Sustainable Democracy Research Articles

Who Is Willing to Participate in Local Governance? Modernization of Shared Governance in China

Citizens’ willingness to participate serves as the endogenous driver of shared governance. During governance modernization in China, shared governance was extensively promoted through various policy agendas. However, few studies have revealed citizens’ attitude toward shared governance in China, which leads to a question: Who is willing to participate in local governance? Based on a large-scale survey in China, this study revealed a high proportion of respondents willing to participate in local governance with certain regional differences, and the willingness was significantly affected by respondents’ age, educational level, CPC membership, and income level. The findings help to identify and incentivize those unwilling to participate in local governance. This study has important implications for the modernization of shared governance both nationally and internationally, and helps enrich the experiences of democratic sustainability beyond the Western context.

What role can the Internet play in the development of democracy in Africa?

This article explores the recent trends in information technology, specifically the Internet,and what role it can play in the development and sustainability of democracy in Africa.It examines what role it can play in revitalising the public sphere and how it can influencepolitical decisions in the continent. However, I argue that even though the Internet hashad profound effects on people’s lives, contributing significantly to communication andinformation sharing, its real potential is yet to be realised in Africa. This means in effect,that although it might have contributed to various sociological phenomena, it couldpotentially be dangerous to the growth of democracy in Africa because it is still in thehands of a few, especially those in power.120 Communicare 23(1) - July 2004George

Creation of an Internet public sphere by South Africa's Independent Electoral Commission and Elections Canada

A prerequisite for a healthy, sustainable democracy is an informed citizenry that participates inthe democratic process (see Habermas, 1989:49). In recent years much discourse on the mediaand democracy correlation has focused on the potential role of the Internet in facilitating politicalcommunication by establishing a virtual public sphere.This article investigates the extent to which the South African (IEC) and Canadian electoralcommissions’ websites have succeeded in establishing a virtual public sphere. The ElectionsCanada web site (representing an established democracy) has succeeded better at resemblingsome of the normative principles of the public sphere theory than has the IEC.

持続可能な民主主義へ

持続可能な民主主義へ

Challenges and Prospects of National Security, Legitimacy, and Democratic Sustenance in Nigeria's Fourth Republic

This study investigates the challenges of national security, legitimacy, and democratic sustenance in Nigeria's Fourth Republic, which are critical aspects of governance that affect the stability of democratic countries. Utilizing a desk research method, the paper gathers and contently analyzes secondary materials, including academic journals, case reports, published textbooks, and online sources, employing the failed states theory as the explanatory framework. The research identifies key challenges affecting Nigeria's democratic sustainability, such as inherited colonial security orientation, Boko Haram insurgency, herdsmen clashes, banditry, ethnicity, separatist agitations, underdevelopment, and electoral malpractices. Based on these findings, the paper recommends a comprehensive review of the national security apparatus, emphasizing people's welfare through good governance, public enlightenment on the values of democracy, and the importance of supporting and protecting democratic institutions. This study contributes to understanding the complex interplay between national security, legitimacy, and democratic sustenance in the context of Nigeria and offers potential solutions for addressing these challenges.

Adopting the Election Petition Model as a Means of Fast Tracking Justice Delivery in the Regular Court System in Nigeria: Problems and Prospects

It is a truism that sound and credible elections are a sine qua non for sustainable democracy. The citizens in a society do not only desire a credible system for the selection of their leaders, but also seek functional and unbiased institutional processes to settle election matters. Consequently, election petition remains a viable and reorganized alternative open to any person or party dissatisfied with the conduct of an election to ventilate his or her grievances. Over the years, litigants/petitioners have continued to patronize the election petition tribunals/courts with minimal or no success as most of the petitions ended up being thrown out for non-compliance with the applicable electoral legislations or technicalities. Consequently, this paper analyses the current election petition model in Nigeria with a view to highlighting practices that may be adapted to the regular court process to improve speedy dispensation of justice. The paper adopts a doctrinal methodology which undertakes a comparative study of Nigeria and other relevant foreign jurisdictions. The paper analyses the procedural and institutional aspects of the election petition system viz-a-viz the court system in Nigeria and further examines the practice in other foreign jurisdictions with an attempt to identify norms and practices that can be adopted to strengthen the election petition model in Nigeria.

ETHNO-RELIGIOUS CRISIS, EDUCATION AND GOOD GOVERNANCE IN NIGERIA: A HISTORICAL INSIGHT

Ethno-religious forces are very potent in the world, they engage the society as a double edge sword. This is perhaps why they can cause conflict or abate it depending on which of the edges being used. This study addresses the serious issues of ethno-religious crisis and their adverse effect on education and good governance in Nigeria. The paper contends that ethno-religious conflicts are twin evils that always bedevils Nigeria, which tends to stretch the bounds of unity to a potentially snapping point. The paper however posits that from about the beginning of the 21st century, the once centers of African civilizationslides into ethno-religious crisis. What principally accounts for this unsavory state of affairs is the strong prejudice of the parallel forces of ethnicity and religion. The kernel of the paper rests on the fact that for Nigeria to experience an appreciable and sustainable level of educational development with regard to the attainment of national unity, integration and sustainable democracy especially good governance, there must be a paradigm shift in emphasis through adequate encouragement of ethno-religious education to achieve good governance. The paper adopts chiefly the thematic, critical and analytical methodology, as well assecondary source of data collection for analysis.

