Political Science Research Articles

The Global Economy at a Crossroads – Interview With Dr. Andreas Nölke, Professor of Political Science at Goethe University of Frankfurt

Review of Economic Theory and Policy (RETP) requested an interview with Professor Dr. Andreas Nölke on the following topics: the current global change of the world economy, the future of the global financial order, China-EU relations, prospects of the German economy and the changes in the dependent market economies of the Visegrad 4. Andreas Nölke is a Professor of Political Science specialising in International Relations and International Political Economy at Goethe University Frankfurt since 2007. He is also a Research Fellow at the Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE. Professor Nölke holds a Master's degree in Public Administration (1988) and a PhD in Political Science (1993, with distinction) from the University of Konstanz. He has held teaching positions at the Universities of Konstanz, Leipzig, Amsterdam (Vrije Universiteit), and Utrecht. Professor Nölke's research focuses on comparative and international political economy, particularly the political economy of emerging markets, financialisation, European economic integration, and populism. He is well-known for his influential work on dependent market economies and state-permeated capitalism, and his publications appear in leading journals such as the Review of International Political Economy, World Politics, and Socio-Economic Review. Beyond academia, Professor Nölke has held consultancy roles for prominent organisations, including the German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GIZ), the European Commission, and the World Bank. Professor Nölke's academic contributions extend to serving as an associate editor for prominent outlets such as Routledge Studies in Globalisation and the Journal of Economic Policy Reform.

Power in International Relations: Insights from Realist and Liberal Theories

The concept or factor of power has been given great importance in the social sciences in general and in the fields of political science and international relations in particular. However, the concept of power is a vague and controversial concept and has been defined in various ways, despite being mixed with other concepts and terms such as authority, purpose, ability, oppression, influence and other concepts close to the meaning of power. Due to its significance, the concept of power has been explored through numerous studies and theories since ancient times. Above all, both realism and liberalism have interpreted the concept of power and its importance in the international arena. Realism and its thinkers emphasize military strength and strategic alliances for the survival and hegemony of the state, while liberalism and its thinkers emphasize economic dependence, institutional cooperation and adherence to international norms and values ​​in order to achieve state security and influence. Based on the perspectives of the two major schools of international relations and political science, this study aims to interpret the concept and types of power in international relations. Simultaneously, it compares the perspectives of both schools and their thinkers and theorists on the concept of power and its significance in international politics.

Migration from Russia еo Kyrgyzstan: A Sociological Study

The article is devoted to the consideration of the key provisions and ideas of the collective monograph "Migration from Russia to Kyrgyzstan: demographic and sociological aspects", the publication of which was very timely, since migration is a phenomenon that is becoming increasingly relevant on a global scale every year. In the context ofglobalization and political changes, migration policy remains a subject of active discussion, both in the academic community and in the media. In turn, these debates often cover a wide range of issues - from the rights of migrants to the economic consequences of migration. The collective monograph under review uses a large array of express surveys and interviews with labor migrants in 2022-2023. These studies were carried out in the course of the scientific project "Return Migration and Emigration from Russia to Kyrgyzstan" (headed by G. I. Osadchaya). The monograph provides a number of important introductory provisions that set, first of all, the general direction of the work itself. The authors of the monograph analyze theories of return migration and theories of emigration. They pay special attention to the role of social capital, interaction with the host population and the real everyday life that Russian emigrants find themselves in in Kyrgyzstan. In particular, they found that the overwhelming majority of informants, while in the Kyrgyz Republic, maintain stable contacts with their friends and relatives in Russia. They use all kinds of information sources, such as Telegram channels, social networks, YouTube, Twitter or foreign media. According to the results of sociological research, the team of authors claims that theemigration of Russians to Kyrgyzstan is characterized by speed, spontaneity and ease of entry. This is due to the fact that the Kyrgyz Republic does not require visas for citizens of the Russian Federation due to close cultural and economic ties between the two countries, as well as due to the presence of acquaintances or friends and people's love for the city ofBishkek. Among the emigrants, men aged 18 to 42 prevail, which is interpreted as a desire to avoid participation inthemilitary conflict with Ukraine. It was further established that return migration from Russia to Kyrgyzstan is voluntary and spontaneous. From the Russian Federation, labor migrants primarily expect institutional support, which is expressed mainly in the preparation of registration documents, provision of social insurance, creation of favorable conditions fortheir full adaptation and self-disclosure as an individual. The publication of the scientific monograph under consideration provides a lot of various interesting judgments for further reflection and continuation of work in this vein. It is worth adding that the target audience of such a work is primarily students, graduate students, postgraduates, representatives of science and specialists studying the theory and sociology of migration. In other words, the reviewed monograph will beuseful for specialists in the fields of sociology, economics and political science, as well as for anyone interested in issues of emigration and migration processes.

