Political Debate Research Articles

Aggression and disagreement in public communication

Abstract The persuasive effectiveness of implicit strategies, associated with reduced epistemic vigilance, may lead to their exploitation in conveying doubtful information in advertisement and propaganda. In political communication, presuppositions tend to specialize for the conveyance of questionable opinions and self-praise, while implicatures reveal a preferential association with face-threatening contents in general, where implicitness can allow speakers to count less evidently as offenders, at the same time being able to convey contents that can discredit the opponent. In public debates, speakers do not necessarily aim at convincing the opponent, but at shaping the beliefs of the public at home. In Italian broadcast political debates, implicatures and presuppositions are used exactly with this function. Confirming this pattern, participants in public debates often “intercept” the opponent’s implicatures and make them explicit in order to reduce the persuasiveness effected by their being implicit. Sometimes this also offers the opportunity to provide explicitations that are different from the original implicature, caricaturizing the position of the opponent with a strawman effect.

Surrogacy in the United States: analysis of sociodemographic profiles and motivations of surrogates

Research questionSurrogacy is a process that uses human-assisted reproductive technology whereby a woman agrees to carry and deliver a child on behalf of another individual or couple. It is becoming increasingly popular in Western countries. In many European countries, there are political and social debates on how surrogacy should fit into their legal frameworks. One of the main questions on which the arguments in favour and against surrogacy are based is women's autonomy to decide to become surrogates of their own free will. The social actors opposed to its regulation (radical feminism and ultra-conservative Catholicism) converge in their approach by questioning women's autonomy to make decisions about their own bodies while ignoring altruistic motivations and prosocial behaviour. DesignThis quantitative study was performed with n=231 participants in the US, given the country's long history of surrogacy, to help clarify the profile of the women who become surrogates, their power of decision and their motivations. ResultsThe descriptive and the multivariate cluster analyses show that women who become surrogates earn above the average income for their state, have a high level of education, have health insurance, are employed, and decide to become a surrogate for pro-social/altruistic reasons. ConclusionsIn contrast to the premise of both radical feminism and ultra-conservative Catholicism, one of the main conclusions indicates that altruism and empathy towards others are the primary motivations for participating in surrogacy processes, and that a woman's decision to become a surrogate is not motivated by social conditioning relating to poverty or social status.

Hydraulic fracturing potential of tight gas reservoirs: A case study from a gas field in the Bredasdorp Basin, South Africa

The issue of hydraulic fracturing in the onshore Karoo Basin has triggered an intense political, social and environmental debate in South Africa. This research paper proposes the relatively under-explored F–O tight gas field in South Africa as a demonstration site that can shed light on the ongoing debate on the use of hydraulic fracturing in the Karoo Basin. By combining petrographic and geomechanical analyses with critical velocity experiments and rock mechanics testing, a step-by-step guide for assessing the hydraulic fracturing potential of tight gas reservoirs was presented. K-Means clustering was used to improve the sampling strategy and to capture reservoir heterogeneity. The results obtained showed that K-Means clustering improves reservoir characterisation by revealing heterogeneous intervals, thus optimising petrographic and geomechanical analyses. In addition, the hydraulic fracturing fluid was found not to cause formation damage in the reservoir at a critical velocity of 0.155 ml/min. The elastic properties also showed that the F–O Tight Gas Field has a high degree of brittleness with good hydraulic fracturing potential. Finally, the characterisation of the fractures shows that partially open fractures are prevalent, which can dilate under the high differential stresses in the reservoir. Although further investigation is required, this study has shown that the F–O gas field is a promising candidate for hydraulic fracturing.

The Frontiers of Nullification and Anticommandeering: Federalism and Extrajudicial Constitutional Interpretation

Abstract In federal systems, non-judicial actors can engage in constitutional reasoning. The actions taken may come in different legal forms. Some may be consistent with positive law, while others may not. Nullification and anticommandeering are prominent examples. We show that these concepts have functionally made new appearances in Canada. One significant example of this is Alberta’s enactment of the 2022 Sovereignty Act. We trace how the initial proposal for the legislation resembled nullification. Over time, the proposal was reformed to adapt it to the particularities of Canadian federalism. The result was a Sovereignty Act that appears to assert existing provincial powers, particularly as a formal framework for extrajudicial constitutional interpretation via anticommandeering, although only time will tell if this remains the case in practice. In doing so, we shine a light on the contours of some of the legal and political debates that may arise as the framework is operationalized.

