freedom. During this period, Israel was suffering from government instability that led to recurring election campaigns within a short period. In addition, the prime minister was under legal investigation for suspicions of government corruption. This study examines the legitimization of government by the Israeli public during the COVID‐19 pandemic.MethodsThe research findings are based on a representative attitude survey conducted by a survey company among Israeli citizens (men and women older than 18), including 604 respondents from the Jewish population and others and another 135 respondents from the Arab sector, that is, a total of 739 respondents, where the sampling error was 4.4 percent.ResultsThe findings indicate that right‐wing voters tended to support governmental legitimization at a higher rate compared to voters from opposing blocs. Correspondingly, they tended to oppose claims attacking governmental legitimization at a lower rate in comparison to coalition party voters.ConclusionThe conclusion indicates that the party identification of the respondents is a mediating variable in their perception of governmental legitimacy vis‐à‐vis each of the three variables examined, thereby strengthening the perceptual screening.

Compound criticality of bauxite production: implications for sustainability and trade neo-colonialism

We describe bauxite as having compound criticality. (1) It is a critical raw material (CRM) from which alumina and thereby aluminium are produced, and aluminium has the highest production levels of all metals deemed significant to the Clean Energy Transition. (2) Gallium is a by-product CRM, extracted during alumina refining. (3) Multiple other CRM by-products could be extracted during alumina refining: scandium, lithium, cobalt, titanium and REE. (4) Production is profoundly influenced by price inelasticity (for by-products), regime instability of bauxite production and supply chain bottlenecks. We review the geology of bauxite ore deposits as a function of complex CRM supply potential, and interrogate the trait of criticality using four of the world's dominant producer nations of bauxite and potential patterns of value addition from raw materials to refined products. Trade agreements and mitigation strategies to ensure security of supply in consumer regions prioritize removal of low-cost bauxite by large-scale mining operations and shipping of unprocessed ore at high CO 2 footprint from producer nations. Ore-refining nations have investments that are deemed extractive because they remove large quantities of raw material for export with minimal or no in-country processing and they can also place producer nations in debt. Opposition to neo-colonial debt-trap policies and extractive practices increases regime instability and thereby criticality. We highlight how societal-environmental-political interactions and the mineral-energy nexus in the bauxite-aluminium supply chain are subject to increasing turbulence, which may reshape the geographies of supply chains.

Reflections of the Everyday. Exploring the essence of Ecuadorian cinema through <i>Ratas, Ratones, Rateros</i>

This essay analyzes the film Ratas, Ratones, Rateros (1999), by Ecuadorian director Sebastián Cordero, as a reflection of the social problems that affect contemporary Ecuador. Through a textual analysis of the work, it is examined how the main characters, two cousins ​​who are dedicated to theft and crime, represent the Creole liveliness, social resentment and corruption that are some of the characteristic features of Ecuadorian society. Likewise, the film is contextualized with the political and economic scenario of the country at the end of the nineties, marked by the banking crisis, dollarization and government instability. The conclusion to be reached is that Ecuadorian cinema, more than a nationalist art, functions as a mirror of daily reality; as a reflection of the identity and social problems of Ecuadorians.

Impacts of Climate Change in Afghanistan and an Overview of Sustainable Development Efforts

Afghanistan is ranked fourth of the most vulnerable countries to climate change. Climate change impacts livelihoods, food insecurity, and displacement caused by human induce-activities like deforestation and land pasture degradation. Drought is the major shock affecting 64% of household in 2024. The study provides a comprehensive analysis of the impacts of climate change in Afghanistan and the country’s sustainable development efforts. This was done through an integrative literature review using database like Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science with a total of 80 articles spanning from 2015 to 2024. The study indicated that sustainable development efforts is impacted by climate change with agricultural sector projected to decline in wheat, rice, and barley (28%, 4.92%, 387kg respectively) by 2050. This not only impacts the country economy but also had an impact of SDG (Goal 1, 2, 3, 6, and 8). The temperature is expected to reach 1.5oC and 3oC by 2050 and rainfall by 25%. Precipitation will decline by 12-25m by 2050. Even though sustainable development efforts have been implement in area of health and agriculture with focus on reducing temperature that affect grain crops, 59.5% of people still experience food insecurity. Reforestation, conservation, and community awareness through community base programs has been enhanced. However, these initiatives are hampered by lack of regulations, government instability, and limited finance. To counter the impacts of climate change in Afghanistan, the study proposed recommendations such as international cooperation, funding for sustainable infrastructure in health, agriculture, and water resource management.

