Political Leaders Research Articles

Does performance change budgets? Punctuated equilibrium, performance, and the budget for juvenile justice in an American state

PurposeHow performance informs budgeting and budgets is contentious and unclear. Applying punctuated equilibrium theory, this research seeks to understand if performance information once placed on the media and macropolitical agendas can lead to long-term budgetary shifts. This research highlights how the accumulation of performance information punctuated the funding scheme and created a new equilibrium over time.Design/methodology/approachThis research uses mixed methods to study the impact of performance on Florida’s (USA) Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) over a 20-year period. First, we conduct a media review of 400 randomly sampled newspaper articles to characterize the media discourse around the DJJ from 1999 to 2007. Second, we use interrupted time series analysis to test if the accumulation of performance information triggered a shift in state funding from failing punitive programs to promising diversionary and prevention programs.FindingsThe media review shows that reporting on the poor performance of punitive programs built up pressure for reform over the 1999–2007 period and attracted attention from political leaders. The interrupted time series shows that performance-informed reforms associated with the state’s Blueprint Commission rebalanced the DJJ’s policy and budgetary priorities to place less emphasis on punitive programs and more emphasis on diversionary and prevention programs.Originality/valueWhile prior studies have focused on the impact of performance on managerial and budgetary behaviors, we demonstrate that performance information, and media attention to it, leads to meaningful, if not immediate, budgetary change.

“You’re gonna need a bigger boat”: Understanding politicization in the populist era

Our conventional understanding of politicization highlights a variety of strategies used by the political leadership to increase its control of the public service. The recent emergence of populist and/or autocratic regimes in advanced democracies has exacerbated these tendencies. However, we lack a framework that allows us to capture opposition within the public service to the tightening grip of autocratic leaders of the public servants or the policies they expect public servants to implement. The article outlines such a framework by highlighting top-down as well as bottom-up politicization. The framework furthermore differentiates between proactive politicization on the one hand, and strategies to delay or obstruct the execution of political programs on the other. Based on these distinctions, the article outlines a typology of politicization that captures these so far ignored tensions between the political leadership and public servants.

Sufi Women and Mystics: models of sanctity, erudition, and political leadership

Sufi Women and Mystics: models of sanctity, erudition, and political leadership

Advocating Under Hierarchy: Comparing Climate Advocacy Coalitions in China’s Local Policy Processes

This study applies the Advocacy Coalition Framework to analyse how non-state actors advocated climate policy changes in China’s four early mover cities. Research institutes, international and domestic NGOs and government-funded think tanks shared similar concerns over climate change and interacted closely, constituting climate advocacy coalitions. They used local officials’ lack of climate knowledge to engage in local policy processes, which were dominated by status quo coalitions. The climate advocacy coalitions contributed to climate agenda setting and framing changes but were less effective in implementation matters. Paired case comparisons indicate local political leaders’ engagement necessary for climate policy implementation.

The impact of political assassinations on turnout: Evidence from Colombia

Although a growing literature has investigated the effects of various types of civil war violence on political behavior, no study has examined the impact of assassinations targeting politicians. This is a critical omission, as violence against local politicians is prevalent across civil war contexts and may be the most consequential form of violence for political participation by affecting both candidate supply and voter demand. Using an original dataset of nearly 2,000 killings of Colombian local politicians between 1980 and 2023, we estimate the impact of this violence on voter turnout. Taking municipalities where assassination attempts failed as a comparison group, we find that political assassinations significantly decrease voter turnout in both the short and medium terms, with effects persisting in various elections even after the signing of a peace agreement. These findings contrast with many studies suggesting that other forms of civil war violence enhance political participation during the postconflict period or after a truce or peace agreement. Our results suggest that different forms of violence can have distinct effects on political behavior, underscoring the need to theorize how the targeting, nature, and context of violence condition its effects. This echoes calls for more nuanced studies on the behavioral impacts of violence. Our findings also have implications for understanding democracy amid rising violence against political leaders in countries affected by organized crime, such as Mexico and Brazil; polarized contexts, such as the United States; and weakly institutionalized democracies, such as South Africa, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

Effectual Truth and the Machiavellian Enterprise

The political philosophy of Niccolò Machiavelli has often been reduced to the statement that ‘the end justifies the means’ and understood as an expression of realpolitik as a result of his pragmatic, even ruthless, counsel to would-be princes, or political leaders. However, a more nuanced understanding of Machiavelli’s reflections on human nature in his writings, especially The Prince, reveals that there is a philosophic core within his approach to political success, the acquisition and maintenance of state. But while there is no doubt that Machiavelli openly rejected the idealism of certain ancient and medieval thinkers, whose imagined republics only ever existed in theory, and instead candidly advised princes to seek and wield power, his work reflects not only a profound engagement with the harsh realities of a political landscape dominated by practical necessity but also a project of far-reaching scope. With the concept of “effectual truth” as his guide, Machiavelli proposes radical means to overcome fortuna with virtù and establish the foundations of power in order to bring about that conquest. The fulfillment of his mission and mandate to those who follow his lead represents the Machiavellian enterprise.