What (if anything) makes political parties indispensable?

It is received wisdom in political science that parties are indispensable in a large-scale democracy. However, one might think that this belief reflects path dependency or a lack of imagination of alternative democratic systems. The recent theoretical development of new alternatives to traditional forms of representative government such as lottocracy or liquid democracy therefore offers an ideal context for questioning the assumption more thoroughly. The functions usually performed by parties are well-known, but it is less clear which of them could not be taken up by a different institution or body under an alternative arrangement. What would be the deep normative reasons to preserve the party form even in a completely reformed democracy? This is the question addressed in this article by bringing together recent pieces of literature on democratic innovations and the political theory of political parties. We argue that parties allow to mobilise and politicise citizens around a positive ideology, make it easier for citizens to follow political processes, thereby facilitating popular control and accountability, and give more visibility and strength to the opposition. These extremely valuable functions should be put in the balance with their flaws and with the benefits of alternative democratic systems.

ЕВОЛЮЦІЯ ГРОМАДСЬКИХ АРХІТЕКТУРНИХ ОБ’ЄКТІВ: ВІД АНТИЧНОСТІ ДО СУЧАСНОСТІ

The evolution of public architectural objects from antiquity to modernity is an important topic for understanding the transformation of public space, which serves not only the needs of functional use, but also cultural, social and political development. Since ancient times, public buildings have been key elements of the urban environment, where citizens have the opportunity to exchange ideas, participate in public events and form the identity of the community. Today, when cities are developing at a rapid pace, the issue of the architecture of public spaces is becoming increasingly relevant, because it must not only meet the needs of modern society, but also preserve the historical heritage and national identity. The relevance of studying the evolution of public architectural objects is due to the need to understand how different historical eras influenced the formation and functioning of public spaces, which ultimately reflected in the cultural landscape of modernity. The current interest in the topic of the evolution of public architectural objects is due not only to scientific, but also to practical demands of urbanism. Issues of inclusiveness, environmental sustainability, and multifunctionality are increasingly being considered when designing new public spaces that must meet the expectations and needs of different social groups. The purpose of the article is to analyze transformations in public architecture in the context of cultural, political, and economic factors that determined its development over the centuries. Modern public architecture emphasizes multifunctionality, inclusiveness, and sustainability, often integrating cultural, social, and recreational functions. Thus, the evolution of public architectural buildings shows how architecture adapts to new social realities, shaping a cultural landscape that preserves historical heritage while reflecting contemporary aspirations for innovation, accessibility, and sustainability.

The political system and political development in the Sultanate of Oman

Sultan Qaboos bin Said worked to build a modern state in the Sultanate of Oman by benefiting from oil revenues. He also worked to spread the concepts of political participation, contribution, civil society, and women’s contribution to civil and political life, as well as emphasizing political development. Despite all these matters, Oman has gone through stages of political decline, represented by the popular protests that broke out in 2011, as the Omanis decided to break the barrier of fear and take to the streets, confronting the political system, demanding the advantage of political, social and economic reforms in the structure of the Omani political system, and with regard to the Sultanate’s relationship with neighboring Gulf countries. The Arab, regional and global are in a balanced relationship with each other, and this relationship continued even after the death of Sultan Qaboos and the assumption of power by Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, who made a number of internal political changes in the form of government, ministries, and political and governmental institutions

