Political Decision-making Process Research Articles

NATO defense planning under new military and political conditions

An analysis of the military and political preconditions for the current transformation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is presented. The deterioration of relations between Russia and NATO member states, which accelerated with the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine accompanied by massive supplies of Western weapons systems to Kiev, launched the reconfiguring of the entire system of military and political decision-making and defense planning process in NATO. The alliance is returning to its original mission – countering the “Russian threat” (formerly Soviet), despite the fact that NATO is not declaratively a party to the armed conflict in Ukraine. NATO’s reaction and actions in connection with the Ukrainian crisis and the start of the Special Military Operation (SMO), including the plans of the alliance’s leadership for the future, are analyzed. The simplification of a number of procedures and requirements in the defense planning system of the organization in the short and medium term are noted. The full cycle of NATO defense planning is examined in detail and schematically presented, and a forecast of its further evolution is given.

An alliance of evidence-based decision-makers against populism

In a double cover interview at the start of 2024 with ‚Monitor Health Services Research‘, Prof Josef Hecken, the impartial chairman of the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA), and Prof Wolfgang Hoffmann, Chairman of the German Network for Health Services Research (DNVF), discuss the future role, significance and position of health services research, which has now come of age. The more frequently its results are incorporated into far-reaching political decision-making processes - such as the current federal hospital reform - the more headwinds are blowing against it. Health services research must learn to deal with this.

Participatory integrated coastal management in island regions: a methodological proposal based on tourism

This study is aimed to understand political decision-making processes in two islands: Ilha Grande in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Ile d’ Óléron in France. Our intention is to propose a participative coastal management model for insular regions. To elaborate management models, we believe it is necessary to make deep diagnosis relating scientific and local knowledge. Theoretically, concepts of interdisciplinarity and complexity need to be considered together with an embracing view, including socioenvironmental issues and social participation, present in public policies.

РОЛЬ ПОРІВНЯЛЬНОГО АНАЛІЗУ У ФОРМУВАННІ ПОЛІТИЧНИХ РІШЕНЬ

The political environment is in a state of constant change, and new challenges are emerging at a rapid pace. The speed of international transactions, digitalisation processes, and the spread of the Internet and mobile communications significantly accelerate these changes. Such processes create an environment of uncertainty and risks that directly affect political processes and the activities of political actors, and thus their decision-making processes. These decisions have to be made quickly, as the situation is changing dynamically and some risks are replaced by others. At the same time, these decisions must be balanced and based on a qualitative analysis of the situation, as wrong political decisions can have serious negative consequences for society. Before making a decision, a thorough analysis of the situation is necessary, including the formulation of the problem and its interpretation in the context of other social problems. Thus, the process of political decision-making can be seen as a choice among several alternative ways of resolving an issue. To choose the best of these ways, it is advisable to use the comparative analysis approach. The essence of the comparative method in political science research is to identify similarities and differences between political institutions, processes and phenomena. At the present stage, we can talk about the dynamic development of modern comparative political science. In today’s environment, the forms of phenomena associated with decision-making under conditions of uncertainty, stress and risk are becoming particularly relevant. Of course, comparative analysis cannot always provide clear and unambiguous answers to political questions. Nevertheless, it remains a valuable tool for policy-making, helping policymakers and analysts to better understand policy issues and develop more effective and informed policies.

A critical examination of the entanglement: How political dynamics shape legal Decision-making and reform processes in Pakistan

In this scholarly exploration, we delve into the intricate interplay between political dynamics and legal decision-making within the context of Pakistan. Our analysis draws inspiration from Chantal Mouffe’s agonistic theory of democracy, which posits that inherent conflicts (antagonisms) are an essential dimension of the political landscape. These conflicts, while requiring tempering for the functioning of a pluralist democracy, remain unalienable and ever-present. Within the juridical domain, judges occupy a unique position. Cloaked in legal form, their pronouncements extend beyond mere legal interpretations. Instead, they adjudicate individual instances of ongoing collective conflicts—pitting workers against employers, consumers against traders, tenants against landlords, and moral progressives against traditionalists. These decisions, seemingly juridical, are inherently political. Judges wield a “relative sovereignty,” navigating institutional imperatives while being influenced by ideological currents. However, legal determinacy remains relative. Judges, through rigorous interpretive work, can diverge from prima facie interpretations. The collective conflicts, once juridified, crystallize into temporary hegemonic fixations. Our critical legal scholarship endeavors to destabilize these hegemonies in pursuit of justice. This task necessitates not only external critique but also internal scrutiny. We propose evaluating judicial decisions by considering all plausible alternatives, weighing conflicting interests and ideologies. In summary, our examination underscores the dual nature of judicial decisions—simultaneously juridical and political. By embracing this complexity, we contribute to a nuanced understanding of legal reform processes in Pakistan, advocating for justice beyond mere legal formalism.

