Political Power Structures Research Articles

Dynamics of Structural Resources of the Regional Political Regime in the Chernivtsi region

In the article the author determines the features of the dynamics of the structural resources of the regional political regime in the Chernivtsi region in 1991–2017. It is substantiated that the basis for the functioning of any political regime (national, regional or local) is the availability of a set of resources that allow it to assert and maintain its own subjectivity in interaction with the political center, influence the public matrix of the region in order to achieve the desired result in the political sphere, apply technology authoritarian and competitive mobilization for achieving the set goals.
 It is proved that the administrative-territorial, socio-economic, educational and information-communication resources of the regional political regime in the Chernivtsi region have undergone significant changes. It is justified that in addition to educational resources, all others are weak enough to ensure the formation of a set of strong regional actors and ensure open political competition.
 In the conclusions, the author notes that regional political actors at the level of institutions of power and local self-government are dependent on concentrated business groups that actually completed the distribution of the resources of the regional political regime. Being integrated into institutional structures of political power and local self-government, business groups reproduce informal management practices, tested in the process of development by a complex of economic resources of the region. The system of mediator institutes is concentrated in the information space, trying to act as an arbitrator in the interaction of the weak for the center, and for the region, power and concentrated business structures.
 Keywords: Regional political regime, regime resources, structural resources, political dynamics, Chernivtsi region

RESISTANCE, CLASS STRUGGLE AND SOCIAL MOVEMENTS IN LATIN AMERICA: CONTEMPORARY DYNAMICS

: The article aims to discuss the different interpretations of the dynamics of the class struggle in Latin America and to develop the argument that these dynamics of contemporary social movements constitute a new and broader dimension in the confrontation with the structural changes of capitalist system. The arguments that the article seeks to advance are the debate on social movements that were circumscribed to the context of the neoliberal agenda and to the post-consensus of Washington, and to develop the reconstruction of the circumstances of the new millennium that gave rise to the new forces of change and resistance to the new frontier of extractive capital. The article concludes that the new social movements in Latin America do not fundamentally disrupt the structure of economic and political power, nor the capitalist system.

Why equity in health and in access to health care are elusive: Insights from Canada and South Africa

ABSTRACTHealth and access to health care vary strikingly across the globe, and debates about this have been pervasive and controversial. Some comparative data in Canada and South Africa illustrate the complexity of achieving greater equity anywhere, even in a wealthy country like Canada. Potential bi-directional lessons relevant both to local and global public health are identified. Both countries should consider the implications of lost opportunity costs associated with lack of explicit resource allocation policies. While National Health Insurance is attractive politically, Canada's example cannot be fully emulated in South Africa. Short- and medium-term attempts to improve equity in middle-income countries should focus on equitable access to insurance to cover primary health care and on making more use of nurse practitioners and community health workers. In the longer-term, attention is needed to the economic and political power structures that influence health and health care and that ignore the social and societal determinants of sustainable good health locally and globally. This long-term vision of health is needed globally to achieve improvements in individual and population health in a century characterised by limits to economic growth, widening disparities, continuing conflict and migration on a large scale and multiple adverse impacts of climate change.

Kant After Marx

AbstractWhile there are many points of opposition between the political philosophies of Marx and Kant, the two can greatly benefit from one another in various ways. Bringing the ideas of Marx and Kant together offers a promising way forward for each view. Most significantly, a powerful critique of capitalism can be developed from their combined thought: Kant’s political philosophy offers a robust idea of freedom to ground this critique, while Marx provides the nuanced understanding of social and political power structures under capitalism that allows this idea of freedom to be properly applied.

