State Actors Research Articles

Desafios e aprendizados da comunicação pública na pandemia de COVID-19: o caso de uma instituição do Estado Português

This is a qualitative case study on the communication actions of the Portuguese state expressed in initiatives of Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge (INSA, Portuguese Ministry of Health) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic (from 2020 to 2022). Its exploratory research employed documentary analysis and semi-structured interviews indicates how communication practices carried out in the context of infodemic and disinfodemic addressed this scientific institution with other public instances and the civil society and advanced public communication of science guided toward dialogue and the strengthening of citizenship.

Power Dynamics of Cross-Border Conflict in Lebanon and Syria

This paper identifies the main conflict actors in cross-border conflict across Lebanon and Syria as being Hezbollah and the Syrian Arab Armed Forces, and highlights the power hierarchies between those actors as well as between them and ordinary people in those border regions. The paper shows that in those two countries, both state and non-state actors (de factor authorities) are the main conflict actors who are invested in the conflict status quo that they profiteer from—the state is therefore also part of the problem. The paper additionally argues that there is a need to understand hierarchies of power among conflict actors and how they position local communities at the bottom of the conflict economy pyramid. The paper shows that local communities end up entangled in the conflict economy for the sake of economic coping and survival. Often, both conflict actors and local communities act pragmatically rather than ideologically for the sake of economic survival or gain, but conflict actors trap local communities in the coping economy by removing alternatives, cultivating relationships of dependency by coping communities on major conflict actors. The paper uses these conclusions to present recommendations for conflict response policies. The paper is published as part of the Cross-Border Conflict, Policy and Trends (XCEPT) research programme funded by UK International Development.

The Pacific Islands and Chinese power as presence, influence, and interference

Abstract Dominant debates about China’s growing presence in the Pacific Islands – through infrastructure, aid, trade, and investment – suggest that Chinese material power directly translates to influence and effective interference in Pacific states’ domestic and foreign affairs. These perspectives fail to clarify the causal link between Chinese economic statecraft and Pacific governments’ alignment with Beijing’s interests. They also deny Pacific people agency, overlooking how power relations are mediated by Pacific state and non-state actors operating across complex political and socio-economic structures. We challenge such rationalist conceptualisations of Chinese power by developing a constructivist taxonomy of power as presence (dormant capability), influence (socialisation), and interference (incentives), and applying it to the Melanesian subregion. We argue that Chinese power is not merely material, causal, and unidirectional. Chinese power can also (re)shape the identities and interests of Pacific elites and publics in a constitutive manner, potentially aligning their ideas about substantive norms, rules, and practices guiding their foreign relations with Chinese ‘core interests’ and perspectives on regional and global politics.

Ant logic and necrolocutors

As environmental research increasingly values and foregrounds traditional knowledge in a reinvigorated participatory turn, many of the original problematics and harms re-emerge through ostensible collaborations with knowledge-holders. These issues are not just instances of ethical oversight; they are the result of ant logic: narrow, spatialized conceptualizations of power, knowledge, and death as contained and fixed within bodies and space and preoccupations with visibility that produces ontological conceptions of local communities, traditional knowledge-holders, state actors, and neoliberal forces. This article unwinds the tight Foucauldian grip with which environmental social sciences are held to reveal power, knowledge, and death as vibrant, immaterial actors and explores the role of ant logic as an actor itself. In doing so, another key environmental actor is uncovered, one who leverages the death-centric form of articulation to define power and knowledge: the necrolocutor.

Tourism-induced land acquisition in protected areas: Land rent dynamics and state monopoly rent around the Wulingyuan world heritage site in China

Tension between nature conservation, green grabbing, land acquisition for tourism, and value grabbing highlight a significant yet understudied area: the underlying land rent mechanisms and the state's role in driving green land acquisition for tourism. Using Marxian land rent theory, we explored how ‘state monopoly rent’ is produced by tourism-induced green land acquisition and the consequent displacement and resettlement of communities in and around the Wulingyuan World Heritage. State actors actively acquired land and land use rights for tourism development to maximise the rent gap despite, and perhaps because of, national nature conservation priorities and restrictions. State actors are a key player in the political economy of tourism by directly capitalizing on potential land rent in China.