The Composition and Communication of Political Discourse: A Methodological Approach

This article examines the composition and communication of political discourse through a detailed, seven-part structure. The first part offers a brief introduction. The second part explores the characteristics of text and discourse. The third part focuses on the historical development of rhetoric, including its contemporary branch-cultural rhetoric. The fourth part analyzes the role of metaphor and the metaphorical engine in shaping political discourse. The fifth part discusses the influence of context on the composition of political discourse, while the sixth part evaluates the credibility of political leaders and the methods of communicating political discourse. Finally, the seventh part provides a bibliography of referenced works.

Analyzing Pragmatic Strategies and Metaphorical Devices in Presidential Speeches

The current study undertakes an analysis of the role played by rhetorical strategies, Grice's "Cooperative Principle" (CP) (1975), and Bitzer's "Rhetorical Situation" (RS) model (1968) in strengthening the use of metaphorical devices in presidential addresses. The general issue under consideration is the lack of in-depth analysis concerning the manner in which such strategies and theoretical frameworks enrich the effectiveness of metaphorical device use in political rhetoric. Overall, the purpose of this study is to map out metaphorical device use in presidential speeches according to Grice’s maxims and Bitzer’s dimensions in terms of direction and manner in which effectiveness and metaphor use merge in such discourses. The study hypothesizes that: 1) Effect creation in metaphorical device use is supported through deliberate flouting and transgression of Grice’s maxims; 2) Influence is actualized through metaphorical device use in taking a stance with and opposing supportive, hostile forces, and societal issues; 3) Grice’s CP and Bitzer’s RS models serve to promote efficacy in metaphorical device use in political narrative creation. The following research questions include: In what manner and to what level do rhetoric strategies, Grice’s CP, and Bitzer’s model enable use and effectiveness of metaphorical devices in presidential addresses? How do such factors work cooperatively in shaping effectiveness and persuasiveness? In what manner and in what direction do metaphors contribute to strengthening and undermining political ideology? The dataset consists of 20 excerpts of presidential addresses delivered at important events, such as inaugurations and concurrent congressional sessions, to a general populace that involves political leaders, policymakers, and citizens worldwide. Adopting a mixed-methods analysis, the study is focused on language, rhetoric, and metaphor, specifically in terms of Grice’s maxims and Bitzer’s model of rhetoric, with a view towards improving metaphorical speech delivery in political discourse. Building political rhetoric is also clarified through a discussion of rhetorical techniques, pragmatic structures, and metaphorical tools, in addition to an investigation of their interdependencies.

Political Opinion Leadership and Voter Choices in the 2023 General Elections in Rivers East Senatorial District, Rivers State, Nigeria

A key aim of every electioneering campaign is to convince voters to vote for particular candidates or political parties. However, extant research has shown that several factors aside campaigns shape voter choices. In rural settings with peculiar educational and media literacy indices, voters take recourse to opinion leaders to act as guide lights to choice of candidates and parties. Against this backdrop, this study examined political opinion leadership and voter choices in Nigeria’s 2023 general elections in Rivers East Senatorial District Rivers State, Nigeria. Using correlational research design, the study analysed five research questions, using elite, issue voting, media influence, and rational choice theories as components of the theoretical framework. Using multi-stage sampling technique, the study drew a sample of 400 respondents from a population of 1,188,733 registered voters in the Senatorial District. A close-ended 30-item questionnaire with a reliability coefficient of 0.85, using Pearson Product Moment Correlation method, served as the instrument for data collection. The findings of the study indicated a significant relationship between political opinion leadership, political knowledge, political engagement, media consumption, and voter choices in the 2023 general elections in the Senatorial District. Based on these findings, the study recommends that political candidates should provide clear explanations of their policies via social, new and traditional media channels to ensure opinion leaders can access credible contents to cascade down to their followers to avoid them making voting choices on false contents they encounter in the media, or having no contents on which to base their choices. Received: 28 January 2025 / Accepted: 6 March 2025 / Published: 10 March 2025

The Interplay of Habitus and Capital in the Resource Distribution of Participatory Budgeting in a Sri Lankan Local Government