The Possible Future Implementation of The International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in Libya

The research aims to examine the feasibility of implementing International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in Libya. Based on 306 survey responses and 11 interview transcripts from 2015 and 2018, most respondents had sufficient awareness and knowledge of IFRS and believed its implementation would positively impact financial reports. The top two factors affecting implementation are government instability and corruption, followed by language barriers, low education levels, and political factors. However, most respondents did not feel that adoption of IFRS was urgent. Women were more optimistic than men about government regulations and training courses assisting with IFRS implementation. Respondents were more concerned about the negative effects of political instability on IFRS implementation in 2018 than in 2015. The study found that IFRS standards that do not conform to Islamic requirements could be excluded. The research recommends stakeholders encourage and support training programs for accounting specialists and integrate IFRS into Libyan education programs.

The Waste Landfill Policy in Israel: Economic and Political Perspectives

The consistent and continuous growth in the world’s population is creating many challenges for public policymakers in the different life areas, including dealing with the increasing amounts of waste that are generating problems involving air and land pollution and a shortage of land for waste disposal. This study presents the effects of public policy on managing municipal waste, measured as the quantity and rate of waste collected throughout Israel in recent years and disposed of in various landfills. An analysis of the political and economic factors affecting this policy is also conducted. The study combines a quantitative and qualitative approach, where the quantitative study includes the analysis of statistical data based on information from the Central Bureau of Statistics, the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the Ministry of Finance, and others, and the qualitative study relies on reading and analyzing the primary documents of different government ministries on Israel’s waste disposal policy and information in the media on this issue. The research findings attest to an increase in the amount of municipal waste dumped in Israel, a merely slight decrease in the rate of landfilling as a proportion of all municipal waste disposal, and a merely slight increase in the rate of municipal waste recycled in recent years. The research conclusions stress the effects of the landfill levy and the Cleanliness Maintenance Fund on one hand and of government instability in the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the positivist policy embraced by decision makers in the Ministry of Environmental Protection, and the power struggles between Israel’s different ministries on the other hand, as the respective economic and political factors affecting Israeli policy on municipal waste management. The article contributes to understanding the dynamics of municipal waste management policy in Israel by providing empirical data, analyzing influencing factors, and offering insights into the challenges and opportunities in this area. This study can serve as the basis for future studies that will examine the waste landfill policy in Israel in the context of pressing global challenges such as climate change, the advancement of novel waste treatment technologies, and the potential stabilization of Israel’s political system.

Immunization of Children under 2 Years Old in the Coastal Hadhramaut Governorate, Yemen, during Public Health Emergencies: A Trend Analysis of 2013-2020.

Although immunization is one of the most successful and cost-effective interventions that prevents millions of infant and child deaths yearly, it has failed to achieve its intended goals in some low-income countries. Yemen is currently experiencing the most extreme humanitarian crisis globally, which has affected health and worsened its economy and political governance instability. There are few reports on Yemeni vaccination statuses. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of the public health emergency crises on childhood immunization in Yemen. A retrospective descriptive study was conducted in the Coastal Hadhramaut Governorate, Yemen. Secondary data from governorate annual reports for 2013-2020 were extracted. The assessment of the annual immunization coverage rate according to each vaccine was tabulated. The analysis revealed that the 2013-2019 vaccination coverage in Coastal Hadhramaut demonstrated an increasing trend. However, vaccination coverage decreased for all vaccines in 2015-2016 and 2020. Although all three doses of the pentavalent vaccine demonstrated >85% coverage in all years, the coverage of the first and second doses decreased in 2016, and the coverage of all doses decreased in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Public health emergencies negatively affected routine immunization coverage in Yemen. The trend correlated with the humanitarian crisis and other research findings in Yemen. The national response to public health threats during emergency crises must involve strengthening the program for monitoring and evaluating vaccine-preventable diseases.

