International Policy Research Articles

Populism's Challenges to Political Parties and Democracy - Taking the United States as an Example

In recent years, with the rise of populism around the world, the traditional party system and democratic system have encountered very serious challenges. This article mainly takes the United States as an example to explore in depth how populism affects American political parties and democratic governance. First, the development history of populism in the United States since the 20th century is analyzed and introduced, focusing on the impact of Trumpism in American politics. Secondly, it mainly explores the impact of populism on the internal structure and policy orientation of the two major political parties, the Republican Party and the Democratic Party, and deeply explores the role of populism in splitting party unity and reshaping party ideology. In addition, it also focuses on the role of populism in democracy from both positive and negative aspects. Finally, this article examines the challenges of American populism to the development of American democratic systems and political parties, including challenges to the electoral process, judicial independence, media freedom and public trust. This article believes that strengthening civic education and promoting party reform can better cope with the impact of populism and enable the healthy development of the democratic system.

The Quiet Evolution in International Tax: Domestic Law and Double Taxation

This article describes the respective roles of international tax law (predominantly tax treaties) and domestic tax law and their relationship with each other. This is a complex and interdependent relationship, with treaties, as special law, generally overriding domestic law. The article discusses the founding principle of tax treaties preventing double taxation, reflecting the original purpose of tax treaties. Subsequent developments over time have vigorously established the second principle of treaties: that the purpose of tax conventions is also to prevent tax avoidance and evasion. Such an increasingly important principle heralds the rise of anti-avoidance rules, prevention of abuse and the preservation of domestic taxing rights. The thesis in this article is that domestic law has prevailed against the more specialized law of treaties and at an increasing rate. This evolution has occurred in situations where the special law of treaties is “watered down” by the principle that treaties should not be allowed to be abused or in situations where they facilitate tax avoidance. What are the implications of this trend on the development of international tax policy? The article reflects on the respective roles of international and domestic law and guides us to suggestions on how to preserve important international tax principles in good faith and limit expedient domestic tax law changes when they are not driven by taxpayers’ abusive actions.

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.

Climate migration management? Contrasting international policy approaches with evidence from Ghana

ABSTRACT Donors and international organizations are seeking to manage migration out of climate-affected areas through local climate change adaptation and resilience-building. This article assesses the prominence of such approaches, considers their possible efficacy through an empirical case, identifies weaknesses, and offers alternatives. First, we identify and discuss international policy approaches seeking to shape climate-related mobility, drawing on document review of bilateral donor and international organizations’ policy and strategy documents regarding adaptation and climate-related migration. Then, we consider the efficacy of in place, or ‘in situ’, approaches that emphasize adaptation to limit mobility in practice. This is through a case-based analysis of dams and irrigation in the dry savannah zone of Northern Ghana, where poverty and outmigration are the highest in the country, and climate change severely undermines rural livelihoods. Donor-supported national efforts in this region explicitly link in situ adaptation and resilience-building with aims to limit outmigration. In addition to extensive background research including historical analysis, satellite and climate data analysis and a household survey (n = 403), this particular case analysis is based on individual and key informant interviews (n = 16 and 8, respectively), focus group discussions (n = 6) and document and policy review from Ghana, with focus on the Upper West Region. We document significant limitations broadly relevant to in situ approaches: they are unlikely to address diverse climate impacts as well as non-climatic factors shaping migration, and they will likely struggle to accommodate highly differentiated needs, preferences and mobility patterns within populations. Conversely, we find that in situ approaches seeking to reduce climate-related outmigration dominate among donor policies – often over focus on poverty reduction or development outcomes. These findings call for rethinking of donor and domestic policies that seek to limit outmigration through adaptation and resilience building. Rather, there is a need for development – and choice-oriented approaches that constructively integrate local adaptation and migration options for improved development outcomes.

