Democracy Research Articles

Regime Type and Data Manipulation: Evidence from the COVID-19 Pandemic

Context: This study examines whether autocratic governments are more likely than democratic governments to manipulate health data. The COVID-19 pandemic presents a unique opportunity for examining this question because of its global impact. Methods: Three distinct indicators of COVID-19 data manipulation were constructed for nearly all sovereign states. Each indicator was then regressed on democracy and controls for unintended misreporting. A machine learning approach was then used to determine whether any of the specific features of democracy are more predictive of manipulation. Findings: Democracy was found to be negatively associated with all three measures of manipulation, even after running a battery of robustness checks. Absence of opposition party autonomy and free and fair elections were found to be the most important predictors of deliberate undercounting. Conclusions: The manipulation of data in autocracies denies citizens the opportunity to protect themselves against health risks, hinders the ability of international organizations and donors to identify effective policies, and makes it difficult for scholars to assess the impact of political institutions on population health. These findings suggest that health advocates and scholars should use alternative methods to estimate health outcomes in countries where opposition parties lack autonomy or must participate in uncompetitive elections.

ФОРМУВАННЯ ІНФОРМАЦІЙНОЇ КУЛЬТУРИ НАУКОВИХ ДОСЛІДЖЕНЬ ЗДОБУВАЧІВ ВИЩОЇ ОСВІТИ

In the conditions of the information society, the modern education system must prepare conscious citizens of their country who are able to navigate in the information field, critically interpret what they hear, draw their own conclusions and seek answers to the questions posed. That is why higher education must contribute to the development of these skills and abilities. The purpose of the article is to find out the semantic meaning of the concept of “information culture” and to determine the methodology of its formation among students of higher education during scientific activity. During the writing of the article, general scientific methods of analysis and synthesis were used. The worldview and methodological principles of democratization, innovation, and flexibility of the educational process were also observed. The article defines the main approaches to understanding the essence of the concept of “information culture”. The importance of careful selection of information sources, the need for a critical understanding of the received information, and the importance of observing these principles in the course of scientific activity are emphasized. The obtained results of the research can be taken into account when planning training sessions, especially practical work. Conclusions. Thus, the concept of information culture has different definitions and is used for different fields of knowledge. The key feature of this concept is a critical attitude to the received information and its proper verification. The modern education system pays considerable attention to the formation of information culture, introducing special courses, including media education. Observance of information hygiene by students of higher education is an integral part of their educational process, especially during scientific activities. Completing a number of practical tasks for the development of critical thinking should contribute to the formation of the information culture of higher education graduates. Key words: information culture, information society, media education, critical thinking, scientific activity.

Towards sustainable food systems: a review of governance models and an innovative conceptual framework

AbstractTo accelerate the transition towards inclusive, ecological, just and economically viable food systems, insights into appropriate governance models and principles are needed. This article aims to understand how food system governance is linked to and can contribute to sustainability. A review of 34 articles addressed food system governance, sustainability, current barriers and potential solutions. Some authors propose new, participatory, collaborative and democratic governance models to achieve a sustainable food system transition. Other authors consider a lack of integrated policies across sectors and siloed governance major barriers to holistic sustainability agendas and food system approaches. Three main elements of governance emerged from the reviewed literature: (i) interactions between actors, (ii) control and power balances, and (iii) (in)formal rules. Our analysis provides a fourth element: the orchestration of (multiple) food systems and policies. These four elements are integrated into a novel conceptual framework for consistently researching food systems governance for sustainability. The latter is now defined as ‘the continuous process of orchestration of policies and (multiple) food systems consisting of diverse interacting actors, respecting (in)formal rules and striving to provide food for all, in equitable and environmentally-friendly ways, at any time and in any context’.

Harassments, Assaults and Murders: The Travails of Ghana’s Libertarian Press

ABSTRACT For almost three decades, Ghana had built and maintained an enviable feat of liberal democracy and press freedom among its peers in Africa and much of the developing world. However, recent developments in the media landscape seem to be rapidly eroding this exemplary record. This reinforces the question: To what extent is Ghana fulfilling its obligation in nurturing a liberal media atmosphere, three decades after political liberalisation? Accordingly, this study finds various violations of media freedom in Ghana including arbitrary or selective shutdown of media houses, physical attacks, seizure and destruction of equipment, arbitrary arrests and detentions, threat to life and even murder of journalists. Perpetrators of these abuses include members of the security services, ruling party supporters, public officials and unidentified assailants. Consequently, the study concludes that this creeping authoritarian repression violates the hitherto libertarian media ecology and undermine media freedom and democratic governance.