Influence of Anti-Immigration Attitudes on Voter Behavior and Its Limits: Turkish Politics and the Case of the Victory Party

Türkiye experienced a significant influx of migrants from Syria following the onset of the civil conflict in that country in 2011, subsequently accompanied by an additional wave of migration from other politically unstable regions over the past decade. Research shows that constituents of nearly all political factions within Turkish politics exhibit a distinctly negative disposition towards this surge of immigrants. While various political figures have articulated grievances within Turkish society concerning this matter to a certain degree, the inaugural explicitly anti-immigration political entity, the Victory Party (Zafer Partisi - ZP), was founded in August 2021. Considering both the surveys assessing the views of Turkish society regarding refugees and immigrants and the electoral percentages attained by anti-immigration political parties in European countries experiencing immigration, the electoral achievement of this party has been markedly constrained, attaining only 2.23% in the general elections of May 2023 and 2.57% in the local elections of March 2024. This article problematizes the relative electoral underperformance of the party. Conducting a long-term analysis of Turkish politics with the process tracing methodology, it argues that the cleavages that have been of key importance in the shaping of Turkish party politics and the polarization that has been built upon them, especially during the AK Party governments, have limited the party’s electoral support by preventing immigration from being seen as a primary concern by the voters.

Research on the Driving Forces and Impact of Huawei's Business Policy Transformation

In the second half of 2022, Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Huawei") internally published an article titled The Companys Business Policy Should Shift from Pursuing Scale to Pursuing Profit and Cash Flow. In the article, Huaweis founder, Ren Zhengfei, stated that the global economy was expected to continue declining, leading to reduced consumer spending. As a result, Huawei needed to adjust its business policy, shifting from a focus on scale expansion to prioritizing profit and cash flow, with survival as the primary objective. This paper analyzes the driving factors behind Huawei's business policy shift by examining its internal and external environment from political, economic, financial, and business development perspectives. It outlines the transformation process and summarizes the financial impact based on relevant data. The paper extracts valuable insights from Huawei's experience, providing a reference for similar enterprises on how to adjust their business strategies in a changing environment.

Медіація і сучасний світ

The relevance of the topic is due to the need to ensure lasting peace through effective mechanisms for reconciliation and conflict resolution. The study is of particular importance in the context of growing social tension and international confrontations. The purpose of the study is to analyze reconciliation as a key element of the peacemaking process, as well as to determine its impact on conflict prevention. Particular attention is paid to the role of mediation and negotiation strategies in achieving stability of relations. The study is based on an interdisciplinary approach that combines socio-psychological, political and legal analysis. A comparative method was used to assess the effectiveness of international reconciliation practices, as well as a systemic analysis to determine the relationship between social, psychological and informational factors of conflicts. It was found that reconciliation is a complex multi-level process that requires an integrated approach. The main hypothesis of the study is that the development of a negotiation culture and information policy contributes to the long-term peaceful resolution of conflicts. The methodological basis of the study is a qualitative analysis of documents, cases of successful international practices of reconciliation, content analysis of mediation procedures and expert interviews with specialists in the field of peaceful settlement. The study systematized the basic skills of a mediator and determined the role of information policy in the reconciliation process. The constructive and destructive aspects of the conflict were assessed; the need for the development of psychoeducation and emotional intelligence for effective dispute resolution was proven. Key methods of working on reconciliation were identified, including dialogue, mediation, humanitarian initiatives and information security. International experience in this area was summarized and recommendations were offered for the implementation of effective strategies for peaceful settlement. The theoretical significance of the study lies in expanding scientific ideas about reconciliation as a mechanism for sustainable peace. The practical significance is in the possibility of applying the developed recommendations in international and national peacekeeping programs. The originality of the study lies in the comprehensive analysis of reconciliation processes through the prism of negotiation culture, information security and emotional intelligence. The scientific novelty lies in determining the relationship between information policy and the effectiveness of mediation. Prospects for further research include expanding the empirical base for a deeper analysis of peacemaking initiatives, as well as assessing the effectiveness of specific negotiation strategies in different regions. A limitation of the study is the dependence of the results on the analyzed cases and the specifics of conflict situations.

