Political Pressure Research Articles

Effect of Life Expectancy on Economy Growth for High-Income Nations

The global age distribution has undergone substantial changes in recent years due to a rise in life expectancy. Based on projections, the global population of those aged 60 and beyond is expected to reach 2 billion by 2050, representing almost 25% of the total population. By the year 2050, it is expected that the proportion of adults aged 80 years and older will rise by 1% to 4% of the global population. Because of this trend, economic growth may be hampered. The growing reliance on elderly people results in an increase in taxation, while political pressures may cause public funding to be redirected to adult social care. If this option is made, it could be detrimental to both growth and investment. The present study uses panel data from high-income countries to determine if life expectancy is a favorable predictor of economic growth using Granger causality and panel regression. The Hausman test was used to evaluate pooled, random, and fixed effect models in order to determine which model was the most appropriate. Based on the results, the fixed effect model tends to perform better, as indicated by the p-value being less than 0.05. Furthermore, the findings convey that life expectancy has a negative impact on economic growth.

Ethical Dilemmas and Their Impact on Accountability in Local Governments: A Study of the Greater Kigezi Sub-Region in Uganda

This study examines the impact of ethical dilemmas on accountability in local governments within the Greater Kigezi sub-region of Uganda comprising of Kabale, Kanungu, Kisoro, Rubanda and Rukiga local governments and therefore, sufficient enough to represent and enable generalization of findings to other local governments in the country. Over the past few decades, public sector reforms have sought to enhance transparency, efficiency, and service delivery. Despite these efforts, Uganda continues to face challenges in maintaining strong accountability systems, particularly at the local government level. Ethical dilemmas—stemming from conflicts of interest, political pressure, resource constraints, and cultural norms—undermine accountability and transparency, leading to corruption and diminished public trust. The study investigates these dynamics by exploring how ethical challenges affect governance in local governments through the aid of questionnaires and interviews with stakeholders drawn from the local governments and opinion leaders who represent the voices of the grassroots. Focusing on the Greater Kigezi sub-region, the research highlights widespread governance issues such as nepotism, political interference, and weak institutional oversight. Findings reveal that ethical dilemmas hinder public sector performance by compromising decision-making and oversight processes. To address these challenges, the study suggests enhancing ethical training, strengthening oversight institutions, fostering civic engagement, and developing clearer policies on ethics and accountability. By implementing these policy reforms, stakeholders can create more transparent and accountable local governance systems that better serve community needs

Banning protests at oil and gas sites: The influence of policy entrepreneurs and political pressure

Banning protests at oil and gas sites: The influence of policy entrepreneurs and political pressure

Teacher Leadership Development: The Role of Professional Certification Programs

The past few decades have seen a growing interest in teacher leadership development worldwide. However, there is a need for more empirical research to understand how professional certification programs make teachers leaders, what roles teacher leaders play and what challenges they encounter. This study addresses these questions by examining the perceptions of eight professionally certified teachers working at a Government College in Bangladesh. As a qualitative study, participants were selected through purposive and snowball sampling, and a self-developed semi-structured interview schedule was used to collect the data. Data were then analyzed thematically. The findings reveal that professional certification programs significantly contribute to making teachers as leaders, enhancing their pedagogical, professional, research, and collaborative skills compared to their prior positions. In addition, these professionally certified teacher leaders motivate students for better careers and organize seminars, symposiums, and workshops to improve their achievement, inspire colleagues to pursue higher degrees, exchange innovative teaching approaches with them for their professional development, and work on academic committees and research cells, provide valuable insights for overall college improvement. However, the study found that professionally certified teachers face challenges such as a top-down leadership approach, a lack of collaborative college culture, external political pressure, limited financial incentives for pursuing degrees, and a lack of desirable postings to complete the professional certification programs. In contrast to previous literature, the study did not find a lack of time among the professionally certified teachers to perform leadership roles. This study sheds new light on developing teacher leadership through professional certification programs and providing insights for principals and policymakers on how certified teachers contribute to overall college improvement. Future research should focus on the impact of teacher professional certifications on student achievement, colleagues’ professional development, and overall college improvement from students’, colleagues’ and principals’ perspectives.

