Political Governance Research Articles

From Three-Factors Model of Sustainability to the Integrated Model of Sustainability

In addition to the three dimensions of sustainability, environmental, social and economic, other aspects that have emerged in recent years in both literature and practice as requiring particular attention in achieving sustainability are culture, human capital, technology, industry and business, politics and good governance, and peace. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to present these factors as well as multidimensional models of sustainability and ultimately to synthesize and integrate them into an eight-factor model of sustainability. Finally, it sets out a further line of research, focusing on how these dimensions affect the understanding and implementation of corporate sustainability.

The Role of Government Auditing for Combating Corruption and Promoting Integrity in Nepal

The purpose of this article is to analyze the role of government auditing for corruption control and promoting integrity in the public administration of Nepal. This article utilizes content analysis that relies on a systematic literature review of secondary sources from relevant various sources, employing content analysis as the main research strategy. In terms of corruption control, Nepal's government auditing has been playing a crucial role in both preventive and promotional efforts, as well as corrective arrangements. Nevertheless, preventive actions are not always executed. The conclusions show that the government auditing has a major impact on fighting against corruption through Office of the Auditor General Nepal. This study also discovered that the amount of corruption and government performance had a substantial impact on governance. However, this article suggests that the competence of the auditor should be improved for making more responsible in identifying fraud and exposing corruption activities. Thus, if auditing is to play a more prominent role in the fight against corruption, auditing standards shall include specific requirements relating to control corruption, government auditors must co-operate and exchange information with other investigating agencies, auditing techniques should be made more robust to detect corruption, and the auditing profession must embrace effective preventive measures such as anticorruption recognitions and certifications. The article’s findings strongly support the promotion of good governance and the utilization of government auditing and its recommendations to enhance transparency and accountability in Nepal's governance, benefiting political parties, governments, civic organizations, and other stakeholders.

Cultural and Artistic Transformations of the Culture of Laughter under Conditions of Current Challenges

The relevance of the issue is that humour plays an important role in many areas of modern cultural life. Considering this, it is necessary to study how exactly the impact of jokes is carried out and what their meaning is in order to improve social relations. The purpose is to determine the key features and differences of modern humour in terms of the leading trends of the 21st century. This study has delineated the primary components of humor, encompassing the subjects and social themes around which jokes revolve, as well as the forms in which they manifest. It has been established that the predominant function of humor in modern culture is entertainment. Of particular note is the role of humor within the realm of politics, where it assumes diverse objectives in countries with varying forms of political governance, be it authoritarian or democratic. The study also recognizes the pivotal role humor plays in the domain of art, particularly in the context of post-modernism's evolution. Research offers fresh insights into the transformations occurring in contemporary humor culture and the current impact of jokes on social relations.

Investigating accountability of state subsidies for political parties

Regulations stipulate that a political party must prepare financial reports to facilitate sound financial management and accountability of the state subsidies it receives. However, its accountability remains problematic, raising a question: How do the related policies deal with the accountability of state subsidies for political parties? This study aims to evaluate issues related to accountability in the policies governing the management of state subsidies for political parties. This study is normative legal research. Within a meta-analysis framework, critical analysis of the relevant policies in the form of laws and regulations and other reliable sources of information is carried out. The study finds that the policies provide rules to ensure eligible political parties’ right to obtain state subsidies and employ audit and administrative sanctions to enhance state subsidy accountability. Nevertheless, the policies still overlook important issues related to vertical accountability of political parties and government, horizontal accountability of government, internal control mechanisms, supervision requirements, and formal and material responsibilities by relevant in-charge parties. Moreover, the running audit practices do not provide much value for improvement. This study provides policy-makers with a new perspective on relevant studies so that the government will consider the comprehensive management of state subsidies for political parties by relevant in-charge parties before elevating the value of the subsidies.

Социальные цели и духовные смыслы современного политического управления в России

The article is devoted to the analysis of the content and purpose of political management as a special type of management that has ample opportunities for organizing and optimizing relations in society and relations between society and the state. The resources of political management are revealed in conditions of geopolitical risks that negatively impact the Russian state and Russian society and which are neutralized by technologies of political management. Social goals and the spiritual aspect of political governance in the modern Russian Federation, which are based on traditional Russian spiritual values, are highlighted. The thesis is made about the need for sociality, spirituality, morality of politics, without which it is impossible to maintain the stability of the political system.