Freedom of Expression and Hate Speech Regarding the Activities of Public Officials in Political Debate

Abstract Freedom of expression has accompanied humanity for centuries. As societies have developed over the decades, it has evolved and changed. In parallel, the brutalisation of language has also progressed, leading to the emergence of hate speech. Today, hate speech is a global phenomenon, significantly impacting the speech of public figures. This is due to the fact that such statements reach a wide audience, which includes both supporters and opponents of such a person. Consequently, this leads to a wide-ranging debate where individual arguments lose relevance, overshadowed by the repetition of negative slogans and comments with hateful overtones. This article aims to delineate the boundary between freedom of expression and hate speech, highlighting the consequences associated with the use of hate speech by public figures. It seeks to prove the main thesis that hate speech in the activity of public figures is an unquestionably negative phenomenon and thus cannot benefit from the protection guaranteed under freedom of speech. Additionally, it posits that hate speech undermines the dignity of individuals and society, leads to a decline in the culture of speech, and diminishes both political and social culture. Consequently, it erodes the authority of public figures and harms the offices they hold by undermining trust in them.

EU CONVERGENCE: A PATHWAY TO ECONOMIC STABILITY

In the context of global systemic transformations, economic security has become a focal point in political and economic debates. The article explores how economic convergence within the European Union (EU) contributes to strengthening regional economic security. Using an innovative approach based on cluster analysis, the study reveals economic convergence trends among EU member states, highlighting the involvement of this process in promoting economic stability and security in the era of systemic changes. Our methodology involves applying clustering techniques to an extensive set of economic indicators to assess the dynamics of economic convergence between EU countries over the last two decades. The cluster analysis carried out allowed the grouping of countries based on their similar economic characteristics, thus providing a clear picture of the progress towards convergence. The results indicate a strong trend of economic alignment within the EU, with the formation of clusters suggesting a reduction in economic discrepancies. This process of convergence not only reflects greater economic cohesion, but also contributes to the macroeconomic stabilization of the region, an important aspect for economic security in the face of global volatility and uncertainties. The analysis shows that the EU is moving towards uniformity and economic convergence, with economic clusters becoming more similar over time.

Political Regime and Governance on climate Change. Evidence from the Western Balkan Economies

Abstract The political environment plays a crucial role in steering societies to address the challenges posed by global warming and contributing to global initiatives toward a resilient and environmentally sustainable future. Political regimes in different places in the democracy-authoritarianism spectrum show varying degrees of effort to reduce their nation's respective carbon emissions. This paper aims to determine the role of political regimes along with governance dimensions in climate change mitigation. The analysis uses the V-Dem database and the World Governance Indicators (WGI) to conceptualise and measure each country's political system and its institutional quality of governance, respectively. The empirical model uses a panel database of the variables of interest for the years 1998-2022 regarding the Western Balkan (WB) economies. The target group of countries sparks our interest due to their significant challenges, such as widespread pollution, political regime changes, and severe governance problems. Furthermore, integrating the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis, which suggests a complex relationship between economic growth and environmental sustainability, the analysis provides evidence that the relationship between CO2 emissions and GDP per capita follows a quadratic trend, suggesting that as GDP per capita increases, the associated CO2 emissions may not change linearly but instead follow a parabolic pattern. WB countries also share the ambition of EU accession and hold the EU candidate status. To the extent these states manage to overcome their institutional issues, they will be in the position to implement the EU environmental acquis efficiently, which will amount to a critical step in the region's environmental health. Policymakers and scholars of the field will benefit from this paper since it determines the impact of political systems precisely matched with empirical results to derive conclusive answers regarding the political systems and climate change debate.

Inflation – Causes and Measures. Inflation in Romania

Abstract The causes of global inflation developments are the central subject of political debates, after in 2022 it became a global phenomenon, remaining above the average of the pre-pandemic period. According to the World Bank, there is a wide range of shocks to global supply and demand, oil prices and global interest rates that together drive global inflation. According to the International Monetary Fund, the global recovery is becoming increasingly sluggish and with growing regional divergences, with a future downward trend in global growth below the historical average of the period 2000-2019. Moreover, it is estimated that inflation will subside in the next period, but without reaching the estimated target for 2025. However, Romania has the highest inflation rate in the EU, increasing double the average of the EU countries. There are views that monetary policy, more rigor in fiscal consolidation and lower international commodity prices can control inflation and rein in debt growth. But what measures have been adopted in this regard and why does Romania have a different evolutionary trajectory?

