Left-wing Research Articles

The evolution of affluent support for redistribution in Germany in the context of rising inequalities

This paper explores the changing attitudes of the most affluent individuals towards state intervention in redistribution in Germany in the context of growing inequality. Contrary to the predictions from traditional political economy models, a growing body of research suggests that the most affluent individuals could support more redistributive policies in reaction to higher income inequality due to altruism, fear of externalities (such as rising crime rates), and potential economic and social costs associated with downward mobility. Using survey data from the European Social Survey (ESS) from 2002 to 2020, our results provide robust evidence of our main prediction: we find a significant relative increase in support for redistribution among the top 30% of earners (compared to the bottom 70% of earners). Our heterogeneous analysis then reveals that the substantial increase in support for redistribution among the affluent has increased among supporters of the political left. This trend seems, however, to be comparatively less pronounced in East Germany.

How Not to Square the Left Vienna Circle’s Non-Cognitivism with its Political Commitment

Abstract This paper contextualizes and criticizes a recent attempt to square the socio-political commitment of the members of the so-called left wing of the Vienna Circle with the ethical non-cognitivism that follows from their conception of cognitive meaningfulness. It is shown that intolerable consequences result from the moral-political reading of the “scientific world-conception” proposed and it is argued that squaring their commitment and non-cognitivism does not require such a reading. It is also pointed out how deleterious consequences are avoided by an already existent reconstruction of the left wing’s position which was misunderstood by the author criticized and which is briefly recollected.

Media priming and immigration attitudes: Moderating effects of political ideology

ABSTRACT The present study investigates whether the amount of media coverage about immigration influences individuals’ attitudes toward this topic. It was expected that such media priming effects would be dependent on preexisting partisan attitudes. Accordingly, it was hypothesized that media priming effects might be observable exclusively in individuals who identify with either the right or left of the political spectrum. The hypothesis is based on the assumption that these individuals associate specific ideas with the topic of immigration, which they recall from memory when confronted directly or indirectly with related media content. Conversely, no priming effect was expected for individuals who identify as centrists. The empirical analysis utilized survey data, contextualizing statistical country data, and data from content analyses of national newspapers collected in six Western European countries between 2002 and 2018. Contrary to expectations, the results showed that higher media coverage is generally associated with positive immigration attitudes across all political orientations. However, this relationship is notably weaker for those on the political right and just slightly stronger for those on the political left. These findings show patterns that are consistent with media priming theory, which posits that media can activate preexisting beliefs.

Left populism and foreign policy: Bernie Sanders and Podemos

Abstract This article analyses how populism is conceptualized and studied in International Relations (IR) and argues that it should be seen as a political logic instead of a political ideology. It does so by demonstrating that ‘populist foreign policy’ looks radically different in analyses of the populist left, refuting the possibility of any distinctly ‘populist’ foreign policy positions. We argue that large parts of IR scholarship practise a form of concept-stretching that undermines the quality of analysis as well as the ability to make meaningful policy recommendations. Using the empirical case-studies of the politician Bernie Sanders in the United States and the political party Podemos in Spain, the article demonstrates that populism does not translate into any shared ideological positions, but is a way of formulating and performing—in these cases—leftist politics through which political actors can interpellate and mobilize different societal groups and demands behind their political projects. In particular, the analysis debunks common assumptions about populism's alleged effects on foreign policy and dangers to pluralist democracy, and shows that populism neither necessarily opposes multilateralism, migration and global public good provision nor formulates an authoritarian claim to power.

Capitalism, coronavirus, and war in the digital age: Interview with Radhika Desai

In Spring 2024, I met Radhika Desai for the first time at the London School of Economics and Political Science when we both held visiting positions at the Department of International Development as invited scholarly visitors. Although I had not expected her presence, I immediately recognized her after having been a reader of her works on geopolitical economy when developing my own ideas about the political economy of Chinese media and communications. I introduced myself and started talking with her, first at a coffee shop, then in a small office inside LSE’s Connaught House, and later at the Marx Memorial Library in London for a book launch party. Prompted by my questions rooted in the field of media and communication, Radhika Desai shared ideas from her newly published book, Capitalism, Coronavirus, and War: A Geopolitical Economy (Routledge, 2023), which is being translated into Chinese, her critiques about imperialism, globalization and essentially the world order after decades of neoliberalism, and, furthermore, her hopes for China, BRICS, and, ultimately, for the political left. Now, these conversations are turned into a dialogue piece, and with it I hope Communication and the Public readers will sense my gains from Radhika Desai, that is, to paraphrase from the famous line from the Communist Manifesto, in the digital age when all that is solid melts into ostensibly immaterial communication, man/woman is at last compelled to face with sober senses the real conditions of life and his or her relations with their kind.

