Regional Politics Research Articles

Building A Black Appalachian Metropolis: Black Women’s Activism And Labor In Knoxville, Tennessee

Abstract: This article explores the multifaceted roles of Black women in East Tennessee during and immediately after the First World War, spotlighting their profound impact on both local and regional politics and social structures. Positioned uniquely at the intersection of racial uplift and self-determination ideologies in the Black Belt South, these women leveraged a combination of labor and activism to reshape Black political and social thought. Through an intensive examination of archival, biographical, and historical sources, the study reveals how notable figures such as Mrs. Cora Burke, Lillian Cansler, and other race leaders navigated the complexities of the New South’s Jim Crow landscape. Their efforts not only bridged the gap between local challenges and global aspirations but also propelled them into leadership roles in movements such as women’s suffrage and the New Negro Movement. This essay underscores the essential yet often overlooked contributions of Black women from a myriad of different class backgrounds in East Tennessee, presenting them not only as participants in established movements but as architects of new frameworks of resistance and empowerment within the early twentieth-century American South.

Comparative Foreign Policy Analysis (CFP) of Nigeria and South Africa: An overview

This article assesses the foreign policy roles of Nigeria and South Africa, given their status as regional powers, and the regional complexes within which they operate. Drawing references from a plethora of policies and speeches of the Presidents of the two States, this article argues that CFP, given its emphasis on foreign policy decision-making processes related to momentous events as well as its implication in day-to-day events, is useful as a theoretical framework in this assessment. Nigeria and South Africa are both active state actors in the international system. Unarguably, Nigeria and South Africa are two important nations in the continent of Africa whose foreign policy actions and inactions are crucial to the desire development of their areas of regional and global influence, particularly for the African continent. Methodologically, it employs the use of comparative analysis relying solely on secondary information for data generation and analysis of the direction of the foreign policy of Nigeria and South Africa. The article contributes to the literature by illustrating the potential impact and regional implications of foreign policy analysis as an approach to international relations (IR), within which the behavior of these two African States can be analyzed in the wake of new members into BRICS, African Union (AU) been made a permanent member of the G20, giving the continent an important voice on key global issues. Noting that the dynamic evolving role of South Africa and Nigeria in the global arena, should be expected to increase positioning Africa in decision making process of both regional and world politics; regional and global peace and security, such as in Ukraine crisis and reform within the United Nations security Council. Both countries need to unite their efforts and practical strategies to advance the common goal of Africa development, peace and security.

The Decline of Turkey as a Subimperialist Power: Political Economy of the Turkish Foreign Policy under AKP Rule

ABSTRACT Turkish foreign policy during the AKP era has been under academic scrutiny for a long time, but the outcome of the analyses has often varied considerably. Yet most of this research agrees upon one thing, which is that Turkey under the AKP has become more active and more influential, both in its region and in the international arena. While accepting Turkey’s continuing relevancy, this paper argues that, although Turkey still could be considered as a regional power, its capacity for influencing regional and global politics had been eroded considerably in the last decade. At first glance, Turkey’s recent U-turns and failures in foreign policy under Erdoğan’s personalized style could be identified as the main reason for this erosion. However, building on Ruy Mauro Marini’s conceptualization of subimperialism, this paper contends that it is actually conditioned by the neoliberal restructuring of the Turkish economy in the last four decades, which has transformed Turkey’s economic structure in a very profound manner.

The Successful of Strengthening ASEAN Centrality Through the ASEAN Way

Southeast Asia is a region with a strategic geographical location in global politics. History has proven that international political contestation occurred in this region from the era of colonialism at the end of the 16th century until no. This article explores how the Southeast Asian region is still a place of power rivalry and influence of major world powers such as China and the United States and, in the broader scope, the Indo-Pacific region. The research implemented Immanuel Kant's triangle of global politics and liberalism perspective to inquire into ASEAN countries' policy due to regional security and peacebuilding. It also uses literature study as a research method. The result indicates that ASEAN, established in 1967, has played a significant role in regional politics, especially in maintaining security and stability. The success of ASEAN is inseparable from the way ASEAN diplomacy with external partners by holding the principles and values believed by ASEAN member countries, known as the ASEAN Way. The values embodied in The ASEAN Way are vital to ASEAN's success Under The Indo-Pacific Strategy.
 