Образ будущего в дискурсе политической элиты

The article presents the results of the analysis of New Year’s addresses by the Head of state, who has the highest level of trust among all political entities, as well as the Heads of the Central Federal District and the Southern Federal District. Attention to this type of texts is determined by their functionality in relation to the formation of an urgent agenda in the context of the political decisionmaking process; they are more informative in terms of declaring the key themes of the modeled image of the future. It caused the authors to choose them as an empirical object of research. The volume of the sample consisted of 12 documents namely transcripts of New Year’s addresses by the President of the Russian Federation and the governors of the Tula and Rostov regions for the period 2020-2023 The time frame was determined by the growing uncertainty associated with the unstable epidemiological and geopolitical situation. Cognitive mapping was chosen as the research method, which allowed the authors to analyze the structure of speech, nodal topics, and the nature of the relationship between blocks. A comparative analysis of New Year’s addresses over several years makes it possible to trace the dynamics of the main indicators. The results of the study showed a complication of the semantic load of the president’s discourse, an increase in the number of connections, a trend towards their univocality, an increase in the severity of the core of the text, concentration of speech, starting in 2022. It makes it possible to substantiate the tendency to increase the impact on the target audience, which, due to the specifics of the speech situation, is undifferentiated. The results of the analysis of the speeches by the Heads of regions show significant differences in the volume of congratulatory texts. The pool of key phrases used in the speech by the Governor of the Tula region A.G. Dyumin is limited to issues of consolidating the regional community and overcoming challenges. At the same time, the substantive message has remained unchanged for four years. In turn, the speech by the Governor of the Rostov region V.Y. Golubev raises a wider range of topics that largely correspond to both the discourse of the federal elite and the specifics of the current agenda. The expressiveness of the speech is more typical for the Governor of the Rostov region, while it differs from year to year, maintaining a positive modality.

Deficits in Strategic Communication for Armaments

The aim of this paper is to contribute to scientific research in the field of examining the shortcomings in the use of strategic communication for armaments. A comprehensive approach that rationalises the political, military, economic and technical decision-making process, as well as appropriate strategic communication with stakeholders, is required for the procurement of military equipment for the armed forces. The paper first analyses the existing shortcomings in the use of strategic communication in support of armaments, and then recommends a model for the adequate use of it. The results of a questionnaire survey and structured interviews with specialists in strategic communication and armaments show a high level of support for the use of strategic communication. However, the selected case studies on the Pandur and BVP modernization projects did not confirm the assumption of an improvement in the ability of the Czech Ministry of Defence to acquire new military equipment.

Development Transformation: Strategy for Economic and Social Progress in Indonesia

Development transformation is often formulated through economic policies in many ways prove success. This can be illustrated, among others, in Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia and other developed countries. Economic policies in these countries are generally formulated conceptually, involving consideration of social and environmental aspects and supported by responsible political mechanisms so that every economic policy can be explained in a transparent, fair manner and accordance with planning principles. In the social aspect, not only are people's aspirations taken into consideration, but also the existence of social institutions (social capital) is also maintained and even their function is improved. Meanwhile, in terms of the environmental aspect, the aspect of the function of preserving natural capital is also given great attention for the benefit of humanity. Of all that, the most important thing is that decision-making is also carried out very cleanly from various lobbying behaviors that have nuances of deficiencies (moral hazard) that are fulfilled by certain interests (vested interests) from mere profits (rent-seeking). In this way, the results of development can be enjoyed by the entire community fairly across (transcending) boundaries of space (inter-region) and time (inter-generation), national development can also be interpreted as deliberate economic, social, and cultural transformation through policies and strategies toward the desired direction. Transformation in economic structure, for example, can be seen through an increase or rapid growth in production in the industrial and service sectors, so that their contribution to national income becomes greater. On the other hand, the contribution of the agricultural sector will become smaller and inversely proportional to the growth of industrialization and economic modernization. Social transformation can be seen through equal access to socio-economic resources, such as education, health, housing, clean water, recreational facilities, and participation in the political decision-making process.