중국 단편 수묵 애니메이션 <구스 마운틴>(2023)의 주제 표현에 대한 연구

Since the 1990s, traditional Chinese ink animation has declined due to its complexity, lack of entertainment value, and high production costs. Although digital technology has been introduced to innovate, there remains the problem of the pictorial nature of ink painting being sacrificed for the spatiotemporal characteristics of animation. Therefore, this paper explores human desire and nature through the character portrayal and mountain shaping in Goose Mountain. The director combines the traditional ink painting technique of “Cunfa (皴法),” Western sketching, the characteristics of the French Left Bank cinema movement, and the theory of “Breaking the Fourth Wall” to portray the characters. In doing so, Goose Mountain inherits the tradition of the “Chinese Animation School” while adapting to the development of the digital age, embracing Western film and animation techniques, and reflecting the creative ideology of “using Chinese essence with Western methods.” Through this ideology, Goose Mountain maintains the unique traditional aesthetics of Chinese ink animation—“the integration of virtual and real (虚实相生)”—while achieving a strong visual effect. As a result, Goose Mountain balances various artistic styles, reflecting the modern human condition of “worrying about gain and loss before obtaining something, and worrying about losing it after obtaining it.” Ultimately, it conveys the lesson that “life is like a rootless plant, drifting like dust on the road.” Based on this theme, this paper presents a viable visual strategy for the modern entertainment market while inheriting the culture of traditional Chinese ink painting.

Who thinks ideologically about welfare state reform? Partisanship and attitude consistency in politicians’ and mass public perceptions about the consequences of welfare service privatization in Sweden

When studying attitudes toward the welfare state or evaluations of welfare reforms, research has tended to focus on what people think rather than how they think about specific issues. Moreover, the effects of the mobilizing efforts of political parties on attitudes and belief systems are often theorized separately from the normative institutional feedback effects common to the welfare state literature. In this paper, I propose that elite political rhetoric and institutional norms may exert dual pressures leading to partisan differences in the propensity to think ideologically among the mass public, defined as a positive relationship between holding internally consistent attitudes and taking a partisan issue position. Drawing on the case of welfare service privatization in Sweden, I point out how the rhetoric of the right – emphasizing choice and private property – frequently contradicts norms about universality long espoused by the Swedish welfare state, while the rhetoric of the left – emphasizing equality of access and outcomes – is better aligned with such institutional norms. The analysis of survey data demonstrated that centre-right sympathizers, the prime receivers of conflicting elite versus institutional messages, frequently took a middling position, being neither positive nor negative, to the consequences of welfare service privatization, and that, unlike centre-right politicians and sympathizers and politicians of left parties, this position did not differ according to attitude consistency. Furthermore, political interest enhanced this relationship among right sympathizers but was of little consequence to left sympathizers, implying that in the case of a conflict between institutional norms and political rhetoric, only the most attentive sympathizers are likely to engage in ideological thinking on the basis of partisanship.

Leftist Dynamics in Post-370 Kulgam of Kashmir: Contours of Change

Following the revocation of Article 370 and re-organisation of the erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) into a Union Territory of India in August 2019, many questions arose about how democratic processes would work under the new dispensation. Within the context of the 2020 District Development Council elections, this article critically examines the surprisingly successful performance of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the CPI(M), in the district of Kulgam, a constituency well-known for its historical ties with leftist politics. Investigating the factors contributing to the party’s success, the article identifies the strategic approach by the CPI(M) to emphasise developmental issues, thereby challenging the traditional role of religion as a tool for mobilisation. Despite the strong local presence of the Jamaat-e-Islami, the left-leaning party, as part of a multi-party alliance, succeeded in gaining substantial electoral support in the seats that they contested. This study relies on primary data collected through extensive field surveys to highlight the unique electoral dynamics witnessed within this specific region, which gain added relevance in view of future electoral contests.