Media Coverage of Antimicrobial Resistances in Germany and Switzerland: An Interpretation through the Multiple Streams Framework

This article analyzes the newspaper coverage of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) between 1999 and 2021 in Germany and Switzerland through the lens of the Multiple Streams Framework (MSF). The MSF serves as an organizing framework to trace the development of AMR media coverage by focusing on key elements of the policy process: problems, solutions, problem brokers and policy entrepreneurs. The analysis produces three main findings: First, the overall newspaper coverage of AMR is increasing from 1999 to 2021, albeit non-linearly but related to specific events. Second, the general growth in AMR and the use of antibiotics with animals are the most frequently mentioned problems. Different types of solutions are prominent in the media, but only some actors manage to connect their preferred solution to a given problem, while other solutions appear independently of specific problems. Third, scientific and state actors from the national level are most prominent in AMR media coverage, and potentially act as entrepreneurs. Overall, the analysis highlights the diversity of problems, solutions, and actors, and thus of multiple perspectives and dynamics, on AMR as an issue of emerging attention.

From the Lens of Constructivism: The Culture & History of Johor in International Relations via the Johor Heritage Foundation

Why are certain state actors actively promoting their cultural and historical heritage to others?. While many scholars in the field of international relations (IR) often stress the importance of national interest in understanding a state or country's behaviour, IR is a multifaceted field that cannot be fully comprehended from a single perspective. Therefore, this article explores the significance of culture and history within international relations by examining key concepts of Constructivism, an IR theory, with Johor, a prominent southern state of Malaysia, as a case study. The primary objective of this article is to explore the Constructivism perspective on the role of Johor's culture and history in its international relations. Additionally, the article comprehensively discusses the role of the Johor Heritage Foundation (JHF), a statutory body under the state government, in preserving the culture and history of this state. For findings, Johor through JHF is a significant state which highly emphasized on the importance of culture and history within its rapid development. The qualitative methodology and relevant themes were analysed and categorised to illustrate the different components of the role of Johor's culture and history within international relations from the perspective of Constructivism.

The legality of roads in Chile, 1842–1969: A historical overview

Currently, no academic work examines the history of the legality of roads in Chile during its independent existence as a sovereign country. Addressing this gap in the literature, this paper focuses specially on the period from 1842 to 1969, when different actors articulated a set of guiding ideas about the duties of the state and the legal powers of the administrative authority in terms of planning, construction and management of road infrastructure that would allow connectivity between population centers and across regions, according to the ideas and resources available at their historical time. This historical overview of Chilean “road law” is done in the light of insights and questions of contemporary intellectual history and institutional history. In this regard, it is argued that the evolution of road infrastructure norms and institutions during the period under study can be divided into three historical regimes, based on their fundamental legislative milestones, guiding ideas, institutional settings, and strategies of state action: from 1842 to 1887, a period of a decentralized “minimal road state” with precarious roads characterized by both material and juridical uncertainty; from 1887 to 1920, the emergence of a “proto-developmentalist road state” intent on strengthening its grip on the nationwide road infrastructure; and from 1920 to 1969, a period of a “techno-developmentalist road state” that created a nationwide paved road network for the new technology of mobile vehicles.

Protection of Human Rights in the Global Garment Industry

Considerable expansion of the global garment industry, which in recent decades has become one of the largest employment sectors worldwide, has intensified scrutiny of states’ and businesses’ responsibilities, especially as production increasingly shifts to countries with less strict labour regulations. Analysis of the landscape reveals that, significant progress notwithstanding, world dialogue on business responsibilities has still not arrived at a solution. The complex network of stakeholders in the garment industry brings particular challenges to enforcing human-rights protection in this domain. The article explores the intersection of business practices and human rights within the garment sector, focusing on Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan, three countries which play a pivotal role in global fashion exports. Examining the legal obligations of state and non-state actors under various UN instruments by analysing the Universal Periodic Review mechanism and the concluding observations of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, it identifies critical issues in protecting human rights in these countries and briefly also reviews recent advances in the EU in the realm of business and human rights. The paper presents evidence that the growing influence of non-state actors calls for extending the obligations from traditional approaches’, which have focused on state responsibilities. Among the solutions proposed are reforming wage systems and imposing direct human-rights requirements on corporations, supported by more vigorous enforcement.