The Effect of Geographical Factors on the Foreign Policy of Qatar during 2014-2016

Objectives:Qatar is a small country that showed an important role in the local, regional, and international levels. Several geographical factors such as location, area, shape, and regional water have affected Qatar’s foreign affairs policy. Therefore, this study aims at illustrating the role of geographical factors in the country’s foreign affairs policy. What makes the study significant is that it is the first study which focuses on this topic in Qatar. Methods: The study has used to analysis the Foreign polices decisions two methods (i.e. Dwisha, 1977) (Dawisha) framework throughout the study. Results: The study revealed that some geographical factors had recently benefited Qatar during the forced siege by some GCC countries. Also, the political crises made Qatar depends mainly in its foreign affairs policy on the given energy resources alongside with a wide range of foreign relationships network with the effective countries in the international policy. This, enabled Qatar to overcome on the lack of space and population in order to enhance its economy to be out of the dominance of some GCC countries. Conclusions: Finally, the study approved that Qatar had inter-relation foreign network that positioned Qatar politically among countries, organizations, institutions comparing with large states. Keywords: Qatar’s geopolitics, Foreign policy, geographical factors, Qatar Siege, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

Instrument constituencies and the brokering of OECD-knowledge in Nordic school reforms - a three country comparison

ABSTRACT Major international surveys and reports have considerably altered the expectations and outlooks of national policymakers in education over the last three decades. Through a comparative content analysis of bibliographies in policy documents, this article explores the intermediary bodies that facilitate salient interconnections between international organizations such as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and national policymakers and experts who prepare comprehensive school reforms in three Nordic countries: Denmark, Norway and Sweden. This article builds on a large Nordic research project that studied the transfer and translation of international policies in a Nordic reform context. It extends the study by examining the role of publishers as intermediary policy brokers that legitimize the usage of OECD knowledge as significant members of instrument constituencies. This study enhances our understanding of the variations in citation patterns across policy documents from three Nordic countries. It also investigates the extent to which differences in instrumental constituencies arise from institutional arrangements and the ideational foundations underpinning reform trajectories. Additionally, it examines the topics addressed by these reforms and the governments’ affiliations with new policy brokers supported by both public and private publishers.

Agroecology as a new frame of reference for French agricultural policy? Insights from a lexicometric analysis of policy documents

ABSTRACT References to agroecology have gradually started appearing in national and international public policies. We examine the extent to which agroecology is becoming a frame of reference for public action in the French national and regional context. Using textual statistics, we analyzed institutional documents concerning agroecology put out by public policy actors between 2008 and the summer of 2021, and conducted interviews with key actors of the Agroecological Project for France (PAEF, Projet Agroécologique pour la France). Our analysis shows that agroecology invoked in framing texts is reclassified in the vocabulary of triple performance, dominated by the notion of economic performance. A comparative analysis of the national and regional texts reveals mismatches, especially in terms of the level of autonomy of the actors concerned, and in the processes of knowledge transfer and support for changes in agricultural practices.

Particle swarm optimization tuned multi-headed long short-term memory networks approach for fuel prices forecasting

Increasing global energy demands and decreasing stocks of fossil fuels have led to a resurgence of research into energy forecasting. Artificial intelligence, explicitly time series forecasting holds great potential to improve predictions of cost and demand with many lucrative applications across several fields. Many factors influence prices on a global scale, from socio-economic factors to distribution, availability, and international policy. Also, various factors need to be considered in order to make an accurate forecast. By analyzing the current literature, a gap for improvements within this domain exists. Therefore, this work suggests and explores the potential of multi-headed long short-term memory models for gasoline price forecasting, since this issue was not tackled with multi-headed models before. Additionally, since the computational requirements for such models are relatively high, work focuses on lightweight approaches that consist of a relatively low number of neurons per layer, trained in a small number of epochs. However, as algorithm performance can be heavily dependent on appropriate hyper-parameter selections, a modified variant of the particle swarm optimization algorithm is also set forth to help in optimizing the model’s architecture and training parameters. A comparative analysis is conducted using energy data collected from multiple public sources between several contemporary optimizers. The outcomes are put through a meticulous statistical validation to ascertain the significance of the findings. The best-constructed models attained a mean square error of just 0.044025 with an R-squared of 0.911797, suggesting potential for real-world use.