Representations of Political Power Structures by Strategically Stable Game Forms: A Survey

We survey the results on representations of committees and constitutions by game forms that possess some kind of equilibrium strategies for each profile of preferences of the players. The survey is restricted to discrete models, that is, we deal with finitely many players and alternatives. No prior knowledge of social choice is assumed: As far as definitions are concerned, the paper is self-contained. Section 2 supplies the necessary general tools for the rest of the paper. Each definition is followed by a simple (but nontrivial) example. In Section 3 we give a complete account of representations of committees (proper and monotonic simple games), by exactly and strongly consistent social choice functions. We start with Peleg’s representations of weak games, and then provide a complete and detailed account of Holzman’s solution of the representation problem for simple games without veto players. In Section 4 we deal with representations of constitutions by game forms. Following Gärdenfors we model a constitution by a monotonic and superadditive effectivity function. We fully characterize the representations for three kinds of equilibrium: Nash equilibrium; acceptable equilibrium (Pareto optimal Nash equilibrium); and strong Nash equilibrium. We conclude in Section 5 with a report on two recent works on representations of constitutions under incomplete information.

Development of Cultural Construction and Constitutional Revolution in Iran

The subject of this article is the development of the cultural construction and the emergence of the Constitutional Revolution in Iran. This study, by examining the cultural structure of the Qajar era of the Naser-al-Din Shah period wants to investigate the cause of the Constitutional Revolution.The findings of this research, which have been collected by historical-analytical method, indicate that the pattern of development in the Qajar era is consistent with the pattern of unbalanced development. In this sense, by starting educational, political and military reforms in the Qajar era specially Nasser-al-Din Shah, gradually the cultural structure apart from the traditional political structure. This development provided the basis for the emergence of new intellectuals and elites with new political ideas in the field of governance methods. However, the attenuation of political structure and the backwardness of political development from cultural development faced with some obstacles. Political system instead of creating a development along with gradual cultural development and consolidating its position through the persuasion of the community, in fact to maintain integrity in the social system was resorted to force and preferred force and compulsion to persuasion. The kind of reaction and opposition of the political power structure against the modern intellectual movement, which contained new political demands in the area of governance and freedom, led to the weakness and, finally, the collapse of the Qajar political system and the constitutional revolution.

Good Governance and Economic Growth: A Contribution to the Institutional Debate about State Failure in Middle East and North Africa

:Several econometric studies (Kauffman, Knack)② tested the relationship between good governance in the sense of “market-enhancing governance” (stimulus institutions market) showing a positive relationship between good governance and economic growth. However, a good governance policy allows developing countries to achieve minimum economic growth and political reforms in order to reach a level of development similar to that of industrialized countries? In this article, we focus on the definition and the development on the concept of good governance by the World Bank and the criticism formulated by Mushtaq Khan③, who reconstructed the notion of governance in a broader sense, taking into account the capacity of states to drive structural change in the institutional, political, economic and social fields, in order to ensure long-term economic growth. Our contribution is to examine the concept of good governance and the failure of states taking into account the level of development and governance capacity based on a structure and distribution of political power that evolves over time and may or may not be positive for growth. The assumption we make here is that the so-called good governance policies are relevant only if countries reach an adequate level of economic and social development that enable institutions of good governance to boost growth.

Community sensitization and decision-making for trial participation: A mixed-methods study from The Gambia.

BackgroundEnsuring individual free and informed decision‐making for research participation is challenging. It is thought that preliminarily informing communities through ‘community sensitization’ procedures may improve individual decision‐making. This study set out to assess the relevance of community sensitization for individual decision‐making in research participation in rural Gambia.MethodsThis anthropological mixed‐methods study triangulated qualitative methods and quantitative survey methods in the context of an observational study and a clinical trial on malaria carried out by the Medical Research Council Unit Gambia.Results/discussionAlthough 38.7% of the respondents were present during sensitization sessions, 91.1% of the respondents were inclined to participate in the trial when surveyed after the sensitization and prior to the informed consent process. This difference can be explained by the informal transmission of information within the community after the community sensitization, expectations such as the benefits of participation based on previous research experiences, and the positive reputation of the research institute. Commonly mentioned barriers to participation were blood sampling and the potential disapproval of the household head.ConclusionCommunity sensitization is effective in providing first‐hand, reliable information to communities as the information is cascaded to those who could not attend the sessions. However, further research is needed to assess how the informal spread of information further shapes people's expectations, how the process engages with existing social relations and hierarchies (e.g. local political power structures; permissions of heads of households) and how this influences or changes individual consent.