The role of multi-level climate governance in urban transport politics

Throughout the 20th century, the automobile industry developed based on the production of vehicles for private use, powered by fossil fuels. As a result, the transport sector is the one that uses the most energy in Brazil (32.5%) and the second most emitting greenhouse gases (GHG), reaching 13% of total national emissions. The main challenges in the transition to decarbonization in this segment are in Brazilian cities, where 84% of the population lives and whose road mode is predominant in the movement of people and goods. As a measure to adapt and mitigate climate impacts, local governments are investing in new mobility technologies, such as ride-sharing, biofuels and electric and autonomous vehicles. Althought the convergence between technological transition and climate policies is still diffuse and fragmented, requiring integrated and multi-level governance processes. To deepen the understanding of this scenario in the Brazilian context, this article plans to identify the main actors involved in the process of transition to sustainability in the Brazilian urban transportation sector based on a systematic review of the literature applied to the case study of urban passenger mobility in the megacity of São Paulo.

Powers that be? Political alignment, government formation, and government stability

We study how partisan alignment across levels of government affects coalition formation and government stability using a regression discontinuity design and a large dataset of Spanish municipal elections. We document a positive effect of alignment on both government formation and stability. Alignment increases the probability that the most-voted party appoints the mayor and decreases the probability that the government is unseated during the term. Aligned parties also obtain sizeable electoral gains in the next elections. We show that these findings are not the consequence of favoritism in the allocation of transfers towards aligned governments.

Assemblages, cosmopolitics and controversies: Capturing the territorial and knowledge dimensions of infrastructural politics in Lebanon

Drawing upon Actor-Network Theory literature and a specific strand of urban assemblage literature, the cosmopolitical ontology offers a fresh and innovative perspective on urban politics. It positions the interactions between human and non-human entities as the central factor shaping politics. In this article, I have adopted this cosmopolitical ontology and proposed to analyze environmental and infrastructural controversies as a crucial methodological approach. This analysis sheds light on how territoriality and knowledge, key elements of urban politics, can be understood from this perspective. I use a diversity of methods including reports and press review, interviews, focus groups and surveys to map and analyze two controversies in Lebanon around the Deir Ammar electricity plant and Saida waste management plant. I show how “rogue” material non-human actants - in the form of fumes and particles, chemical compositions of waste and composts, bacteria, fuel leaks – destabilize the territorial assemblages brought together by these infrastructures. Polluted spaces become focal points for contesting established narratives of territorial solidarity and considerably weaken institutional and political governances. Expert discourses of State institutions and technical firms are put in question. While efforts to build a “localized” knowledge empowers local actors. However, as the case studies show, when controversies become protracted, interest in the complexity of infrastructural politics dwindles and more entrenched political actors are capable of recuperating these controversies to their advantage. This is why maintaining the “territorialization” of controversies through the development of localized knowledge is essential for these cosmopolitics to bring social and political change.

COMPULSORY MADRASAH EARLY EDUCATION PROGRAM IN PASURUAN REGENCY: BETWEEN PUBLIC POLICY AND POLITICAL ORDERS

Research on the madrasah diniyah compulsory education program in Pasuruan Regency was conducted to reveal the relationship between public policy and the power of a particular religious group. A qualitative approach was applied to this research, by presenting facts that had been collected through several reports and in-depth interviews. Furthermore, the fact findings are analyzed based on the principles, concepts and theories of public policy. Research also relies on the results of existing research, especially research with similar material objects and similar perspectives. The focus of this research is to analyze the background of policy making, the dynamics of policy making, and program implementation. The results of this study indicate that the purpose of establishing the madrasah diniyah compulsory education program is to instill religious values to build morality and overcome crime. This research also confirms that regulations related to compulsory education at madrasah diniyah in Pasuruan Regency were formed because of the closeness between policy makers and Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) as a social organization. NU is the dominant force in social, cultural, and governmental politics. This research also clearly finds indications of policy exclusivity. The stipulated program only contains the interests of one group, thus reducing the power of other groups as elements that also live in the public sphere. Another implicative aspect is the increasing implementation of madrasah diniyah in Pasuruan district which is followed by an increase in the quality of teachers.