Food insecurity in Haiti from a social lens

Haiti grapples with a deepening food crisis, as 4.7 million people face acute insecurity, a stark rise since 2019. The Food and Agricultural Organization cites armed gang violence, diminished agricultural output, and the 2021 earthquake as primary factors. Gangs exacerbate the situation by controlling ports, causing fuel shortages, and disrupting essential services. While solutions proposed by international organizations range from criminal institution reform to foreign military intervention, locals and NGOs question their efficacy. The earthquake adds to the woes, necessitating immediate humanitarian aid, though delayed assistance raises doubts about Haiti's dependency on foreign aid organizations and the government's efficacy. In the backdrop of economic turmoil, a faltering agriculture system, and the COVID-19 pandemic, Haiti's challenges persist, calling for comprehensive, long-term strategies addressing the root cause—social and governmental instability.

The influence of school climate on high school teachers’ job satisfaction in a conflict-affected country

<span lang="EN-US">School climate plays a vital role in a teacher</span><span lang="EN-US">’s job performance, satisfaction, and school effectiveness. There were abundant studies on school climate and effectiveness and its relationship with teachers’ job performance and job satisfaction for primary and secondary schools in developed and developing countries. Unfortunately, there were scarce studies on teachers’ satisfaction in underdeveloped countries with prolonged conflicts and government instability. This study investigated the influence of school climate on teachers’ job satisfaction in a conflict-affected country, Afghanistan. It employed a survey questionnaire to collect data from public high school teachers in the Takhar province of Afghanistan. The data were descriptively and inferentially analyzed with the aid of statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS). Despite prolonged conflicts and government instability, the study found a statistically positive correlation between school climate and high school teachers’ job satisfaction. It also revealed statistically significant differences in the satisfaction level of teachers by their demographic variables, i.e., gender, educational qualification, age, and working experience. The study suggests that education administrators, school leaders, and other stakeholders develop a policy advancing a peaceful and conducive learning environment to improve student’s learning outcomes, teachers’ job performance and satisfaction, and school effectiveness. Future studies may qualitatively examine schools in different parts of the country.</span>

Factors Influencing Infrastructure Provision in Agrarian Communities of Ondo State, Nigeria

In the realisation of inclusive economy, infrastructure facilities are needed in the agrarian communities to boost farm produces and overall food insecurity. Considering the exponential increase in food items in the urban communities; global goal 2015 has earlier identified the provision of required infrastructure in the agrarian communities (farm settlements) important in attaining food security advancement. In the developing countries such as Nigeria, provision of appropriate infrastructure in the agrarian communities is considered herculean to the providers. This condition is however prior to number of factors limiting it’s availability in the agrarian communities (farm settlements) for improved productivity. The study however made use of questionnaire administration and physical observation to draw primary data through total enumeration technique in the identified farm settlements, thus, 255 household heads were identified in the four designated farm settlements of Ondo State. Likert scale was used to compute Mean Value Index (FIFI) for the identified factors influencing infrastructure facilities development in the farm settlements. The study concluded that government insensitivity, lack of visionary leader, government instability, maintenance failure, capital stagnancy and corruption were major factors influencing infrastructure development in the farm settlements of Ondo State; and that government should device action plans towards facilities development like, routine facilities maintenance and financial commitment which may also come from Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs).