Enhancing misogyny detection in bilingual texts using explainable AI and multilingual fine-tuned transformers

AbstractGendered disinformation undermines women’s rights, democratic principles, and national security by worsening societal divisions through authoritarian regimes’ intentional weaponization of social media. Online misogyny represents a harmful societal issue, threatening to transform digital platforms into environments that are hostile and inhospitable to women. Despite the severity of this issue, efforts to persuade digital platforms to strengthen their protections against gendered disinformation are frequently ignored, highlighting the difficult task of countering online misogyny in the face of commercial interests. This growing concern underscores the need for effective measures to create safer online spaces, where respect and equality prevail, ensuring that women can participate fully and freely without the fear of harassment or discrimination. This study addresses the challenge of detecting misogynous content in bilingual (English and Italian) online communications. Utilizing FastText word embeddings and explainable artificial intelligence techniques, we introduce a model that enhances both the interpretability and accuracy in detecting misogynistic language. To conduct an in-depth analysis, we implemented a range of experiments encompassing classic machine learning methodologies and conventional deep learning approaches to the recent transformer-based models incorporating both language-specific and multilingual capabilities. This paper enhances the methodologies for detecting misogyny by incorporating incremental learning for cutting-edge datasets containing tweets and posts from different sources like Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit, with our proposed approach outperforming these datasets in metrics such as accuracy, F1-score, precision, and recall. This process involved refining hyperparameters, employing optimization techniques, and utilizing generative configurations. By implementing Local Interpretable Model-agnostic Explanations (LIME), we further elucidate the rationale behind the model’s predictions, enhancing understanding of its decision-making process.

Political Parties and Electoral Volatility: How (un)stable is the Albanian Electorate?

This paper offers an in-depth analysis of electoral volatility in Albania from 1991 to 2021, a transformative period from a communist regime to a democratic multi-party system. It diverges from Central and Eastern European trends by examining Albania's unique political dynamics and the factors influencing electoral behavior and volatility. Utilizing the Pedersen Index, the study methodically evaluates various determinants impacting party electoral volatility in Albania. The research underscores the significance of high membership rates and robust ground organization within major political parties as key contributors to low volatility levels in Albania's party system, thus providing insight into the intricacies and idiosyncrasies of Albania's political landscape.

Implementation of the Pancasila Student Profile Strengthening Project (P5) in Enhancing Student Character

This study aims to analyze the implementation of the Pancasila Student Profile Strengthening Project (P5) with the theme "Voice of Democracy" at MAN 2 Trenggalek. A qualitative approach was employed through interviews and group discussions with students, a teacher of Akidah Akhlaq, and guidance counselor (BK). The research stages include planning, implementation, and evaluation of the project. The findings indicate an improvement in students' understanding of democratic values and the development of tolerant and responsible character traits. Students reported feeling more motivated to actively participate in discussions and activities, creating an inclusive learning environment. The discussion highlights the importance of integrating Pancasila values into character education and the challenges faced in teaching ethics of expression. This research provides recommendations to strengthen collaboration among schools, parents, and the community in supporting character education based on democratic values.

Complex Instruction: developing teachers’ professional knowledge and practice in Brazil

ABSTRACT ‘Programa de Especialização Docente Brasil’ (PED Brasil) is a learning and professional development program in mathematics or science education for primary or secondary in-service schoolteachers. Designed to be a teacher education program that addresses issues related to educational quality and equity in racially, socially, and academically diverse Brazilian schools, PED Brasil intended to craft a program with a signature pedagogy that could be capable of shaping the ways of thinking and acting in the teaching profession. PED Brasil does it by integrating different dimensions of knowledge and demonstrating various aspects of professional practice, considering the democratic society we aim to build. In this paper, we analyse how PED Brasil has adopted Complex Instruction as its signature pedagogy.