From revelation to revolution: apocalypticism in green politics

ABSTRACTApocalyptic narratives in green politics have provoked much controversy about questions of rhetoric and framing. Critics argue that constant warnings about impending environmental collapse demoralise and demobilise the public, while advocates argue that dire predictions embody a realism necessary if the radical collective action required for a green transition is to be taken. This is not just a debate about the tactics of presentation; at a substantive ideological level, the multilayered questions raised by apocalypticism cut to the heart of significant divisions in the green movement between radical and mainstream currents concerning their orientation to structures of political and economic power. Comparisons with the contested historical tradition of apocalyptics in Christian theology shed light upon the dynamic tensions between movement insurgency and institutionalisation. Apocalypticism has played a key role in framing the green critique of capitalist modernity and is intrinsically connected to the formulation of utopic alternatives. In both theory and practice, it remains the animating spirit of radical environmentalism.

Mobile telephony and democracy in Ghana: Interrogating the changing ecology of citizen engagement and political communication

This paper explores how far mobile telephony, in concert with other media platforms, has borne out the optimism of the mobile phonedemocracy nexus in the context of Ghana's politics and democratic practice. It examines the relationship between mobile phone access, citizen engagement, and appropriation of the technology by the governing elite for political communication and electoral campaigns. It concludes that Ghana has witnessed a rich convergence of mobile telephony and broadcast media which, in tandem with an open political environment, has significantly transformed the ecology of political communication. This development has helped to deepen democratic engagement among citizens, and between citizens and the political class, by fostering civic vigilance and accountability and facilitating multivocal expression of views from a more diverse constituency of political participants. However, while mobile phones and related platforms have allowed contra- and counter-hegemonic voices in Ghanaian politics to find expression across the electromagnetic spectrum, this access should not be construed to necessarily mean that political discourse has shifted in significant ways as to alter the fundamental structures of political power. Overall, the fundamental structures of political power and the levers of control remain unassailed by ordinary citizens, despite some of the progress made possible by mobile telephony.

Ties that bind: Local networks, communities and adaptive capacity in rural Ghana

Current models of adaptation to climate change focus on common causes of vulnerability among individuals and communities in an attempt to improve their capacity to adapt. These models tend to neglect the impact on vulnerability of local relationships that include political and economic power structures. We use social network analysis to examine the connectivity and positions of vulnerable rural households and their capacity to adapt. We collected empirical data from a community of 58 smallholders in upper west Ghana on external relations with 'local actors' that are independent, operate beyond the community yet have direct relations with the community. These connections provide important resources and knowledge to build adaptive capacity that would not be generated from within the community. Our results highlight that certain external relations expose households to knowledge and other forms of capital, which in turn strengthen their ability to access and mobilise resources to respond to environmental change. However, not all external relations offer equal opportunities, which results in a stratified community and variation in the households’ capacity to adapt. The network approach also identifies points where local actors can link communities and households to remote agencies crucial for planning and implementing effective adaptation. Keywords: Adaptation; Adaptive capacity; Rural agriculture; Climate change; Rural community, Social network analysis; Vulnerability

Political Participation and Power Relations in Egypt: The Scope of Newspapers and Social Network Sites

The political use of media in Egypt post-2011 revolution brought about drastic transformations in political activism and power structures. In the context of communication power theory, this article investigates the effects of newspapers and social network sites on political participation and political power relations. The research employed a mixed methodology, comprised of a survey of 527 Egyptian youth and semi-structured interviews of 12 political activists and journalists. The results showed a significant relationship between reading newspapers and youth’s political participation, but not between using social network sites and political participation. In addition, newspapers and social network sites were platforms for a series of conflicts and coalitions that emerged between pro- and anti-revolution actors. Despite the importance of social network sites as key tools for informing and mobilizing the public, they eventually failed to empower new political actors, and this was because old actors, supported by newspapers and other mainstream media, managed to obstruct the new actors’ progress.