The Rivalry between India and China for Political Influence in Nepal

Nepal is geographically situated between India and China's economically prosperous and politically influential nations. As a result, the interests of Nepal's neighbouring countries have influenced its political landscape. Thus, the paper attempts to analyse how India and China destabilise democracy in Nepal by relating historical, political, economic, and cultural factors because they are connected. Furthermore, it examines how India and China have affected Nepal's democracy through the political parties, the government, and the Constitution. China and India have a geostrategic rivalry, and then they engage in Nepal to create political polarisation, which weakens democratic institutions. It fuels instability in Nepal because it has cultural and political ties and generates more government instability. Therefore, research explores the complex connection of Nepal with China and India and their impact on democratic stability. The study concludes that Nepal's government, civil society, and regional actors should mitigate the adverse effects of external political intervention and foster a stable democratic environment in Nepal. This study used a qualitative technique, incorporating a literature review and document analysis, to examine reports, policy documents, and media items. The analysis of thematically gathered data reveals discernible patterns and trends in the influence of China and India on the volatility of Nepal's democratic system.

Minerals, natural resources, government instability, and growing ecological challenges: Can we achieve SDGs 12 and 13?

Mineral resources (MNR) are being increasingly extracted by countries situated in the Global South. However, the extraction and processing of these resources can have severe ecological repercussions. Previous literature mainly evaluates the long-run ecological impacts of natural resources (NTR) and studies delving into the long-run ecological impacts of mineral resources in the context of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 12 & 13 are scant. Thus, this study assessed the environmental challenges associated with MNR and NTR by incorporating the measure of government stability (GNST) across ten emerging nations situated in the Global South, spanning the years from 1989 to 2020. The comprehensive load capacity factor (LCF) is employed as a proxy of ecological quality. After using the empirical methods robust to cross-sectional dependence (CSD), endogeneity, serial correlation, and heteroscedasticity, this study unfolded the following long-run outcomes. Mineral resources lessen the LCF and thus, decrease the ecological quality. Likewise, natural resources diminish the LCF figures and exert detrimental impacts on the quality of the environment. Surprisingly, government stability intensifies ecological degradation. Furthermore, the study found the load capacity curve (LCC) in the member nations showing that higher development can uplift the LCF. Finally, a policy framework based on the SDGs is proposed to ensure the sustainability of MNR and NTR.

The Perils of Parliamentarism in Contrast to Presidentialism in Democratic Transition

The paper raised some doubts on a few academic literatures arguments that Parliamentarism is better than Presidentialism for new democracies in the transitional period. It instead found that parliamentarism could also lead to critical perils to democratic transition, at least in some particular political situations, like increasing the instability of the government, encouraging political speculation and polarization, and allowing ruling parties to self-benefit from the manipulated electoral system. Instead, presidentialism could be conducive to addressing these perils of parliamentarism and enable a more robust, stable, and successful transition from authoritarianism to democracy for many countries. This paper took examples of presidentialism in Philippine and Taiwan. Compared with presidentialism, parliamentarism has several key weaknesses. They include government instability under minority rule, polarization in countries with enormous social cleavages, encouraging politicians to pursue political speculation and defect their electorates, and the likelihood of electoral system maneuver by ruling parties. Thus, for new democracies, presidentialism may perform better than parliamentarism, at least on some occasions.

Kazakhstan’s January 2022 Crisis: Representations by National Experts via Social Media

This article aims at reconstructing the representations of the 2022 January crisis developed by Kazakhstani political analysts via social media. The research methodology seeks to combine quantitative and qualitative methods by assessing these representations by use of critical discourse analysis of social media posts by Kazakhstani political analysts extracted and processed by the use of API and PolyAnalysts based on marker words. The research significance lies in the unique situation of regime instability potentially providing the expert community with the chance to speak up openly. However, it is concluded that most analysts reproduced the official discourse that is in line with the discourses developed in non-democratic context. Thus, the dominant expert discourse of the January crisis is rather homogenous and relies on the dichotomies of “the old” versus “the new” as well as “the weak” versus “the strong.” As a result, the general picture by Kazakhstani political analysts looks more like a political myth about the birth of a “new Kazakhstan” than a reconstruction of the causes, actors and consequences of the January crisis. It implies that the expert community prefers controlled evolution of the state regime rather than grass roots initiated changes.

