Political Support Research Articles

Chemical weapons investigation mechanisms in Syria: standards of proof and methods of work

AbstractSeveral ad-hoc mechanisms were established for fact-finding and attributing responsibility for chemical weapons allegations in Syria. With distinctive mandates, these mechanisms adopted different working methods and applied varying standards of proof to achieve their objectives. This paper presents an analysis of the four main investigation mechanisms on alleged chemical weapons use in Syria, drawing on over forty relevant official reports, documents, and memos. The analysis entails juxtaposing the main attributes of these mechanisms: mandate, founding body, standards of proof, and adopted scientific and technical working methods. By doing so, the paper demonstrates the interdependency between the mechanisms and explains correlations between their constituting attributes. While attribution mechanisms apply a wider range of technologies and work methods, they did not consistently exhibit a higher standard of proof. This challenges the assumption that the mandate and technology use determine the applied standard of proof. Rather, the paper finds that the founding bodies have the most significant influence on standards of proof. United Nations-mandated mechanisms, for instance, employ a higher standard than those founded by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). The paper discusses contributing factors to this finding including, political support, anticipated and granted levels of cooperation and access, and reporting of findings.

Breakthrough on Indonesia’s Energy Policy: Adaptive Governance Perspective for Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP)

Abstract The Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) agreement strives to attain a peak emissions level of 290 Mt CO2eq by 2030 in the power sector while targeting a 34% renewable energy mix. To support these goals, a minimum of 20 billion USD from public sector pledges and private financial institutions is allocated for expedited decarbonisation. This entails retiring coal-fired power plants and concurrently developing renewable energy-based generation. However, implementing the JETP initiative encounters regulatory and technical challenges in Indonesia, arising from conflicting stakeholder interests, inconsistent regulatory frameworks, opposition from established incumbents of fossil fuels industries, and limited implementation capabilities. These barriers pose a significant threat to the efficacy and efficiency of the JETP program. Consequently, enhancing adaptive governance, namely, polycentricity, learning, diversity, deliberation, participation, flexibility, responsiveness, political support, and collaboration, is crucial to mitigate potential obstacles, bolstering the probability of success for the JETP program.

A review of the harvesting methods for offshore renewable energy – advances and challenges

The present work offers general information about present-day and developments in offshore renewable energy, specially of wind, wave and the solar energy harnessing structures. In the introduction, the authors raise awareness of the despite more untapped potentials that exist in the oceans and the offshore Wind Energy Market that is experiencing a steep rise in the recent past due to technological advancement and the great policies that support this energy source. This mainly focuses on the very huge additionality of offshore wind power and the improvements in floating solar PV systems. Section three outlines an assortment of studies that were done by different writers on the strengths and weaknesses of offshore renewable energy technologies through a meta-analysis of the literature. The method of data extraction revolved around several factors, namely technological admissibility, resource identification, location and environmental and economic factors. The sources used comprised of scholarly articles published within the peer reviewed journals in the period of 2013 to 2024, to ensure that the study offered a comprehensive analysis on the technological advancements. The results and discussion section gives an analysis of the results achieved and demonstrates the developments in Offshore Wind Energy, Wave Energy Conversion, and Floating Solar PV Systems. Thus, offshore wind energy is described as the rapidly evolving segment and particular focus is made on the floating wind farms and their advancements in the aspects of power density and structural stability. Wave energy converters are discussed regarding their applicability to complement hybrid electricity production despite limited data on the devices’ performance. Another key feature is that the FFPV systems are reported to be more efficient and cheaper than the land mounted systems. Thus, the article emphasizes the need to produce the further literature on offshore renewable energy, political support, and cooperation between different sectors. It concludes that an offshore renewable energy has the potential for the future development due to advancement in the technology as well as due to environmental factors.