Political trust and government performance in the time of COVID-19

Governments around the world have exhibited markedly different levels of effectiveness in handling the COVID-19 pandemic, and these variations have not been adequately explained by conventional correlates of good governance. This paper advances a co-production perspective, arguing that citizens’ predisposition to support and comply with government policies has played a crucial role in shaping countries’ pandemic performance. Analyzing a cross-country dataset that combines COVID-related cases and deaths with a new measure of political trust constructed from multiple international surveys, we show that the numbers of casualties from the pandemic are significantly lower in societies where citizens have greater trust in their governments. This relationship continues to hold even when we focus only on wealthy, democratic countries where the data quality is more reliable. Additional analyses suggest that higher political trust contributes to both greater compliance with mitigation measures by citizens and more decisive response by government. These findings underscore the importance of citizen—government collaboration for effective governance and the perils of declining political trust in advanced democracies.

Effect of renewable energy on economic growth in sub‐Saharan Africa: Role of institutional quality

AbstractThe development of renewable energy is considered as an important step toward sustainable development. In sub‐Saharan African (SSA) countries, institutional quality can play an essential role in encouraging investment and implementation of policies favoring renewable energy. This paper examines the role of institutional quality in the effect of renewable energy on economic growth across 25 SSA countries from 2002 to 2018. The results from the dynamic panel threshold model reveal a significant threshold effect of institutional quality on the contribution of renewable energy to economic growth. While renewable energy consumption positively contributes to economic growth, its impact is notably amplified when the institutional quality index, set at 0.304, is above the threshold. Our findings remain robust when altering institutional quality indicators. In terms of economic implications, improving overall institutional quality by promoting good political, economic, and institutional governance could significantly increase the contribution of renewable energies to economic growth in SSA countries.

Dilemma of Participation of Middle Class in Indian Democracy

Indian electorate consists of a heterogeneous mix of classes, castes, regions, linguistic and religious groups. In this set of multifarious sub-groups, continuously striving for their due shares in the developmental process and democratic system, the existence of the middle class is likely to thoroughly get diluted, whether it be in the political manifestos and government schemes. On the other hand, it is alleged that this class itself does not actively participate either in democracy or developmental process. This article aims to examine whether this impugned class is actually demotivated to participate or in general dormant in the matters of democracy. An analysis of research papers, reports and articles has been done to examine this dilemma along with analysing the reasons and dynamics of this dormancy from multiple perspectives. The article concludes that there is a rise of a ‘New middle-class’ in the present era which seeks to actively take part in democracy and in the course of time, a considerable number of people from the middle class have started voting prudently, ignoring the mere short-term benefits or social divisions which earlier used to be the prime guiding forces for them. Therefore, the article prompts plausible policy and legislative decisions on matters such as health, education and employment, which will persuade the middle class to actively engage and create an inclusive democracy.

Government's political and legal measures to end the siege The Iraqi

لقد استخدمت الحكومة العراقية عدة وسائل للتخلص من الحصار الجائر التي فرض على العراق خلال حكم صدام حسين ، وقد تمت موافقة الحكومة على كافة القرارات التي اصدرتها الامم المتحدة بحق العراق للتخلص من الحصار الذي جعل الشعب العراقي يعيش في حالة من الرعب و لابد من استخدام الوسائل للتخلص من هذه الحالة ، ومن بين هذه الوسائل هي نزع اسلحة الدمار الشامل التي اودت بحياة الكثير من ابناء الشعب العراقي وسقوط النظام العراقي التي بات يهدد حياه الكثير من العراقيين من جراء العمليات الاجرامية التي كان يقوم بها ضد ابناء شعبة ،حيث اظهرت نتائج البحث ان لابد من اتخاذ الحكومة هذه الاجراءات لفك العراق من الحصار

Bridging Centuries: The Relevance of Al-Mawardi’s 100 Thoughts in Addressing Today’s Global Challenges