Interpretation of Prophet Joseph's Political Strategy in the Qur'an: Leadership, Conflict Resolution, and Its Relevance to Contemporary Politics in Indonesia

This article examines the political strategies of Prophet Yusuf as recorded in the Qur'an, focusing on leadership and conflict resolution, as well as their relevance to the phenomenon of dynastic politics in Indonesia. Although Muslims regard the Qur'an as a guide, their understanding of its political aspects remains limited. The story of Prophet Yusuf in Surah Yusuf offers valuable lessons on political strategies based on ethics and wisdom. This study employs a library research approach with a thematic tafsir method, analyzing various exegetical perspectives on the verses describing Yusuf's political strategies. The findings reveal that Yusuf implemented several political strategies relevant to the context of dynastic politics, namely: first, the politics of reciprocal obligation, where he repaid ill treatment with kindness to build long-term influence. Second, the politics of desire, by creating dependency so that others would follow his will. Third, the politics of scenario, which involved strategically setting situations so that opponents would accept the prevailing rules. Fourth, the politics of control, in which Yusuf carefully managed the narrative and actions of his adversaries. Fifth, the politics of identity declaration, where he revealed his true identity at the right moment to maximize acceptance. Sixth, the politics of accommodation, which ultimately led his brothers to submit and join him in Egypt. Yusuf's political strategies reflect a form of leadership that prioritizes wisdom, strategic planning, and conflict management. In the context of dynastic politics in Indonesia, similar strategies can be observed in how political elites build influence, maintain power, and manage both support and opposition. Contribution: This study contributes to understanding how Qur'anic values can serve as a reference for contemporary political analysis.

An Overview of the Renaissance's Consequences on European History

The Renaissance, spanning from the 14th to the 17th century, was a period of profound transformation in European history, reshaping art, science, politics, religion, and technology. This research explores the multifaceted consequences of the Renaissance, emphasizing its enduring legacy in shaping modern European and global society. The primary objective of the study is to examine the intellectual, artistic, and political transformations during the Renaissance and their long-term effects on modern education, scientific thought, secular political ideologies, and religious reform. Additionally, this research aims to analyze the role of humanism in reshaping intellectual thought and assess the impact of technological innovations, such as the printing press, on the spread of Renaissance ideas across Europe. The study employs a historical analysis methodology, reviewing primary texts by Renaissance thinkers and secondary sources on the period's cultural, scientific, and political developments. By examining these aspects, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of the Renaissance’s pivotal role in shaping the trajectory of European history and its lasting influence on Western civilization.

Analyzing Power Dynamics in Pakistani Political Discourse: A CDA-Based Study

Power exists in various modalities and political discourses are one of the important sites for negotiating and exercising power. The data for the present study was collected from the speeches of the Nawaz Sharif (PMLN) leader. The study at hand employs Fairclough’s (1995) CDA and Dijk’s (2006) Ideological square models to analyze political discourses. The prominent analytical categories used in the study include othering, number games, lexicalization, and positive self-representation. In this sense, the analysis of the speeches based on the socio-political context of Pakistan has been done. The analysis of the data reveals that no use of language is ideology-free and different ideological moves have been used by the mentioned politician of Pakistan to propagate the desired ideology to the masses. Historical references serve to assert political legacy, while economic narratives provide a platform for critique and political messaging. It has been observed that political narratives are coined with the view of the target audience to win their consent and to make them behave in a desired manner. This study provides a systematic analysis of language, power, and politics in the context of the contemporary Pakistani political scenario. It, maintains that political rhetoric is one of the important sites for ideological investment.

