Political Process Research Articles

3 - The Impact of Structural Violence on Women’s Capacity to Fully Participate at Candidate and Electoral Management Levels in Zimbabwe

This article focuses on ‘hidden’ institutional violence, also known as structural violence, and gender divisions in electoral processes in Zimbabwe. Structural violence occurs when one category of people is accorded an unequal status in relation to other categories of people. The main argument presented in the paper is that, in Zimbabwe, structural violence renders the implementation of gender equality in electoral governance nugatory. Political party structures and systems are designed and conveniently used to exclude women from political participation. The article analyses selected cases involving women’s involvement at the candidate and electoral management level. The study made use of interviews, particularly key informant interviews, and semi- structured interviews, as its main data-gathering methods. Focus group discussions were also utilised. The findings revealed that a myriad of structural and institutionalised constraints prevent women in Zimbabwe from fully participating in political and electoral processes. These institutionalised structures have a disproportionately negative impact on women’s political ambitions compared to men’s. The article concludes that promoting gender equality in the area of politics and decision-making as well as in society as a whole is a long and complex process. Any initiatives to remedy these inequalities must be strategic and long-term oriented.

Exploring Civic Engagement through Student-Led Initiatives

Civic engagement involves a collective action to address issues of the public, by promoting the quality of life through both political and non-political process. In a time where there are growing concerns over civic participation and cohesion, understanding the relationship between student-led initiatives and promoting civic engagement is very important. The study focuses on exploring civic engagement through student-led initiatives. A thorough review of literature was carried out in this study which encompass the overview of student led initiatives and civic engagement, benefits, factors influencing and challenges associated with student led initiatives with special focus on addressing societal issues. The study highlights the importance of these initiatives to students as it helps them to develop important skills which they would find useful in solving several problems in the community and society at large. The study also offers insight to educators, key community members to promote student led initiatives as it fosters a meaningful and productive civic engagement and societal change at all levels.

Decentralization Of Vietnam'S forestlands: The policy process and impact

The decentralization of land is crucial for effective production, welfare improvement, and social development. However, the formulation, outcome, and impact of land decentralization policies are influenced by political regimes, policy processes, geographical areas, and socio-economic settings. This study focuses on Vietnam's forest and forestland allocation program over the past 30 years to investigate its impact on poverty dynamics. Retrospective policy analysis and an extended random effect treatment model with longitudinal panel data collected from 53,568 plots in 12 provinces across Vietnam from 2008 to 2018 were used. The findings suggest that while the forestland allocation policy has a positive effect on poverty alleviation, it has minimal impact on the poorest household groups. Additionally, actual tree planting is more beneficial to the non-poor group, indicating a lack of incentivized policies for tree planting and inadequate consideration of the genuine livelihood needs and investment capacities of land recipients, especially poor households. Policy improvements are recommended to better align with the rationale, aims, and social expectations.

Place-making and place-taking: memories from Tirana

ABSTRACT Multidisciplinary studies try to explain the complexity and the effects of political processes, such as how decision-making, and socio-political transition are connected with urbanism, and activism. Tirana has faced numerous changes over the years, from urbanism, to political landscapes, to economics, to social aspects, and to public spaces within the city (for example, squares and buildings), all of which are key points towards achieving sustainable transformation. This paper tries to explain and understand the political processes and informal placemaking (public space, buildings, activism) following three main perspectives: a) ontologies on political processes approach, the environment, and urban planning; b) activism and protest events; and c) the legal framework on urban planning and activism. Based on previous studies, experiences from the past and these three perspectives, this paper emphasizes the connection between political processes and informal placemaking by answering the questions: “What is the role of urban transformation in activism in Tirana? What are the implications of political processes on activism and urban transformation? The key studies in this paper focus on public spaces around culture heritage buildings in Tirana, such as the National Theatre building and the “Qemal Stafa” National Stadium.

