Political Theory Research Articles

The power of paranoia: Politics, the Bible, and conspiracy theories

In the current US political climate, paranoia, pervasive and widespread, can serve as a politician’s greatest ally, a relationship exemplified by its continual display in Donald Trump and his followers. Indeed, stoking fear, conjuring crisis, and incorporating familiar biblical “bogeymen” tropes into the paranoid political conversation are textbook strategies in the current US political discourse, becoming increasingly influential, especially among its followers. This article explores the phenomenon of paranoia in the US political sphere vis-à-vis the Bible. Specifically, it examines the historical development of the Satan figure, which evolved from the general Hebrew term śāṭān to becoming the prince of darkness pulling the demonic strings of the world. In today’s US political landscape, extreme groups weaponize this concept, demonizing opponents to gain political advantage, a tactic predominantly employed by right-wing figures such as Trump and Marjorie Taylor Greene. This article aims to shed light on how these individuals manipulate biblical narratives for political gain, urging attention to this perspective often overlooked in political analysis.

Agricultural Innovation and Food Security in Sub-Saharan Africa in Nigeria

Purpose: The aim of the study was to analyze the agricultural innovation and food security in Sub-Saharan Africa in Nigeria. Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: In Nigeria, agricultural innovation is vital for improving food security. Research suggests that adopting innovative farming methods and technologies can boost productivity, resilience to climate change, and livelihoods for smallholder farmers. Overcoming challenges like limited access to finance and inadequate infrastructure is essential to fully harnessing the benefits of agricultural innovation for food security in Nigeria. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Diffusion of innovations theory, social capital theory & political economy theory may be used to anchor future studies on agricultural innovation and food security in Sub-Saharan Africa in Nigeria. Promote farmer-centered innovation platforms - establishing can facilitate knowledge sharing, collaboration, and co-creation of agricultural innovations. Adequate funding for research institutions, agricultural universities, and extension agencies is essential to conduct applied research, develop appropriate technologies, and provide technical assistance to farmers.

Civil Disobedience or Not – The Case of Road Blockades in Serbia

The aim of this paper is to answer the question whether the road blockades that took place in Serbia in November and December of 2021 could be characterized as an act of justified civil disobedience. The answer comes from the analysis of the arguably most influental and well-known conception of civil disobedience that can be found in contemporary political theory – the conception that was proposed by the American political philosopher John Rawls. I will argue in support of the thesis that the blockades were an act of justified civil disobedience because they fit the definition of civil disobedience and meet all the conditions for a justified act of civil disobedience that Rawls presented us with.

More (of) Democracy: European Citizens’ Views and Evaluations of Democracy

Social and political theory recognizes several conjunctural, as well as long-term factors that shape how citizens conceptualize democracy and what they expect from it. Based on Round 10 of the European Social Survey, we analyse how Europeans view and evaluate democracy, distinguishing liberal (basic) model and several additions, such as social-democratic, participatory and populist models (that we analyse integrated as alternative model of democracy). We explore whether liberal and alternative models of democracy are mutually complementary or exclusionary, and which model prevails, but also to what extent there are discrepancies between the normative elements and evaluated outcomes. The paper examines whether and how the length of historical experience with democracy (operationalized through different waves of democratization) influences the predominant normative of democracy, as well as evaluations of the implemented standards. Finally, in the last section, the aim of the analysis is to draw conclusions on the profile of both proponents of liberal and alternative models of democracy but also of critical citizens, who value democracy as an ideal, while remaining wary in terms of its empirical manifestations.

Application research on improved particle swarm computational intelligence algorithm for multi-objective optimization in ideological and political education

In today’s world, optimization problems are becoming increasingly prominent, and the progress in optimization technologies can not only bring considerable economic benefits but also highlight their outstanding social value, making significant contributions to the sustainable development of the ecological environment. Due to their educational positioning and disciplinary development needs, local application-oriented universities overlook the optimization and development of ideological and political theory courses in their growth, leading to lagging reforms in ideological and political education and suboptimal teaching outcomes. To enhance the teaching effects of ideological and political courses in local application-oriented universities, it is essential to scientifically design class contents, actively carry out practical teaching, adapt to the needs of the times, build an “Internet + Ideological and Political Courses” online teaching platform, and continuously innovate teaching modes of ideological and political courses.