Economic structures, institutions and economic performance

The contention that “inclusive” institutions are the deep determinants of economic growth remains unsatisfactory. This paper develops an alternative theoretical and empirical case that economic structures are the fundamental cause of economic performance. Economic structures determine the rate of structural learning, affect institutional performance, influence the distribution of income and establish the direction of political transitions, thereby, economic performance. The paper highlights the feedback loops among institutions, political power and economic structures, thus, markets on their own will not ensure growth-enhancing transformations. The workings of this framework are illustrated using a USA case study, and it exposes the structural origins of the financial crisis.

Metaphor, Identity and Ideologies in Igbo Folk Music

ABSTRACTEgwu Ekpili is a highly dynamic and symbolic Igbo folk music that responds to social and political tensions in Igbo land in particular, and Nigeria in general. It deploys conventional and conceptual metaphors to articulate salient Igbo identities and ideologies, as well as represent or critique political power structures and relations. Hitherto, studies on Igbo folk music have examined performance styles, compositions, and aesthetic and utilitarian values from the ethnomusicological and literary (socio-political satire) perspectives, with little attention to the role of metaphor as a tool for representing socio-political and cultural realities in the Igbo society – whereas Egwu Ekpili is replete with metaphorical expressions, perceived to be critical to the full understanding of this unique Igbo folk music genre. From a critical metaphor perspective, this study examines the strategic deployment of metaphor in representing identities and ideologies in selected songs of three popular and foremost Egwu Ekpili musicians, namely Gentleman Mike Ejeagha, Chief Akunwata Ozoemena Nsugbe and Chief Emeka Morocco Maduka. The study integrates ideas from Charteris-Black's Critical Metaphor Theory to explicate a typical Nigerian socio-political system and structure fraught with power struggle, dominance and embezzlement. Metaphors from five source domains of animal, journey, plant/food, war/conflict and family represent the ideological positioning and inclinations of the Igbo people.

Hunger and Equity in an Era of Genetic Engineering

This Article explores food insecurity in an era of climate change. The key working assumptions are that viable solutions to food insecurity must offer access to adequate and culturally appropriate food; must empower rather than exploit food producers; and must not degrade the environment or threaten human health. With those criteria in mind, this Article tests the notion that genetically engineered crops are a tool in the fight against hunger. In doing so, this Article highlights how narratives about science and equity are deployed both by the pro-agricultural biotechnology forces and by their opponents. The Article concludes that while genetic engineering might contribute to an equitable transformation of food production, the technology is embedded in economic and political power structures that stand in the way. As a result, the technology winds up underscoring existing imbalances, and undermining food equity.

Relationship Between Good Governance and Economic Growth. A Contribution to the Institutional Debate About State Failure in Developing Countries.

Numbers of economists of development consider that Good Governance, defined as the quality management and orientation of development policies has a positive influence on economic performance. The question is what content the literature gives to the concept of governance? According to the World Bank, Good Governance is evaluated by the implementation capacity of principles driven by a country, providing an institutional framework able to sustain economic growth. Several econometric studies (Kauffman et al. (1999, 2005), Knack et al. (1999) tested the relationship between Good Governance in the sense of market-enhancing governance (stimulus institutions market) and showed a positive relationship between Good Governance and economic growth. However a Good Governance policy needs for developing countries to achieve minimum economic growth and political reforms in order to reach a level of development similar to that of industrialized countries. We started discussion by World Bank’s Good Governance and criticism formulated by Mushtaq Khan (2002.2004), who turned it in a broader sense, including capacity of states to drive structural change in institutional, political, economic and social fields, in order to ensure long-term economic growth. Our research consists first to present the results of an empirical model based on a panel of developing countries chosen by region (MENA, Latin America, and Asia). The aim is to check if growth rate may or may not be correlated with good indicators as defined by the World Bank. Our contribution is to discuss the concept of good and the failure of states that take into account the level of development and capacity that is based on a structure and distribution of political power that evolves in time and may or may not be positive for growth. The assumption we make here is that the so-called Good Governance policies are relevant if countries reach a sound level of economic and social development that enable that kind of institutions to boost growth.

