Political Interests Research Articles

Under the banner of heritage conservation: The gentrification of dilapidated low-income neighborhoods in the Daming Palace Protection and Renovation Project

Understanding the dynamics and implications of urban redevelopment projects, particularly in the context of China's rapid urbanization, could inform sustainable and inclusive urban development strategies. This abstract provides an overview of the Daming Palace Protection and Renovation Project (DPPRP). Unlike other redevelopment projects that prioritize economic benefits, the DPPRP is predominantly driven by political interests, with cultural and economic factors playing supporting roles. As part of the broader integrated conservation and redevelopment program, the DPPRP holds political significance, and its implementation demonstrates clear state involvement, led by the local government. The response from residents reflects the failure of China's attempts to promote citizen participation in local governance, suggesting challenges even for participatory authoritarianism. These developments have negative implications for Chinese citizens' pursuit of their right to the city, hindering their ability to shape urban spaces and participate meaningfully in decision-making processes. The purpose of this study is to analyze the Daming Palace Protection and Renovation Project (DPPRP) in China, providing insights for policymakers and urban planners to enhance the effectiveness and inclusivity of urban redevelopment projects.

The problem of the political component of post-non-classical science and education

The work is devoted to understanding the process of political involvement of modern science and the need for the post-non-classical scientific community to become a subject of political activity. In historical terms, we are talking about the actualization of F. Bacon’s ideas about the beneficial connection of a new science with power. Philosophical education can serve as a basis for the formation of appropriate political competencies among future scientists and engineers.

Money first? Strategic and economic interests in the international arms trade network, 1920–1936

AbstractArms transfers result from economic and political motives, with the latter often dominating the former. While this is accepted knowledge for the post‐World War II period, it seems not to apply earlier. Much existing research argues that in the interwar years, weapons were traded as purely commercial goods because governments had neither the ability nor willingness to control and direct arms transfers. We reassess this idea and argue that, while formal control was largely absent, governments could steer weapons shipments nonetheless because arms producers depended on them as main customers, sales agents, and financiers of their export business. Anecdotal evidence suggests that governments actively used this influence. To test whether interwar arms transfers were the result of political or commercial interests, we use newly collected, historical data on the small arms trade and inferential network analysis methods. Our results suggest that although economic drivers existed throughout the interwar period, political considerations were especially influential when international relations were hostile at the start and end of the period. This research contributes to our understanding of international economic relations between the world wars and of the drivers of arms transfers across time.

The study on role of media diversity and political interest on echo chamber effect

Purpose Social media has made people better informed but also easier to manipulate. By using literature review and observing social media, the authors found a problem about echo chamber effect. The purpose of this paper is to know how the echo chamber affects the people who consume political news and the role of media diversity in it. Design/methodology/approach To conduct this study, the authors used a structured questionnaire on the Qualtrics platform to collect data from 183 participants. The authors collected data using a simple random technique. This study is based on the cross-sectional survey; the data collection period is from October to November 2023. The authors used the SPSS software to analyze the relationships between the variables and test the hypothesis. Findings This study found that, echo chamber is not affected by media diversity. Because of increased political interest, people will be less influenced by echo chambers. In addition, demographic factors affect political interest. People use search engines and social media sites instead of political websites when it comes to the consumption of political news online. People like to communicate with individuals who hold conflicting political views. Originality/value Researchers have not yet been able to gain a clear understanding of whether users are in an echo chamber or not and how they are interacting in that environment. Research on this topic is still going on from different perspectives. This study helped to clarify whether or not more media consumption will affect echo chambers. The possibility of being trapped in an echo chamber exists whether we use a single medium or a variety of media. The novelty of this study lies in the use of the echo chamber scale to investigate a thorough understanding of this word through the use of many factors.

The Institute of Gubernatorial Elections as a Marker of Regional Features of the Political Culture of Russians (based on the results of Russian single voting day-2023)

The author examines the institution of elections of heads of subjects of the Russian Federation as a product of political and cultural orientations of both state and political figures of the federal and regional levels of government, and the ordinary citizens. Using comparative and statistical analysis, the relationship between political attitudes and expectations of Russians and the transformation of gubernatorial elections in the period from 1991 to 2022 is explored. The significance of the ethnonational and socio-economic specifics of the political culture of Russians in legitimizing such changes is described. During the analysis of direct gubernatorial elections in 2023, current features of political culture in the context of regions are noted, which may be important in the transformation of the institution of gubernatorial elections. The author compares the results of the gubernatorial campaigns of 2018 and 2023 from the point of view of the landscape of political involvement of Russians and the dynamics of support for federal parties in the regions. The phenomenon of distant electronic voting is analyzed, and the weakness of its perception by residents of Russian regions to ensure accessibility of elections and fair political competition.