 Keywords: ASEAN, ASEAN Way, Indo-Pacific, Geo-Politic, Regionalism

Drug use and the constitution of homo politicus in Swedish politics 1966–1979

BackgroundThe emergence of the drug user as a political problem in Sweden during the 1960s presented politicians with the problem of how to fit this new character into the existing democratic order. The aim of this article is to examine how Swedish politics sought to regulate democratic participation by establishing norms that conditioned who is recognized as a political subject as well as what counts as political speech and action. MethodsThe analysis is based on a close reading of parliamentary debates, political motions, and public reports and covers the period 1966–1979. ResultsDuring the examined period, Swedish politics constituted the ideal subject of democratic politics, homo politicus, as a subject embedded in a community of active and politically conscious citizens endowed with the capacity to cooperate and engage in the collective formulation of the common good. Drug use therefore posed a threat to the democratic order due to its passivizing effects that inhibited the cooperation needed to uphold the democratic polity. ConclusionThe perceived individualism, passivity, and inability of the drug user to engage in cooperation within a politically conscious community of citizens positioned the drug user as a threat to the democratic order. The drug user thereby became a useful figure in the political regulation of the democratic sphere and the constitution of homo politicus, the ideal subject of democratic politics.

Regional history and political history: possible interfaces between two approaches

This work addresses the transformation in the approach to History that occurred in 1929 with the creation of the Revista dos Annales, led by Marc Bloch and Lucien Febvre. This paradigmatic shift broke with the tradition of focusing only on major historical events and figures, adopting a broader, interdisciplinary approach that incorporated anthropology, sociology, and geography into historical analysis. Political history, which had been disregarded by the Annales, underwent a revival in the 1970s, reintroducing it as an important field of study. It also highlights the importance of considering the regional dimension in the analysis of political history, recognizing that the politician creates his own spatiality and that regional politics plays a significant role in the formation of identities and specific political practices. The regional approach enriches our understanding of politics by connecting the particular to the universal, allowing for a more complete and interdisciplinary analysis of historical phenomena. In summary, the text emphasizes the importance of considering the interconnection between regional history and political history for a deeper understanding of society over time.

The digital (il)literacy of local and regional politicians and civil servants –An analysis based on recent data from Romania

In 2021/2022 a consortium of European universities delivered a scientific basis for a policy fighting fake news and hate speech with support of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, describing also the technical and legal basics of both phenomena. In this context a survey was performed with the delegates of the Congress and the book, which contained also the survey results, was presented to the Congress in its Spring Session 2022. In 2023 a broader survey was done in a selection of countries, which also returned 675 filled-in questionnaires from Romania. The part of the questionnaire dealing with possible remedies contained questions which remedies are considered technically and legally feasible by the participants. Confirming the results of the survey in 2021/2022 the results for Romania showed a severe lack of basic knowledge about how the internet works and its governance. In this paper we want to show the results for Romania in detail, discuss them and suggest possible training measures which seem necessary to make the local and regional politics and administration fit for the Digitalization.The analysis of data from other European countries showed that this phenomenon is not restricted to Romania but is widely recognizable all over Europe. It also confirms the results from the survey among the Congress delegates. Therefore, this paper may be based on the Romanian dataset, however it signifies a pan-European issue.The authors are grateful to Vice Dean Nicolae Urs (Babeș-Bolyai University Cluj-Napoca) and Catalin Vrabie (National University of Political Studies and Public Administration) for their support in spreading the survey among Romanian municipalities.