The taxing implementation of densification: The missed opportunity of the German land value tax

Densification and more efficient use of land are important planning challenges across Europe intended to aid the pursuit of sustainability goals. Property taxation influences land use. It can discourage or incentivize efficient land use. In the international academic debate, the land value tax is considered an effective land policy instrument that can promote more efficient use of land. Germany is currently transforming its property taxation system and has discussed different property tax models in the political decision-making process. This paper explores the political motivations of this reform based on a discourse analysis of plenary sessions and complementary in-depth expert interviews. On the one hand, the empirical findings highlight the experts’ positive assessment of the potential of the land value tax for efficient land use and densification. On the other hand, they also show how the potential allocative effects of the land value tax were largely overlooked during the political debates. Instead, discussion centred around distributional aspects of the property tax. It can be shown that despite the great potential for tackling urgent planning issues, policymakers are hesitant to adopt and apply instruments of land policy that intervene in existing private property rights.

Youth Engagement in Decision-Making: European Approaches to Inclusive Participation and Albanian Perspective

Integration in the European Union remains one of the key objectives of the Western Balkans countries. The institutions of the European Union are giving greater importance to the opportunities for greater involvement of young people in democratic life, influencing the strengthening of the sense of citizenship for the countries that are part of the European Union and, on the other hand, to develop a European perspective for countries that aspire to become part of the union. In this paper we explore the perceptions of young people in Albania, aged 18-31, regarding their engagement in democratic life and more specifically their involvement in political decision-making processes. To explore this issues we use a mixed research methods, combining both qualitative and quantitative approaches. For this purpose, is conducted an evaluation of documents and political iniciatives, in the level of European Union and also Albanian state. It was also conducted a survey in a national context, with the participation of 186 youth people, mainly young activists, to explore their perception regarding these issues. According to the main findings, the level of engagement of young people in these processes is low, regardless of their desire and willingness to engage.

Институциональные основания политических картин мира в условиях цифровизации государственного управления

The introduction of new information technologies in all spheres and branches of the public administration sys-tem has become a sustainable trend of modern reality. Digital tools provide quick answers and solutions to the challenges of optimizing administrative processes, but do not contain the explanatory potential of ongoing polit-ical events. The political picture of the world, as a higher-level conceptual system than unstable state planning regulations such as concepts and strategies, has obvious advantages in the political decision-making process. The aim of this article is to examine the institutional sources that construct political pictures of the world in the context of widespread adoption of digital technologies. The author achieved the goal by solving the following research tasks: identifying traditional sources of political pictures of the world of the state; analyzing the current state of these picture-forming institutions, their evolution and role in the construction of political pictures of the world. As conclusions, the author proves that the processes of digitalization have not practically affected the composition of the sources of origin of political pictures of the world. Nevertheless, the channels for articulating public and institutional interests and the mechanisms for translating and disseminating the state’s political pic-tures of the world have expanded significantly.

Who is Interested in Participating in Participatory Budgeting?

AbstractInequalities in terms of who participates in politics yield policy outcomes that fail to reflect the interests of the broader public. Because these processes fail to engage the full citizenry in political decision-making processes, they are also markers of an anemic civic culture. Advocates of participatory budgeting (PB) – a process implemented at the subnational level in thousands of cities in the United States and beyond that invites residents to participate directly in the process of allocating public resources for local projects – argue that it can alleviate these inequalities. They argue that features of the PB process make it ripe for engaging new participants in the political process and weaving a more inclusive social fabric. We examine the correlates of interest in participating in PB using a survey of Cook County residents. We also consider the extent to which the policy priorities of those who are interested in participating diverge from those who are less interested. Although we find evidence that the process is particularly appealing to younger respondents and those who identify as Latine or Black (as opposed to White), we also find that interest is higher among those with higher socioeconomic status and those who perceive conditions in their neighborhood to already be good. Our evidence also suggests that inequalities in who is interested in participating may not radically affect policy outcomes. However, those who decline to participate cannot reap the broader social and political benefits advocates hope the PB process can foster.

