Political Theory Research Articles

Egypt's Post-Arab Spring Revolution Explanation for Democratisation Failure

The Arab Spring phenomena fueled international confidence in the Middle East's democratization process. The democratic election of Muhammad Morsi (Muslim Brotherhood) as President of Egypt was one of the Arab Spring Revolution's most significant victories. However, on July 3, 2013, General Abdul Fattah Al-Sisi, the Head of Egypt's Armed Forces, conducted a coup to topple Morsi's rule. That action is incompatible with democratic principles. The failure of this democratization process is the primary subject of this research. The purpose of this article is to understand the contributing causes to Egypt's democratization failure following the Arab Spring movement of 201. The author explains the phenomena using a qualitative technique with Miles and Huberman's descriptive-analysis methodology, as well as three theories: Seymour Lipset's modernization theory, Huntington's political actor theory, and Philip C. Schmitter's international environment theory. This report discovered that three causes contributed to Egypt's democratization failure: a lack of economic conditions, a relationship between the MB (Muslim Brotherhood) and Salafis, a lack of international backing, and GCC state meddling.

Why do populists scorn compromises (and how do they live with them)?

ABSTRACT Both political theorists and scholars working on populism with an ideational approach have frequently noted that populists are averse to compromise. However, the negative relationship between populism and compromise has not been analyzed in detail. In this paper, we offer a comprehensive account of the reasons behind this oft-repeated conflict between populist narratives and the practice of compromise, disentangling the various dimensions of such incompatibility and exploring their connections. We rely on theoretical and empirical research on populism, supplemented by illustrative examples and references to political theory with an anti-pluralist coloration and the opponents thereof. We compare populist objections with Baume and Papadopoulos’s typology of objections to political compromises. We demonstrate that populist objections only partly overlap with those inventoried in the typology, notably along the moral and antagonistic dimensions, while the populist claim that compromises denature the unmediated expression of the popular will has not been considered before. Through an exploratory case study, we further reflect on how populists justify compromises when they are in power, notwithstanding their ideological reluctances. Our paper enriches the study of the ideational elements of populism while advancing research on the perception of compromises in democratic politics.

Freedom’s Frictions: Entrepreneurial Imaginaries as Political Theory

Freedom’s Frictions: Entrepreneurial Imaginaries as Political Theory

Mapping Trends and Challenges in Political Science Research in Indigenous Policy and Politics (2019-2023)

What are the trends and challenges for political science research on Indigenous policy and politics? The present paper aims to answer this question through a critical reading of articles published in specialized journals between 2019 and 2023. The study highlights four main axes of research on Indigenous politics: 1) The relationship between Indigenous peoples and nation-states; 2) Indigenous activism and struggles for territorial, cultural, and environmental rights; 3) The impact of large construction sites on Indigenous territories; and 4) Critical engagement with Western political theory. Conclusions point to epistemic avenues for interested researchers to explore in-depth in future studies: 1) The importance of broadening the scope of sources for more fruitful comparative analyses; 2) The urgency to decolonize political theory; and 3) The imperative of methodological diversification and rigor.

Research on the Influencing Factors of College Students’ National Identity: Based on the Investigation of Ideological and Political Theory Course

Research on the Influencing Factors of College Students’ National Identity: Based on the Investigation of Ideological and Political Theory Course

The Importance and Limitation of Epistemic Norms in Political Theory

One recent debate in political theory centers on the question of whether there is a distinctively political normativity. According to an influential view, there is a distinctive set of norms that applies specifically to political actions and decisions, which are not grounded in moral normativity. On one version of this non-moral view, political theory is grounded in epistemic normativity (and thus epistemic norms). Theorists identifying as “radical realists” insist that political theorists do not need any moral normativity (and thus moral norms), because epistemic normativity may provide action-guidance for political theory. In this article, we take our point of departure in a critical analysis of this epistemic version of the non-moral view, with the overall aim of analyzing the importance and limitation of epistemic norms in political theory. We argue that epistemic norms are necessary—since a political theory should not rely on empirical falsities—but not sufficient for a successful account in the political domain. Two claims are made: moral norms are essential in the process of political theorizing, both in the form of pre-epistemic norms and in the form of post-epistemic norms. More specifically, we contend, first, that we need moral norms to identify and justify which practices to study when conducting political theorizing, and second, that we need moral norms to tell us how to act in light of our investigation of warranted and unwarranted beliefs.