‘Stick to the status quo’? A conjoint experiment with German adolescents on democratic designs

AbstractWhile representing the next generation of democratic citizens, research on process preferences of adolescents is in its infancy. To analyse what institutional designs adolescents favour, we conducted a conjoint experiment with a unique, representative sample of 1,970 German pupils between the age of 14–17. We find that adolescents in general are ‘status quo’– democrats, preferring a parliament (representing the central institution of the existing representative system) to alternative institutions, namely citizen forums and an assertive leader. However, support for the status quo comes with several qualifications, namely expert input, slow and considerate political processes and a final referendum. Furthermore, we find differences between subgroups, whereby dissatisfied adolescents are more open to citizen forums and an assertive leader than satisfied adolescents. By contrast, more sophisticated adolescents have stronger preferences for the parliament as the main institution. Overall, our results suggest that a major overhaul of the democratic infrastructure does not seem to be a priority for the next generation of citizens, although there is some desire for innovation, namely the ‘blending’ of representative institutions with more citizen participation.

The Bolivian pluriverse: the Comuna Group, emerging subjects, and transformative political action against neoliberalism

ABSTRACT This article reviews an important experience of pluriversal political activity in Bolivia, through the prism of the theoretical and political contributions of Grupo Comuna, a local organization of scholar activists and public intellectuals. Comuna deployed Marxist categories to examine, and intervene upon, the dilemmas of the pluriverse and the social and political challenges facing Bolivia’s original peoples (pueblos originarios). The article examines publications of the Group and original interviews with its members. Bolivian social movements were partially successful defeating neoliberalism in the country, and Morales’ administrations transformed Bolivia. These successes were achieved in and through an innovative analysis, including the recognition of the pluriversal nature of the Bolivian political process. Almost uniquely among politically engaged academics, Comuna helped to develop a programme adapted to the country’s circumstances and addressing the challenges of intervention in pluriversal activity; in doing this, they supported mass organization and mobilization, and achieved strong political impact.

Pengaruh Politik Minoritas di Indonesia dalam Pilpress 2024 (Relevansi Konsep Fairness John Rawls)

The focus of this research examines the relevance and implications of John Rawls' concept of fairness in the context of minority politics in Indonesia, especially in the 2024 presidential election. John Rawls, in his A Theory of Justice, proposes the concept of justice as fairness, which is based on two principles: the same basic freedoms for all citizens and fair equality of opportunity. This study analyzes how this concept can be applied to Indonesia's political situation, where ethnic and religious minorities are often marginalized in the political and policy-making process. Through literature analysis and public opinion survey methods, this study evaluates how the 2024 presidential election reflects Rawls' principles of justice, particularly in terms of fair treatment, distribution of opportunities, and inclusion. The findings show that the Prabowo-Gibran presidential ticket received widespread support from various religious groups, including minorities, indicating the potential for inclusivity and acceptance in the context of this election. However, the study also underlines the risk of polarization and discrimination in political campaigns, emphasizing the need to maintain plurality

STATE AND THE SOCIETY, THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE POLITICAL PROCESS OF CONTROLLED COMMUNICATION

in this article, the current state of communication in public administration consists mainly in the use of propaganda and manipulation methods and technologies for influencing society when transmitting information, in the fact that in practice feedback mechanisms, indicators, channels are used, and this is practically ignored in activities government agencies. that in the context of the globalization of the information space, the number of participants in political communication processes can increase significantly, which will lead to the definition of more competitive communication relations in the field of politics.

Kedaulatan Negara Indonesia Ditinjau dari Sisi Politik Hukum Pertahanan Negara

National defense is a crucial aspect in maintaining the sovereignty, integrity and security of a country. This discussion reviews various aspects related to national defense, from concept to implementation in law and policy in Indonesia. The research method used is normative analysis of various legal documents and expert views related to national defense. The results of the discussion highlight the importance of integrating military and non-military defense in facing various developing threats. Inter-agency coordination, including through the National Defense Council, is considered crucial in formulating effective defense policies and strategies. In a political context, national defense is seen as the result of the political process and public policy. However, there is also the concept of legal politics which is the basis for determining the laws that apply in a country. In conclusion, national defense requires clear and structured regulations and the involvement of all elements of society to maintain stability and sustainability of defense. Continuous evaluation of the country's defense system is necessary to face the dynamics of ever-growing threats. National defense is an implementation of social contract theory which involves an agreement between citizens in society to protect their rights and obligations and ensure the harmony of interests. Every citizen has the right and obligation to participate in efforts to defend the country, both physically and non-physically, in accordance with the provisions of applicable law. Awareness of the importance of national defense, especially among the younger generation, needs to be increased to ensure their role in advancing the nation is optimal