“Workers in Saskatchewan Now Have a Clear-Cut Bill of Rights”

This paper examines the politics surrounding the construction, implementation, and administration of the Saskatchewan Trade Union Act (stua) between 1944 and 1950. The act is important because it reflects the first attempt by a social democratic government in North America to construct a system of labour law that ostensibly aligned socialist ideas with the rights of workers to form trade union freedoms. This makes the stua unique in Canadian labour and political history because the legislation demonstrated the policy priorities of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (ccf) and the Canadian Congress of Labour as both organizations were attempting to solidify their places in postwar Canada. This history reflects the fact that the ccf and the unions, like the left in general throughout the 1940s and 1950s, defined the working class narrowly, focusing attention on white and male breadwinners with women and racialized workers very much on the periphery. The history also demonstrates the inherent contradiction within social democratic reform politics, as the act extended numerous rights to workers to organize and collectively bargain but when those same workers pushed back against government decision-making during the province’s first public-sector strike in 1948, political tensions found many of those same social democrats acting in similar manners to their private-sector counterparts. These tensions within social democratic approaches to labour relations – so evident in the Saskatchewan experience – have become a central contradiction of the movement throughout the postwar period and continue today.

Exploring the Effect of Plain Terminology on Processing and Comprehension of Administrative Texts in Spanish: A Self‐Paced Reading Experiment

ABSTRACTClear communication between government administrations and citizens is a challenge in democratic societies. Public administration texts often contain technical legal terms, essential to convey specialized knowledge with precision but often impenetrable to non‐experts. The plain language movement provides guidelines for simplifying legal‐administrative texts, recommending avoiding, explaining, or replacing technical terms with more transparent synonyms. This study assesses the effect of plain terminology on the processing and comprehension of administrative texts in Spanish. We conducted a self‐paced reading experiment in which participants (N = 117) read texts with legal‐administrative terms and their plain synonyms and answered comprehension questions. Results showed that plain terms significantly improved comprehension but did not reduce reading times. Mixed linear regression analysis revealed that other term properties—length, frequency, and comprehensibility—also influenced reading speed and comprehension. These findings suggest that these factors should be considered when proposing clear alternatives to legal terminology.

Implementation of Pancasila and Citizenship Education in the Pancasila Student Profile Program at Schools

Learning Pancasila and Citizenship Education consistently incorporates Pancasila values into its teachings. By studying this subject, students can grasp their rights and responsibilities as citizens and address issues related to citizenship, such as national unity, maintaining values and norms, human rights, power and politics, a democratic society, Pancasila and the State constitution, and globalization. The Pancasila student profile aims to develop graduates who are both of strong character and highly competent, reinforcing the fundamental values of Pancasila. This study employs a literature review method, sourcing data from books and journals. A literature review involves identifying, evaluating, and interpreting all relevant research findings related to a specific research question, topic, or phenomenon. The implementation of Pancasila and Citizenship Education within the Pancasila student profile in schools focuses on enhancing content related to cooperation, independence, creativity, global diversity, critical thinking, and faith in God Almighty with noble character. These elements are essential features of the Pancasila student profile program and must be practically applied in all school learning activities.

The weight of office? A scoping review of mental health issues and risk factors in elected politicians across democratic societies.

The mental health and capacity to govern of democratically-elected politicians have become burgeoning topics of interest. Notably, in fulfilling demanding and high-stress roles, political officeholders could encounter distinctive risk factors, yet existing research literature about these subpopulations remains underexplored. This scoping review aimed to systematically examine the breadth of available evidence on mental health issues and risk factors affecting democratically-elected politicians internationally and to identify future research needs. Using pre-defined eligibility criteria based on JBI guidelines, a systematic keyword search was conducted in May 2024 of MEDLINE, Scopus, and APA PsycNet, supplemented by snowballing techniques. Only those studies reporting primary, empirical evidence on mental ill-health or risk factors with psychological correlates from serving politicians in "Full" or "Flawed" democracies (per Democracy Index) were included from 1999 to 2024. Titles and abstracts were screened and the full-texts of potentially eligible literature were assessed before extraction and synthesis. Eighteen sources met the eligibility criteria, cumulatively encompassing ~3,500 national, state, and municipal politicians across seven democracies (Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States). Cross-sectional surveys were predominantly utilized, with lesser use of mixed-methods approaches, qualitative interviews, and longitudinal cohorts. Violence emerged as a key concept, with twelve sources (66.7%) underlining its psychological toll and certain data indicating a disproportionate impact on female officeholders. Furthermore, four sources (22.2%) explored general psychopathology trends, revealing varying but sizeable mental ill-health and high-risk alcohol consumption rates, and two studies (11.1%) demonstrated adverse effects from specific occupational conditions. Current literature suggests that democratically-elected politicians can face complex mental health challenges. However, significant research gaps remain, including a paucity of prevalence estimates, longitudinal data, and intervention studies. Equally, the underrepresentation of most democratic countries accentuates the need for a more diverse evidence-base to better support the mental wellbeing of politicians worldwide.