Expelling controversies: assessing the effectiveness of party expulsion procedures to resolve internal conflicts

ABSTRACT Intra-party conflicts are a constant challenge for political parties, involving both personal and political aspects. Notably, expulsion procedures are initiated against members involved in these conflicts as a means of resolution. However, the question arises whether expulsion procedures are an effective approach to addressing internal conflicts. This paper aims to examine the practice and effectiveness of expulsion procedures as a mechanism for resolving intra-party conflicts. The study focuses on Germany, where parties and expulsions are strictly regulated by law, and uses a case study approach including three cases from different contexts of intra-party conflict in recent years: Max Otte and the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Boris Palmer and the Greens and Sahra Wagenknecht and the Left Party. Unresolved conflicts can have serious consequences, potentially even destabilising or dismantling the parties. Therefore, effective conflict resolution mechanisms are crucial to ensure internal functioning and cohesion and need to be systematically analysed. However, political science literature has so far barely addressed the issue of party expulsions. The study will show that, in many scenarios, expulsion procedures often fail to resolve internal conflicts and that conflicts involving larger groups, such as factions, tend to persist or intensify even after expulsion procedures have been initiated.

Wing vein abnormality analysis in honeybee (Apis mellifera L. 1758) populations from Iran

The insect wing is one of the most important characteristics that allowed insects to occupy most of the habitats on the planet. Honeybee wings has been the subject of studies on the venation abnormalities. A total of 424 honeybees from 14 locations were collected and all four wings were removed and examined for 19 abnormalities on the forewings and 6 abnormalities on the hindwings. In general, supernumerary veins were the most common abnormalities seen and abnormalities no. 23, 2, 6, 1, 5, 21, 10, 13 had the highest and abnormalities no. 11, 17, 18, 19, 20, and 25 had the lowest frequencies. All of the abnormalities had similar frequencies in the right and left wings in the population. In terms of correlation between 25 abnormalities, abnormality pairs AB3–AB13, AB6–AB7, AB7–AB8, AB10–AB12, AB16–AB17 on the forewing and AB2–AB23, AB12–AB20, AB12–AB24, AB13–AB21, AB16–AB25, and AB17–AB25 between the forewing and hindwing show significant positive correlations and abnormality pairs AB4–AB5, AB7–AB15 and AB8–AB9 on the forewing show significant negative correlations with each other. In terms of the differential occurrence of abnormalities , a few locations differed significantly from other locations. This study provides some insights into the nature of these abnormalities on the honeybee wings.

Analyses of the impact of laterality on performances in the National Hockey League based on players’ position and origin

This study addresses the question of the lateral preference of the National Hockey League players. The shooting preference, left or right, was analysed as a function of the origin of four groups of players that are from the USA, Canada, Europe, or Russia. The analysis reveals that the players from the USA are more likely to shoot right than players from other countries. Also, compared to defense players from other groups, defense players from the USA have a higher number of shots per game and a higher goal-to-assist ratio. The study also shows that for wingers shooting left, those playing on the right wing have more goals or points per game than those playing on the left wing; and that European forward players have a better differential (+/−) than American and Canadian forward players. The study reveals the influence of the players’ origin on the preference in a bimanual asymmetric task and the impact of this preference on ice hockey performances.

Three-dimensional simulation on phase change heat transfer of moving spherical particle

Investigating the motion process of paraffin particle under a mesoscopic scale is very helpful to master the heat transfer mechanism of the mushy zone in solid–liquid phase change. Prior researches predominantly focused on either particle motion or phase change, without accounting for their coupling. In this study, the three-dimensional finite element method is used to solve the motion and heat transfer of the particle, taking into account the coupling of motion and phase change. The moving grid is employed to trace the interface of moving particles and liquid using the Arbitrary Lagrangian-Euler method, which is able to calculate flow and heat transfer in fluid region and allow grid deformation in solid region. The results indicate that uneven fluid velocity around the particles results in non-uniform temperature gradients on particle’s surface. In areas with larger temperature gradient, it melts more quickly and its deformation is obvious. The maximum is located at particle orientation angle 30°. Changing the size and direction of fluid velocity will reinforce or inhibit the movement of particle. The changing time of motion direction when fluid velocity is −0.03 m/s shorten 2.7 times than when fluid velocity is −0.01 m/s. The initial temperature of the surrounding fluid has a positive relationship with the particle melting rate. The channel width affects significantly the motion and melting of particle. The initial position of particle has an important effect on it’s falling movement, and the closer is close to the wall of channel, the greater the displacement of left and right movement.