The macro driving factors of co-movement of RMB with other currencies in FX markets

The co-movement of the RMB exchange rate with other currencies highlights the global standing of the RMB and its significance in FX markets. This paper employs the rational expectations present-value model of exchange rates to identify the macroeconomic factors influencing this co-movement. Our finding reveals a general increase in the RMB's co-movement with other currencies, especially after the 2015 reform of the RMB exchange rate regime, known as the “811 Reform”. Factors such as the synchronizations of output and monetary policy, as well as global market sentiment significantly, can affect this co-movement significantly. However, this explanatory power is relatively weaker compared to trade linkage. The market-oriented reforms in the RMB exchange rate regime and the liberalization of capital account in China have indeed strengthened this co-movement. Additionally, various international cooperation policies taken by the Chinese government have demonstrated promotional effects. This study echoes the traditional exchange rate determination theory and offers some policy implications for the internationalization of the RMB.

Towards minilateral climate governance? Analysing climate club design options through the lens of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities

AbstractIn response to the limitations of the United Nations climate change regime, a range of dynamic climate governance arrangements have emerged, including minilateral ‘climate clubs’. Although proposed as a solution to move international climate policy forward, depending on their specific design, climate clubs could raise implications from the perspective of the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities (CBDR‐RC). Accordingly, this article aims to analyse different climate club design options through the lens of CBDR‐RC. First, it explains the general rationale for climate clubs and presents a spectrum of key club design features. Second, this article describes how CBDR‐RC has been operationalised under the climate regime. Third, drawing on current club‐like arrangements—namely, the Climate Club, the Clean Energy Ministerial and the proposed Global Arrangement on Sustainable Steel and Aluminium—it critically examines whether different design options are (likely to be) compatible with CBDR‐RC.

Does Soft Power Look Different in Multinational Federations? International Education and Soft Power Politics in Canada/Quebec

Abstract While the study of soft power has gained significant scholarly attention, an understanding of soft power politics in diverse state models, and multinational federations specifically, is lacking. This study remedies this gap by exploring the connection between soft power and multinational federalism in the Canadian context, highlighting the tensions between the Canadian federal “majority” nation and Quebec's “minority” nation. Relying on the international education policy sphere and its soft power potential, the study extends the discussion of soft power beyond the typical unitary nation-state lens, elucidating the interaction of multiple (and contrasting) soft power rationales within one country. The study reveals that soft power politics can be exerted as much domestically as externally and can be pursued in a discorded fashion within a nation-state. Clearly, there is a need for a more nuanced understanding of soft power, which considers its contested manifestation, and the context-specific ways it is utilized.

Navigating Intersectional Complexities: A Narrative Analysis of Syrian Refugee Women With Disabilities in Turkey

Refugee women with disabilities experience a multiplicity of insecurities before, during, and after their displacement, including exposure to violence during conflicts, barriers to their mobility, challenges along their routes to safety, difficulties in accessing rights and services in the host state, and hardships while navigating the means of survival in the host community. Despite the intertwined convergence of gender and ableism in exile affecting refugee women’s experiences, international and national laws and policies fail to address this intersectional reality. This study examines the lived experiences of Syrian refugee women with disabilities in Gaziantep, Turkey. Through an analysis of qualitative data with a narrative approach, the study not only depicts the interactions of gender, disability, and displacement that shape Syrian women’s lives but also contests the traditional discourse on their vulnerabilities. Through specific stories of Syrian women, this study highlights their strategies for survival and their future plans within the context of the intersectionality of the challenges they face.