The distance between us: the role of ideological proximity in shaping perceptions of inter-partisan relationships

ABSTRACT Escalating hostility between partisans threatens democratic governance and social cohesion by eroding trust and fuelling discriminatory behaviour towards opposing groups. This study investigates how people perceive the relations between different partisan groups and why certain pairs of partisans are viewed as friendlier or more hostile towards one another. Drawing on similarity-attraction theory in social psychology and research on affective polarization, I argue that citizens perceive the relationship as more friendly between individuals who support ideologically similar parties. The claim is empirically supported through the use of a novel survey item that assesses the likelihood of two partisans becoming good friends, across three multi-party democracies: Canada, Germany, and the UK. The findings suggest that the ideological proximity of parties not only shapes citizens’ perceptions of parties themselves but also influences their views of fellow citizens across party lines. By demonstrating that people consider party proximity and ideological alignment when evaluating inter-partisan relations, the study sheds light on how ideological and affective dimensions intertwine within these relationships in multi-party democracies.

Les conspirations d’un romancier historique : Dumas, les sociétés secrètes et la Révolution

It would be very reductive to consider the revolutionary secret societies represented by Dumas as a simple historic seasoning. In his historical novels, in particular the cycle of Mémoires d’un médecin, the Illuminati are a dramatic engine of the narrative, which they structure with consistency; but their main mission is to embody the republican principle that imbues history, until dark times, and to support Providence in its great conspiracy of progress.

Shaming, Condemning, and Calling for Consequences: Contemporary Anti-dialogic Responses to Harmful Speakers in Public Discourse

ABSTRACT Many now criticise the purported tendency to condemn, shame, or call for consequences for those we disagree with in public debate, suggesting these actions are the antithesis of democratic participation. In this paper, I situate these frequently critiqued forms of anti-dialogic expression within an emerging tradition that recognises the democratic value of these kinds of expression, and elucidate the democratic credentials of speech acts more commonly derided as a contemporary cancel culture. I argue that these kinds of anti-dialogic counterspeech are a route to empowerment for otherwise silenced voices in the public sphere, and a necessary disruption to patterns of domination and subordination that enable harmful speech to proliferate in the public sphere. Acts of public shaming, condemnation, and calls for consequences that both eschew and seek to frustrate public debate can bolster inclusivity in the public sphere and undermine the unjust patterns of exclusion to which democratic deliberation ordinarily adheres.

The COVID-19 lockdown paradox: democratic support during democratic restrictions

Abstract Previous research has shown that positive perceptions of government performance are linked to higher levels of citizens’ support for democracy. However, the policy response to the COVID-19 crisis presented a unique paradox as relative success in preventing the virus spread depended on expanding executive powers, often at the cost of individual freedoms. Exploring this paradox, we investigate whether the link between perceptions of government performance and support for democracy holds in a situation where positive performance essentially means a restriction of freedoms. Using original survey data from seven European countries, we show that notwithstanding the democratic sacrifices, people with positive evaluations of the government’s response are more likely to maintain support for the democratic system. Nevertheless, people weighed responses to the health domain more heavily than to the economic domain, suggesting that the output legitimacy – democratic support link varies across domain-specific evaluations.