Empowerment through Decentralization: Conceptions, Contrivances and Connections

The coupling of empowerment with decentralization is a relatively new preoccupation, as the rethinking and understanding of empowerment and decentralization have transformed into new connotations and dimensions within the global development community in globalized age. The meaning and nature of empowerment and decentralization mostly depend on the context in which it is being used. There is a growing conception that delivering efficient and effective goods and services is not possible without transforming authority and resources from central government to the local level. Decentralization is the means of providing effective and efficient services to the people at grass roots level as well as the mechanism of empowerment. Moreover, the notion of empowerment is to focus on the elimination of socio-economic and political barriers through the transformation and distribution of power between the government, institutions and community. However, the efficiency and quality of decentralization in terms of empowerment largely depend on, decentralized policy of the central government, institutional and managerial capacities of local agencies and local political power structure. The degree of empowerment differs from situation to situation, depending on the availability of information, implementation of decisions, mechanisms of peoples ’participation and accountability. This paper is a comprehensive study of the empowerment and decentralization considering the conceptual framework and practical implications. In this regard, this paper reviews the conceptions and dimensions of empowerment and decentralization as well as explains the rationale for adopting a decentralization policy in developing countries. This paper also illustrates the mechanisms that are important to empower people and the mechanisms in which form decentralization initiatives are undertaken in developing countries. Finally, this paper measures the impacts of empowerment and decentralization and demonstrates their interrelationships.

Power to the People: An Inverse Role in Nigeria’s Politics and Governance

Abstract An attempt to contextualize the political power structure in Nigeria exposes an orientation and practice that directly negates the democratic norm of power belonging to the people. Today, power belongs entirely to government officials who use it to advance the course of their political and economic interests. The people are thus, subjected to the point and path of complete alienation from the demands and benefits of their democratic citizenship. Given the weakness of the rule of law and institutions of check in Nigeria, established statutes and legislation have not been able to stand tall to relevance in dislodging the hegemony of the ruling elites as is evident in our case study-Imo State. This has since 1999, propped up a telling political effect, which also spirals to the arena of development, and quakes the stability of the state, and the nation at large. The paper examines the current domiciliation of political power, its potential effect on the people, and on service delivery in the country. A case is made for recovery of power for the people and reasserting the law as a balancing force and as means of providing check against breach of constitutionally prescribed political power structure and configuration.

New media–new voices: satirical representations of Nigeria’s socio-politics in Ogas at the top

ABSTRACTNew media are increasingly providing spaces and opportunities for media houses and activist groups engaged in socio-political reform in Africa. In Nigeria, social media are becoming platforms for communicating messages of resistance against oppressive political and exploitative economic power structures. This study analyzed Ogas at the top (OATT), an online puppetry series by Buni TV, as a way of examining new platforms and message content in Nigeria’s rapidly changing media sphere. Relying on semiotics and critical discourse analysis perspectives, the study analyzed select episodes of the series, to gauge how producers constructed powerful visual and linguistic messages to boldly satirize social injustices perpetrated by Nigeria’s political elites.

Pacto delincuencial y territorialidad

En este trabajo está planteado un análisis de la delincuencia desde la propia forma de vida del delincuente. Se trata, entonces, de presentar las claves de comprensión que nos permitan encontrar su consistencia desde lo vivido y lo practicado por la persona que delinque. En Venezuela el fenómeno toma una complejidad inusitada al fusionarse en un mismo sentido la violencia del sujeto que lo practica y las estructuras del poder político; tal vez sea ésta una clave para entender lo que ocurre en Latinoamérica. Esa relación Estado-delincuencia hay que mirarla con sumo cuidado dado que se plantea como una posibilidad de desarrollo de una forma de vida delincuencial que se proyecta y se autonomiza.