This study, focusing on Bourdieu's relational approach, explores how the interplay of habitus and capital shapes the resource distribution within the Participatory Budgeting (PB) process in a Sri Lankan local government. Through an analysis of the functions of political and administrative leaders, the study illustrates how these actors deliberately exploit various forms of capital and habitus during proposal identification, selection, and implementation phases. This qualitative case study employs semi-structured interviews, informal discussions, and document analysis. The data was gathered over six months, from late 2023 to early 2024. The study's findings demonstrate that political elites frequently use the PB process to sustain their power and domination in distributing resources. They prioritise symbolic, social, and economic capital, wherein citizen engagement transforms into a symbolic movement. This PB approach engenders clientelism in resource allocation, subverting PB democratic values. In contrast, administrative leadership is generally characterised by a professional habitus that presumes transparency and adherence to compliance with regulations over participatory decision-making procedures. Thus, PB is likely to exhibit a conservative and centralised decision-making approach. This study, therefore, urges policymakers to adopt a hybrid approach that integrates the resource mobilisation capabilities of political actors with the administrators' focus on transparency and accountability, which could considerably improve PB practices. Further, the findings contribute to understanding how accounting practices, such as PB, are shaped and impacted by power dynamics, social structures, informal practices and individuals outside the accounting profession.

Cognitive and Pragmatic Potential of the Language of Political Leaders

The article focuses on linguistic reference as a crucial process for meaning creation in political discourse. From the perspective of its function in establishing associative connections, influencing the audience's perception, and shaping political reality, linguistic reference is examined. The study covers both a practical examination of the use of references in political documents and speeches and a theoretical investigation of the concepts and forms of references. The roles of reference in influencing public opinion, establishing the speaker's authority, and creating pictures that appeal to the historical and cultural context are all given special consideration. As a methodological foundation, content and discourse analyses enable us to spot trends in reference usage based on the political context and the intended audience. Additionally, the study investigates how explicit and implicit references contribute to the ideological framing of political discourse, reinforcing or challenging dominant narratives. The strategic selection of references can serve as a tool for persuasion, manipulation, or legitimization of certain viewpoints. By analyzing key speeches and documents from various political actors, the research demonstrates how references to history, literature, or shared cultural symbols enhance the persuasive impact of discourse. The findings emphasize the necessity of a critical approach to reference analysis in political communication. This study provides valuable insights for scholars and practitioners in linguistics, political science, rhetoric, and media studies.

TRADE AND COOPERATION IN BASSR IN THE 1950-1960S

In this work, the author covers issues in the sphere of state trade, consumer and industrial cooperation in the Bashkir Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (BASSR) during the political leadership of N. S. Khrushchev. Attention is drawn to the growth of negative trends in this sector, caused by the systemic features of the socialist economy’s functioning. Changes for the better took place only if party bodies of the republican or union scale intervened in the process. Such a system of “manual control” testified to the institutional problems of the planned economy as a whole. It is no coincidence that it was in the sphere of retail trade that mass cases of economic crime in the BASSR first appeared.

The equivocal healthcare market in Bangladesh during the COVID‐19 pandemic: Policy, politics and life

AbstractDrawing on 14 months of ethnographic research in Bangladesh, I analyse how the COVID‐19 pandemic intersected with the global and local healthcare markets in 2020 to shape public health governance affecting public health interests, needs, and lives. In the early phase, misuse of administrative power and corruption among bureaucrats, local government representatives, and political leaders became apparent in Bangladesh. It fostered public and private health catastrophes, exposing some of the fraudulence in medical equipment provision and the treatment of COVID‐19 disease. Due to the state's denial, citizens were deprived of local low‐cost solutions (e.g. rapid antigen test kits) for early infection detection. Engaging the concept of disaster capitalism, I argue that the elusive role of the state, the politicised ground of health governance, and the medicine market combined with corruption in public and private sectors ultimately benefited private corporations rather than the urgent health needs of Bangladeshis.

Deconstructive Dynamism in Machiavelli’s Prince

Abstract Machiavelli’s Prince has often been the subject of study limited to individual chapters or topics. In this reading, I guide the reader through an alternative route, a deconstructive analysis unfolding chapter-by-chapter, and revealing a dynamic of logical failure of the principalities. A positive moment is regained only at the end of the book where in the Exhortatio ad capessendam Italiam the urgency for a new political leader to constitute a unifying state is declared. This structural dynamic of The Prince allows to postulate that the solution to the crisis of Italian politics resides outside the forms of the same principalities presented in The Prince. In this respect, more support is gained for the connection between the best form of civil popular principality with the exaltation of the Roman republic as treated in Machiavelli’s Discourses on Livy.