“Political engineering”: Continuity and novelty in political theory

This article discusses the development of the study of “political engineering” and the theoretical discourse used to formulate the continuity and novelty of future studies. It begins by identifying previous studies that serve as the theoretical foundation, and a literature review method is employed to identify the similarities and differences among existing studies, which are then used to formulate new conceptions. The findings indicate that the perspective of “political engineering” has a strong basis and foundation to be developed as a major field of study in Political Science. This is not only due to the variety and development of studies in recent decades, but also because the needs for political science to transform into applicable, practical knowledge capable of addressing contemporary challenges are increasingly urgent. The conception of “new political engineering” focuses on behavior engineering, using psychological mechanisms referred to as hope and fear, directly targeting actors (with or through institutions) and no longer making political institutions the main object of study. Instead, it extends to campaign messages, marketing management, system functions, political institutions, policy products, and policymakers to explain and direct voter behavior.

Foundations and Applications in Political Theory: An Analytical Study

This study explores the practical applications of political theory, focusing on how fundamental principles are translated into real political actions within governance and decision-making contexts. The first section addresses the identification of core principles such as democracy, justice, equality, sovereignty, legitimacy, and rights, which serve as a theoretical framework for political systems and policy formulation. Each principle is examined in depth, highlighting its significance in shaping governance and social order. For instance, democracy emphasizes citizen participation and accountability, while justice relates to fairness and equitable distribution of resources. Various political scenarios where these principles are applied are discussed, including legislative debates, policy-making processes, electoral campaigns, diplomatic negotiations, and judicial rulings. Each scenario illustrates the practical implications of political theories, demonstrating how lawmakers, policymakers, and diplomats engage with these concepts to address societal issues, Furthermore, the study emphasizes the necessity of considering stakeholders' perspectives, including government officials, political parties, civil society organizations, interest groups, and citizens, in evaluating the effectiveness of political actions. Through a critical analysis of these applications, the study assesses the outcomes of political decisions and governance practices, focusing on their alignment with democratic values and the protection of individual rights. It also addresses challenges such as institutional barriers, conflicting interests, and resource constraints that hinder the realization of political ideals. Ultimately, the study offers recommendations to enhance the significance of political theory in contemporary political discourse, advocating for collaborative efforts between theorists and practitioners to ensure that theoretical ideas inform practical policymaking. This study underscores the vital role of political theory in understanding and addressing current political challenges, contributing to enlightened governance and social progress.

Advancing the Moral legitimacy of digital platforms as gatekeepers: a critical analysis from a political corporate social responsibility perspective

This study focuses on digital platforms, such as Google or Meta, that function as “gatekeepers” that dominate their respective markets. They face serious moral legitimacy issues, due to their power to act as private rule-makers in underregulated digital spheres. Such legitimacy issues have remained underexplored thus far, as have gatekeepers’ options for addressing them. Yet moral legitimacy represents a vital resource for organizations, as a justification of their essential right to exist. Drawing on recent advances in political corporate social responsibility theory, this study offers a systematic conceptualization of how gatekeepers can exhibit ethical responsibility in their efforts to gain, maintain, and sustain their moral legitimacy. This systematic conceptualization encompasses different agreement-seeking procedures, online deliberation, a hybrid governance approach that combines regulation and self-regulation, and the provision of public goods.

Three Traditions of African American Political Thought: Realism, Reformism, and Nationalism

This article argues that conflict rather than consensus defines the history of African American political thought. Its seminal figures have pursued justice along different and diverging lines—including advocating reformist, realist, and nationalist paths. While there is agreement that white supremacy is a form of social, economic, and political domination that should be eradicated, there is disagreement regarding its nature, effects, and resilience. This variance in judgments and inferences regarding the foundations and consequences of white supremacy leads to different accounts of social change, diverging strategic advice for realizing that change, and conflicting political theories. To press this claim, I consider the conflicting political visions of Booker T. Washington (1856–1915), W.E.B. Du Bois (1868–1963), and Marcus Garvey (1887–1940).

State-Civilization: Cultural Aspects of Political Theory

The paper examines the current state of the theory of the state‑civilization, a new concept of the form of the state for both domestic and foreign historical and political science that is based not only and not so much on the legal recognition of its constitutional and legal status, but rather on the cultural identity of its founding community. The author analyzes the current ideas of Russian scholars and researchers regarding the main features of the state‑civilization, and compares them with the traditional concept of «national state.» Using the methodology of historical and cultural analysis, the author considers the stages of the Russian statehood formation. It is postulated that the State as a system of political institutions and management practices is one of the elements of civilization. The specifics of the system of state power and administration practices are the result of conscious human activity at a certain stage of the development of society on a par with other achievements of social and spiritual cultures. The conclusion is made about the variability of the form and content of the state in its political and legal meaning, which prevents the concept of the state‑civilization from being opposed to the concept of a national state, despite the existing views of a number of researchers on this subject. However, the author notes the immutability of such phenomena of civilization as space, people and culture, customs and traditions, ways and values, which suggests that the concept of «state‑civilization» should be considered in relation to the study of law and politics in its cultural significance.