Evolution of nanotechnology policy initiatives in the BRICS countries: a comparative overview

The article provides a comparative review of the national nanotechnology initiatives in the largest emerging economies (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa - BRICS). It focuses on the influential role of state action, the evolution of the initiatives, institutional aspects, and a brief comparison of recent scientific production among the countries. Understanding the context of each country's nanotechnology STI policy is essential for comprehending the scope and the primary challenges faced in developing these programs and initiatives. The methodology involved rigorous bibliographical and documentary research, analysis of scientific production indicators, and the estimation of a nanotechnology Activity Index. The political and institutional complexity and socioeconomic adversities in emerging countries are challenging obstacles to promoting emerging technologies. Government perspectives and their role as technology inducers or fosterers significantly differ among countries, even when they are institutionally similar. Overall, the main nanotechnology initiatives in the BRICS countries have historically been led by the state, resulting in significant scientific advancements but limitations on the potential for innovation outcomes. Alongside institutional heterogeneity in the formulation and implementation strategies, geopolitics plays a crucial role in the initiatives' trajectory, especially in countries vying for international leadership against Western powers.

State power, Global Production Networks, and underdevelopment: examining South Carolina’s success in fostering strategic coupling

Abstract Under the notion of strategic coupling, GPN scholarship acknowledges the pivotal role of firms and non-firm actors in integrating regions into value chains and in regional development. However, the GPN 2.0 approach has focused largely on firms with limited attention to state managers’ practices in coupling creation. This paper addresses this gap by engaging with Jessop’s strategic-relational approach, Fred Block, and uneven and combined development theory to examine state managers’ action in coupling creation. Examining South Carolina as a case study, the paper argues that its success in attracting foreign direct investments (FDIs) stems from the interplay of state power, a manufacturing fraction of capital, and underdevelopment. South Carolina leverages its underdevelopment to create policies that attract FDIs and promote strategic coupling. Three key dimensions of state action are identified: fluidity and flexibility, commitment to right-to-work status, and alignment of the education system with corporate interests. This research is based on qualitative methods. Thirty-one semi-structured interviews were conducted in South Carolina.

Actor-specific adaptation objectives shape perceived roles and responsibilities: lessons from Mumbai’s flood risk reduction and general considerations

Adaptation efforts need to be advanced significantly, involving multiple actors and a diverse portfolio of options. Despite this being well established, there is little understanding of different actors’ perceptions of adaptation goals and their associated expectations regarding roles and responsibilities to achieve them. In this analysis, we seek to address this gap by elucidating the diverging viewpoints held by various actor groups concerning adaptation objectives, target beneficiaries, and the distribution of roles and responsibilities for adaptation. Here, we use the case study of flood risk in Mumbai, drawing upon qualitative interview data collected through key informant interviews with diverse stakeholders including state, civil society, and academic actors. Interviews revealed stark disparities between state and non-state actors, in particular on the objective of efficiency, largely emphasized by state actors for physical infrastructure measures. Other contested objectives included ecosystem protection and fairness for vulnerable populations. The findings showed consensus on the importance of planning. Non-state actors heavily debated the lack of planning and implementation of institutional changes and ecosystem-based measures. They called for a stronger role of the state in caretaking and fairness for vulnerable populations, mainly through deeper institutional changes. Overall, the findings point to the urgent need for understanding how actors navigate competing priorities, make trade-offs, and negotiate conflicting viewpoints on the distribution of roles and responsibilities. This paper makes an empirical and conceptual contribution to the debates on “social contracts” for adaptation, offering an operationalization of the concept and application to a real-world example through an actor lens.

“Purely cultural and economic in nature...”: Russian agricultural colonisation and land ownership of the Caspian provinces of Iran and the category of “cultural conquest”

In this article, the author examines the concept of “cultural conquest” in the context of the Russian Empire’s policy towards the Caspian provinces of Iran, both prior to and during the Great War. In the period preceding the outbreak of hostilities, Russian peasant colonists began to settle in the Astarabad province, while concurrently, significant Russian land ownership emerged in the southern Caspian region. These developments were subjected to rigorous scrutiny by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Resettlement Department, and other pertinent authorities. The phenomenon is not adequately represented in historiography, despite its significance in the context of New Imperial History. One of the pivotal concepts employed in analysing and comprehending the processes of Russian expansion into the region was the notion of “cultural conquest”. This category was actively employed by both state and non-state actors to conceptualise the ongoing economic, political, and cultural interactions in a crucial frontier region. The analysis of a wide range of materials, including archival and published sources such as diplomatic correspondence, concession projects, and publications by officials from the Resettlement Department, has been conducted with the aim of investigating the contexts of the use of the category “cultural conquest” (and related terms) as well as proposed options for optimal policy in the region. The author indicates that this concept was of a framework nature and comprised three principal components: political, economic, and civilisational. He demonstrates that despite significant similarities in the interpretations of the concept by different actors, there were differences in understanding the methods and optimal ways of “cultural conquest” of the Caspian provinces.