Does perceived inequality promote abstention and protest voting? A study of the 2022 Italian general election

ABSTRACT We focus on the role of perceived economic inequality as a possible antecedent of abstention and protest voting in the 2022 Italian general election. In particular, we hypothesize that citizens’ perceived economic inequality (and the perception that it will grow), reinforced by the negative emotions the perception trigger, may undermine citizens’ trust in institutions. We also investigate whether the erosion of trust is associated with abstention (as an exit option) and protest voting, operationalized as voting for Fratelli d’Italia (FdI), i.e. the only party that did not support the Draghi government (as a voting voice option). We analysed data from the two waves of an online election survey conducted by ITANES (the Italian National Election Study) on a quota sample of the Italian adult population and tested a moderated – mediated model aimed at predicting the association between perceived inequality when eliciting negative emotions, and the probability of voting for FdI or not casting a valid vote. The mediating variable was institutional distrust and the moderating variable was (lack of) political interest. The analyses confirmed that perceived economic inequality does play a role in promoting abstention and protest voting.

Deconstructing Material Commodification: A Feminist Critique of Objectification in Qaisra Shahraz’s Holy Woman

The main concernof present study is to analyze Qaisra Shahraz’s Holy Woman by applying feministic lens and Simon de beaviour Second Sex Theoretical lens to discuss the materialistic commodification that influence the women individuality and identity as a woman. Using the objectification concept and feminist criticism, the study examines how the leading character Zarri Bano as targeted and objectified by her own .An examination of the material and /or trading concept of woman is then used through a detailed textual analysis to break down how various factors of sexualization, money, and femininity develop the women’s realities, their identity, and the systems of opposition available to them. This research delves into the patriarchal power dynamics that objectify and silence women's voices, particularly focusing on the subjugation of female subalterns by patriarchal forces. It highlights how these power structures manipulate discourse to impose specific identities on women, such as Holy women, izzat, gairat, purdah, and burqa to serve patriarchal agendas rather than genuine religious principles. Through the lens of Simon de Beauvoir's feminist philosophy, this study examines the character of Zari Bano in Qaisra Shahraz's novel Holy Woman as a symbol of subalternity, revealing the oppression she faces not only from her father but also from societal discrimination based on gender. The analysis demonstrates how patriarchal societies justify the marginalization of women to advance their own political and economic interests.

Exploring corruption in higher education: A case study of brain drain in North Macedonia

This 2023 study examines how corruption in higher education (HE) informs the brain drain phenomenon in North Macedonia. Through data collected from college-educated students who emigrated from the country, the research uncovers the reasons behind their emigration decision and highlights the high-level nature of corruption within HE. Findings reveal that corruption, along with limited career opportunities and distrust at the systemic level, motivates individuals to seek a better life abroad. The normalization of corruption and a lack of motivation to effect change further contribute to the emigration of highly skilled individuals. The study recommends measures such as establishing integrity units within universities and addressing political party involvement to combat these issues.

Fostering Reasoning in the Politically Disengaged: The Role of Deliberative Minipublics

Political engagement is vital to the functioning of democratic systems, yet a significant portion of the population remains disengaged from conventional political activities as voting. These individuals often lack the opportunities and motivation to cultivate their reasoning abilities for understanding politics. This study explores the potential of deliberative minipublics to foster the development of reasoning skills among those excluded from the political discourse. By focusing on individuals with low levels of political engagement, the study investigates three minipublics on the topic of climate change in Switzerland. Utilizing the Deliberative Reason Index, the analysis uncovers how dialogue-driven engagement can enhance political understanding and involvement. The results demonstrate the potential of deliberative practices to bridge the gap between the politically disengaged and the complex world of political participation, offering fresh insights into citizens’ capabilities to deliberate on intricate issues.