“Pous van die Kaap”

“Pope of the Cape”: Koot Vorster and ultra-right politics in the 1960s The Dutch Reformed Church (DRC), with an entrenched relationship with Afrikaner nationalism and apartheid, had to face socio-political changes in Afrikaner society in the 1960s. International pressure on the state, economic prosperity of Afrikaners, cultural exposure to the West, and internal criticism from cultural and academic spaces began to crack the bastion of Afrikanerdom during this decade. While the state had so-called dangers from outside under control at the time, it was the DRC’s focus to strengthen the people from within against unseen dangers such as liberalism and communism. In this context, Dr Koot Vorster emerged from the Cape NG Church as a leading national figure of Afrikaner anticommunism when he became head of the newly established National Council for the Fight against Communism in 1964. This article shows how Vorster was in fact a foreman for an ultra-right political pressure group from the Transvaal. Vorster is therefore considered here as a churchman and “organisation man”, as termed by N.P. van Wyk Louw, within verkrampte ranks. As the political winds blew against the verkramptes under the leadership of Koot’s brother, Prime Minister John Vorster, Koot also stood more and more on the periphery of popular politics as he tested the boundaries at the right of Afrikaner politics. As an organization man he would then stand on the periphery, but as a church man he did not lose his prestige.

Perceived Occupational Stress among Male and Female Teachers Working in +2 Private Schools in Darbhanga District, India

The present study was aimed at studying the perceived occupational stress among male and female teachers working in +2 private schools with special reference to Darbhanga district, India. It is undoubtedly fact that in recent years our private educator’s organizations and other groups have sought to improve the public image of the teaching occupation so as to attract more people in to the occupation. Hence, the present piece of research work is of immense value on the problem mentioned above. For the present investigation, total sample consisted of one hundred sixty (N=160) comprising male (n=80) and female (n=80) teachers working in +2 Private Schools were randomly selected from different private schools of Darbhanga district. Data were collected through questionnaire schedules on the sample. Having obtained the data on the items of the schedules, individual scores were summed up and tabulated according to procedure of the scales for giving statistical treatment. Results indicated the fact that there is a significant difference between male and female teachers working in +2 private Schools of Darbhanga district in their degree of perceived reactions on occupational stress as t-value has been found statistically significant at .05 but all the teachers reported more or less moderate level of occupational stress. On the other hand, no significant difference has been found between the groups of males and females in terms of their degree of the dimensions of occupational stress, viz. unreasonable groups and political pressures, under participation, intrinsic impoverishment, low status, and unprofitability. although few dimensions of occupational stress out of twelve dimensions viz., role overload, role ambiguity, responsibility for persons, poor peer relations and strenuous working conditions have been found as the predictors between male and female teachers as these dimensions has been found statistically significant at .01 and ,05 level of confidence although both ...

Emergency politics from the inside: EU staff and the building of a task force during the Greek crisis

ABSTRACT This article examines the establishment of a task force inside the European Commission at the height of the Greek crisis, known as the ‘task force for Greece’. By adopting a perspective centred on the professionals employed in this ad hoc body, I investigate its symbolic and political significance within the broader framework of European emergency governance. Through a detailed analysis of the ethos and profiles of its personnel, the article argues that the task force represented a shift in crisis management, representing both a gesture of support and a counterbalance to the costs of austerity. The findings are grounded in extensive sociological fieldwork, including interviews, sociographic data and the analysis of documents, offering a comprehensive understanding of how EU staff shaped the task force’s mandate and operations under conditions of limited material resources and considerable political pressure. This research contributes to the study of crises and of European bureaucracy by elucidating the dynamic relationship between emergency politics and bureaucratic practices within the European Union.