Mantas Kvedaravičius’s Mariupolis (2016) and Šarūnas Bartas’s Frost (2017): Soft Advocacy for the Ukrainians in the Russo-Ukrainian War

This article examines the visual testimonies and evidence of the Russo-Ukrainian War in its initial phase, shortly after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, in the films of two Lithuanian filmmakers, Šarūnas Bartas and Mantas Kvedaravičius, who took the stance of advocates and made their internationally acclaimed films, namely the mixed-genre feature Frost (2017, dir. Š. Bartas) and the documentary Mariupolis (2016, dir. M. Kvedaravičius), in war zones, when international media coverage of the ongoing military operations on Ukrainian territory was gradually decreasing, along with political and other support. In these films, viewers do not see the apparent warfare, the clashes between the Ukrainian army and Russian troops or separatist fighters. But they do see the testimonies of Ukrainians, captured on film and mobile phone cameras, and they see images of despair and anxiety, destroyed settlements and lives that prove that the war has been going on since 2014. The article explores what makes these films an instrument of soft advocacy for the Ukrainians in the war, drawing on the prevailing concepts of advocacy in film and media studies.

Social trust and the winner-loser gap

The electoral winner-loser gap literature has shown sharp differences between citizens who vote for winning and losing options in key indicators of political support. In this article, we claim that the influence of election results can extend beyond the political domain and reach citizens’ level of social trust. Indeed, elections can reveal to citizens who voted for the winning option that their preferences are aligned with the majority opinion of society, while it signals the opposite to electoral losers. We hypothesize that this contrast will trigger a gap in the level of social trust between winners and losers, and that this gap will be larger among politically engaged voters relative to those more disinterested in political affairs. To contrast our hypotheses, we conducted two online panel surveys with a pre-post electoral design during two recent elections in Chile. Estimates from Two-way Fixed Effects regression models support our main theoretical expectations.

Life cycle assessment of electricity from wind, photovoltaic and biogas from maize in combination with area-specific energy yields – a case study for Germany

Abstract Due to the massive expansion of renewable energy-based production capacity, the benefits and drawbacks of wind turbines, ground-mounted photovoltaic (PV) and biogas plants are currently being discussed in Germany and elsewhere. The expansion of renewable energy-based plants is competing with other uses for land area. In addition to area-specific energy yields, the environmental impact of renewables is increasingly gaining awareness. Existing research on the area-specific energy yields and environmental impact for wind, PV and biogas lacks comparability due to factors including time, location, and scale. This study addresses this research gap by combining life cycle assessment (LCA) to compare potential environmental impacts with an area-specific energy yield assessment of wind, ground-mounted PV and biogas from maize in Germany. The LCA includes an assessment of eleven midpoint and three endpoint impact indicators, while the area-specific energy yield is assessed on the basis of both gross and net area-specific energy yield. The LCA results indicate the lowest impact for wind, followed by PV and biogas. This ranking is consistent across all three endpoint and nine out of eleven midpoint categories. The same ranking also applies to the area-specific energy yield, with wind producing the most and biogas the least gross and net energy per area. These results indicate that the current political support in Germany for biogas from maize for electricity generation should be thoroughly re-evaluated in view of the more favourable alternatives, wind and PV. The findings also provide relevant insights for other regions with similar boundary conditions.

Crisis política y conflicto interinstitucional entre el Parlamento y el Ejecutivo en el Perú (2016–2018): una aproximación sociométrica a las interacciones competitivas en contextos de confrontación política

The government of President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski (2016–2018) was characterized from the outset by a hostile political environment due to a series of disagreements with Parliament amid increasing levels of public disapproval. Eventually, the crisis worsened with the forced resignation of the president, marking the beginning of a new cycle of disputes and hostility. This work analyzes the dynamics of the confrontation between the Executive Branch and Parliament to explain the deterioration of the political system amidst growing rejection from the citizenry towards both institutions. The core argument of the research addresses the concept of political support as a possible explanatory factor.