Simulacra Politics: Digital Advertising for the 2024 Presidential Election on Social Media

The presidential election in Indonesia will be held in 2024, but the excitement of conversations on various social media platforms has been felt at this time. This political party, which is held every 5 years, has attracted a lot of public attention, one of which is through political advertising on social media. Social media is relatively dominant in human use today, and until the way we interact and communicate using social media can understand identity in context is one area that attracts a lot of interest in using it. It is considered like a boon, as a way to connect many people and streamline communication. One of Baudrillard's thoughts is simulation in social media which becomes simulacra in digital advertising. Humans today live in a world full of simulation, almost nothing is real outside of simulation, nothing is genuine and can be imitated. Industrial culture disguises the distance between facts and information, between information and entertainment, between entertainment and political interests. The purpose of this research is to evaluate symbols or signs in political advertisements for the 2024 presidential election on social media. The method will be carried out with netnography through big data analysis by finding simulacra signs in digital advertisements for the 2024 presidential election. The existence of digital advertising in elections offers a great opportunity to increase voter participation and engagement. However, keep in mind that the use of digital advertising also brings challenges and responsibilities that must be handled wisely by all relevant parties.

(Un)disciplined Patients, (Un)controlled Medical Authority?

Abstract Starting at the end of the 1940s, the so-called “democratic transformation of healthcare” was not limited to the expansion of beneficiaries and making care provided in the system free of charge. It also sought to define the new roles of those who run (physicians) and use (patients) the system. To enforce the implementation of new norms, medical ethics committees were set up, and in many respects, these new structures were integrated into the system of social courts and were tasked mainly with the protection patients’ rights during investigations into complaints against doctors. This article aims to address the following question: What role did the functioning of these medical ethics committees play in healthcare operations organized along socialist principles, considering their involvement in both politics and healthcare? Additionally, what forms of governmentality can be inferred from the ways these committees functioned within the framework of socialist healthcare? To answer these questions, I examine patients’ complaints received by the medical ethics committees, as the core objective of socialist healthcare was to provide quality healthcare and educate individuals about utilizing the socialist healthcare system. My hypothesis is that while the committees exhibited organizational and operational characteristics aligned with the basic institutions of socialist democracy, their ultimate goal was to educate individuals in accordance with the principles of the socialist system. However, the committees’ decisions were influenced by the degrees of autonomy granted to them and existing practices for supervising medical activity prior to the establishment of the state-socialist system. Consequently, they functioned not as guardians of the socialist state’s biopolitics but rather as autonomous bodies of medical advocacy. Although patients used various strategies of argumentation to justify the incompatibility of their grievances with socialist healthcare, doctors did not primarily assess the seriousness of the problems based on patient complaints. Institutional constraints and specific professional practices, which also played a role in medical activities, had a more significant impact on the decision-making process.

In-School Suspension Through the Lens of Whiteness as Property: Exploring a School District’s Role in Maintaining Educational Inequality

Despite impacting almost three million students annually, and disproportionately impacting Black students, little is known about district policy and central office staff in the use of in-school suspension. The purpose of this study was to understand how districts use in-school suspension over time, with attention to racial disparities, programmatic changes, and central office perspectives. Case study methods were used to examine in-school suspension in one large school district in the Western United States. Data included two district board school discipline policies, quantitative in-school suspension data, and interviews with central office staff. We found a history of on-going racial disparities for Black and Latinx students and that decisions made by central office about in-school suspension had likely sustained these disparities over time. District policy goals of reducing racial disparities were found to be largely rhetorical in the face of an ethos of non-enforcement. Central office administrators believed they lacked the power to hold school principals accountable for implementing school discipline policy with fidelity to redressing racial disparities. Through the concept of Whiteness as Property, we argue these patterns demonstrated central office administrators’ protection of White educational and political propertied interests above those of educational opportunities for Black and Latinx students. This study contributes to the literature on in-school suspension by finding discrepancies between policy and practice and contributes to the field’s understanding of how school autonomy can undermine equity-oriented school discipline policies through racial negligence.

Populist Radical-Right Attitudes, Political Involvement and Selective Information Consumption: Who Tunes Out and Who Prefers Attitude-Consonant Information

ABSTRACT This study seeks to understand how populist radical-right (PRR) attitudes and political involvement relate to individuals’ political information consumption and selective exposure to ideological content. The study approaches political information selection as a two-step phenomenon: first, individuals use different amounts of political information, and second, they rely on attitude-consonant information to different degrees. Results from a combination of survey measures, implicit association tests and automated text analysis of large-scale online tracking data collected in Germany and Switzerland in 2020 showed that first, political information consumption was related to political involvement but also to PRR attitudes—in different ways—in both countries. Second, our analyses revealed country variations regarding attitude-consonant online PRR exposure. Third, implicit PRR attitudes were not relevant in explaining the use of PRR content online. We discuss the relevance of moving beyond analyses of traditional news toward the breadth of political information consumption, country contexts, and naturalistic research designs.