Cooperação em segurança e defesa cibernética e a proteção das democracias sul-americanas

The last decade has shown the global society, especially South American society, the great challenges that democracies will face in the 21st century. Among the various threats observed in cyberspace are the so-called disinformation campaigns and hybrid interference. As a result, this new digital means of information socialization has caused serious damage to the democratic pillars of states, as disinformation and false information have become a feature of political debate. Based on this, the article seeks to analyze how South American countries are building cooperation in cybersecurity and cyber defense between 2012 and 2020, and what the implications are for the protection of democracy and the rule of law. It is argued that, due to the transnational dynamics of the digital world and the wide reach of its actions and consequences, the search for a solution to these demands goes through a process of deepening state cooperation, in which the foreign policy strategies of states are fundamental for building an effective response to this type of threat to democracy at the international level. From this perspective, we understand the interdependence between States in this sphere and adopt a cooperative conception to reflect on the obstacles South American countries face.

Explaining differences in policy learning in the EU "Fit for 55” climate policy package

AbstractThrough learning, policy actors can maintain, reinforce, or revise their beliefs and positions about the design and outcomes of policies. This paper critically analyzes factors influencing policy learning by comparing policy processes of two EU laws of the recent “Fit for 55” climate package: (i) revised provisions on increasing energy efficiency in companies included in the recast Energy Efficiency Directive and (ii) the new FuelEU Maritime regulation provided for decarbonizing maritime shipping. Learning across coalitions with competing beliefs was encountered in the first case but not in the other despite similar institutional settings. The difference is attributed to a more politicized debate on decarbonizing shipping, leading to consensus through bargaining instead of deliberation, and a circumscribed leader of one coalition, with a less flexible negotiation mandate. The paper adds to the theory on policy learning, suggesting that levels of politicization and polarization, as well as the mandates of the coalition leaders, influence cross‐coalition learning.

LANGUAGE AS A SOCIAL STRATEGY

The review analyses two books published in 2023. They are united by one of the most strategic issues of Ukrainian society: language. The first book is an essay by Yevheniia Kuznetsova “Language is a Sword. As the soviet empire used to say”. This is a collection of essays on the USSR language policy. In the introduction, the author notes that they can be read separately and in any order. In total, the book includes 101 brief (two to three pages) chapters, each covering an aspect of the language issue in the Soviet empire. The researcher identifies such areas of state language policy as: latinization, cyrillization, russification, and the role of northern boarding schools in the indigenization of the indigenous peoples of the North; the influence of ideology on linguistic research; russification of names and surnames etc. In the book, from chapter to chapter, the author describes the steps taken by the Soviet authorities in relation to the languages of the former Soviet Union nations, how some of them were threatened with extinction, and how some have already disappeared. From chapter to chapter, the author tells how the soviet authorities treated the languages of the former soviet union republics, how some of them were endangered and some have already disappeared. Looking for answers to the questions: why are there Ukrainians in Ukraine who do not know their native language? Or why some people are ashamed of their native dialects? How did it happen that the russian language became an offensive weapon. Yevheniia Kuznetsova claims that language has always been a political argument. At the same time, she leads readers to the conclusion that the Ukrainian language should become a shield in the fight against empires. This idea is developed by Feodosiia Kolesnyk in her book “Stories of the Armed Forces of Ukraine about our life-giving language”. These are essays narrated from the first person. Real people: men and women. Different people of different ages, military ranks, and life experiences discuss modern military routines, their comrades, their hatred of the enemy, what their native language means to them, and emphasize the problems they believe the functioning and establishment of the Ukrainian language in society. We have the war where there is no Ukrainian language and where Ukrainian history has not been taught - this is the central idea of F. Kolesnyk. And both books inspire faith that Ukraine will exist, the Ukrainian language will become our real shield, and after the war ends Ukrainian language will be at the international level. Key words: language and war, extermination of languages, russification, nationalization, language situation, language as a shield and a sword, national minorities, bilingualism.

Reputation management in turmoil—An analysis of the clashing narratives in the introduction of a “salmon tax” in Norway

AbstractThis study deals with reputation management, addressing collective issues, strategic communication by the government, and the dynamics between this communication and counter‐symbols from societal stakeholders. Empirically, it examines the political debates in Norway in recent years regarding the conflict over establishing a “ground rent” tax on extra profit earned through use of natural resources belonging to the community, related to salmon farming. The overall research question is how major concepts from reputation theory can explain the process and outcome of the decision‐making process. A main finding is that reputation varies across reputational dimensions and actors, and between government and audiences. Another is that it is necessary to examine reputation in relation to the field, the actors, and the task environment it concerns. The study also shows that reputation management is informed by the politics of reputation, revealing the challenge of balancing evidence‐based policy making and being responsive to opinion‐based stakeholder input, and that reputational threats and strategic communication are interlinked.