Forced Returns and Fragile Lives: Strategies for Safeguarding Syrian Refugees and Ensuring Their Protection

Abstract The article discusses the deportation of Syrian refugees from Lebanon and Turkey between 2017 and 2024. It attempts to bring light on the experiences of these refugees facing forced returns, emphasising the human consequences and complicated causes underlying such actions. The purpose of this article is to raise awareness about the deportation of Syrian refugees and the urgent need for collective action to address this humanitarian disaster and preserve the lives of vulnerable individuals affected by forced repatriation. Using the descriptive analytical approach, this article investigates the legislative frameworks and international commitments that should safeguard refugees from forced repatriation. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (udhr), The 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol and rules of International Humanitarian Law will be used as a standard for the definition and legal framework of refugee’s rights. The article dives into the obstacles that host countries confront, including as social, economic, and political pressures. It also emphasises the necessity of advocacy activities and protective measures to defend Syrian refugees’ rights and well-being. The findings of the article are expected to benefit Syrian refugees and raise awareness about their situation, which will contribute preserve their lives and well-being.

Cross‐retaliation and international dispute settlement

AbstractAlthough politicians and the popular press often express the desire to link retaliation in trade agreements to non‐trade issues, the WTO discourages and usually disallows cross‐retaliation even among its own agreements. In this paper, we analyze the welfare implications of cross‐retaliation. We compare two different mechanisms in a two‐country two‐sector tariff‐setting political‐economy model with incomplete information. A country may temporarily raise trade barriers in response to political pressure and the extent of this pressure is private information. In a same‐sector retaliation mechanism a safeguard action, or other limited violation of the international trade agreement, is punished by an equivalent suspension of concessions in the sector where the initial deviation takes place. In a linked, or cross‐sector, retaliation mechanism retaliatory actions may be taken in another sector or agreement. We next consider less‐than‐equivalent suspensions of concessions whereby the probability of retaliation is less than unity. We then endogenize this probability and derive its optimal level separately for same‐ and cross‐sector retaliation. We also consider the long‐run viability of these self‐enforcing trade agreements. We show that whether retaliation is certain or probabilistic a cross‐sector retaliation mechanism can generate greater welfare and self‐enforcement capability than a same‐sector mechanism unless export‐oriented political pressure in the cross‐sector targeted for retaliation is high. Although cross‐sector retaliation is usually welfare improving, there may be little additional benefit to extending retaliation to a different agreement.

The culture of small institutions: Unique spaces for meaningful and sustainable collaboration between academic affairs and student affairs

AbstractCollaboration between academic and student affairs fosters meaningful student engagement, supports academic achievement, and facilitates a robust campus community. Although these partnerships can be challenging to develop, small institutions occupy a unique position in higher education, as these collaborations are highly valued as fundamental to the campus culture and an essential factor in the practical life of the institution. By focusing specifically on the role of the faculty in collaboration with student affairs professionals at small institutions, this article demonstrates the unique and tremendous power of small institutions in fostering meaningful, robust, and sustainable partnerships between academic and student affairs. Because of their histories, traditions, and structure, small institutions possess a strong and distinct foundation for collaborative work with corresponding benefits and challenges. Finally, this article provides practical recommendations for student affairs professionals at small institutions about ways to draw upon their distinct culture and to understand why these partnerships are important for our students and their development, for faculty and student affairs professionals, for our institutions that are faced with mounting economic, social, and political pressures, and for the public good more broadly.

Public Perception of the Higher Education System under the Regime of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan

A modern, free, and dynamic higher education system is the basic and critical element of successful nation, and it can contribute to the progress and development of a country. Under both regimes of the Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan, the higher education system has undergone significant changes to align with the government’s interpretation of Islamic principles. This study is important to understand how Afghan society views the changes and policies implemented in the education sector under the current regime. The research study aims to evaluate public sentiment regarding access, quality, and inclusivity of higher education, particularly in relation to gender, curriculum changes, and ideological shifts. This paper focuses on the Taliban’s higher education system and investigates public responses to educational policies. This paper will offer recommendations to all stakeholders involved in the Afghan higher education system, aimed at improving its management and development during this crucial period. This work employs non-doctrinal and library research methodology. Non-doctrinal research examines how laws are applied and experienced in practice by collecting data through surveys, interviews, field studies, and observations. In this research study, data was collected through a questionnaire and then analyzed through SPSS. Moreover, in the library research methodology, most of the reputable and trustworthy academic sources such as textbooks, scholarly published and unpublished journal articles, law reports, and online websites related to the research area were analyzed through descriptive, explanatory, and analytical research approaches. The Afghan higher education system, established in the 1930s, has faced continuous political pressures, especially during periods of conflict like the Soviet invasion and civil war from the 1980s to 1990s. Women face major limitations in higher education, including restrictions on fields of study and exclusion from faculty positions, raising concerns about gender equality and access to education.

The evolution of vaccine mandates: from historical perspectives to contemporary applications

Abstract Luigi Sacco pioneered efforts in 19th-century Italian vaccination campaigns when mandatory vaccination practices began as a public health strategy. We bridge past and present through a systematic review of both historical and contemporary vaccine mandate policies. While Sacco’s early initiatives, characterised by compulsory vaccination and effective communication strategies, set foundational principles for vaccine mandates, the modern era, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, has seen a significant shift in the nature and application of vaccine mandates. Recent legislative changes across various countries have introduced stricter mandates aimed at managing public health crises. For instance, Italy and France, deeply impacted by reduced vaccine uptake and subsequent measles outbreaks, responded by reinforcing vaccine mandates. These countries aimed to mitigate the dual challenges of achieving high vaccination coverage and combating growing vaccine hesitancy. Comparative analysis of recent legislative changes reveals a trend towards increasing coerciveness in vaccine mandates, reflecting a blend of functional and political pressures driving government decisions. This trend is evident in the legislative adjustments made in California, Australia, France, and Italy, where heightened penalties and reduced exemptions were introduced to counteract declining public compliance. The synthesis of these experiences highlights the critical role of robust, credible communication and the nuanced application of mandates that consider societal and cultural contexts. Contemporary strategies are characterised by targeted interventions aimed at specific populations, reflecting the complex interplay of social, political, and health dynamics in vaccine policy. The enduring relevance of vaccine mandates underscores the necessity of flexible, responsive public health strategies that effectively address both long-standing and emergent vaccine hesitancy and coverage challenges. Speakers/Panelists Carlo Signorelli HSR, Milan, Italy Maria Gańczak Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Zielona Góra, Zielona Góra, Poland

Same goal, different measures: Obscure transformation in Japan's food security policy (1970–2020)

AbstractFor decades, the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture has implemented various measures to ensure a stable food supply, considering food security a top priority due to the increasing uncertainty of the global economy. However, the ministry's food security policy has evolved substantially with a disproportionate focus on the domestic production of specific food products. This policy change occurred without being widely recognized by the public, media, or intellectuals. Why has the Agricultural Ministry's policy changed even though its goal has remained the same? By applying both qualitative and quantitative research methods, we investigated the context behind this obscure policy transition. Our findings reveal that, contrary to conventional understanding, this policy shift occurred not so much due to political pressure from the agricultural sector, but mainly because of a change in the definition of a key policy concept (i.e., the food self‐sufficiency rate) in the late 1980s.

A Comparative Analysis of Policy Responses to Development Gaps in ASEAN: Examining the Effectiveness of Macroeconomic and Regional Integration Strategies

Abstract: Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) integration was originally developed to respond more effectively to political and economic pressures from outside and collective bargaining power with a unified regional organisation. However, the significant disparity in development levels among ASEAN member States posed a challenge to that goal and to the sustainable economic development of ASEAN. This paper will analyse all aspects of the existing disparity in the level of development of ASEAN member countries and the reasons behind it. It will also present and analyse existing policies and mechanisms in ASEAN that address the imbalance in the level of development. To analyse the challenges for ASEAN to address the issue of imbalance in the level of development in the light of the effectiveness of the current ASEAN response to the imbalance in the level of development and the objective and realistic context of the ASEAN member States in terms of the comparison between the countries with high level of development and the countries with low level of development. ASEAN's macro-control policies, influenced by the system, do pay attention to the key factors affecting high and low levels of development, but ASEAN lacks targeted response programmes for countries and regions with complex political contexts.