Self-Determination and the Limits on the Right to Include

States’ right to exclude prospective members is the subject of a fierce debate in political theory, but the right to include has received relatively little scholarly attention. To address this lacuna, we examine the puzzle of permissible inclusion: when may states confer citizenship on individuals they have no prior obligation to include? We first clarify why permissible inclusion is a puzzle, then proceed to a normative evaluation of this practice and its limits. We investigate self-determination – a dominant principle in theories of the right to exclude – as a normative ground for limits on the right to include. We argue that states’ duties to respect one another’s self-determination yield limits on permissible inclusion. When inclusive policies for citizenship undermine the permissible scope of self-determination of other states, they are impermissible; they should either be prohibited, or require compensation.

Can Empathy Provide a Route to Democratic Inclusivity?

How can democracies promote full consideration of all relevant interests in political decision-making? Is there a role for empathy, especially where there are obstacles to direct inclusion of relevant groups, as for example in the case of future generations and citizens of other countries? Critics of existing uses of empathy in political theory press that limits to our capacity to empathise can lead to bias and partiality. I argue instead for a more nuanced ‘holistic’ approach to the use of empathy into democratic design. The approach recommends, first, that we be sensitive to the potential consequences of catalysing empathy in specific decision-making contexts, rather than making general prescriptions. Second, it asks us to consider how different methods of empathic induction generate insight and motivation of different strength and degrees of generality. Third, the approach proposes not only that empathy be introduced into existing institutions and designs, but that we aim through democratic design to bring patterns of power into closer alignment with naturally occurring patterns of empathy. Fourth, the approach recommends taking a pragmatic view of which interventions might be most useful in any particular institutional context.

Siyasi elitanin mahiyyətinə konseptual yanaşmalar

The concept of political elite has been the subject of discussion by many researchers in different periods of history. Various theories and concepts have been put forward about this phenomenon. Today, we cannot imagine any society without a political elite. In both democratic and non-democratic states, power is concentrated in the hands of an organized minority-the political elite. The article basically tries to clarify questions that interest many scientists, such as the essence and content of the political elite, as well as the role of elite groups forming the political elite in the management of the community and decision-making. The political elite theories and concepts of thinkers such as G. Mosca, V. Pareto, R. Michels were investigated, and an extensive comparative analysis was conducted between these concepts. In-depth study of different approaches plays an exceptional role in understanding the basic nature of the political elite.

Efektivitas Unclos Ditinjau Dari Kasus Illegal Fishing Di Laut Natuna (2012-2021)

The Natuna Sea is one of Indonesia's territorial waters that borders many countries so that it is often an easy target for illegal fishing, including ships belonging to China, Vietnam and Thailand. Not only does it harm the country's economy and local fishermen, but illegal fishing also causes damage to marine ecosystems and coral reefs, even though Indonesia as a country that ratified the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea or commonly referred to as UNCLOS has adopted rules governing this in its law. Using the Base on research method that we collected from various journals, websites, electronic scientific articles and other research reports, we attempt to (1) analyse the effectiveness of UNCLOS in addressing maritime issues such as illegal fishing (2) to determine the compliance of UNCLOS ratifying countries involved in illegal fishing cases in the Natuna Sea seen from green politics theory and Robert B. Mitchell's compliance theory. Mitchell's compliance theory. The results we found are that the entry of ships belonging to China, Vietnam and Thailand into the Natuna Sea shows the ineffectiveness of UNCLOS and the lack of compliance of the ratifying countries.

Iqbal's Spiritual Democracy and Habermas's Deliberative Democracy: A Comparative Study

The current study is written in the context of the civilizational dialogue between the West and the Muslim world with reference to Jürgen Habermas and Muhammad Iqbal's political views. It explores the congruence and contrasts between Habermas's discourse theory of democracy or deliberative democracy and Iqbal's theory of spiritual democracy. This research strives to find out the extent to which the core values of Habermas's theory and that of Iqbal’s are compatible. For Habermas, the core values of social order are liberty and equality, whereas Iqbal upholds liberty, equality, and solidarity. It has been investigated whether they both mean the same phenomena by the same terms or not. For Habermas and Iqbal, democracy is the best form of government but neither one is satisfied with the existing democratic practices. In principle, they accept democracy as the best political system. The research paper also sheds light on the historical and cultural influences that have shaped the political ideologies of both Habermas and Iqbal, considering the impact of Western Enlightenment ideals on Habermas and the role of Islamic jurisprudence and spirituality in shaping Iqbal's democratic theory. Through critical analysis, this study aims to deepen the understanding of complexities inherent in the dialogue between Western and Muslim civilizations and offers insights into potential avenues for collaboration in political theory and practice.