The role of distribution centres in the logistics infrastructure of Kazakhstan

Distribution centres play a key role in the supply chain and their insufficient number will entail supply chain disruptions —supply delays and problems, as well as lost profits. Currently, distribution centres in Kazakhstan are located only in large cities. However, the growth of e-commerce (from 11729.9 billion tenge to 15763.7 billion tenge in 2022 compared to 2020) determines the need to solve this problem. Our study establishes the dependence between the areas of distribution centres and the e-commerce volume. This analysis, unlike the existing ones, examines the effect of the growth of e-commerce volumes on the increasing number of distribution centres as a prerequisite for the development of the logistics infrastructure of Kazakhstan against the background of the increase in the volume of goods supplied from China in transit to Europe. The aim of the study was to analyse the role of distribution centres in the logistics infrastructure of Kazakhstan. We justify the need to increase the number of distribution centres due to the increase in both turnover in goods transit, wholesale, and retail trade. The introduction of distribution centres ensures the continuous movement of goods and strengthens the connection between suppliers and consumers. The emergence of new technologies and innovations, combined with favourable market conditions and political support, creates favourable conditions for the development of reliable distribution centres that can improve logistics efficiency and contribute to the overall economic development of Kazakhstan.

Civic Organizations and the Political Participation of Cross-Pressured Americans: The Case of the Labor Movement

Civic associations underpin American democracy. How can politically cross-cutting associations engage members who hold divergent viewpoints amidst increasing partisan polarization and nationalization of politics? I examine this question in the context of labor unions, studying how unions engage members who hold conservative views at odds with some of the union’s political actions. Using original surveys of local union presidents, members, and non-members along with in-depth interviews in selected local unions, I show how local union leaders can foster norms of participation among politically cross-pressured members. Norms of participation increase conservative members’ perceptions of political representation and engagement in politics, including participation in the union’s political action committee and support for union political mobilization. These findings have implications for understanding civic associations and participation in an era of political division, as well as the role unions continue to play in politics.

Media Ownership and Its Role in Shaping News: Analysing Republika's 1999 and 2021 Coverage in Light of the 2024 Gaza Genocide

This study aims to examine the reporting of the Israeli aggression towards in the Indonesian newspaper Republika during the years 1999 and 2021, with a contextual reference to the 2024 Gaza genocide. The reports were selected through purposive sampling, focusing on direct coverage from both 1999 and 2021. Additionally, interviews were conducted with members of Republika's editorial team. Using Entman’s framing theory as well as Shoemaker and Reese’s Hierarchy of Influences model, the research identifies notable differences in news framing between the two periods. In 1999, the coverage in Republika largely emphasised political support from prominent figures, both in Indonesia and internationally, advocating for the defence of Palestine. In contrast, the 2021 coverage highlighted support from civil society, including athletes and celebrities. Differences are also evident across several levels of the Hierarchy of Influences model, with the media routine, organisational, and ideological levels being the most prominent. In 1999, Republika’s reporting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the international section was relatively independent, focusing primarily on political issues. By 2021, however, the reporting followed a compartmentalised model, where one section complemented and connected with others. Despite the differences in time and ownership, Republika's stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict remained consistent. The newspaper continues to assert that the Palestinian people must be defended, a position shaped by its Muslim readership, who maintain a strong psychological connection with Palestinian Muslims. Keywords: Framing, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, media ownership, the influence of mass media hierarchy, Republika.

Research on China-Laos Cooperation to Combating Cross-Border Telecom Network Fraud

Telecom network fraud has arisen as a significant transnational crime impacting China and Laos, capitalizing on legal, jurisdictional, and technical discrepancies between the two nations. This paper analyzes the collaborative initiatives between China and Laos to address cross-border telecom network fraud, highlighting significant joint operations carried out from 2016 to 2024. The magnitude of telecom network fraud is shown by the extradition of over 2,500 criminals from Laos to China, which has averted millions of dollars in financial damages via collaborative law enforcement initiatives. The study analyzes significant hurdles, including jurisdictional limitations, technology inadequacies, and political factors that influence the effectiveness of joint operations. This paper proposes improved strategies for real-time digital evidence-sharing, the formation of joint task forces, enhanced financial intelligence monitoring, and expedited extradition processes through the analysis of case studies and ongoing collaborative efforts. By enhancing technological capabilities, offering training, and bolstering political support, China and Laos can establish a more robust framework for addressing telecom network fraud and ensuring regional security.