Indonesia's Geostrategic Position in Global and Regional Politics: Government Preparation

The People's Republic of China (PRC) and the United States (US) continue to compete for power and influence in various places, particularly in Asia. Southeast Asia is also unifying ASEAN countries under the ASEAN Community Accord. It is vital to recognize the impact of pressure on Indonesia's geostrategic development. Failure to anticipate this can have harmful implications and risk the nation's interests in accomplishing its goals and ideals. However, development strategy research has yet to be adequately reviewed, considered, and integrated within Indonesia's geostrategic setting. This is particularly essential considering the dynamic character of developments within the current strategic environment. Thus, the government must vigorously defend Indonesia's geostrategic position in global and regional politics. These efforts should be a significant input and consideration in national and state issues, ensuring Indonesia's national interests are safeguarded. Therefore, the government can effectively pursue its national goals and aspirations. The preservation and seamless continuance of Indonesia's national ideals can be maintained. A comprehensive literature assessment was undertaken in the past decade utilizing the hazing publish or perish (PoP) application, which involved the utilization of various databases, including "PupMed," "ABIInform," "EBSO Host," "Emerald," "Google Scholar," "Science Direct," "ProQuest," "Web of Science," and "ERIC." This study incorporates the employment of concepts such as "global politics," "ASEAN Community," "political developments," "political dynamics," and "geostrategic conditions." Insufficient infrastructure and limited accessibility. This study provides a complete survey of the extant literature on global and regional political development processes. A comprehensive examination of long-term effects and comparing distribution tactics and research methods are needed. This research explores the requirement of predicting distinct vulnerabilities within each National Resilience Gatra in light of global and regional political development dynamics. In light of the input and optimistic outlook surrounding endeavours to execute primary national responsibilities, safeguard national interests, and actualize national objectives in pursuit of Indonesia's national aspirations, further investigation is warranted into global and regional political development dynamics. Additional work is necessary to address this gap.

Enver Hoxha’s assessments of the “Romanian factor” against the backdrop of Sino-Albanian relations, 1969-1978

The article explores the assessments of Romania’s place and role in regional and international politics in the context of developing Sino-Albanian relations in 1969-1978 in the analysis of Party of Labor of Albania’s (PLA) first secretary, Enver Hoxha (1908-1985). The author concludes that the main interest of the Albanian leader was to determine possibility of informal alliance between the PRC, Romania and Yugoslavia in the Balkans to resist against the USSR, as well as to change the close relations between Tirana and Beijing to similar between latter and Bucharest. Judging by the evolution of Hoxha’s assessments, all of his analyses, in one way or another, actually questioned the establishment of such a tandem that was important to him when the Sino-Albanian relation were permanently coming down.

ПЕРЕХОД К НООНОМИКЕ, ПРОБЛЕМЫ ТЕХНОЛОГИЧЕСКОГО СУВЕРЕНИТЕТА И РЕГИОНАЛЬНОЕ РАЗВИТИЕ

Modern Russia is now at the transitional phase of its development. This transition is related to the major transformation of civilizational trends which has been outlined in the beginning of XXI century. Macro-shocks of last years, first pandemic and then sanctional, has forced this transformation giving it an irreversible character. This leads to the re-orientation of the civilizational path to the direction: modern socioeconomic system – new industrial society of the second generation – noonomy. The article considers features of the development with given direction, taking into account features of modern challenges, including the context of a necessity to ensure technological sovereignty of Russia. Emphasis is put on the contribution of regions into these processes, also a necessity of correction is mentioned in relation to the renewed conditions, systems of regional politics.

Emergency Regulatory Procedures, Pharmaceutical Regulatory Politics, and the Political Economy of Vaccine Regulation in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Context: Regulatory approaches to COVID-19 vaccine authorizations varied substantially across countries. Facing a common public health threat, what accounts for regulatory variation? This study focuses on emergency pharmaceutical and vaccine regulatory procedures and whether and how regulators' emergency pharmaceutical regulatory procedures going into the pandemic shaped regulatory processes and decisions during the pandemic. Methods: The authors conducted an analysis of seven high-impact national and international pharmaceutical regulators with case studies from Brazil, China, India, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Medicines Agency. The authors analyzed evidence from primary source executive and legislative branch regulations and statutes as well as national and international scientific and general press reporting; they also drew on the secondary analysis of scholars, practitioners, and international organizations. Findings: Inherited emergency pharmaceutical and vaccine regulatory procedures substantially shaped COVID-19 vaccine regulation during the pandemic. Variation in the presence and content of emergency regulatory procedures affected the quality of pandemic regulatory processes, outcomes, and procedural updates and differentially empowered policy-making experts and elected politicians. Conclusions: Emergency regulatory procedures affect key features of regulatory political economy and public health practices during crises. To improve future public health crisis responses, the authors provide policy recommendations for (1) establishing clear emergency pharmaceutical regulatory procedures, and (2) international collaboration.