Informal Institutions – Measurement and Comparison in European Countries

This paper addresses the topic of informal institutions that remain an unexplored part of the institutional system due to identification, operationalisation, and measurement problems. The author concludes that there is a dire need to develop an approach to analysing the rules that govern entities’ behaviour that are difficult to comprehend, deeply ingrained, and long-lasting. Therefore, based on data from social surveys, the author has constructed ten indices of informal institutions comprising trust, happiness, bonds with relatives, social capital, interest in politics, tolerance, resourcefulness, religiousness, attitudes to work, and attitudes to traditional values. They present a comprehensible picture of countries’ informal institutions and enable the making of comparisons. Later, the author uses the indices to investigate the links between formal and informal institutions in selected European countries and explore their role in providing a stable environment conducive to economic well-being. This is, however, only an example in which informal institutions are vital, and the research can support further studies in various fields. The findings indicate which investigated institutions seem central and worth supporting and which co-occur with lower levels of development.

Leo Tolstoy’s Anti-Colonial Views and Their Influence on Liberation Movements in Africa

Leo Tolstoy is one of the few Russian thinkers of the pre-Soviet era whose views influenced leaders of liberation movements in Africa. Soviet researchers explored his anti-colonial views and their perception in the African continent. Although based on extensive source material, these publications are overly ideologized. The topic is reconsidered, using previously untapped archival data, as well as publications which appeared in Russia and internationally over the past thirty years. Tolstoy’s first attempts to speak out in the press about the colonial partition of Africa date to the Italo-Ethiopian War of 1895–1896. He denounced colonial expansion as an attempt by governments to distract their people from problems at home and force them to sacrifice themselves for business and political interests of others. Tolstoy advised people in metropoles not to take part in colonial schemes, and prompted colonised peoples to defend their rights through peaceful means so that the vicious circle of violence could be broken. His anticolonial rhetoric resonated in Africa, and from the beginning of the 20th century, his ideas were accepted as a guideline. M.K. Gandhi, a future leader of the struggle for Indian independence, who spearheaded a civil-rights movement of South African Indians in the 1900s, used Tolstoy’s ideas in developing his tactics of nonviolent resistance (satyagraha). Indirectly, these ideas continued to impact the South African liberation movement thanks to Gandhi’s influence. It was not until 1961 that the African National Congress (ANC) had to form a military organisation to fight against the apartheid regime. Yet the ANC managed to achieve a non-violent transition from apartheid to non-racial democracy. The success is associated with President N.R. Mandela, who shared Tolstoy’s views on the need to abandon armed confrontation.

The roots of Euroscepticism: Affective, behavioural and cognitive anti‐EU attitudes in Hungary

AbstractThis paper has put forward a new indicator based on the “ABC‐model” of attitudes designed to capture individual‐level Euroscepticism. We constructed a composite anti‐EU score based on affective, behavioural and cognitive sub‐indices. The study analyses data from a representative, countrywide Hungarian public opinion research. Looking for the drivers of anti‐EU attitudes, we took an integrative approach linking various theories of voting behaviour, Euroscepticism and populism studies. Our research showed that subjective well‐being significantly reduces anti‐EU attitudes. We found some empirical support for the “left behind thesis” in the Hungarian context, as severe economic grievances and fear of losing social status explained anti‐EU attitudes. Authoritarian traits turned out to be a major driver of Euroscepticism in Hungary. We proved that cosmopolitan values reduce affective and cognitive anti‐EU attitudes, but foreign experience and some international ties significantly correlated with anti‐EU stance. We confirmed that being a supporter of the governing Fidesz party and sharing culturally right‐wing political views significantly increase anti‐EU attitudes. We also revealed that partisanship's effect is strengthened by affective polarization and political interest.

Which is the larger issue in Indonesia: waste exports or imports? Interests in politics, economics, or the environment?