The Role of Strategic Management Dimensions on Power of Political Parties in Georgia and Its Approach from Operation to State Level

Strategic management plays a fundamental role in shaping the longevity, adaptability, and electoral success of political parties. While extensively studied in corporate settings, its application to political organizations remains underexplored, particularly in transitional democracies. This research examines how strategic management dimensions—such as ideological positioning, resource allocation, and leadership strategies—affect the performance and stability of political parties within Georgia’s evolving political landscape. Through qualitative analysis and comparative evaluation, the study assesses how structured, proactive strategic planning contributes to party resilience, voter trust, and long-term governance effectiveness, while reactive or short-term approaches can lead to internal fragmentation and fluctuating public support. The findings indicate that political entities with clearly defined strategies and institutionalized decision-making frameworks tend to maintain greater stability, while those lacking a cohesive strategic vision experience governance inconsistencies and challenges in sustaining electoral momentum. Furthermore, the research highlights structural differences among political organizations, where some parties exhibit comprehensive strategic frameworks, while others demonstrate more limited strategic planning capacities. As Georgia progresses toward European Union integration, the study underscores the importance of institutionalized, evidence-based strategic management in enhancing democratic consolidation and political stability. By bridging political science and strategic management, this research contributes both theoretical insights and practical recommendations for policymakers, analysts, and political leaders seeking to strengthen governance effectiveness in a competitive and evolving democratic environment.

Gender and Leadership in Executive Branch Politics

Gender influences who has access to power, how leaders behave and are received within institutions, and how institutions are perceived. This review examines gender dynamics in the executive branch, focusing on presidents and prime ministers and their cabinets. We analyze four key areas: access to power, policy priorities, gendered leadership styles, and citizens’ responses. We argue that, despite progress, women remain underrepresented in executive roles, especially as chief executives. Women sometimes bring unique policy interests and leadership styles to the office, but strategic career incentives and institutional constraints shape both men's and women's behavior as leaders. Finally, women's presence in executive positions sends signals about the government, as well as about who is fit to govern and participate in politics. In sum, this review highlights the importance of understanding and addressing these gendered dynamics to move closer to gender equality in the highest levels of political leadership.

Byzantine Religious Policy on the Integration of the Armenian Church, 860s–880s

In the second half of the ninth century, a new period of confrontation between the Armenian and Byzantine Churches began. The goal of Byzantine religious policy was the abolition of the independence of the Armenian Church and its unification with the imperial Church. In his letters addressed to the ecclesiastical and political leaders of Armenia, the patriarch Photios proposed that they abandon Monophysitism and accept Chalcedonianism. Under this religious veil were disguised the empire's real political, cultural and socio-economic goals. Although Photios could not achieve the final unification of the two Churches, his mission did bring about a temporary religious rapprochement between the Armenians and the Greeks.

Leadership in Islam: A Spiritual and Theological Doctrine

This study explores the development and application of a Spiritual Political Index (SPI) from an Islamic theological perspective, emphasizing the impact of spiritual intelligence on political leadership and governance. Utilizing a qualitative, descriptive, and correlational approach, the research addresses challenges such as inclusivity across religious traditions and measuring intangible qualities such as spiritual intelligence (Alfahum Alruwhi). Findings show that incorporating spiritual intelligence into political decision-making, guided by Islamic principles (Mabadi' Iislamiatun) such as God-consciousness (Taqwa), trust in God (Tawakkul), consultation (Shura), and justice ('Adl), enhance political processes. The SPI, based on Islamic theology (Ilm Al-kalam), offers a framework to integrate spiritual values in politics, promoting ethical and effective leadership. It aims to align political leadership with both worldly aspirations and spiritual objectives ('Ahdaf Ruhia) while addressing the diverse needs of the nation (Al'uma). The research highlights the potential of spiritual intelligence in cultivating influential politicians through religious spirituality (Alsiyasiu Alsaalih Bialruwhaniat Aldiyniiti). It underscores the importance of a structured framework for fostering a just and humane society (Mujtamae Eadil Wa'iinsaniun). Additionally, integrating principles like Tawheed (unity), Khilafah (trusteeship), and 'Adl (justice) enhances spiritual governance, with Hikmah (wisdom) playing a crucial role in aligning spiritual values with practical leadership. Contemporary leaders are encouraged to draw on Islamic doctrines to address modern challenges, ensuring that spiritual and ethical dimensions inform policy-making and leadership.

Women underrepresented or men overrepresented? Framing influences women's affective and behavioral responses to gender gap in political leadership

Women underrepresented or men overrepresented? Framing influences women's affective and behavioral responses to gender gap in political leadership

Border Time: Policing Movement in the Rio Grande Valley

Abstract: The southern border of the United States has been policed intensively for over half a century. Donald Trump and many other global political leaders have narrowed their policy focuses from bordering more generally to building walls. Even short trips to the US-Mexico border make clear that the wall is not a continuous integrated structure. On the contrary, the wall is fragmented by design. Attending to the materialization of the wall, to the bits and pieces, puts the question: How is political authority operating here? Rather than assuming fragmentation to be a sign of weakness, I suggest we shift in analysis of border policing from space to time. I draw evidence from government documents, site visits, and photographs.