British idealist engagements with Mazzinianism, 1858 to 1929

ABSTRACT This article contributes to the scholarship on Giuseppe Mazzini’s impact on British radicalism, through an analysis of British idealist engagements with his life and writings between 1858 and 1929. Section one introduces the topic. Section two sketches a background for the analysis, highlighting Mazzini’s place within the milieu of European exiles living in Britain from the 1840s to the 1870s, ultimately focusing on Mazzini’s engagements at Oxford. Section three explores the ways in which, despite areas of agreement, ultimately the Weltanschauung of the foundational figure in British idealist social and political thought and practice, Thomas Hill Green, differed fundamentally from that of Mazzini. Section four argues that despite these fundamental philosophical differences, Green’s practical political theory drew directly on Mazzini’s writings, although differing over the crucial issue of the proper role of the state in the republic. From this basis, section five analyses the engagements with Mazzini’s writings by the next generation of British idealists, especially John MacCunn. The analysis concludes that although in 1881 Toynbee had reasonable grounds for characterising Mazzini as ‘the true teacher of our age,’ this claim became increasingly unsustainable from the late 1880s onwards, as evolutionary theory came to ground British idealist political thought.

Multicultural conversations: The nature and future of culture, identity and nationalism

Despite well-known criticism of multiculturalism in Britain, the Netherlands, Germany, Canada, Australia, India and elsewhere since 9/11, such policies have proliferated ( Banting and Kymlicka, 2013 ; Mathieu, 2018 ) and the Canadian and Australian policies of multiculturalism have since celebrated their 50th birthdays. Political theories of multiculturalism have proliferated in this period too ( Lenard, 2022 ; Modood, 2007/2013 ; Patten, 2014 ; Parekh, 2006 , 2019 ; Phillips, 2007 ; Tyler, 2011 ). Schools of multiculturalist thought have been identified ( Levey, 2019 ; Uberoi and Modood, 2019 ), as have contextual methods in the political theory and normative sociology of multiculturalism ( Modood, 2020 ; Modood and Thompson, 2018 ). New historical inquiries into the origins of the political thought of multiculturalism have begun ( Tyler, 2017 ; Uberoi, 2021 ) and the ideas of multiculturalists have been altered to defend majority rights ( Koopmans and Orgad, 2022 ). Current and former politicians continue to debate its merits ( Braverman, 2023 ; Denham, 2023 ). Policies of multiculturalism and multiculturalist ideas have thus proved more resilient than many had thought. In the following conversation chaired by James Connelly, which took place on 20 June 2023, Bhikhu Parekh, Tariq Modood, Varun Uberoi, and Colin Tyler discuss the history, varied natures, and future of the contested multiculturalist ideas of “culture,” “identity” and “nationalism”.

Formal models in normative political theory

This article revisits the conventional distinction in political science between ‘positive’ and ‘normative’ political theory, particularly the belief that formal and mathematical methods are only pertinent to positive political theory. We argue that formal models are equally valuable in normative political theory for three reasons: they can make thought experiments more rigorous, they can demonstrate the consistency of normative principles, and they can provide insights into the practical workings of novel institutional arrangements in the absence of empirical data. The integration of formal models into normative political theory presents challenges, including the development of criteria for evaluating these models and potential shifts in research focus. Integration can also strengthen political theory’s tenuous role in the political science discipline.

Nurturing all Things Subtly and Silently — Construction and Exploration of Ideological and Political Theories Teaching in Public English Courses for Graduate Students

As a language subject, Public English for graduate students has certain instrumental and humanistic characteristics. In the process of public English teaching for graduates, it is very necessary to integrate ideological and political elements and give full play to their synergistic effects. This approach can not only improve students' English application and practical operation skills but also enhance their political literacy, thus achieving the true purpose of "cultivating people with virtue." This paper mainly discusses the construction of ideological and political theories teaching in Public English courses for graduate students. In the practical implementation of teaching, it is essential to first clarify the teaching objectives. Then, according to the specific goals, it is very necessary to determine how to integrate English teaching with ideological and political theories teaching, which makes the course teaching more comprehensive and diverse, ultimately improving the effectiveness of education.

The Meaning of Media Independence by Journalists in the 2024 Election

The 2024 Presidential Election is a political event that the public has been waiting for. At that time, the public can exercise their political rights to elect government leaders for the next five years. Seeing such great public attention, the mass media will place the 2024 General Election and Presidential Election as one of the main portions of the news. However, like the 2014 and 2019 Presidential Elections and Elections, it is suspected that it will be difficult for the mass media to stand in a neutral position. Mass media, especially television stations, are owned by entrepreneurs who are affiliated with political parties and support the 2024 presidential and vice presidential candidates.This research aims to explain the meaning of television journalists regarding media independence ahead of the 2024 general election and presidential election. This research uses a qualitative approach with phenomenological research method to understand the construction meaning of journalists. The object of this research is the meaning of television journalists regarding media independence ahead of the 2024 general election and presidential election. The research subjects were television journalists from two media groups, MNC Group and Media Group, who were selected purposively. The research data was analyzed using media political economy theory. Findings from the research show differences in the subjective meaning of media independence among television journalists. Although they agree on the urgency of media independence as a guardian of press freedom, differences of opinion arise especially regarding the role of media owners in editorial policy. Some journalists consider the intervention of media owners to be acceptable, while others consider it a violation of the journalistic code of ethics. Different views are also seen in terms of implementing media independence. Some see media independence as the freedom for the media to support political parties or presidential candidates that are in line with the editorial views. On the other hand, there are journalists who believe that media independence should be realized through a neutral and unbiased attitude