Reimagining international relations in times of ecological crisis: A dialogue on multispecies justice

This article departs from a political ecology perspective to build a critique against the predominant anthropocentrism in international relations. It argues that the acknowledgement of the agency of non-human beings, and their inclusion and representation in political decision-making processes, is not only essential to create socioecological sustainability in the multispecies communities that we are all part of, but that it is also, fundamentally, a matter of justice. The article introduces the concept of multispecies justice as a possible ally in a dialogue for the reimagining of international relations, both as a discipline and as institutional practice, so that the latter can more adequately, effectively, and fairly respond to the current context of planetary crisis. As an illustrative example of what multispecies justice is (or can become) in practice, the article resorts to the case of rivers and to some of the non-anthropocentric initiatives that have been arising for their protection, conservation, or restoration.

Doing Politics with Animals

Abstract: An increasing number of theorists are challenging the idea that only humans can engage in politics and propose that humans must learn how to do politics with animals. But what does it mean to do politics with animals? We consider several recent developments at the frontiers of social inquiry that are relevant, including (1) proposals for the institutional representation of animals’ interests in human political decision-making processes; (2) growing ethological evidence for animals’ own capacities for language, culture, and collective decision-making; and (3) new theoretical accounts of political agency and community that emphasize its embodied, emplaced, and interdependent nature. Each illuminates potential futures for animal politics and for just human-animal relations.

The Law of Urgency in Choosing Leaders in The Qur'an According to Al-Mawardi

This article explains the mechanism for selecting government and state leaders according to Abu Hassan al-Mawardi's benefit theory. According to al-Mawardi, Islamic teachings require legal norms that are closely related to political and constitutional issues. Based on the interpretation of QS Ali Imran verse 59, al-Mawardi reconstructs the meaning of Ulil Amri as the political representation of the people in the state power system. According to him, Ulil Amri is a group of selected people from various circles, namely soldiers, ulama, scientists, and so on who have an important key in the political decision-making process. The interesting thing about al-Mawardi's thinking is that he emphasizes the political consensus side (ijma fi fiqh al-siyasi) in the process of making political decisions, one of which is used in choosing government and state leaders.

Self-promotion, ideology and power in the social media posts of Nigerian Female Political Leaders

Abstract This article examines how Nigerian female political leaders (NFPLs) exploit self-presentation strategies to formulate and promote social justice. Using insights from critical discourse analysis and Jones and Pittman’s (1982) self-presentation strategies, and with a data set from the verified Facebook and Twitter accounts of two female ministers and three female senators, the study investigates how NFPLs systematically utilize discursive strategies such as self-promotion, ingratiation, exemplification, intimidation and supplication to present themselves as a powerful voice for the voiceless and as active alternative leaders. The study argues that the strategies help the leaders to amplify their authority by showcasing personal presence and past accomplishments, appealing to the concerns of the masses and soliciting their support in future elections. The study demonstrates that these strategies project female leaders as dynamic participants in political and public decision-making processes and positively evaluate their contributions to social change.

Analisis Minat Politik Kaum Muda Dalam Menyikapi Pemerintahan Era Jokowi 2019-2023 (Studi kasus pada mahasiswa Jombang)

This study aims to analyze the political interest of young people in Jombang during the reign of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and the factors that influence the political interest of young people. This type of research is qualitative, this research explores various forms of formal and non-formal political participation carried out by young people. The data collection technique used a purposive method with eight student informants spread across four universities in Jombang. Source of data obtained based on primary data and secondary data. To collect data, researchers used observation techniques, in-depth interviews, and documentation studies. The data analysis model used is data collection, data reduction, data presentation and conclusion. The results of this study indicate that the political participation of young people increased during the Jokowi administration, influenced by information disclosure, access to technology, and contemporary issues that are of concern to the younger generation. Nonetheless, there are still challenges in empowering youth political participation, including structural barriers and lack of representation in public policies. From the results of this study it can be concluded that the importance of empowering youth in the political decision-making process in Indonesia to ensure a more inclusive future of democracy and the factors causing youth's lack of interest in politics include the political perception that it is boring to discuss and follow developments. political and economic education.