What the trained eye cannot see: Quantitative kinematics and machine learning detect movement deficits in early-stage Parkinson's disease from videos

BackgroundEvaluation of disease severity in Parkinson's disease (PD) relies on motor symptoms quantification. However, during early-stage PD, these symptoms are subtle and difficult to quantify by experts, which might result in delayed diagnosis and suboptimal disease management. ObjectiveTo evaluate the use of videos and machine learning (ML) for automatic quantification of motor symptoms in early-stage PD. MethodsWe analyzed videos of three movement tasks—Finger Tapping, Hand Movement, and Leg Agility— from 26 aged-matched healthy controls and 31 early-stage PD patients. Utilizing ML algorithms for pose estimation we extracted kinematic features from these videos and trained three classification models based on left and right-side movements, and right/left symmetry. The models were trained to differentiate healthy controls from early-stage PD from videos. ResultsCombining left side, right side, and symmetry features resulted in a PD detection accuracy of 79 % from Finger Tap videos, 75 % from Hand Movement videos, 79 % from Leg Agility videos, and 86 % when combining the three tasks using a soft voting approach. In contrast, the classification accuracy varied between 40 % and 72 % when the movement side or symmetry were not considered. ConclusionsOur methodology effectively differentiated between early-stage PD and healthy controls using videos of standardized motor tasks by integrating kinematic analyses of left-side, right-side, and bilateral symmetry movements. These results demonstrate that ML can detect movement deficits in early-stage PD from videos. This technology is easy-to-use, highly scalable, and has the potential to improve the management and quantification of motor symptoms in early-stage PD.

“The People’s Garibaldi”: Twentieth-Century Politics of a Risorgimento Icon

Garibaldi epitomizes the Italian Risorgimento also on an iconographical level. With particular reference to Sicily in the 20th century, this article aims at analyzing first some aspects of an often thaumaturgical Garibaldi figure within subaltern culture, chiefly through handcrafts, political tattoos, painted scenes pertaining to the traditional puppet theater, as well as to ornate carts. All these contexts show a dense circulation between “high” and “low” culture. The elections for the regional parliament in 1947 were characterized by the massive use of Garibaldi in the frame of Communist propaganda too. Here we try to shed light on this strategy and the related iconographic choices. In the celebrations for the victory of the political left, the sacred dimension of Garibaldi’s mythic status is evident; his image is carried around during St. Joseph’s festival too.

A rare case report: Brucellosis as an extreme cause of shoulder subluxation and rotator cuff tendinopathy

Rationale: Shoulder subluxation and rotator cuff tendinopathy is commonly associated with degeneration or trauma, and brucellosis has been reported to be correlated with shoulder subacromial bursitis, arthritis. However, brucellosis as a cause of shoulder subluxation and rotator cuff tendinopathy has never been reported in the English medical literature. Patient concerns: A 46-year-old man complained of left shoulder weakness and limited movement ongoing for 1 month. He was primarily diagnosed with shoulder subluxation and rotator cuff tear based on magnetic resonance imaging, and was advised to undergo arthroscopic rotator cuff surgical repair. Diagnoses: Although rotator cuff tear was diagnosed in another hospital, some doubts remained. First, a tendon profile with a relative high signal in T2-weighted magnetic resonance images in the supraspinatus tear area still existed. The findings were clearly different from the usual full-thickness rotator cuff tear, and no tendon profile could be found in the tear area. Second, degenerative rotator cuff tear mainly occurs in the aged population and this patient was relatively young, without a history of trauma. His left shoulder was painless but the weakness and the limited movement were extreme and all of these factors did not support the diagnosis of rotator cuff tear. Some infectious disease was suspected to be the cause and relevant laboratory tests were conducted. This patient was eventually diagnosed as having brucellosis-associated shoulder subluxation and rotator cuff tendinopathy based on positive serum standard tube agglutination test and buffer plate agglutination test for brucellosis. Interventions: Oral drug therapy with rifampicin and doxycycline was used for 8 weeks. Outcomes: A complete response with normal shoulder strength and movement was achieved at 8 weeks. At the one-year follow-up no signs of recurrence were detected. Lessons: Brucellosis-associated shoulder subluxation and rotator cuff tendinopathy may be misdiagnosed as a rotator cuff tear in magnetic resonance imaging and be further managed with indeterminate arthroscopic repair. A comprehensive understanding of the patient’s previous medical history, imaging and laboratory data and a careful physical examination are of great clinic value for the accurate diagnosis of the condition and the subsequent prognosis of the patient.