Perceptions of Local and Traditional Government Leaders for Enhancing Community Development

Purpose: There are two key governance forms in Ghana, specifically traditional governance and democratic governance. Accelerating development in the local communities requires effective collaboration and the fusion of the two governances divide to harness the unique capabilities and opportunities embedded within each paradigm. The perceptions hold by local and traditional leaders about each other is fundamental to collaborative efforts. Such perceptions speak to the psychosocial, convictional and behaviour of local leaders. Methodology: This study through a field survey samples the views of two leadership divide about each other in terms of their ability to drive positive change in the community to drive accelerated community development. The study was conducted among three select districts specifically, the Accra Metropolis, Kumasi Metropolis and the Tamale Metropolis using key informant interviews, and focus group discussions to gather the data. The data was analysed using thematic analysis. Findings: The findings of the study indicated that there are shared perceptions of strengths of both systems of governance for developing local communities. The traditional leaders are seen to be strong on cultural legitimacy, moral authority, communication competence, and historical knowledge, all of which helps in social mobilization within the local communities. The local government leaders were found to exercise strength in the areas of access to money and resources, legal authority, and enforcement authority. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: We conclude that there are opportunities to harness each of these strengths such that a successful fusion of local and traditional systems of government will lead transformative leadership for sustainable local development.

HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSE IN NIGERIA: TRENDS, ISSUES, CHALLENGES AND PROSPECT

Objective: Human rights abuses persist in Nigeria, undermining democratic governance since 1999. This study investigates pervasive violations, focusing on major trends and national issues facilitating these abuses. Nigeria's complex socio-political landscape, marked by ethnic diversity and economic disparities, exacerbates human rights violations. These include extrajudicial killings, torture, arbitrary arrests, and insurgency-related heinous acts perpetrated by Boko Haram and ISWAP. Theoretical Framework: The judiciary's inefficiency and corruption hinder justice for victims, while the government suppresses free speech and assembly, contrary to Chapter Four of the Nigerian Constitution, which is the main theoretical framework providing for the understanding of this investigation. Method: This study has a method of qualitative research which examines the interplay between Nigeria's socio-political landscape and economic disparities, perpetuating human rights violations. Findings reveal widespread abuses, particularly in the Northeast, highlighting the need for judicial reform, security sector reform, and increased accountability. Research and Discussion: The study provides the result of comprehensive analysis and lasting solutions to address human rights abuses in Nigeria. Recommendations promote dialogue and cooperation among stakeholders to strengthen human rights protection and enforcement. By addressing systemic challenges, Nigeria can move towards a more just and equitable society. Research Implication: The research implication of this research contributes valuable insights for policymakers, human rights organizations, and scholars. Originality and Value: Its findings and recommendations offer a pathway towards improved human rights protection in Nigeria, ensuring the well-being and dignity of Nigerian citizens.

Freedom of Association in Mexico

Abstract Freedom of association has been constitutionally recognized in Mexico since the mid-19th century. But it has been in recent years that academic scholarship and case law have constructed its content and scope. It is a freedom right that requires the performance of a negative conduct on the part of the State. Its constitutionally protected scope comprises a positive, a negative, as well as a collective dimension. Additionally, it is an instrumental right through which other fundamental rights can be exercised and the constitutional and democratic Rule of Law is consolidated. The greatest academic scholarship and case law development in Mexico refers to two specific types of associations: political parties and labor unions.

Eksistensi Kotak Kosong Pada Pilkada 2024 Di LampungThe Existence Of Empty Boxes In The 2024 Regional Elections Lampung Eksistensi Kotak Kosong Pada Pilkada 2024 Di LampungThe Existence Of Empty Boxes In The 2024 Regional Elections Lampung

The Empty Box phenomenon is a current that is being discussed ahead of the 2024 elections, which is certainly inseparable from democracy. Empty boxes are predicted to be a solution as well as an inconsistency that erodes democratic values. In Lampung itself, there are two regions that will fight the Empty Box in the upcoming 27 November 2024 Pilkada, which is motivated by several factors, one of which is political domination. Understanding the existence of the Empty Box is important especially for mutual understanding and avoiding misconceptions. This article focuses on how the presence of the Empty Box in the conception of democracy and the empiricism of the community to channel their disapproval of the Single Candidate. This research uses Library Research method, literature study with descriptive and comparative approaches to describe the data into straightforward, detailed and clear sentences that make it easier to understand. The results showed that the Empty Box in the concept of democracy is a solution, but also a new problem, especially in Lampung where there are practices of political domination