Kazakhstan and the USSR: discussions on empire

The problem of understanding the nature of the Soviet power in general and relations “Center-Periphery” in particular is one of the key problems in the process of formation of historical consciousness of the Kazakh society at the present stage. There is a long history of discussion of this problem in the research literature. The discussion is reduced to two questions — whether the USSR was an empire and, if it was, whether it was a classical empire and Kazakhstan was a classical colony. The analysis of the results of the discussion has shown that the Western research tradition is dominated by the viewpoint of the imperial character of the So-viet Union. In modern Russian political and historical science, there are both concepts that completely deny the imperial character of the USSR, and those that consider the USSR as an “empire of a new type”, not based on unequal relations “Center-Periphery”. Kazakhstan’s research tradition is still in its infancy. However, it can be argued that the Bolshevik/Communist Party leadership pursued a classic imperial policy in Kazakhstan and other peripheral territories of the USSR, characterized by subordinating the interests of the regions to the interests of the imperial military-political elite, ignoring the formal sovereignty of the union and autonomous republics, pursuing an active colonization policy to the detriment of the interests of the local population, and cultural and linguistic assimilation.

RHETORICAL TECHNIQUES IN USE: ANALYSING SELECTED MALAYSIAN POLITICAL SPEECHES AND STATEMENTS THROUGH THE LENS OF MADANI CORE VALUES

Political speeches and statements are valuable discourses for analyzing a nation's stance on local and international affairs. They carry significant research value in the fields of political science and the humanities. This study examines selected political speeches and statements issued by the Malaysian government in alignment with the Madani values. Speeches and statements related to two major issues—the COVID-19 pandemic and bilateral ties—are analyzed through the lens of Aristotle’s rhetorical techniques to explore how ethos, pathos, and logos help the Malaysian government express its stance on these topics. Additionally, Fairclough’s Three-Dimensional model of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) was employed to examine Malaysia's position on these issues and the power dynamics embedded within the texts, alongside the six core values of Malaysia Madani. The findings reveal that Malaysia, as a developing nation, not only closely adheres to the established core values of Malaysia Madani but also challenges perceived traditions associated with developing nations in an international context, as evident in official speeches and statements. The study ultimately suggests that decoding the language used in a country's official speeches and statements can provide valuable insights into its stance on international affairs.

Religion as a context for language contact

Even though there is a lot of research on religious language, not much research has been done on how language and religion interact when someone is bilingual or multilingual until recently. This chapter initially presents a summary of prior research, predominantly focused on the translation of sacred writings into diverse languages. Some research has already looked into how the spread of religion has affected language, especially when it comes to choosing ceremonial language and writing systems. We examine the linguistic patterns and practices traditionally associated with several religious traditions, including Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and Quakerism. After that, the chapter talks about the language effects of missionary work in different postcolonial settings, mainly those that have to do with Christian groups. Recent studies have investigated the linguistic effects of connections between regionally dominant languages and dialects and religious practices in various global contexts. The researcher also examines the interplay between immigration and the preservation or alteration of language within religious contexts. The chapter concludes by observing that recent political developments, interest in conversion initiatives for non-Christian religions, and an increasing acknowledgment of the academic validity of language and religion forecast a probable rise in applied linguistic study in this domain.

Religion as a context for language contact

Even though there is a lot of research on religious language, not much research has been done on how language and religion interact when someone is bilingual or multilingual until recently. This chapter initially presents a summary of prior research, predominantly focused on the translation of sacred writings into diverse languages. Some research has already looked into how the spread of religion has affected language, especially when it comes to choosing ceremonial language and writing systems. We examine the linguistic patterns and practices traditionally associated with several religious traditions, including Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and Quakerism. After that, the chapter talks about the language effects of missionary work in different postcolonial settings, mainly those that have to do with Christian groups. Recent studies have investigated the linguistic effects of connections between regionally dominant languages and dialects and religious practices in various global contexts. The researcher also examines the interplay between immigration and the preservation or alteration of language within religious contexts. The chapter concludes by observing that recent political developments, interest in conversion initiatives for non-Christian religions, and an increasing acknowledgment of the academic validity of language and religion forecast a probable rise in applied linguistic study in this domain.