Thinking hegemony otherwise – an educational critique of Mouffe’s agonism

ABSTRACT The question ‘What is to be done?’ underpins Chantal Mouffe’s agonistic theory of democratic politics. Yet, despite this affirmative tone that distinguishes her from other radical theorists, her theory neglects the cultural work required for hegemony-building. This omission has resulted in operational difficulties when agonistic democracy is put into practice. This article shows how academics inspired by Mouffe unintentionally depend on theoretical resources from competing democratic theories. As a result of this, agonistic practices risk to reinforce neo-liberal regimes instead of developing counter-hegemonic alternatives. To meet this challenge, and to expand the scope of Mouffe’s agonism, we draw on educational theory to provide a more developed theorization of the cultural work required for hegemony-building. We propose that only by embracing different conceptualisations of education, we can activate cultural interventions that facilitate counter-hegemonic ventures.

Research on Probity Culture into Practical Teaching of Ideological and Political Theory Course in Colleges and Universities

The integrity literacy of young college students is related to their future development, and the integration of the culture of integrity into the practical teaching of ideological and political theory courses helps to give full play to the function of educating people, and promotes the realization of the fundamental task of establishing morality and educating people. Based on the status quo of the practical teaching of ideological and political theory courses in colleges and universities, this paper puts forward suggestions on the implementation path from the aspects of practical teaching content and methods, realizes the isomorphism between clean and honest construction and ideological and political education, and improves the quality of talent cultivation while passing on the clean and honest culture to promote the construction of clean and honest.

The Effect of COVID-19 Pandemic on Media Operations in Rwanda

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization designated COVID-19 as a worldwide pandemic, the first of its kind since H1N1 influenza was categorized as a pandemic in 2009.The pandemic has caused unprecedented economic challenges globally across various sectors, including the media. Media organizations heavily rely on advertising revenue, which took a hit during the pandemic. Media organizations have had to drastically adjust to new ways of operating to align with the untold consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, there has been a scarcity of scholarly research exploring the effect of the pandemic on how different media houses managed to overcome and adjust to the changing operating environment. To address this research gap, this research project took the case study of Rwanda and explored how the pandemic has affected the different media houses in different aspects of their operations. The study sheds light on how the pandemic has affected Rwandan media operations and how they have responded to the new operating environment. The specific objectives of the study were as follows: to investigate how the COVID-19 pandemic affected media production routines; to assess how the COVID-19 pandemic affected media revenues; to find out how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the welfare of journalists in Rwandan media houses; and to assess how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the way media houses in Rwanda engaged with their audience. To achieve the research goals, the study employed the explanatory sequential research design, which is a mixed research approach that incorporated a survey and interviews. The survey targeted 85 accredited journalists, sampled from a population of 568 journalists. The study focused on media houses operating in the three districts of the City of Kigali: Kicukiro, Gasabo, and Nyarugenge Districts. To select the sample of respondents, a simple random approach was used, considering gender balance. In relation to the study, political economy theory was used to place the research within a broader context by connecting it to existing knowledge. The research revealed that Rwandan journalists encountered difficulties in gathering and producing news, prompting a move towards remote reporting and dependence on citizen journalism. Decreased media revenues, attributed to event cancellations and reduced advertising, resulted in job losses and salary reductions. Journalists also had challenges in obtaining sources and negative consequences for their well-being. Media organizations need to protect journalists, challenge false information, and diversify their funding streams in order to increase their efficiency in times of crisis. While media groups should train journalists to be flexible in every situation and support press freedom, the Rwandan government should facilitate the flow of information and offer financial support to media outlets during times of crisis.

Ibn Khaldūn and Kınalızāde’s Concept of Dāʾirat al-Siyāsah: A Rethinking of Modern Politics from A Civilisational Perspective

This paper demonstrates that Islamic civilisation is characterised by a unique circular model of political and administrative system as articulated by Ibn Khaldūn and his Ottoman successor, Kınalızāde, in the concept of the circle of politics (dāʾirat al-siyāsah). It offers a new perspective to the current quest for good governance from a Khaldunian perspective by presenting an alternative way of restructuring contemporary politics and society in a circular order for a more effective and egalitarian system open to citizen participation. The pyramidal governance structure, having no roots in Islamic political theory and practice, positions the subjects at the bottom of the political hierarchy and the ruler at its pinnacle, which leads to significant disparities. Conversely, the circular system espouses an egalitarian and participatory political order rooted in the sunnah of Prophet Muḥammad. This model, embraced by Muslims for centuries until the era of colonisation, engenders a more inclusive and engaging approach to governance. Furthermore, this study contends that the circular model of governance is applicable beyond political institutions to a larger range of social entities as a method of reforming and improving them.