Mall Cop or Robocop? The Political Determinants of Police Militarization in Brazil

Police militarization is prevalent worldwide. Despite growing interest in the consequences of militarization, few studies focus on its causes. Through the case of Brazilian municipal police forces, we explore the connection between partisan ideology and police militarization. Some research shows that leftist administrations in democracies are more likely to emphasize human rights and less likely to militarize the police. However, leftist administrations might militarize police forces more than centrist and right-wing parties to compensate for perceptions of lower competence to deal with security issues, especially when they face high levels of violent crime. Using inverse probability of treatment weights, we show an association between leftist mayors and higher militarization of municipal police forces. Furthermore, in contexts of high homicide rates, mayors of Brazil’s leading leftist party, the Workers' Party, tend to militarize local police more than others.

Memórias da corrupção no México: Uma reflexão pessoal

In the last decades, Mexico has experienced an increase in drug trafficking and violence. Not to mention that corruption levels continue being high in this country. The involvement of politicians in corruption scandals seems to be a constant element no matter what party holds the presidency. Since 2000, Mexico has experienced a political transition process after the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) lost the presidency after holding it for 71-years. The National Action Party (PAN), right wing, ruled the country for 12 years (from 2000 to 2012), although the PRI recovered the presidency with Enrique Peña Nieto (2012-2018), the presidency is currently (2023) held by the National Regeneration Movement (MORENA), left populist wing. However, corruption and violence seems to be unstoppable. In this context, it is presented as a little personal reflection about the impact of corruption in my personal history as an individual living in Mexico in different stages of my life. This reflection does not intend to be a scientific contribution, but rather an exercise to explore personal experiences and feelings, based on national events and factual materials, which show how corruption is embodied in the socialization of rulers and citizens.

Are there populist parties in Brazil? An analysis of Election manifestos (2010-2022)

Are there populist parties in Brazil? Despite the common perception of personalistic electoral connections, the literature suggests that parties play a crucial role in legislation and voting choice. However, Brazilian parties are overlooked in populism studies. This article adds to the literature by analyzing populism in Brazilian election manifestos between 2010 and 2022. Through a man-machine content analysis application, it finds that populism is used by only a few parties, predominantly among radical left parties. The article also explores populism within mainstream parties during the 2018 elections. Despite not representing a threat to democracy due to limited influence, the existence of populist parties challenges the misconception that populism in Brazil is solely about leadership.

King warns the nation: white America, the political economy, the age of Obama

The author contends that white America’s resistance to black advancement is the primary cause for the current racism and resistance to democracy and democratic institutions. Beyond Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and witness, white America has mutated into the political economy that has hybridized surrogates, namely, neofascism and neoliberalism, philosophical constructs that represent the Theo political right and the Theo political left. Strikingly, the political economy and its hybridized surrogates and paralleling philosophical constructs have come to maturity during the age of Obama, which provides a narrative for this article.

Rejecting the Radical New Left: Transformations in Japanese Social Movements

After a disastrous period of New Left political violence in the late 1960s and early 1970s, followed by two decades of abeyance, Japan has experienced a renewed era of social movement activity since the 1990s. These new movements explicitly seek to avoid contamination by the earlier period, even when their participants know little about it except for fear perpetuated by media portrayals of senseless violence. We analyze ethnographic accounts of contemporary groups engaged in collective action, ranging from small informal groups in Japan’s invisible civil society; groups trying to mobilize laborers who fall outside Japan’s traditional enterprise unions; and groups reviving and revitalizing older movement networks to deal with new threats; to new right-wing challengers and their counter-movements; and those making innovative use of cultural resources. They all seek alternatives to earlier social movements that engaged in political violence, by creating very different organizational structures and relations to ideology, relying on social media for communication, and developing new forms of collective action. They foreground cultural and expressive repertoires, and seek to establish the movement as a place of personal and social belonging. As was true of the New Left social movements in the mid-20th century, these new groups are closely attuned to movement developments around the world, even as they craft their responses to specific historical conditions in Japan.