Students’ Difficulties, Perceptions, Feelings, and Types of Technology Used in Learning English

This study aimed to investigate students’ experiences in learning English. The secondary aim was to find out the types of technology students use when learning English. The data were collected by interviewing 15 undergraduate students enrolled on a Social and Political Science program. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed in Indonesian, translated into English, and analyzed to identify categories of the students’ difficulties, perceptions, feelings, and types of technology used when learning English. The study's results show the effectiveness of using a phenomenographic analysis, which may be used to create more interesting and meaningful English teaching and learning activities in second language environments. These could also be used by teachers to help them build the best possible curriculum for teaching second language students.

Social progress at the expense of economic equality? New data on left parties' equality preferences

AbstractHave concerns about equal rights and equal chances crowded out economic equality as a priority of left parties? Despite the increased importance of inequality in political science, this contentiously fought debate has been standing on shaky empirical foundations. While voter's equality preferences are well understood, parties’ equality emphases remain uncharted territory. This research note assesses whether the Left has replaced its emphasis on economic equality with a focus on equal chances and equal rights. Based on a new dataset of 300,000 party statements, we use online crowd‐coding to map the equality trajectories of left parties in 12 OECD countries from 1970 to 2020. We examine if trade‐offs between economic and non‐economic aspects of inequality have come to dominate left parties’ equality profiles. Distinguishing social democratic, green and far‐left parties, we refute a meritocratic or ‘woke’ crowding out of redistribution. Yet, Social Democrats have indeed forsaken the once complementary link between economic equality and equal rights in favour of a weak trade‐off.

The Economic Rise of India

India’s rapid economic development has attracted the interest of scholars worldwide following its emergence as one among the world’s largest economies and has stimulated research into the underlying factors that may have made this experience possible. In advancing research on India, the special issue of the American Review of Political Economy titled "The Economic Rise of India: Problems, Challenges, Opportunities" brings together a number of relevant papers. The contributions included in this special issue help with refining our understanding of the forces that have been driving India’s social, economic, political, institutional and technological developments, addressing the related issues, thus, advancing the social economic literature within the country’s context.

Sentiment Analysis of Presidential Candidates in 2024: A Comparison of the Performance of Support Vector Machine and Random Forest with N-Gram Method

Abstract. This paper conducts a sentiment analysis of presidential candidates in Indonesia's 2024 election using Twitter data. Utilizing the "Indonesia Presidential Candidate’s Dataset, 2024" from Kaggle, containing 8555 Twitter entries, sentiment was categorized as positive or negative. Preprocessing techniques cleaned and normalized the data, followed by labeling with the VADER lexicon. This study contributes insights into public sentiment towards presidential candidates and the effectiveness of machine learning algorithms for political sentiment analysis. Purpose: This study aims to analyze public sentiment towards presidential candidates in Indonesia's 2024 election using the N-Gram method. By employing Support Vector Machine and Random Forest algorithms, we compare their performance in sentiment analysis. Utilizing the "Indonesia Presidential Candidate’s Dataset, 2024" from Kaggle, containing 8555 Twitter data entries, we seek to provide insights into the electorate's perceptions and preferences, contributing to a deeper understanding of the political landscape during this crucial period. Methods/Study design/approach: The study uses Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Random Forest algorithms for sentiment analysis on a dataset of 8555 tweets about Indonesia’s 2024 presidential candidates. SVM, paired with TF-IDF, and Random Forest, paired with N-Gram, are used for feature extraction. The data is labeled using the Vader lexicon. Result/Findings: The study compared Support Vector Machine (SVM) with TF-IDF and Random Forest with N-Gram methods in analyzing public sentiment towards Indonesia's 2024 presidential candidates. Results showed Random Forest with N-Gram achieved 85% accuracy, outperforming SVM with TF-IDF at 82%. Novelty/Originality/Value: This study provides insights into sentiment analysis applied to the 2024 Indonesian presidential election, enhancing understanding of public sentiment dynamics. Comparing SVM with TF-IDF and Random Forest with N-Gram contributes to the field, suggesting avenues for future research such as integrating contextual information or social network analysis for deeper insights into political opinion trends.