Civil Society's Role in Shaping Political Discourse: Comparative Analysis


 
 
 This comparative analysis explores the pivotal role of civil society in shaping political discourse across different socio-political contexts. Through a qualitative approach, this study delves into the dynamics of civil society engagement and its impact on political discourse through an extensive review of literature and library research. The study examines various case studies and empirical evidence from diverse regions to elucidate the multifaceted nature of civil society's influence on political discourse. The findings reveal that civil society organizations play a crucial role in promoting pluralistic and inclusive political discourse by fostering dialogue, advocacy, and civic engagement. Moreover, the comparative analysis highlights the significance of contextual factors such as historical legacies, institutional frameworks, and socio-cultural dynamics in shaping the effectiveness of civil society's engagement in political discourse. The study underscores the need for further research to explore the nuances of civil society's role in different political environments and to identify best practices for enhancing its contribution to democratic governance. By shedding light on the comparative dynamics of civil society's engagement in political discourse, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms through which civil society can promote democratic values and foster informed and inclusive political debates.
 
 

Legal Politics of Holding Simultaneous Regional Elections in 2024 (Portrait of Political Party Debate in Parliament)

Legal Politics of Holding Simultaneous Regional Elections in 2024 (Portrait of Political Party Debate in Parliament)

Fascism in the public sphere of post-fascist Italy

ABSTRACT Over the entire post-war period up to the present day, the endurance of fascism has remained a significant subject of Italian politics. The neo-fascist party, Movimento Sociale Italiano (M.S.I.), was born immediately after the Second World War. Furthermore, the transition to the Republic coexisted with structural continuity with the dictatorship: many elements of the fascist state, such as the administrative institutions, the central bureaucracy and the economic ruling class, were maintained. Alongside concrete (both political and institutional) continuities, we can also observe diverse continuities that marked cultures, languages, and political discourses. The shadow of fascism has often invaded the public sphere in ways that condition the political debate and cultural imaginary. Firstly, for all the democratic and progressive parties and movements Mussolini’s dictatorship has been a constant negative reference point from which they openly distance themselves. Secondly, the spectre of fascism has always been evoked in the political debate with respect to the present and to warn against the return of authoritarianism in new forms. Thirdly, many periodicals, novels, films, comics, and television programmes have trivialized the historical experience of Italian fascism, representing it, through recurrent narrative clichés, as a sort of phenomenon only partially corresponding to historical reality.

The (Political) Economics of Bilateral Investment Treaties—The Unique Trajectory of Brazil

Brazil, after signing several traditional Bilateral Investment Treaties without ratifying them, recently shifted towards a different type of bilateral investment agreement, i.e., Investment Cooperation and Facilitation Agreements. Two claims have been made in the literature regarding the transition from traditional Bilateral Investment Treaties to Investment Cooperation and Facilitation Agreements—Claim #1: The non-ratification of the traditional BITs has not harmed Foreign Direct Investment into Brazil, a claim which puts into question the purpose of Bilateral Investment Treaties. Claim #2: While Investment Cooperation and Facilitation Agreements avoid some of the problems of traditional Bilateral Investment Treaties, on balance they are less effective than traditional Bilateral Investment Treaties would have been. We examine the two claims from an empirical economic point of view. We build on the literature about Brazil’s position vis-à-vis Bilateral Investment Treaties, which must be viewed by an amalgamation of (i) a historical legacy; (ii) domestic initiatives, and (iii) a particular U-turn in the political debate. Using empirical evidence on Foreign Direct Investment effects of Bilateral Investment Treaties, the following conclusions emerge: With regard to claim #1, empirical evidence in general as well as specific to Brazil suggests that Brazil has forgone Foreign Direct Investment by not ratifying traditional Bilateral Investment Treaties. Concerning claim #2, while Investment Cooperation and Facilitation Agreements include alternative dispute settlement mechanisms, which aim at a better compliance of states with the Investment Cooperation and Facilitation Agreements’ rules, rather than the compensation of foreign investors, the lower stringency of the State–State dispute settlement mechanism compared to Investor–State dispute settlement mechanism makes Investment Cooperation and Facilitation Agreements less effective. Yet, this weakening effect must be weighed against the effects on Foreign Direct Investment from innovative clauses in Investment Cooperation and Facilitation Agreements, which are absent in many traditional Bilateral Investment Treaties.