The current situation in the worldwide society is paradoxical, as it is characterized by a scarcity in addressing the demand for food. Hence, the garbage predicament in Indonesia remains an environmental concern that necessitates resolution, in conjunction with the challenge of importing waste from industrialized nations to Indonesia. This practice came into existence. Habits of Indonesian individuals who continue to dispose of garbage negligently. This practice of mishandling waste will lead to the emergence of other issues. The issue of waste importation is further compounded by the unreliability of Indonesian waste sorting as a supply source. As one of the developing nations in Southeast Asia that receives waste imports, Indonesia experiences substantial consequences due to this phenomenon. Hence, this paper seeks to examine the issue of trash imports in Indonesia from a political-ecological standpoint, encompassing the social and economic dimensions and the environmental consequences. Furthermore, the article above, which examined the issue of trash imports in Indonesia, has also been conducted. Further investigation is required to explore political ecology, social and economic dimensions, and environmental ramifications. In addition, this article provides an overview of the relevant legislative requirements for the trash importation process in Indonesia. This paper employed the literature review approach to gather research material about waste imports and policies in Indonesia during the past five years. The research information was sourced from multiple studies utilizing the SLR 7P technique. The study findings indicate that trash imports in Indonesia can be understood as a manifestation of ecological politics, wherein the environmental issues are significantly shaped by political factors (namely ego-sectoral features) and economic components within them. The primary objective of the environmental interests outlined in the Basel Convention, which was subsequently translated into laws and regulations in Indonesia, has yet to safeguard environmental and human well-being from the adverse effects of imported trash. In addition, it is essential to comprehensively evaluate Indonesia's trash import policy to clarify its requirements. Furthermore, the issue of enforcing laws effectively in cases of infractions will also be addressed.

Young adults: activating hope for policy change

This article outlines the reasons for the aversion of young Polish women and men to politics, expressed in a lack of interest in politics, distrust of politicians and political institutions, and the low turnout of young people in most democratic elections in the Third Republic. The young generation did not feel political support for the realisation of aspirations and needs, and were less enthusiastic about democracy than their parents' generation. They also felt an intergenerational dissonance in terms of values and lifestyles. The young are more oriented towards secular values and self-expression than their parents. Particularly evident is the increased importance of these values among young women, as evidenced by analyses conducted by the researchers quoted in the text (e.g.: M. Marody and J. Raciborski). The Constitutional Court's ruling of 22 October 2020, delegitimising and criminalising abortion, prompted hundreds of thousands of young Polish women to stage almost two months of protests. These protests gained the support of more than 50% of the population, yet the authorities ignored them, using the police to disperse them and the party media to harshly criticise the participants. Despite the lack of expected impact among the participants, they left behind a good memory of a supportive community, which young people have rediscovered in various democratic opposition actions, meetings with leaders, Campus Poland, opposition programmes and most recently in the Million Hearts March. The numerous pro-frequency campaigns were also not insignificant. A post of active hope was created and this led to the mass participation of young people in the last elections.

Governing at a distance to change corporate social responsibility discourse: Navigating through institutions and actors

AbstractIn this paper, we demonstrate what influences the evolution of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) debates. Using the idea of ‘governing at a distance’ (Rose & Miller, 1992) from the Foucauldian governmentality perspective, we identify the mechanisms behind CSR's context‐based evolution. Examining 72 academic texts on CSR from the 1940s to the 2000s, we find that spatial political contexts and power interests shape CSR. We argue that CSR discourse is linked to governing systems and was part of a post‐WWII restructuring to support capitalism against communism in the global order. Our study reveals that academic journals and scholars introduced American CSR concepts to Turkish academia through strong ties to institutions like Harvard Business School and the Ford Foundation, influencing the emergence and change of CSR over time. Changes in CSR discourse are contextually embedded and politically laden with its emergence having a strong governmentality dimension for which academics (through their texts, academic acumen, and affiliated institutions) play a key role as intermediaries governing at a distance. While the critical perspective emphasizes the issues of coercion and contestations, our paper suggests the importance of cooperation and concerted efforts in shaping the global construction of CSR. We have demonstrated the nuanced interplay between the local and global governance of business and academic associations, challenging the perceived rigidity of their boundaries.

China in the Middle East: strategic priorities and features

The relevance of the research is due to the growing importance of the Middle East region in the economic development In Russof China in the XXI century, and consequently, the spread of economic and political interests of the latter. The purpose of the study is to determine China’s strategic priorities and the main directions of its political presence aimed at balancing threats and opportunities in such a turbulent region as the Middle East. Given the instability of this region caused by the global anti-terrorist struggle of the United States, the specifics of Chinese policy in the Middle East and North Africa are of interest, since it is China’s interests that are being threatened. With the help of the analytical method, the factors influencing the Middle East policy of the PRC have been identified, which, of course, contributes to the transformation of the regional order. The study concludes that the future of the Chinese presence in the Middle East is determined by China’s global strategy, as well as its vision of its role and the future world order as a whole.