Fundraising and Zakat Distribution in Poverty Alleviation in Maruthamunai, Sri Lanka: A Maqashid Sharia Perspective

In Sri Lanka, poverty has been one of the most pressing social issues over the past decade. This research examines zakat fundraising strategies and analyzes zakat distribution patterns in Maruthamunai, Sri Lanka, where Muslims constitute the dominant ethnic group. The current role of zakat in Maruthamunai is crucial in alleviating poverty. Primary data for this study included annual fundraising and distribution reports from the Zakat Fund, covering the years 2019 to 2023. As part of this qualitative research, unstructured interviews were conducted with the president, general secretary, deputy president, assistant secretary, members, and prominent individuals in the region. Data analysis was conducted using coding and is presented descriptively through the maqasid sharia approach. The results of this study indicate that the distribution of zakat funds in Maruthamunai has been less effective due to several factors, including insufficient receipt of zakat funds and inadequately structured internal distribution policies. Policymakers should focus on prioritizing the primary level of welfare needs (mashlahah dharuriyyah). Within this framework, the maqasid sharia perspective emphasizes the development of human resources as a priority over material development. Therefore, despite the relatively high poverty rate, the objectives of preserving religion, safeguarding human life, ensuring generational continuity, protecting intellect, and promoting wealth circulation can still be effectively pursued.

Identifying the Internal and External Pressures of Quantifying the Impacts of Sustainability-Oriented Innovation

The sustainability-oriented innovation (SOI) has emerged as a critical approach for an organisation that addresses environmental, social, and economic challenges. The proposed study aims to identify key internal and external pressures by uncovering the main factors within and outside the organisation influencing the quantification of SOI impacts. In the given study’s research design adopts a primary qualitative approach to explore internal and external pressures affecting the quantification of sustainability-oriented innovation (SOI) that impacts the economic context. Qualitative research was chosen for its ability to provide an in-depth insight into a complex phenomenon that captures the nuances of the participant’s experience, attitudes and perception. The findings show that a leadership team’s commitment to sustainability and the proactive mindset of our employees fosters an environment where innovation thrives. The conclusion is that the implementation of internal policies and incentives encouraged sustainable practices and continuous improvement. SOI has been influenced by concepts like a crucial economy that promotes a continuation use of resources through its recycling and remanufacturing and to share economy, emphasizing access to over ownership.

Research on Quality Evaluation of Climate Information Disclosure in Cement Industry

This paper discusses the current situation and framework of climate information disclosure through the review of domestic and foreign literature. Based on relevant international guidelines and Chinese policies and regulations, the evaluation system is constructed from four dimensions of governance, strategy, risk management, index and target report by using analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and content analysis method. Taking the content of climate-related information disclosure of Tianshan Stock in 2023 as an example, this paper studies the gap between domestic cement enterprises in their climate information disclosure and the global benchmark, and puts forward relevant countermeasures and suggestions to promote the improvement of the quality of climate information disclosure of listed companies in the cement industry.

Analysis of Revenue Recognition Based on PSAK Number 23: Case Study In Trading Company PT. Solusindo Ganda Kharisma

This study aims to analyze the implementation of revenue recognition based on the Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (PSAK) No. 23 in the trading company PT. Solusindo Ganda Kharisma. In an increasingly competitive business environment, companies are required to implement an effective accounting information system to produce accurate and timely financial information. Revenue is one of the key elements in financial statements, where its recognition and measurement affect the quality of the information presented. This research uses a descriptive qualitative approach. Primary data were obtained through interviews with relevant parties in the company, while secondary data were sourced from the company’s financial statements, internal accounting policies, and other documents. The results of the study indicate that PT. Solusindo Ganda Kharisma has effectively implemented PSAK Number 23 in the recognition of revenue from the sale of goods and services. Revenue from the sale of goods is recognized when the goods have been received by the customer, while service revenue is recognized based on the percentage of work completion. However, several challenges remain, such as delayed revenue recognition due to late delivery of goods and discrepancies in estimating the percentage of work completion for service sales.

Global policy harmonization in creative commons licensing: A roadmap for balancing creator and user rights

This paper examines the necessity for global policy harmonization in Creative Commons (CC) licensing to prevent legal exploitation and ensure equitable protection for both creators and users. It highlights the challenges posed by inconsistent copyright laws across different jurisdictions, which often lead to vulnerabilities and copyright trolling. Through a detailed analysis of various legal systems, this paper identifies key inconsistencies and proposes international policy standards that balance creator and user rights. A comprehensive roadmap is outlined, featuring phased goals, an implementation framework, and mechanisms for monitoring and evaluation. The paper concludes with recommendations for future research and a call to action for policymakers to collaborate internationally, aiming to create a cohesive and fair digital content-sharing ecosystem.