Перспективи розвитку транскордонного співробітництва на рівні місцевого самоврядування в Україні

The irreversible course of Ukraine’s accession to the European Union is vividly demonstrated every day in the media by the unwavering support of our country by international partners and organisations, as well as by the top officials of foreign states. The key task is to adapt the acquis communautaire into the national legislation of Ukraine. All reforms are taking place in parallel with the Ukrainian government’s accession negotiations, starting with the ratification of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement in 2014. An integral attribute of EU accession is the implementation of decentralisation reforms, including the development of cross-border cooperation of territorial communities. This is an important tool for the development of regions, cities and territorial communities, especially those bordering on neighbouring countries or having partnerships with territorial partners in other countries. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the EU countries have virtually unanimously expressed political support for our country. The EU candidate status granted to Ukraine allows us to create the best conditions for the development of cross-border cooperation. Regardless of the duration of Ukraine’s accession process, the prospect of Ukraine’s membership in the EU has become a political reality and will sooner or later mean its integration into the EU single market and the Schengen area. Cross-border cooperation of subnational actors should be seen as a tool for territorial development of regions and communities, which ultimately benefits the whole country and should be in the public interest. State support for the development of cross-border cooperation at the regional and local level should be understood as a necessary investment that brings mutual benefits to all its partners. They will be able to use the opportunities offered by EU programmes for cross-border cooperation through various funding projects. In addition, such cooperation is of public interest to every European country. The state is obliged to be interested in this and provide opportunities to develop such cooperation. Therefore, in June 2024, the Law of Ukraine ‘On International Territorial Cooperation of Ukraine’ was recently adopted, which addresses a number of shortcomings and problems of local government functioning within the framework of international cooperation between territorial communities and regions of foreign countries.

Reckoning with rights: the Voice Referendum.

Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians are dismayed by the rejection of the 2023 Voice Referendum and its amplification of social divisions. This article considers a recent article in Australasian Psychiatry in which matters of motivation, process and outcome are raised that provides the scaffolding to explore these issues. The breakdown of bipartisan political support and subsequent politicisation of the Referendum process resulted in claims regarding the reasons for and consequences of the Referendum that were not consistent with the process leading to the Uluru Statement. The outcome has been socially divisive and a cause of significant distress for many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, the majority of whom voted in support of the Voice.