ҚОҒАМНЫҢ САЯСИ-ИДЕОЛОГИЯЛЫҚ ҮДЕРІСІН ФИЛОСОФИЯЛЫҚ ТАЛДАУ

Kazakhstan's political science is at the stage of formation. This means that their own explanatory models begin to be built, mainly in the field of the formation of a new political system and its components. There is almost no philosophical study of the problem of ideology in Kazakhstan. The article discusses the problem of philosophical analysis of political and ideological processes of modern transforming Kazakhstani society. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the fact that the subject field of ideological processes is studied in many Sciences. Philosophical analysis of the theory of ideology allows us to more clearly identify the main components of the ideological chain. The philosophical study of ideological processes in Kazakhstan reveals the importance of the formation of the national ideological process of Kazakhstan's society in the context of globalization.

The Racial Limits of Disruption: How Race and Tactics Influence Social Movement Organization Testimony before Congress, 1960–1995

Abstract Social movement theory holds that disrupting social and political processes is among the most effective tools social movement organizations (SMOs) use to motivate recognition for themselves and their constituents. Yet, recent research suggests that the political reception of disruption is not racially neutral. Black SMOs face a dilemma in that, although disruption is a powerful tool for change, the public often perceives nonviolent Black disruptive protest as violent. We investigate this bind by analyzing how nondisruptive protest, nonviolent disruption, or violence helps or hinders both Black and non-Black SMOs to gain state “acceptance” as legitimate spokes-organizations for their issues. We combine data on newspaper-reported protest events with data covering 41,545 SMO Congressional testimonies from 1462 SMOs from 35 movement families. In panel regressions, we find that Congress is generally more accepting of nondisruptive protest but that nondisruptive protest is only roughly one-tenth as effective for Black SMOs compared with non-Black SMOs. Furthermore, whereas non-Black SMOs are significantly more likely to testify after using nonviolent disruption, Black SMOs using nonviolent disruption are significantly less likely to testify before Congress. Regardless of race, violence was associated with fewer congressional testimonies. Collectively, these findings suggest that Black SMOs face a tactical bind: Black SMOs can use nondisruptive tactics that are resource-intensive and slow, or they can use nonviolent disruption that gets media attention but hinders congressional acceptance. These findings contribute to a growing literature on how racial inequality and prejudice impact the outcomes of social movements.

Advancing collaborative social outcomes through place-based solutions—aligning policy and funding systems

Abstract More collaborative and human-centered approaches to tackle social problems of entrenched disadvantage have been introduced in many countries, including Australia, but with mixed results. Traditional programs that reinforce existing political and bureaucratic processes have been seen as blockers to collaborative modes of policymaking, governance, and delivery. Drawing on collaborative governance perspectives, this paper reports new research undertaken in conjunction with a not-for-profit organization (Collaboration for Impact) involved in supporting place-based collaborative community change efforts. Research findings, based on stakeholder perspectives, highlight not only the potential benefits of a more collaborative model (i.e., placed-based and community driven) but also the significant unresolved challenges for “backbone” coordination bodies, which have recently been established to achieve more “joined-up” policy, funding, and service delivery arrangements. The paper concludes by proposing a practice-driven focus on policy and funding systems, together with implications for policy learning and program design.

A Case Study for Teaching Urban Politics: Examining Residential Racial Segregation through Historic Significance of Black Neighborhood

Moving students out of the classroom and into the community provides promising outcomes for teaching residential racial segregation and understanding of historical context of preservation. This class provides an exploratory case study of students in political science and art studio who worked in teams to develop digital stories for an historically black neighborhood in a large urban city. Through examination of archival data, conducting interviews, and experiencing places within the neighborhood, students gained insight into the politics that work to promote some history over others. Students became more aware of the importance of neighborhoods and gained an understanding of the importance of history to the lives of people living in particular communities. Students learned to work as a team, to overcome challenges of working in a community, and gained an understanding of political processes that work to hide or bury significant history of marginalized groups and neighborhoods.