'Who can tell me what potable water means?' The assessment of water quality in debates over hydraulic infrastructure in nineteenth-century Italy.

How water is perceived and represented has an impact on the relationships between a given society and its water infrastructure. Historians have identified a shift in the perception of water during the nineteenth century, which was connected to the development of chemistry. From an understanding based in Hippocratic medicine and natural history that treated it as an infinite variety of substances, water eventually became understood as a simple compound consisting of oxygen and hydrogen. This resulted in the abstraction of water from its social and environmental contexts, with consequences for the way water was managed. This article aims to demonstrate that such a view gives a mistaken intellectual coherence to a fragmented and conflicted process, which involved continuities, an adaptation of old frameworks to new social priorities, and fine changes in scientific thinking and practices. This paper examines the scientific and political debates concerning water infrastructure, surveys and analyses on water quality, medical reports and political measures in nineteenth-century Italy. Ultimately, the reduction of 'waters' to 'water' in Italy was more about determining who had the authority to assess water quality in the process of creating and stabilizing new power relations between the public and the private spheres than about the abstraction of water from its social and environmental contexts.

“Being a Girl Has Become a Public Health Problem!”: Feminist Organizations Both Resisting and Reproducing Postfeminist Mental Health Discourses

ABSTRACT An apparent decline in youth mental health in the Nordic countries has received a lot of attention over the last decade, and young women have been described as a particularly vulnerable group. To combat the problem, political debate has centred on solutions at the individual level, despite significant evidence of the associations between structural factors and adverse mental health. In this article, I explore how two feminist support organizations working for young women in Sweden (tjejjourer) frame and address girls’ mental health as a problem of feminist concern. Interviews with staff, organizational documents, websites, social media, and other communications were analysed following Snow and Benford’s theory on collective action frames, to identify the organizations’ problem diagnoses, solutions, and motivational frames for action. The results show that the organizations both reiterate and resist a postfeminist discourse on mental health. There is notable friction between structural problem diagnoses, based on intersectional analyses of power, and political demands and support oriented towards the individual. In conclusion, I argue that this friction may be a result of the organizations’ adoption of discourses on risk, vulnerability, and mental health itself, but also that the complex relationship between structural critique and individual care is indispensable for feminist organizing.

Situationally-triggered metaphor as political argument

Abstract This paper proposes to investigate the public responses to situationally-triggered metaphors as these have been observed in political argumentation. Situationally-triggered metaphors occur when a nonmetaphorical connection is made between the metaphor and an aspect of the relevant situational context. The question addressed in this research is: how are such metaphors perceived by the public when these form part of the political argumentation? To answer this question, the study focuses on a particular instance of political situationally-triggered metaphor i.e., Boris Johnson’s “James Bond” metaphor produced during COP26. The paper draws on Critical Metaphor Analysis and Deliberate Metaphor Theory to analyse the public comments and reactions posted on the social media platform Twitter in response to the politician’s arguments. The analysis reveals that most of the public responses exploit the “James Bond” metaphor to dispute Johnson’s self-identification to the fictional character and provide meta-arguments that revolve around the politician’s misuse of metaphors. In contrast, responses that exploit the metaphor to convey political arguments or endorsement are much more limited. It is thus argued that situationally-triggered metaphors not only represent a political rhetorical device, but they are also effective political tools to shift public attention towards discursive patterns instead of arguments presented in discourse.

Emilie de Geer, kvinnors bildning och läsningens materialitet

Emilie de Geer, Women’s Education, and the Materiality of Reading This article aims to study the reading practices of the Swedish noblewoman Emilie de Geer (1782–1828) of Löfstad Castle, in relation to her intellectual and political interests. The Enlightenment and events such as the French Revolution ignited new political ideas, increased the number of female authors, and gave grounds for discussions on the effect of women reading literature. Hence, women’s reading practice “is the most important arena in which to judge their contributions to social change” (Diaconoff, 2005). All Löfstad women, such as Hedvig Catharina von Fersen (born De la Gardie, 1732–1800), Sophie Piper (born von Fersen, 1757–1816), and Emelie De Geer had close connections to both Swedish and European royal and noble families – the very elite in terms of both culture and politics. The library of Löfstad has never been studied in depth, especially not through questions of gender, women’s reading and writing as a space to cultivate ideas on politics, women’s worth and agency within the social and cultural sphere they inhabited. Thus, this article will contribute to the broad fields of cultural and literary history, shedding new light on Swedish women’s reading practices, intellectual ideas, and political debate during the Enlightenment.