Bishakh Important Hoi (Trust Is Important)

Men have never been absent from the arena of food preparation, although their participation has been primarily in the public sphere rather than the private domestic space. Men have also been involved in the preparation of traditional sweets and snacks in sweet shops and street stalls. On the other hand, women’s association with food preparation, especially traditional food preparation inside the household, still dominates the popular imagination in regions like South Asia. In Assam (India), pithas are an emblematic food item in the “Assamese” cultural landscape that is popularly perceived to be prepared by women. However, my ethnographic experience suggests that pitha preparation and sale can be studied in relation to performance of masculinities when it comes to the public urban space of Guwahati (Assam). As men have entered the public spaces as pitha sellers and to a large extent prepare it themselves, it was observed that bishakh (trust) is a crucial part of the diverse performance of masculinities and “Assameseness.” The perceptions, negotiations, and enactment with the concept of trust is a pivotal aspect of men entering an otherwise popularly imagined feminized zone of pitha preparation. It is important to attract buyers, wherein the ideal image remains that of a woman preparing traditional food using her manual labor. Further, this article argues that bishakh, which is significant in infusing “Assameseness” in buying and selling pithas, can also be understood at the cusp of contemporary regional politics in Assam, class markers, caste hierarchy, and religious indicators along with gender performance.

Politicization of fake news debates and citizen attitudes towards fake news and its regulation

As fake news becomes a pressing social concern, governments from many countries have considered legislation against fake news. This study examined how citizens formed opinions about fake news and an anti-fake news bill in South Korea where political elites provide polarized discourse regarding fake news and associated regulatory politics. Progressive leaders more intensely criticized fake news and proposed an anti-fake news bill whereas conservative leaders vehemently opposed the bill. The analysis of survey data showed that elite polarization may affect citizens’ perceptions of fake news and attitudes toward anti-fake news legislation. Strong partisans tended to believe that fake news is more hostile toward their in-group and had stronger third-person perceptions, and such perceptions were positively related to the support of anti-fake news legislation. Moreover, progressive voters tended to have stronger hostile and third-person perceptions than conservative counterparts, reflecting endorsement of their in-group leaders’ positions. News reception about the bill further increased the gap in the level of support for the bill between progressive and conservative citizens.

Political and Administrative Relations In The Role of Regional Head Officials: A Study on The Acting Governor of DKI Jakarta

This journal article examines the dynamics of political and administrative relations within the context of the roles played by regional head officials. Specifically, it focuses on the case study of the Acting Governor of DKI Jakarta. The study delves into the intricate interplay between the political aspects of governance and the administrative responsibilities of regional leaders, shedding light on the challenges and opportunities faced by Acting Governors in Indonesia's capital city. By analyzing the experiences and strategies of the Acting Governor of DKI Jakarta, this research aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of the complex landscape of regional leadership. It explores how regional head officials navigate the political terrain while effectively managing administrative tasks, offering insights into the broader dynamics of governance in the region. This study serves as a valuable resource for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners interested in regional politics and administration, providing a case study that illuminates the roles and challenges faced by Acting Governors in Indonesia's dynamic political landscape.

Fundamentals, Operation and Global Prospects for the Development of Biogas Plants—A Review