Public Education Investment, Economic Growth and Welfare: A Political Economy Analysis with Preference Heterogeneity

This study examines the politics of public education policy and its impact on economic growth and welfare under intergenerational altruism. The study considers an endogenous growth model with altruistic overlapping generations. Due to its significant role in promoting long-term economic expansion, we consider investment in public education to be an effective tool of productive government intervention. Nonetheless, public educational investment has been the subject of political disputes owing to its inherent intergenerational redistributive implications. Backed by the tendency of democratically elected governments to maintain their political power, the preferences of some particular individuals or group of individuals become more dominant in the political process of determining the level of public investment in education. In particular, governments are more concerned with the preferences of the median voter, or the current generation at large, because they, as electors, have the ability to determine the next government. This reality leads governments to exhibit a bias toward the desires of these people. As a result, such political considerations divert the economy from its optimal path of economic growth and reduce the welfare of future generations. This effect becomes more pronounced when individuals with lower levels of altruism toward their offspring assume a more influential position in the political decision-making process over the allocation of public funds for education. Our theoretical analyses demonstrate the implications for economic growth and welfare resulting from policy decisions made by democratically elected governments with inherent biases, as opposed to decisions made by an unbiased social planner.

A Political Economy Analysis of Social Work’s Development in China: A Social Development Perspective

This paper examines the phenomenal growth of social work in China and the complexities and challenges faced by the profession and related stakeholders in the context of neoliberal economic practice within a hierarchical top-down political system. It proposes developmental social work as a viable indigenous social work practice mode. This analysis based on a collection of academic papers and relevant government reports sheds light on the interplay between welfare developmentalism, institutional dynamics, and professional challenges in the broader sociopolitical context, not least the neoliberal co-optation of social development aligned increasingly with economic goals to the detriment of broader social and structural issues. It shows how the political parameters of the Chinese Communist Party and its pursuit of community integration and social development shaped China’s approach to social work. It sees the necessity for a system of welfare services to address socio-structural issues and the indigenization and cultural adaption of social work in China as an expressly political process. Regarding the former, the government’s strategy of outsourcing public services to accord with its agenda has resulted in a contractual relationship between social organizations, including nongovernment and social work organizations, and the state. This has limited the independence and hindered the development of a strong civil society, and curtailed social workers’ autonomy, exacerbating professional challenges relating inter alia to the low number of qualified social work practitioners, limited job opportunities outside major urban centers, high staff turnover, and poor quality services provided by those without formal social work training. To enhance professional recognition in China, the paper suggests a holistic developmental approach that involves the resolution of individual problems through investing in people, helping them to build their capacity, drawing on social capital, and capitalizing on market opportunities to promote self-reliance, thereby contributing to community and social development.

Political Choices of Muhammadiyah Citizens as a Muslim Minority in the 2018 Bali Governor Election in Indonesia

Purpose: the primary aim of this study is to explore how the Muhammadiyah community in Bali, a minority Muslim group, engaged in the 2018 Bali gubernatorial election to assert and navigate their political identity. This research seeks to understand the impact of their political participation within the broader dynamics of identity politics in a predominantly non-Muslim setting. Theoretical Reference: the study is framed within theories of political identity and political communication, which provide insights into how identities are formed, communicated, and leveraged in political contexts. These theories help elucidate the complex interactions between minority groups and the political environment, particularly in areas where identity politics play a significant role. Method: A qualitative descriptive approach was employed to capture the political preferences and behaviors of Muhammadiyah members during the 2018 gubernatorial election. Data was gathered through interviews, focus groups, and analysis of campaign materials and public statements. This method enabled a detailed and nuanced understanding of the Muhammadiyah community's political engagement. Results and Conclusion: the findings indicate that Muhammadiyah members actively participated in the election, using it as a platform to advocate for their political and social interests. Their engagement was shaped by their minority status and the need to assert their identity in a socio-political landscape dominated by different religious and cultural norms. The election outcomes revealed both the challenges and opportunities faced by Muhammadiyah in navigating identity politics in Bali. Implications of Research: this study highlights the critical role of minority religious communities in shaping political landscapes, even in regions where they do not form the majority. Understanding these dynamics is essential for policymakers, political leaders, and civil society organizations that aim to foster inclusive political processes. It also underscores the importance of effective political communication strategies that cater to diverse communities. Originality/Value: this research contributes to the limited literature on the political behavior of Islamic organizations like Muhammadiyah in regional politics, particularly within non-Muslim majority regions. It offers a unique insight into how identity politics and minority status influence political engagement and communication, adding depth to the discussions on multiculturalism and political inclusion in Southeast Asia.