Legal consciousness and the crypto phenomenon: property ideologies, innovations and potential ramifications on financial system stability

Abstract How does the understanding of law among individuals involved in the crypto phenomenon originate, and how does it impact the trajectory of this innovation? This article examines the legal consciousness of crypto industry participants and state actors, exploring their ideologies on law, property and innovation through extensive document and archival research. It highlights the interplay between the crypto industry’s perception of crypto-assets’ possessing dynamic and self-regulating qualities beyond traditional legal boundaries and the increasing willingness of state actors, despite their reservations, to utilise law as a flexible tool to embrace innovation and promote economic competitiveness. By employing Minsky’s financial instability hypothesis, this article contextualises such legal consciousness within the financial system and contends that collective legal consciousness and associated behavioural dynamics substantially shape state–industry interactions, with the potential to destabilise the financial system. This article sheds light on the challenges presented by crypto-assets and the intricate interplay between law and technological advancements.

Mitigating flood risk at Shah Alam, Malaysia for sustainable development

The natural environment and infrastructure are severely damaged by floods, which are becoming frequent occurrences. It may not be able to stop floods given the impending climate change and variability of the weather. Yet mapping flood risk can help with both mitigation and prevention of flooding. The Shah Alam experiences flash floods yearly, which is why it was chosen. An interactive approach to decision-making under multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA), the analytical hierarchy process (AHP), is used. The flood risk zone is divided into five categories very low-risk (32.38%), low-risk (22.25%), moderate-risk (23.17%), high-risk (18.87%), and very high-risk (3.33%) respectively. Based on the data gathered for this study, the economic losses are identified, low-risk areas (RM 2091), moderate-risk areas (RM 2343), and high-risk areas (RM 2728). The historical flood events occur in the Seksyen 36, 18, 17, and most of the southern part of Shah Alam, Malaysia. Rainfall and the Klang River have the biggest effects on these regions, with water drainage systems being critical in the Shah Alam area to reduce the risk of floods. When analysing flood risks in the Shah Alam region and throughout the nation, important stakeholders both state and non-state actors can benefit greatly from the flood susceptibility map provided by this study.

Without Risk Reduction: How Black Men’s Well-being and Humanity Are Compromised in Mobile Public Spaces

Much of the urban research on the daily experiences of Black men in American society has focused on Black men as perpetrators, as victims of street and gang violence, or with some carceral connection. These earlier studies highlight how racist tropes of Black men as dangerous and thus to be feared situate Black men for continuous, targeted, and aggressive actions by the state and other social actors. This places a social tax on Black men who are then bound to exercises of embodied negotiations in public social spaces where they navigate both being shunned and “disappeared” while also hyper-visible. Drawing on ethnographic data collected across several years, this article examines how Black men are targeted for aggression in mobile public spaces in Chicago, Illinois. We use public transportation as a space of interrogation because of the uniqueness of mobile places where riders and transit personnel are temporarily confined while mobile and with limited options to escape the dangers of racism and racial aggression. In these spaces, we find that (1) Black men are threatened with harm, (2) their bodies are treated as sites of fear, and (3) their well-being is risked through an institutional breach of duty to provide safety for them as passengers and transit personnel.

ATUAÇÃO DO GESTOR PÚBLICO NO COMBATE A CORRUPÇÃO

The involvement of public officials in corrupt practices is highly detrimental to public management, as resources that should be allocated to social development are diverted, the efficiency of public services is compromised, and market competition is distorted. Preventing and combating corruption are imperative not only to protect public coffers, but also to ensurepolitical stability and sustainable economic development through state action. Society's intolerance to ethically reprehensible behavior can go beyond public administration, recognizing acts that involve only private individuals as corrupt, and it is important to reflect on strategies that aim to mitigate the effects of this endemic evil, which is corruption. The research achieved its objectives by identifying the challenges faced by public managers, highlighting the need for integrated approaches aimed at public management in order to achieve effective actions regarding the performance of public managers in the face of corruption. The role of public managers in combating corruption is a subject of great importance for public administration and civil society. The overall objective was to evaluate the performance of these managers, investigating the strategies, challenges and contributions to preventing and combating corruption. The methodology used for data collection was bibliographic research, based on the theoretical framework of literature review, selecting and analyzing articles published between 2020 and 2024, using databases that included academic platforms such as PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar. The analysis of the articles revealed a variety of topics, including debates on legislation, governance practices, compliance, transparency, accountability, among others. The results highlight the complexity of the topic and the need for integrated and effective approaches to combat corruption in the public sector.