Analisis Konflik Politik Pasca Pembentukan Daerah Otonomi Baru

This research aims at analyzing auses and impacts of political conflicts, as well as changes in the governance structure and conditions following the establishment of new autonomous regions. The study employs a mixed methods approach using an exploratory sequential design. The research is conducted in Sorong City, Southwest West Papua Province, utilizing cluster random sampling. Data collection techniques involve questionnaires, observations, interviews, document analysis, and triangulation. Data analysis follows an explanatory sequential mixed methods approach, involving descriptive statistical analysis and qualitative analysis. The research findings indicate that the causes of political conflict are attributed to changes in regional governance and power redistribution stemming from polarization based on social and cultural differences, as well as differences in political views and ideologies leading to conflicts among elite political parties competing for power. The impact of these conflicts has resulted in the instability of governance and hindered government decision-making, prompting government efforts to address these issues through dialogue and communication, with civil society playing a role as pressure groups and peace agents. Furthermore, there have been no structural changes in governance because the new autonomy policy primarily aims at political objectives to mitigate conflicts, with economic and administrative goals not yet being the primary focus. Additionally, the condition of governance is in the process of improvement as the new government is engaged in restructuring and infrastructure development, thus making the governance condition currently unstable.

Torture and Trauma in WodOkello Lawoko’s The Dungeon of Nakasero

African literature is characterised by the struggles and challenges of Africans, entailing pains of slavery, primitive colonization and modern colonization otherwise referred to as neo-colonization or imperialism. The continent’s postcolonial challenges include poor leadership, government instability, corruption, poor justice administrative system, underdevelopment, and poverty, among others. Prison memoir, which is a form of witness and resistance literature, particularly, the one written by Prisoners of Conscience (POC), is usually a documentation of these challenges including the trauma experienced as a result of torture experienced from bad leaders. Journalists, being part of society have not been excluded from the societal problems, principally, the torture and trauma experienced from undemocratic leaders. Some journalists have captured these experiences in their writings. However, while scholarship in African literature has paid attention to the various problems of Africa, it has not sufficiently explored torture and trauma in literary texts, mainly, the memoirs written by journalists. WodOkello Lawoko’s The Dungeon of Nakasero, a journalist memoir of sufferings, torture and trauma in the hands of their worst dictatorial military head of state, General Idi Amin, captures the highlighted African struggles and challenges. Therefore, against this backdrop, this study explores the nexus between torture and trauma in The Dungeon of Nakasero, a journalist’s prison memoir that presents the real-life ordeals of Ugandans during the reign of Idi Amin. The study relies on Carthy Caruth’s trauma theory to undertake a textual analysis of the text. Apart from depicting Idi Amin as the worst dictatorial head of state in Uganda, it further places him as one of the worst leaders in Africa. The text depicts journalism as one of the riskiest professions in the world and notes that only the unison of Africans can rid the continent of dictators and poor leadership. 

Diversionary desecration? Regime instability and societal violence against minority sacred spaces

ABSTRACT From the October 2018 mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to the April 2022 bombing of the Sufi Khalifa Sahib mosque in Kabul, Afghanistan, religious minority sacred spaces are a conspicuous target of societal violence. While the potency of these attacks as instruments of symbolic and physical intimidation against vulnerable communities is well-recognized, comparatively little research has examined the larger societal and political forces that motivate them, particularly outside conflict zones. Employing data on individual religious minorities in 162 states from 1991–2014, we conduct quantitative analyses demonstrating that severe violence against religious minority sacred spaces is significantly correlated with increasing regime instability, particularly in more democratic states that strongly support religious institutions. Our findings suggest that the most violent outcomes tend to be diversionary, redirecting public anger toward internal ‘enemy’ others, rather than reactionary or retaliatory behavior toward already persecuted or genuinely threatening out-groups.