The relationship of legal science, education, and practice: finding a balance between fundamental legal education and practical skills

The article examines the concept of legal science, education and practice in the context of their interaction. It is noted that the main task of the domestic system of higher legal education is to find a balance between fundamental theoretical training and practical skills. Some types of legal practice require thorough knowledge in the field of both national and international law. Many universities focus on studying the legislation of other countries and foreign languages. In addition, modern political processes require revision of work programs of disciplines, for example, related to the activities of international organizations. For the future professional, we consider it important not only to consolidate theoretical knowledge and mechanical skills, but also to form legal thinking (develop analysis, argumentation, decision-making, responsibility). It is emphasized that the changes in the field of legal education are enshrined in the Report of the European Commission on Ukraine’s progress towards joining the EU, which was published in November 2023. Among other things, there are requirements: to clearly distinguish between legal education and personnel training for law enforcement agencies; strengthen law school admission requirements and law school licensing requirements; introduce a transparent distribution of state orders; review educational programs with an emphasis on ethics, practical training, EU law and international exchanges; implement EDKI. When modernizing legal education, it is also important to pay attention to the learning process, in particular, it is necessary to diversify the activities of students. In addition to traditional lectures, seminars and the previously mentioned practices, the experience of writing coursework and final qualification papers, participation in model processes is important for future lawyers, as this allows for the formation of a general and legal culture of writing and speech, a legal position in a case and the skills of conducting a discussion. It is concluded that new legal mechanisms are being formed in modern Ukraine, which is manifested, in particular, in active law-making, qualitative changes are taking place in legal awareness, including professional awareness. Under such conditions, professional legal education, which involves the formation of students’ practical skills, becomes invaluable. While preserving the training of professionals for a narrow field of legal activity, university education on the basis of domestic and European legal science should be developed at the same time. A university student will be able to become a good specialist only if he studies legal concepts, categories, constructions and ways of their expression in various legal realities. Such knowledge will not become obsolete in a few years, even if the current legislation changes.

International Legal Regulation of Activities of States in the Great Mediterranean Region

INTRODUCTION. In modern international and domestic maritime law, regional fragmentation of legal regulation is becoming more and more noticeable, which, in turn, objectifies and actualizes the formation of complex arrays of legal norms, united by the consistency of the political and legal positions of the contracting states that have national interests in the relevant water area, primarily-coastal states extending their state sovereignty to certain areas of maritime space. In this context, the Greater Mediterranean region should be considered as one of the most important in the world merchant shipping and naval support of international peace and security, as a basin that optimally connects the Atlantic and Indian Oceans from the point of view of logistics, which requires the formation of an appropriate scientific and methodological basis for full implementation of the fundamental principle of international cooperation in the maritime policy of the states of the region.MATERIALS AND METHODS. To substantiate the expediency of singling out the Greater Mediterranean as an independent object of legal regulation, general and special international legal treaties, the domestic legislation of the Mediterranean states, as well as political and legal documents indicating the existence of certain disputes and situations around certain zones of the Mediterranean water area, primarily – in the Eastern Mediterranean region. To obtain reliable and substantiated results of the study, methods of scientific knowledge were used: formal-legal, logical, historical-legal, system-structural analysis. Thus, the formal legal method made it possible to clarify the content and meaning of international legal treaties concluded at different times and aimed at regulating public relations in the maritime sphere. The logical method made it possible to substantiate the need for comprehensive international cooperation of the coastal states of the Greater Mediterranean. With the help of the historical and legal method, an overview was made of both the world, Soviet and Russian practice of applying the norms of domestic and international law on issues related to ensuring international law and order in the Greater Mediterranean region. The logical method made it possible to build the necessary connections and patterns of development of international legal regulation in the Greater Mediterranean region in the general context of ongoing universal and regional political and legal processes and transformations. Using the method of system-structural analysis, it was possible to display a holistic picture of law-making and law enforcement of the Mediterranean states, aimed at the formation of unified principles and norms for the exercise of the sovereign rights of coastal states.RESEARCH RESULTS. International maritime merchant shipping seems to be a very complex area of public relations with a large number of entities that have different legal status and, accordingly, are related to each other in a very different way.DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS. This work is devoted to the study of the main trends in the development of the Greater Mediterranean region in terms of formulating key international legal guidelines and rules of conduct for its constituent states. The object of the study is the legal relations carried out in the maritime spaces of the Greater Mediterranean as one of the key regions, which, along with its economic and political significance, is an integral zone for the implementation of the national interests of the Russian Federation, extending to the entire World Ocean.