The Ongoing Struggle for Agrarian Reform As an Unfinished Agenda? Lessons From Mekarsari Village

Abstract: Agrarian reform without interaction between the state and society only addresses temporary issues. The implementation of agrarian reform in Indonesia has been overly focused on achieving outputs based on easily measurable quantities, leaving social problems unaddressed. The aim of this research is to elaborate the implementation of agrarian reform, particularly in the management of assets in the Mekarsari Agrarian Reform Village. The method used is a quantitative approach using questionnaires and in-depth interviews with 50 respondents who are beneficiaries of agrarian reform. The data were then analyzed using descriptive statistics method. The results of the study indicate that the implementation of management at the planning, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation stages shows that the interaction between the responsibility of state actors and community participation is low. As a result, the implementation of agrarian reform is still one-way, limited to completing the output targets of land redistribution and granting access decided by the organizers. Without meaningful community participation, it will be difficult for the community to take control to decide on the appropriate use of resources. For this reason, the implementation of agrarian reform in Mekarsari Village still needs to be contested. Keywords: Agrarian reform, Contested, State-society interaction

Transnational Cyber Governance for Risk Management in the Gas Sector: Exploring the Potential of G7 Cooperation

At the Group of Seven (G7) summit held on 13–15 June in 2024, the Group’s leaders committed to establishing a collective cyber security framework and reinforcing the work of the cyber security working group to manage the risks targeting energy systems. Likewise, oil and electricity, and natural gas rely on complex and interdependent technologies and communication networks from production to consumption. The preparedness to handle cyber security threats in the energy infrastructures among decision makers, planners, and the industry in a concerted manner signifies that cyber security is becoming more appreciated. Therefore, considering the ambition and achievement of the G7 countries towards energy and cyber sovereignty, this paper’s focus and research question aims to explore the potential existence of the cyber governance alliance in the gas subsector within the G7. The objective of this paper is twofold. First, it explores the potential of the G7, the world’s seven largest advanced economies, to lead on a nascent cyber governance for risk management in the gas sector. The qualitative analysis conducted through the institutional analysis and design method examines up-to-date data involving mainly state actors. Second, by drawing on LNG, one of the world’s fastest growing energy types in the coming decades, the paper points out the need for further research on the transnational governance operating through public–private engagement to address the cyber risks to gas systems. While the paper makes an empirical contribution to the field of security governance and a practical contribution to security consulting, its limitations rely on the necessity to also conduct a quantitative enquiry, which would necessitate, among others, a review of the literature in the G7 countries, and a group of researchers from academia and practitioners to obtain a sense of the cyberspace in the energy reality.

Частные военные компании как инструмент продвижения геополитических интересов

Private military companies (PMCs) are increasingly becoming the focus of various mass media outlets today, whereas 20–30 years ago they were perceived as something exotic. The disclosure of such entities’ activities has led to the formation of an entire segment of opinions-ranging from their omnipotence to a fashionable trend that holds little interest for the public. However, the emergence of geopolitical issues, the escalation of global tensions, and the active engagement of PMCs cannot be seen as coincidental. Furthermore, these entities themselves are not homogeneous; they perform a wide range of tasks and services, allowing for classification based on the sphere and geography of their activities. Particularly noteworthy is the role of PMCs in promoting the geopolitical and economic interests of states and transnational corporations. In this context, it is crucial to examine the reasons states opt to utilize such structures in place of conventional national military formations, as well as the future prospects for businesses seeking their services. As globalization accelerates, the intertwining of business and security interests becomes more pronounced, leading to a scenario where PMCs serve as facilitators for resource extraction and protection in volatile regions. This interplay raises questions regarding accountability, legality, and the ethical implications of employing private entities for missions traditionally held by state actors. In conclusion, the augmentation of PMCs in modern geopolitical landscapes presents a complex and multifaceted issue. Their growing prominence as instruments for advancing national and corporate interests warrants further investigation, as it bears significant implications for international relations, security policies, and the ethical considerations surrounding the privatization of military force.