Addressing the Anthropocene from the Global South: integrating paleoecology, archaeology and traditional knowledge for COP engagement

The triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss necessitates more holistic, comprehensive, and integrated public policy approaches. Within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, this crisis highlights significant conflicts over forms of knowledge and conceptualization, affecting how international policies are formed. Indigenous knowledge systems have become increasingly acknowledged for their vital role in addressing the challenges of the Anthropocene. Conferences of the Parties institutions like the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change emphasize the critical, although not always recognized, importance of Indigenous territories, which contain eighty percent of the world’s biodiversity. Here, we show that research in paleoecology, archaeology and history demonstrates the long-term significance of traditional knowledge and Indigenous land management practices for contemporary ecosystem dynamics. Drawing from these varied studies and perspectives also reveal the socio-economic inequalities resulting from centuries of European colonialism. We showcase three case studies on; (i) pastoralism in eastern Africa, (ii) natural resource management in southeast Asia and (iii) adaptation to sea level rise in the Caribbean, which touch upon highly diverse human resilience strategies across space and time. Despite efforts at the COP28 to accelerate climate action and incorporate diverse knowledge systems, significant challenges remain. The need for a pluralistic knowledge, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, blending scientific language with artistic and narrative forms, is proposed as critical for fostering effective communication and developing more effective and equitable solutions for global environmental governance.

BRAZIL X PORTUGUESE AFRICA: RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION, GEOPOLITICS AND PROSPECTS FOR THE LUSOPHONE COMMUNITY

For many years, Brazil has held a strategic position on the international stage, with recognition of its important role as a mediator of conflicts and as a political partner for the emergence of new actors with crucial weight in the international community. With a focus on the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) and the BRICS, the country has been able to rise to the level it has occupied over the last decade, playing a direct role in the geopolitical agenda and participating in decision-making regarding the directions that the planet will follow in the coming years. However, with the internal change in management, the country has suffered losses in terms of conducting its international policy, weakening Brazil's participation in important international bodies, such as the United Nations. The position now occupied, including the absence of the President of the Republic from participating in important international forums, requires new approaches to place Brazil once again on the international geopolitical stage. One such strategy is to strengthen international relations with Portuguese Africa, in order to strengthen the bonds of the Portuguese-speaking community and to make the right to self-determination of peoples effective. Each African country, in line with its own history, demands different Brazilian approach strategies so that interactions can in fact be increased. This article, therefore, aims to highlight possible alternatives for increasing these relations in contemporary times, according to what appears to be most advantageous and promising for Brazil in relation to Portuguese Africa.

Evaluating Ecosystem Services Incorporation in River Policy: A Multidimensional Framework Applied to China's River Chief System

ABSTRACTThis study develops a comprehensive evaluation framework to assess the incorporation of river ecosystem services (ESs) into policy content, focusing on China's River Chief System (RCS) policy. The framework introduces a quantitative tool that bridges the gap between policy formulation evaluation and policy effect evaluation by integrating a hierarchical indicator system, reference values, and a method for quantifying ES incorporation. Key findings from 32 province‐level RCS policy documents revealed selective incorporation of certain ES indicators, significant mismatches between policy focus and the typical structure of river ESs, and notable regional disparities. Provisioning services (i.e., water supply) and regulating services (i.e., pollution mitigation) are prioritized, while critical regulating services (e.g., flood mitigation and habitat maintenance) and cultural services (e.g., education and science) are underrepresented. Stakeholder and relationship indicators are limited, primarily focusing on managers and spatial relationships, while the value of river ESs is largely ignored. Policy optimization should emphasize expanding the coverage of ESs, incorporating broader stakeholder involvement, and integrating financial incentives. Drawing on international river policies, policymakers could create a more flexible and adaptive river governance structure. While the study offers a quantitative framework for policy evaluation, it acknowledges limitations, including reliance on textual data and potential biases in the reference values. Future research should include stakeholder perspectives and dynamically adjust reference values as new data become available.