TOLERANT AND INTOLERANT CONTENT OF ASSESSMENTS BY UKRAINIAN STUDENTS OF SUBJECTS SOCIAL AND POLITICAL LIFE

Relevance. The study focuses on the problem of the attitude of Ukrainians to "good Russians" under the influence of the Russia-Ukraine war. The opinion of student youth is of particular importance. Depending on the holding of a certain personal position, young respondents largely evaluate modern military and political phenomena and processes. Methodology. The task of the online survey of 2,202 students of 35 universities from different regions of Ukraine, conducted in the spring of 2022, was to assess the degree of guilt and effectiveness of the actions of agents of social, in particular, military and political processes. The questionnaire used 5-point scales of semantic differential and subjective scaling. According to the content of the evaluations of the crimes of the Russians and the Russian authorities before Ukrainians, four groups of respondents were distinguished. Their attitudes towards various social and ethno-political subjects are compared. Results. It was found that anti-Russian attitudes significantly prevail in students' evaluations of Russians and the Russian government. A relatively small part of the sample consisted of anti-Ukrainian, neutral and tolerant views towards Russians. The anti-Russian majority most clearly accuses subjects to whom it attributes signs of attraction to the "Russian world". The anti-Ukrainian minority evaluates them positively, but tends to blame Ukrainian society and the Ukrainian authorities. However, the positions of the anti-Russian majority and the anti-Ukrainian minority turned out to be close in their high assessment of the effectiveness of the Ukrainian government and the command of the Armed Forces. Respondents who try to choose neutral assessments partly avoid a clear choice, and partly hide their pro-Russian sentiments. "Tolerant" respondents, who condemn the Russian authorities, but do not condemn Russians, tend to blame all those in power and to excuse "ordinary people" regardless of their nationality or citizenship.

Protection of human rights and freedoms in the administrative jurisdiction under the conditions of marital state

The article deals with the protection of the rights, freedoms and legitimate interests of a person and a citizen in administrative proceedings under martial law. It is argued that the right to a fair trial is a non-limiting right during certain emergencies. In the conditions of martial law, the implementation of the principle of court accessibility is one of the key factors for society, individual citizens, and for the effective functioning of public authorities and the state in general. It is argued that the right to judicial protection is critically important during war, and its hypothetical restriction could provoke the illegitimacy of the government, civil unrest, and in a broad sense, anarchy and violation of the rule of law. It has been proven that the legal system acts as an invariable mechanism for compliance with the requirements of legality, even in difficult political and legal circumstances due to the continuity of functioning, including administrative proceedings. In the conditions of war, when many democratic forms of public participation in the political process are limited, only administrative justice acts as the mechanism that allows you to oppose this "dominant paradigm” of executive management and is able to resolve public requests, overcome possible dissonances between the government and society, and normalize social relations according to the latest challenges and requests. Therefore, the effective and proper work of the judicial system as a whole, and especially of the administrative judiciary, creates a "platform” for preserving the policy of a democratic, legal state in conditions of martial law. It is also indicated that the role of administrative justice during the war is also valuable in that court decisions strengthen state-authority decisions and form proper law enforcement practice for subjects of power and other subjects. The three most significant problems of the functioning of administrative justice in the conditions of war are singled out: territorial accessibility, security threats and difficulties of a procedural nature. It was determined that electronic governance has become an effective mechanism for countering military threats to the administrative justice system.