Signs of political contacts between Lithuanian and Polish emigrants in 1940–1990

After annexation of Lithuania by the USSR in 1940, Lithuanian political diaspora in Western countries actively joined the movement for Lithuania’s liberation. Maintenance of relations with emigrants from Eastern and Central European countries, which became dependent on the Soviets, was considered as one of the factors of its enhancement. All this had to contribute to consolidation of powers of all the nations of the aforesaid part of Europe, which were united by the similar goal: to seek liberation and restoration of independence of their homelands. Next to close collaboration with Latvians and Estonians, who shared common destiny, the contacts of Lithuanians with Polish, their historical neighbours, were of utmost importance. Lithuanian-Polish contacts in the West may be described from three perspectives. Firstly, meetings of Lithuanian political leaders with representatives of the Polish government in exile have to be mentioned. Secondly, exchange of opinions between Lithuanian emigrant organisations and relevant Polish institutions in the West is important as well as communication of Lithuanian emigrants with famous Polish personalities in emigration. In the 1940s (1947) already, Vaclovas Sidzikauskas, a representative of the Supreme Committee for the Liberation of Lithuania (VLIK), which consistently protected the right of Lithuania’s sovereignty abroad, established relations with Adam Tarnowski, a representative of Polish government in exile. The emphasis was laid on the common goal of both nations to restore the independence and on purely peaceful solution to contentious issues. In the 1950s the relations between the Committee for Free Lithuania (LLK) set up in the USA and Polish Political Council (Polska Rada Polityczna) were established. For example, during the meeting of 18 January 1954 they discussed international situation, evaluated the Soviet policies and discussed perspectives of liberation of Lithuania and Poland. Individual initiatives, which promoted the dialogue between Lithuanians and Polish, were also frequent. As early as the middle of the 1950s, the Polish journal “Kultura” published in Paris, already contained articles about perspectives of coexistence of Lithuanian and Polish nations written by Juozas Girnius, Jerzy Giedroyc, Jerzy Iwanowski, Tadeusz Kotelbach, and later by Czesław Miłosz, Zdzisław Rurarz and Tomas Venclova. The relation between Lithuanian and Polish emigrants never seized during the whole period of Lithuania’s liberalisation movement in the West. In the 1970s (October 1978), even before emergence of “Solidarity”, J. Giedroyc met Dr. Juozas K. Valiūnas, Chairperson of VLIK, in Paris. Then the idea of signing the declaration of friendship between Lithuanians and Polish was put forward. In the 1980s, when liberation of Poland and later that of Lithuania were becoming more and more realistic, the agendas of both nations started embracing the relevant issues of dependence of Vilnius region, Archdiocese of Vilnius, Western Ukraine and Belarus and it is not by chance that these issues were also included into the agenda of the Yalta Conference. The most active participants in the discussions were new social-political organisation “Pomost” on the Polish side and the World Lithuanian Community (PLB) on the Lithuanian side. The aspirations of the Lithuanian and Polish nations were expressed in the most moderate way through the Assembly of Captive European Nations (ACEN) founded in the USA in 1954 and consisting of Eastern and Central European nations. The latter organisation, which regularly organised meetings with the US Administration and clearly determined the goals of the nations, significantly contributed to formation of moral and political support from the West and strengthening of movement of resistance against soviet dependence in Eastern Europe. Generalising, it can be stated that political organisations, which actively participated in the movement for Lithuania’s liberation in the West, maintained contacts with Polish institutions in emigration and built bridges for future alliance of free states of Lithuania and Poland.

Gerrymandering to survive: an explanation of the political conditions that shaped mayors’ decisions over an amalgamation process in Portugal

ABSTRACT This paper aims to reveal the conditions under which local political actions lead to the amalgamation of sub-municipal units (SMUs) in Portugal. Considering the singularity of the reform design, the paper analyzes how mayors used gerrymandering to reshape SMU borders. The results show that the mayors, as rational political actors, dealt with situations of political vulnerability by opting for alternative maps that guaranteed an increase in their political support.

Participatory clientelism: A socio-spatial approach to popular politics in Buenos Aires

Abstract What is the relationship between clientelism and political participation in popular urban neighborhoods? This article addresses the question based on qualitative research in two popular neighborhoods of Buenos Aires, drawing on participant observation and interviews with residents, activists, and party brokers. Adding to a growing literature on “participatory clientelism,” we argue for greater attention to the urban context through which this unfolds. To date, research into participatory clientelism has predominantly considered specific practices—participatory innovations or contentious politics—and been limited to the survival of the urban poor and the demand for political support by party brokers. While these are crucial practices, they are not exhaustive of the relations that sustain participatory clientelism, particularly in contexts of territorialized politics. Based on the socio-spatial approach of Henri Lefebvre, influential in urban studies, we define three interconnected dimensions of participatory clientelism and identify them in the cases under study.