Introduction “street‐level bureaucracy, populism, and democratic backsliding”

AbstractThis special issue investigates the impact of populism and democratic backsliding on street‐level bureaucracy (SLB) across various countries and contexts. The cooccurrence of populism and democratic erosion significantly alters public administration, particularly affecting public sector employees responsible for policy implementation. This issue explores how populist strategies differ in their application to SLBs as compared to the Civil Service, the distinctive challenges SLBs encounter due to populism and democratic backsliding, and the pressures exacerbated during crises. By examining studies from Brazil, Mexico, Poland, Czechia, Hungary, Switzerland, and the United States, the papers highlight the interplay between political pressures and frontline service delivery. The findings underscore the necessity of understanding the relationship between democratic backsliding, populism, and SLBs, proposing a research agenda to further explore these dynamics and their implications for public administration and policy implementation.

To What Extent Is Public Demonstration Effective to Combat Environmental Injustice and Safeguard Community Rights in the United States?

Public demonstrations have emerged as an essential strategy for addressing environmental injustice and promoting systemic change. Other potential approaches such as legal actions face resistance due to resource limitations and urgent need for solutions in underprivileged regions. Through case studies, this research underscores the unique strength of public demonstration to mobilize comparatively immediate actions and exert political pressure. The substantial social influence made is crucial in driving reforms, given that environmental injustice issues typically pose continuous and serious health impacts on residents. The research points out that though community solidarity and governmental repression are two potential risks, public demonstration's effectiveness and accessibility still make it an optimal strategy. In addition, adopting micro protests across diverse locations is recommended to enhance the visibility of demonstrations further while reducing risks of injuries to participants. The study offers perspectives and operations for activists and community leaders on creating more resilient movements for equitable environmental governance.

The role of discretion and street‐level deliberative practices in the COVID‐19 crisis response: Lessons from the Philippines

AbstractThis study investigates the role of frontline workers, such as the Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams (BHERTs) in the Philippines, as street‐level bureaucrats (SLBs) in implementing COVID‐19 community quarantine policies. Drawing from SLB theory and deliberative policy analysis (DPA), I explore how SLBs adapted to rapidly changing conditions by exercising discretion in interpreting and adapting the implementation of nationally formulated pandemic management policies to meet local realities. I argue that SLBs functioned as deliberative practitioners, mediating between national policies and local realities while engaging in deliberative practices with their clients. Using the experience of BHERTs in Palompon, Leyte in the Philippines as an illustrative case, I identified the policy mandates (policy‐as‐written) of the BHERTs; the challenges and constraints they faced in implementing community quarantine policies; and the discretion they exercised in implementing community quarantine policies (policy‐as‐practiced). The findings reveal that, to meet their policy mandates and address the challenges they faced, they engaged in deliberative practices and collaborated with citizens in implementing context‐specific and creative strategies. Insights from this study highlight the adaptive and deliberative potential of SLBs in crisis situations and the value of a DPA in understanding SLB theory and research. By examining SLBs’ experiences during the pandemic, this study contributes to the SLB literature and offers practical lessons to policy practitioners in facilitating deliberation and developing context‐specific solutions in times of crisis.Points for practitioners The COVID‐19 pandemic and the subsequent government response in the Philippines have increased the challenges faced by street‐level bureaucrats (SLBs), including resource scarcity, organisational and political pressure, public resistance, and the risk of exposure to the virus. SLBs have shown their capacity to apply discretion and collaborate with their clients to resolve their own and the client's challenges and limitations through negotiation, mediation, conflict management, and active listening. This cooperative approach empowers them to resolve common issues and together formulate effective strategies that are beneficial to all parties involved. Relationships outside of SLBs’ duties as state agents (i.e. socio‐cultural relationships) can be a viable pathway for SLBs to implement alternative policy strategies to meet their policy mandates and address the challenges they face as they implement their mandates. Competing value systems, knowledge claims, and emotional narratives, compounded by a governance crisis, define the complex and informal nature of the policy process in the context of a crisis like the pandemic. Although SLBs demonstrate their capacity to creatively solve the challenges they encounter through deliberative practices, this should not serve as a justification for the government's lack of action in prioritising, safeguarding, and preserving their welfare.