As the global demand for renewable energy continues to rise, biogas production has emerged as a promising solution for sustainable energy generation. This review article presents the advantages of biogas technologies (mainly agricultural, based on waste of animal and plant origin) and extensively discusses the main principles of biogas production in the anaerobic digestion (AD). In this respect, the main parameters of the process, which require monitoring and decisive for its efficiency are described, therefore: temperature, pH value, retention time and organic loading rate (OLR). The principles of substrate selection are also discussed and the necessity and advantages of the use of organic waste according to the model of a circular economy and the concept of sustainable development, are indicated. It is emphasized that according to the new European regulations, the crops classified as food cannot be considered energy crops. The part on biogas production is summarised with an explanation of the necessity to treat and purify biogas. Biogas purification is important from the point of view of the efficiency of its conversion into electricity. A special place in this paper is devoted to the design, construction, functioning and operation of biogas plants, based on both scientific and practical aspects. In conclusion of this chapter, the economic aspects and profitability of operating biogas plants are discussed. Cost and benefit analyses are the major tool used for the systematic evaluation of the financial costs and potential benefits associated with the operation of biogas plants. The important fact is that the return on investment can be achieved within a few years, provided the activities are well-planned and executed. In addition to the fundamental issues of the operation of biogas plants, this article presents the global situation regarding the development of biogas plants, discussing in detail the specific needs and limitations on different continents. It is a interesting and extensive part of this article. The global agricultural biogas market is at very different levels of development. Most such installations are located in Asia and Europe. China has the highest number of biogas plants, with more than 100,000 biogas plants, followed by Germany with over 10,000 plants. In addition to the 100,000 biogas plants, China also has a large number of household biogas units, which gives a total of approx. 40 million operating units. The article concludes with a discussion of opportunities and barriers to the development of biogas plants, pointing to: financial issues, access to feedstock, political regulations, public awareness and the geopolitical situation. The most frequently cited reasons for investment failure include economic problems, lack of professional knowledge.

Legal Reconstruction of Government's Political Regulation in the Election of Regional Heads Based on Pancasila Justice Values

This research analyzes the weaknesses of the government's political and legal regulations in the current implementation of regional head elections and finds a legal reconstruction of the government's legal politics in regional head elections based on Pancasila justice values in Indonesia. In a constructivism paradigm where the type of research method used is normative juridical and the specifications of this research have a prescriptive analytical nature with the approach used by the author being a statutory approach. The research results found that the weakness of the government's political and legal regulations regarding regional elections, the substance of which regulates the resolution of election crimes; Requirements as Candidates for Governor and Candidates for Deputy Governor, Candidates for Regent and Candidates for Deputy Regent, as well as Candidates for Mayor and Candidates for Deputy Mayor; Prohibition in campaigning; Criminal Sanctions Regional head elections; Simultaneous regional head elections; Community participation in organizing elections and the existence of a special electoral judicial body. Therefore, the reconstruction of the government's political and legal regulations for regional head elections as a whole based on the values of Pancasila justice in its formation can be done by synchronizing vertically with the 1945 Constitution and horizontally with the national election law starting from the planning, preparation, discussion, stipulation, and promulgation stages with adhere to principles in the formation of laws that Pancasila guides as the source of all sources of law in Indonesia by reconstructing the provisions governing the requirements for regional head candidates, candidate registration, voter data collection, campaigns, community participation, violations of the code of ethics, administration, dispute resolution, election crimes, state administration disputes, disputes over election results, formulation of criminal sanctions, implementation of simultaneous regional elections, as well as the formation of a tribunal for election crimes.

The micropolitics of coal in India: understanding resource politics from the ground up through a materiality lens

ABSTRACT Coal in India carries different values and meanings for different actors. Consequently, the politics of this resource is manifested in multiple forms at multiple levels. Whereas the extraction of coal is accomplished by a larger resource politics involving an energy crisis narrative and a need to ensure national resource security, people at the grassroots level – workers, security forces, the displaced, administrators, mine planners, and a wide range of other actors – engage primarily with the micropolitics of coal. In this paper, we draw on new materialities literature in human geography to demonstrate that the everyday micropolitics of coal in the eastern Indian state Jharkhand is more than a subset of national or regional resource politics. In doing so, we analyse four vignettes through a materiality lens based on the land use, weight, pollution, and heat of coal. We use ethnographic methods to untangle everyday and long-term micropolitical trajectories related to coal extraction. We show the fluid and often interchangeable and overlapping roles of actors at the coal face: revolutionary groups striving to become mining contractors, contractors working as politicians to mediate claims, and politicians assuming the role of revolutionaries. Meanwhile coalfield residents make moral claims of indigeneity to gain a share of the resource, or eke out informal, coal-based livelihoods. In this fluid setting, the actors in the micropolitics of coal are influenced by outside forces to varying degrees, and are yet able to reimagine resource politics to their own advantage.