Critical Junctures, Ideological Continuity and Change in Western Europe: Comparing the Pandemic and the Global Financial Crises

ABSTRACT Research focusing on the Covid-19 crisis politics treats ideology mostly as an independent or intervening variable, lacking attention to the effects of the pandemic on ideological conflict and the configurations between ideas and actors and is ambiguous about its impact. To address these deficiencies, we provide an assessment of ideological change by combining accounts of political development and theories of hegemony and apply the resulting framework through a comparative history of “crisis” in Western Europe, juxtaposing the pandemic with the 2008 financial crisis. We argue that the pandemic’s ideological impact entails signs of both continuity and change, across both ideational and institutional dynamics, more change than the financial crisis, but not reaching the threshold of “a critical juncture” and thus amounts to a partial ideological reconfiguration. The analysis has implications for the Covid-19 pandemic legacy, the study of crises and the ideological terrain in the current context.

Application of Immersive Media Technology in Ideological and Political Theory Courses Instruction at Shandong Vocational Colleges

This paper describes how virtual classrooms and out-of-classroom instruction can be used to help students in ideological and political theory courses strengthen their identities and improve the efficiency of their assignments. By using immersive media technology, the course is turned into a form of entertainment, enriched with content, and combined with methods such as digital video editing and manipulation to meet the needs of students in university ideological and political theory courses. Virtual reality technology can create realistic virtual environments created by computers, enabling students to perceive and manipulate a variety of virtual objects, interact with them, and create a sense of immersion in the virtual environment. Research has shown the potential benefits of using immersive media technologies and augmented reality in education. The potential of virtual reality in education has been increasingly emphasized and has been widely researched and applied.

Chinese Education Modernization: A Case Study on Ideological and Political Theories Teaching in All Courses with Organic Integration of Cultural Literacy and Political Education

Chinese education modernization is integral to Chinese modernization, and is of leading significance to the further advancement of Chinese modernization and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. In this paper, taking ideological and political theories teaching in all courses as an example, an attempt is made to organically integrate cultural literacy and political education under the vision of Chinese education modernization, and “gathers knowledge heritage in the dissemination of value and leads the values in the dissemination of knowledge,” thereby training students into high-caliber talents with good and all-round moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetical, and labor grounding.

Assessing the Relationship between Kirkpatrick Level 4 Assessment Model and Ideological and Political Theory Courses on Meaning of Life among Chinese University Students: A Quantitative Study

Assessing the Relationship between Kirkpatrick Level 4 Assessment Model and Ideological and Political Theory Courses on Meaning of Life among Chinese University Students: A Quantitative Study

Pluralism and Monotheism: On Apophatic Intolerance

AbstractThis paper explores the dangerous yet liberative potentials of so‐called monotheistic intolerance, arguing for its importance in pluralistic politics. Drawing upon the work of political theorist Chantal Mouffe, I examine conventional political notions of inclusivity and show how the metaphysics of “the One True God” has political analogs not merely in despotic, exclusive absolutism but in agonistic pluralism. The metaphysical correlate of pluralism, I argue, is not merely in polytheism but in “apophatic intolerance”—the refusal to lay claim upon the Absolute, the denial of its representation—a subtle mechanics at the heart of monotheism. And yet, ambivalently coinciding with this emancipatory intolerance is a violence‐laden “Mosaic distinction” between true and false religion. The political theology of Egyptologist Jan Assmann helps us interpret such volatile but crucial intolerance for our own democratic and pluralistic context.

Perceptions of a Shared European Culture Increase the Support for the European Union

AbstractThere is disagreement amongst political theorists as to whether a European demos based on a culturally grounded identity as a precondition for a stronger integration of the European Union (EU) exists. We study a part of this question from a constructivist perspective by analysing how individuals in Europe perceive European culture and how this perception is related to support for the EU. We focus on the following questions: (a) whether European respondents perceive a shared European culture, (b) whether they consider this culture to be of higher value than other cultures and (c) whether they are proud of European cultures. We study these questions on the basis of a survey conducted in 2021 in nine European countries, including both EU and non‐EU countries. Our results show that the perception of a shared European culture and its positive evaluation, both inclusive and exclusive, covary positively with support for the EU.