This paper explores the multifaceted implications of the philosophy and thoughts of Al-Mawardi, a seminal figure in Islamic jurisprudence and political theory, for contemporary global issues and development. Al-Mawardi’s extensive work in the 11th century laid down foundational principles of governance, ethics, and social welfare within an Islamic framework, offering insights into justice, leadership, and the role of the state. The paper, entitled “100 Implications of Philosophy and Thoughts of Al-Mawardi for the Current World and Development,” does not literally enumerate one hundred implications but employs ‘100’ symbolically to represent the vast, multidisciplinary impact of Al-Mawardi’s ideas across various fields including political governance, international relations, social justice, economic policies, environmental stewardship, education, and digital ethics among others. In an era marked by rapid globalization, digital transformation, and complex socio-political challenges, Al-Mawardi’s principles on ethical governance, adaptability of Islamic law, and community welfare provide crucial insights for contemporary discourse. This paper examines how Al-Mawardi’s thought can inform current debates on democratic values, human rights, global cooperation, and the sustainability of development efforts. It delves into the relevance of his work in promoting religious pluralism, enhancing international diplomacy, and addressing the ethical challenges posed by technological advancements. Furthermore, this analysis extends to exploring Al-Mawardi’s contributions to understanding the dynamics of globalization, the importance of education in the knowledge economy, and strategies for conflict resolution and peacebuilding in today’s interconnected world. By drawing parallels between Al-Mawardi’s philosophical underpinnings and modern developmental goals, the paper aims to highlight the enduring relevance of his thought in guiding ethical governance, fostering social cohesion, and promoting a just and equitable global society. Through a comprehensive review of Al-Mawardi’s legacy, this paper contributes to the ongoing scholarly engagement with Islamic political thought, emphasizing its potential to address contemporary issues and support sustainable development across cultures and civilizations. The multidisciplinary implications of Al-Mawardi’s philosophy underscore the timeless value of integrating ethical principles with practical governance to navigate the complexities of the 21st century.

Climate Investment in China and the United States: Political, Monetary and Technological Drivers

China and the United States have seen expeditious investment growth in renewable energy and climate-related industries. Due to differences in political environments and governance structures, monetary settings, and prevailing market technologies and geographic conditions, the two countries demonstrate varied strengths and weaknesses in promoting climate investment. Both countries can learn from each other’s distinctive strengths and weaknesses to identify potential opportunities both for domestic climate programmes and energy cooperation to jointly pursue pathways to achieve net zero carbon footprints.

The Impact of Electoral Gender Quotas on Women’s Political Participation in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract Although representing half of the world population, women remain largely excluded from political power and government structures. Various strategies have been introduced to increase women’s political representation, including electoral gender quotas. This paper explores the impact of electoral gender quotas on women’s quantitative participation in politics of Bosnia and Herzegovina, analysing quota impact in combination with other related factors, such as the quota design, implementation and broader political context. A diversity of techniques has been used to collect a combination of quantitative and qualitative data, including academic resources collection and analysis, desk research, statistical data analysis and online questionnaire. The paper argues that electoral gender quotas have generally had a positive impact on getting women elected in BiH, though their efficacy depends on their formulation and other aspects of electoral law. Still, quantitative representation of women is not sufficient to facilitate their agency in politics. Social attitudes also continue to affect the electoral success of women once they secure a spot on the candidate list. Therefore, quotas must be implemented within a broader democratic, accountable and gender-sensitive political context to deliver qualitative representation of women in politics. Finally, the paper offers concrete recommendations to promote women’s political participation in BiH.

Build Back Better World versus the Belt and Road Initiative: Why may the DRC Find Itself in a Complex Dilemma?