Emotions, action strategies and expectations of health professionals and people with dementia regarding COVID-19 in different care settings in Switzerland: a mixed methods study

BackgroundMore than 55 million people are currently affected by dementia worldwide and over 144 thousand in Switzerland. In Swiss nursing homes, 47.6% of the residents had a medical diagnosis of dementia in 2014. Due to cognitive impairment, they have difficulties remembering hygiene measures or placing them in the epidemic context. This results in a higher infection risk. There are COVID-19-associated recommendations focused on dementia care management but studies simultaneously surveying and correlating perspectives of health professionals as well as people with dementia across care settings are largely lacking. This study is focused on COVID-19-associated perspectives and needs of health professionals and people with dementia across different care settings. Lessons learned from the pandemic shall be pointed out.MethodsWe conducted a mixed-methods approach based on an exploratory sequential design. Two qualitative interview rounds (n = 15 participants) and a quantitative online survey (n = 148 participants) with people with dementia, caring relatives, Advanced Practice Nurses and nursing home managers (health professionals) were performed. Data collected was performed in nursing home and home-care settings. The SQRQ checklist was used.ResultsFear and uncertainty were highest at the beginning of the pandemic among the interviewed nursing professionals and nursing home managers. As a positive side effect of the pandemic, increased cohesion in care teams was reported. Some people with dementia experienced the decelerated outside world as pleasant and less challenging to master. Particularly during the first wave, nursing home managers rated political decision-making processes as being too slow, partly non-transparent, inconsistent, and sometimes inappropriate for people with dementia.ConclusionsAlthough the identified emotional and physical consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic are mostly negative for health professionals and people with dementia, research should also investigate potential positive side effects. Furthermore, political decisions should be passed on to care institutions as promptly, transparently, and comprehensibly as possible. The results provide guidance on dementia-focused COVID-19 management interventions incorporating lessons learned and considering the emotional impact of the pandemic in Switzerland and beyond.

Public debt financing through political processes: a review essay of Olivier Blanchard’s Fiscal Policy under Low Interest Rates

In his recent book Fiscal Policy under Low Interest Rates, Olivier Blanchard argues that when interest rates are low, policymakers can use public debt finance to increase the welfare of a nation. I argue that Blanchard’s model suffers from the “organismic theory of the State” and, as such, reaches dubious conclusions. At its core, an organismic model presumes that politicians can and do make transfers that maximize the welfare of all individuals. While this is, of course, plausible, an individualistic view states that whether government transfers increase welfare for all individuals depends on the political decision-making process of time and place. While some political processes redistribute funds equally, others redistribute unequally—that is, they increase welfare for some but decrease the welfare of others. Blanchard’s organismic model takes this fact for granted. I use the individualistic view to argue that even if interest rates are low, if a political process is one that redistributes unequally, transfers under public debt financing can result in or exacerbate income inequality. To illustrate this point, I show that in the US, increases in public debt financing have increased welfare for some individuals—the low- and upper-income quintiles—but have decreased it for others—the middle-income quintiles.

Methodology for analyzing the decision-making process in the political system according to the CACI method

This article presents a method for analyzing the decision-making process in a political system. The subject of the study is represented by the core of political decision-making, which is one of the subsystems of the political system. The object of the study is the political system of society. The study examines how the core of political decision-making interacts with the rest of the subsystems of the political system within short and long political cycles, and analyzes the stages of the political decision-making process. At the same time, within the framework of this work, the political system itself is presented in the context of a synergistic paradigm, as an open dynamic system included in the contour of social processes. The novelty of the study lies in the development of the CACI (conditions-actors-competition-implementation) method used to analyze the core of political decision-making. In the process of research, a revision of the internal content of the political system is also carried out according to the model of G. Almond, in particular, the separation of such an element as the core of political decision-making was carried out, and the redistribution of functionality between the remaining subsystems was carried out based on the principle of abstract functionalism of T. Parsons. It should also be noted that scientific novelty is expressed in the development of a clearer and more detailed model of the political system.