Iran-Saudi Arabia Diplomatic Relations and China's Role in Regional Politics

This article examines the latest diplomatic developments between Saudi Arabia and Iran and China’s role in regional politics. The study explores the historical context of these nations’ harsh diplomatic relations and the different concerns that have pursued the latest diplomatic warmth. Moreover, it explores China’s enhancing engagement in the Middle East, specifically its growing financial and strategic relations with Saudi Arabia and Iran, and the impression of this on regional political order. This research is the result of an analysis of both primary and secondary sources, involving official data, and academic and media reports. The results suggest that the improvising relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran have the courage to incorporate stability into International Politics, while China’s contribution to regional order can give a new arena for support and development. This article yields with recommendations for relevant stakeholders and political actors in leading stability and peace in the Gulf.

ДЕЦЕНТРАЛІЗАЦІЯ ВЛАДИ В УМОВАХ ВОЄННОГО СТАНУ

Under the conditions of martial law in Ukraine, there are changes in management processes, including those related to the reform of decentralization of power. That is why it is extremely important to remain steadfast during higher authorities to implement and observe the principles of the rule of law, the combination of centralization and decentralization in the exercise of power and ensuring the priority of national security. The formationof a plan in such a situation should be preceded by a scientific understanding of the conditions and order of decentralization of power during martial law and after its termination, considering foreign experience in this field. The article singles out several reasons for the introduction of political and administrative decentralization (as a means of providing various national and territorial population groups with certain autonomy and control over their own affairs, as a way of distributing power among many different political forces, without territorial or national attachment, as a fundamental democratic principle functioning of the public administration system). It is noted that the decentralization of power also creates certain risks, but they can be eliminated with the correct distribution of powers between higher and local authorities. It is noted that when the state, developing the principles of a legal, democratic, social state, forms a new political system, without delay moves to the processes of decentralization, this ensures the stability and unity of the country. It is noted that with the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, there were changes in regional politics both at the national and local levels (military administrations were formed, where local self-government bodies cannot solve urgent issues of local importance. budget, fiscal and other powers of bodies are limited local self-government), which testify to the application of administrative management methods and the introduction of centralization of power in the conditions of martial law. It is noted that the processes of centralization of power under martial law are typical for such periods and countries that are or are preparing for armed aggression or its repulsion. Positive and negative signs of this process are listed.It was concluded that modern processes aimed at strengthening centralized management, objectively determined by the martial law introduced in Ukraine, narrow the competence, opportunities and participation of local self-government bodies in solving urgent needs, on the other hand, are and should be temporary in nature, since decentralization power is an inevitable process for any civilized country. Therefore, the work on the development of the decentralization of power, the development of proposals for the restoration and strengthening of local self-government, the development of regions and communities after the war in Ukraine should take place today.

Revisiting post-Islamism a decade after the Arab Spring

The Arab Spring uprisings marked a watershed moment in regional politics, significantly impacting Islamist movements in terms of strategies, ideologies, and organizational structures. Accordingly, this paper examines whether these dramatic events strengthened or weakened the post-Islamist evolution of traditional political Islam movements, focusing on the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood (E-MB) and the Tunisian Ennahda Movement Party (EMP) as case studies. The proposed hypothesis is that the Arab Spring has variably influenced Islamists. In Egypt, it initially weakened the post-Islamist turn of the E-MB. However, owing to the 2013 coup and subsequent repression, the E-MB was politically excluded and weakened, creating a vacuum that was filled by various forms of less political or non-ideological forms of Islamic activism. The Tunisian Islamists had a different story. The Arab Spring seems to have strengthened their transition to post-Islamism. In its tenth conference, the EMP declared its exit from political Islam, adopting the new concept of Muslim Democracy. Even after the presidential takeover in July 2021, which resulted in the political exclusion of the EMP, the Work and Achievement party that defected from it maintained clear post-Islamist features.