We are undoubtedly in a new era of great-power competition. The USA and its G7 counterparts recently launched the transcontinental long-term policy and investment program ‘Build Back Better World’ (B3W) aimed at boosting infrastructure financing in low and middle-income developing countries, like China's ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ (BRI,) which focused on financing of strategic infrastructure development such as ports, transport networks, energy pipelines and projects. Interestingly, both the B3W and the BRI shared the goal of developing green and sustainable infrastructure to minimize environmental impact, reduce pollution, and increase energy efficiency to combat climate change by supporting fragile states. This article therefore presents a balanced perspective on the B3W versus the BRI, and seeks to further explain why the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and many other developing countries may find themselves in a ‘complex dilemma.’ The complexity of this dilemma is viewed in the strategic choice to be made and the possible costs in the aftermath of its choice for its survival. The metho-dology, based on secondary data from international and national repositories, adopted a qualitative approach. However, we critically explained the reasons why the DRC might find itself in a ‘complex dilemma’, based on different learned insights and perspectives gathered and illustrated in numerical illustrations via figures and statistical tables. After analysis and discussion, the results of this paper clearly show that, beyond the different possible imaginations and strategic opportunities offered by the confrontation between the B3W and the BRI following to the ‘conservative-progressive competition,’ the DRC, like some developing countries, is in the prey of this ‘complex dilemma’ due to its different assets, weaknesses and problems. This is due to a number of fundamental reasons: its strategic character in the eyes of both ‘conservatives’ and ‘progressives’; its pronounced dependence on both China and the Western world; and its fragility due to problems of leadership and political governance. To con-clude, this paper reasoned that it is up to the DRC to prepare and preserve itself and learn from its past mistakes in order to better redefine the fundamental strategic options for its best survival. It is also up to the DRC to reshape its political model, in particular by strengthening its political governance, but above all by working towards the formation of an innovative leadership capable of capitalizing on the opportunities arising from such a confrontation – while at the same time trying to contain, limit, and even prevent the possible risks.

Dasar Saraan Malaysia: Kesinambungan dan Perubahan dalam Tempoh 25 Tahun (1976-2002)

This article will explore the continuity and changes experienced by the Malaysian Civil Service from 1976 to 2002. The objective is to identify and assess the remuneration system policies from 1976 to 2002. These remuneration systems include the Cabinet Salary Committee 1976, the New Salary System 1992, and the Malaysian Salary System 2002. Evaluation is also conducted on the efficiency aspects in improving and sustaining the service scheme policies and structural development over the 25-year period. The sources used in conducting this research data include official documents of the Malaysian Government, books, dissertations, documents, archives, and published journals related to the remuneration systems of the Malaysian Civil Service. The data, analyzed qualitatively, successfully demonstrates that the principles and culture of the administrative system need to be maintained through inventive means as part of the renewal process. Furthermore, the study found conflicts between the civil service and the political government, each having its own objectives. The analysis of this study proves that there are several initiatives that can be realized in the planning and implementation of Malaysia's public policies to enhance the efficiency of civil servants' tasks.

Dasar Saraan Malaysia: Kesinambungan dan Perubahan dalam Tempoh 25 Tahun (1976-2002)

This article will explore the continuity and changes experienced by the Malaysian Civil Service from 1976 to 2002. The objective is to identify and assess the remuneration system policies from 1976 to 2002. These remuneration systems include the Cabinet Salary Committee 1976, the New Salary System 1992, and the Malaysian Salary System 2002. Evaluation is also conducted on the efficiency aspects in improving and sustaining the service scheme policies and structural development over the 25-year period. The sources used in conducting this research data include official documents of the Malaysian Government, books, dissertations, documents, archives, and published journals related to the remuneration systems of the Malaysian Civil Service. The data, analyzed qualitatively, successfully demonstrates that the principles and culture of the administrative system need to be maintained through inventive means as part of the renewal process. Furthermore, the study found conflicts between the civil service and the political government, each having its own objectives. The analysis of this study proves that there are several initiatives that can be realized in the planning and implementation of Malaysia's public policies to enhance the efficiency of civil servants' tasks.

Networked Governance in Transnational Cooperation and Politics: Responding to COVID-19 Pandemic Along Thai-Laos Cross-Border Communities

The outbreak of COVID-19 is a transnational threat challenging states and people beyond the frontiers. This study focuses on the networked governance in three Thai-Lao cross-border communities as a practice of transnational and political cooperative systems in surveilling, preventing, and controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. The research aims at (1) investigating the involvement of public, private sectors, and civil society in establishing participatory networks in dealing with the pandemic in Thai-Lao border communities; (2) analyzing the potential and strength of the networks of relationships; and (3) discovering guidelines on future disease outbreaks management. By using qualitative methodology and working with 59 key informants, this study discovers the roles of relevant actors in five participatory networks. It also found the horizontally and vertically grand networks of governing cooperation and collaboration among key actors as the potential and strength of the networks of relationships at community and transnational levels. Moreover, forming transnational networks among governmental agencies in twin cities along natural borders is considered a fundamental approach to developing Thai-Laos areas of cooperation. The research concludes that the networks of cooperation and collaboration during the pandemic at border areas are increasingly significant as the front-line mechanisms for effective management.