Measuring Enlarged Mentality: Development and Validation of the Enlarged Mentality Scale

Abstract Hannah Arendt’s concept of enlarged mentality (also referred to as representative thinking) has received much attention from theorists and philosophers, but it has not been a central concept in the empirical political communication literature. This article explicates the concept of enlarged mentality and argues for its relevance to political communication theory and research. Specifically, we developed (Study 1) and validated (Study 2, Study 3) a 10-item survey instrument to measure orientation towards enlarged thinking among individuals. The Enlarged Mentality Scale was validated in two national samples (Singapore, United Kingdom) and was found to show predictive validity toward deliberative and political engagement variables. We offer suggestions on how the measure of enlarged mentality could be useful for different areas of political communication research.

Health system reform and path-dependency: how ideas constrained change in South Africa’s national health insurance policy process

Path-dependency theory says that complex systems, such as health systems, are shaped by prior conditions and decisions, and are resistant to change. As a result, major policy changes, such as health system reform, are often only possible in policy windows—moments of transition or contextual crisis that re-balance social power dynamics and enable the consideration of new policy ideas. However, even in policy windows there can be resistance to change. In this paper, we consider the role of ideas in constraining change. We draw on political science theory on the dynamic relationship between foreground ideas (policy programmes and frames) and background ideas (deeply held collective cognitive and normative beliefs) to better understand how ideas exert influence independently of the contextual conditions that give rise to them or the actors that espouse them. To do so, we examine two apparent policy windows in the South African National Health Insurance policy process. The analysis reveals how ideas can become institutionalised in organisations and procedures (such as policy instruments or provider networks), and in intangible cultural norms—becoming hegemonic and uncontested ideas that shape the attitudes and perspectives of policy actors. In this way, ideas operate as independent variables, constraining change across policy windows. While health policy analysts increasingly recognise the influence of ideational variables in policy processes, they tend to conceptualise ideas as tools actors wield to drive change. This analysis reveals the importance of considering ideas (values, norms, and beliefs) as persistent features of the policy-making context that constrain actors.

Religious rebound, political backlash, and the youngest cohort: understanding religious change in Turkey

Abstract We distinguish two streams of theory that dominate explanations of religious change: cohort-based cumulative decline theory, which emphasizes small and ongoing declines in individual religiosity accruing across generations; and political backlash theory, which emphasizes period- and identity-based changes due to the politicized meaning of religion. Notably, Muslim countries have largely been excluded from a recent wave of quantitative research on individual-level religious change, implicitly continuing an assumption that Islamic societies require different theoretical concepts. We deploy both theories to examine religious identity and behavior over multiple decades in Turkey, a Muslim-majority country with recent social conflict over religion. Utilizing age-period-cohort interaction models, our results suggest minimal evidence for a cohort-based process in Turkey, in contrast to that observed in Western countries. Rather, a political transformation—the politicization of religion through the rise of Turkey’s AKP (Justice and Development Party) and President Erdogan—is most salient to Turkish religious change. We introduce two concepts to backlash theory—identity updating and performance signaling—to show how different dimensions of individual religiosity respond to different politicized contexts. These findings extend our understanding of religious change beyond the Western context, with further implications for theorizing political backlash and cohort-based processes.

Prospects for the Study of Harriet Jacobs

ABSTRACT Jean Fagan Yellin’s 1987 annotated edition of Harriet Jacobs’s Incidents in the Life of Slave Girl, Written by Herself, documenting Jacobs as the author and the narrative as nonfiction, ushered in a wave of Jacobs scholarship. Yellin’s Harriet Jacobs: A Life (2003) and the two-volume Harriet Jacobs Family Papers (2008), along with criticism on Incidents in the context of sentimentalism and slave narratives, helped spur another generation of scholarship and popular interest in Jacobs. Jacobs is now found as a source in fields spanning from the expected literature and history to medicine, psychology, political theory, aging, girlhood, and religious studies. This survey of scholarship appearing after the publication of Papers highlights religion, health, biographical studies of Jacobs and her circle, and analysis of Jacobs in popular culture as areas of development and urges more engagement with the archival sources available for Jacobs’s life after the publication of Incidents.