Nature-Based Solutions for Conservation and Food Sovereignty in Indigenous Communities of Oaxaca

The increasing demand for food and the overexploitation of natural resources rapidly deplete the planet’s ecosystems, highlighting the urgent need for sustainable alternatives. Nature-based solutions effectively promote agricultural sustainability and environmental conservation but require continuous financial and political support to overcome existing barriers. This research examines these solutions’ effectiveness in Santa María Jacatepec, a biocultural region of Indigenous peoples in the Papaloapan Basin, Oaxaca, Mexico. A mixed-methods approach combining quantitative and qualitative analyses uses National Institute of Statistics and Geography data to evaluate socioeconomic and environmental indicators. The results indicate that despite pressures to develop cattle ranching, communities have maintained rain-fed agriculture, especially the milpa system, ensuring food sovereignty and preserving agricultural biodiversity. Additionally, implementation of Voluntarily Conserved Areas has facilitated access to payments for environmental services, incentivizing ecosystem protection. However, financial and structural challenges persist, limiting the expansion of these solutions. Santa María Jacatepec exemplifies how Indigenous communities can apply nature-based solutions to strengthen agricultural sustainability and environmental conservation. Integrating traditional knowledge and strengthening conservation policies can enhance community resilience and ensure sustainable development amid increasing pressure on natural ecosystems.

Comparative Analysis of the Gulabi Gang and the Anti-Liquor Movement in India

To explore progress on the Commission on the Status of Women’s 67th Session (2023) review theme, we examine two women-led rural social movements in India combating violence against women. Through in-depth case studies of the Gulabi Gang (GG) in Uttar Pradesh and the Anti-Liquor (AL) movement in Karnataka, we analyze their emergence, actions, tactics, progression, and outcomes. Findings reveal challenges faced by these movements in addressing women’s safety amid persistent domestic violence and gender inequality. The study emphasizes the need for sustained political support, efficient legal protection, and indigenous organizational empowerment, facilitated by international support, to drive effective social change.

Study on Basic Requirements and Critical Success Factors (CSF) of Implementing Availability Payment in Public-Private Partnership (AP PPP) in Regency/Municipal Government

Referring to PPP Books 2017-2023 issued by The Ministry of National Development Planning of Indonesia, there is only 1 out of 16 AP PPP projects at the municipal/regency level that have successfully reached the operational stage (6% success rate), i.e. Madiun Regency Public Street Lighting. Several municipal/regency AP PPP projects have failed, for example, Bandung Municipal Public Street Lighting. The widespread failures indicate that the application of AP in regional infrastructure has so far not been successful in Indonesia. This paper aims to identify the basic requirements, critical success factors, and lessons learned from AP PPP implementation in Municipal/Regency Governments. Thus, it is hoped that the future provision of regional infrastructure with the AP scheme can proceed seamlessly. This study used a mixed-method approach that combines qualitative and quantitative data from literature reviews, questionnaires, and interviews. The results showed that the basic requirements for AP PPP include the existence of regulations and institutions. The five main success factors of AP PPP in the Municipal/Regency Government are (1) a well-organized and committed public agency; (2) political support; (3) favorable and efficient legal framework; (4) stable political and economic situation; and (5) public and private sector commitments and responsibilities. The lesson learned from the case study is that fiscal capacity is not the main factor in the success of PPP in Madiun Regency, but rather the willingness of the local government to implement PPP by regularly holding capacity building and maintaining good relationships and communication with each stakeholder involved.

Temporal Miscoupling: The Challenges and Consequences of Enacting a Practice in Decline

A practice firmly entrenched in one period can experience decline or even deinstitutionalization in another. However, at the organization level, practice abandonment can be a slow process. Organizations may continue to use a practice that is in decline or out of date, coupling asynchronously with a prior institutional environment. In this paper we develop the concept of temporal miscoupling and examine the challenges of performing a practice under this condition. Drawing on a field study of a labor strike in Canada, we examine the difficulties of inhabiting the practice of striking—picketing a workplace—with eroding political, legal, and cultural support; declining familiarity with the practice; and fading narratives to motivate and justify the practice. We show how strikers developed extemporaneous resources that gave local meaning and form to the practice. These improvised resources supported the practice but distorted historical meanings and performances. Our study expands the analytical repertoire of inhabited institutionalism by problematizing the temporal lag between institutional conditions and organizational practices for the on-the-ground enactment of practices. The extemporaneous resources generated in the context of temporal miscoupling threaten future enactments, indicating an important role for practice enactment in processes of decline and revitalization. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2021.16026 .