SEAs for seas: Strategic environmental assessment for more strategic and environmentally-oriented marine spatial planning processes

The foreseen, and already ongoing, substantial increase in offshore renewable energy and corresponding infrastructures urges policymakers and scholars to carefully consider corresponding long-term environmental effects on the marine environment. Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is becoming a standard tool for Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) processes for enabling planners to develop more sustainable marine spatial plans. To explore how SEA can contribute to a more strategic and environmentally-oriented MSP practice, four SEA processes from four North Sea countries are examined, building on available SEA documents and semi-structured interviews. The results show that SEAs for MSP can take an exploratory or appraisal-oriented approach. Adopting an exploratory approach can open up comparatively more opportunities for SEA to contribute to MSP than an adopting an appraisal-oriented approach, but it requires an early initiation of the SEA within the larger planning process. Still, it does not imply that there is one single best method. Rather, the institutional context establishes the conditions for SEA processes to contribute to MSP practice. Particularly, the political pressures and prior sectoral policymaking for offshore renewable energy restrict what can be included in the scope of an SEA. Also, the limited knowledge on the larger dynamics of the marine environment complicate the assessment of transboundary and cumulative effects. Therefore, as future research continues working towards a robust scientific knowledge base on the marine environment, it is crucial that scholars and policymakers collaborate on a structural basis to bridge the gap between science and policy implementation.

Exploring the effect of Guarantees of Origin on the decarbonization of corporate electricity procurement: A case study of Germany and Norway

AbstractIncreasing social, economic, and political pressure causes many companies to pledge to decarbonize. A common measure involves the use of Energy Attribute Certificates (EAC), such as the European Guarantees of Origin (GO), to reduce emissions from electricity procurement (Scope 2). However, previous studies find no effect on additional renewable energy capacity. Focusing on Norway and Germany as dominant contributors to net GO exports and imports, this study examines the GO trade alongside corporate carbon accounting data to answer the research question: Does the decarbonization of corporate electricity procurement using Guarantees of Origin contribute to the expansion of renewable electricity generation capacity in Norway and Germany? The analysis of CDP and Association of Issuing Bodies data reveals Norway's consumption mix is more carbon intensive than Germany's because Norway exports GO and imports fossil electricity attributes. German companies report predominantly market‐based approach, mainly using green tariffs and GO for zero emission claims, while Norwegian companies favor the location‐based approach. The largest share of GO issued in Norway comes from hydropower plants aged 41 to 70 years. The results highlight the urgency to revise corporate carbon accounting standards. GO lack additionality due to double counting of renewable attributes. Potential solutions include additionality criteria, GO trade restrictions based on physical capacities, and age limits for eligible power plants. This study's novelty is linking CDP data with GO trade, to assess the integrity of corporate decarbonization strategies. It contributes valuable insights to ongoing discourse on the role of EAC.

Electoral Cycles in Fiscal Rules: International Empirical Evidence

Abstract Using panel data from 99 countries over the period of 1985–2020, this study aims to uncover that fiscal rules work in electoral cycles. The results show that fiscal rules are less likely to be implemented in the pre-election year. We also find that this loosening in fiscal rules is especially prominent in cases when the incumbent political party can wield significant political power, where countries are less developed economically and politically, and where the management of fiscal rules is more likely to be exposed to discretionary interventions. Our findings are aligned with the opportunistic political budget cycles, in which politicians exploit fiscal policies and systems to serve their own political incentives. These results suggest that even fiscal rules, which are designed to prevent political pressure, are also subject to political process. (JEL codes: D72, D78, E32, E62, H11, and H60).