Peran Jurnalisme Media Sosial dalam Mewujudkan Demokrasi Indonesia di Era Post Truth

Social Media is one of the public spaces for discussing and participating in politics to realize democracy. However, social media also has a weakness in disseminating hoaxes, misinformation, and exposing the Post Truth phenomenon that threatens the sustainability of democracy in Indonesia. The Normative Media Theory suggests that a media should (1) guarantee freedom of opinion, (2) convey information and know the truth, (3) be independent and reduce the interests of media owners, (4) have a variety of information available to the public, (5) reach out to the public. broadly various audiences, (6) supports a democratic political system, (7) and respects the privacy and human rights in general. This study investigates the role of KompasTV social media in realizing democracy in the post-truth era as a form of social media journalism. The research method used is descriptive qualitative with data collection in the form of observations and interviews. From the results of the research, it was found that KompasTV social media journalism upholds aspects of the Normative Media Theory perspective by prioritizing news value, verification, and fact-checking to ward off and avoid hoaxes, due to important and interesting things for the community. However, as a media that plays in the realm of social media, KompasTV in the pre-election period used SEO (Search Engine Optimization), Trending Topics, and viral issues in its journalistic production to increase views. Meanwhile, during the election period, KompasTV social media put forward the principle of balance.

Political Communication, Twitter-Diplomacy and Political Violence in Nigeria: Criminalizing the Covid democracy or what?

Man is a relational being. In his dealings with others, he seeks to maximize his association and satisfy his various needs. The torrents of Globalization, diplomacy, social norms, the new media, and popular representation are omnipresent instruments that may determine, control, interpret, and shape the various institutions of governance, public policy, and the conduct of international relations by heads of states and government across borders even in the era of the ‘covid-19 new normal’. It will also show that the Twitter ban is harmful to maintaining a friendly relationship between Nigerian citizens, involvement in governance, and the country's democratic progress. The main purpose of this study is to examine how essential Twitter is for the survival of democracy in Nigeria during Covid-19. This paper argues that Sustainable Democracy does allow for active participation of interested citizens in the state of affairs of the country with citizen involvement and Mobilization via Twitter. This is reflected in the opinions, perceptions, and reactions of people in the 21st Century- Knowledge diplomacy, in an outburst against the Twitter Post of President Muhammadu Buhari on June 2, 2021. The researchers used the conflict theories of political systems and human needs. Secondary data sources were used in the study. The Paper concluded that revolutions in technology are not a hindrance to good governance, and democratic dispensation can only continue for as long as leaders can tolerate public dissension, and media scrutiny and embrace the positivity and uniqueness of media power in politics according to rule of law.

Fall from grace or back down to earth? Conservation and political conflict in Africa’s “miracle” state

Since the publication of the influential text, An African Miracle, much scholarship has focused on Botswana's supposed “exceptionality” anchored in the country's economic growth and sustained democracy. Botswana's success story has proved enduring and versatile, being deployed in numerous contexts including in relation to Botswana’s status as a conservation “safe haven” in southern Africa. Many green plaudits are associated with the tenure of former president Ian Khama (2008–2018), who broke with longstanding tradition and actively campaigned against his own vice president and successor, President Mokgweetsi Masisi. Their acrimonious relationship is multifaceted but in this article, we refer to disputes over wildlife conservation policy wherein Masisi rolled back his predecessor's signature conservation policies, focusing specifically on the reversal of the hunting ban, the disarming of some anti-poaching officers, and changes in Botswana's stance in international environmental diplomacy regarding ivory and the CITES regime. We contend that Khama's conservation decisions—underpinned by lack of consultation and green violence—made Botswana a “green miracle” to outside observers while contravening the central principles of local democratic practice such as therisanyo (consultation) cherished in the country. We argue that Masisi's reversal of Khama-era positions that were unpopular with conservation-adjacent communities represents not a “fall from grace,” but rather the bringing back down to earth of policies that had alienated the local population, thus indicating the potential to pursue inclusive governance that domestically Botswana acclaims.

Sycophantic Culture and the Sustainability of Democracy in Nigeria

Since the return to democratic or civil rule in Nigeria in 1999, we have had the opportunity to take our cherished democracy through successful successive rebirths. Our democracy has been a major factor for the changes, development and growth which we share today. This democracy has also taught us to checkmate people placed in positions in our bid to fight poverty, ensure social cohesion, facilitate the development of our social services, deepen political participation and awareness, and above all, sustain the peace of one Nigeria. However, it is observed with great concern and urgency that there is this dangerous cancerous enigmatic culture which if not tackled, has the propensity to derail and crumble our gigantic efforts to build a better Nigerian democratic culture. This cancer is what I call “sycophantic culture” which is more dangerous than the coup makers. Hence, this paper argues that this sycophantic culture in our socio-economic and political lives is one of the biggest threats we face even as we shape our democracy. Using analytic, historical and expository stencils, the paper identifies the various shades and forms this culture has hindered the making of our national rebirth where merit strives, mediocrity is shunned, ethnic cleavages are integrated at a higher level and cheap religious sentiments down played. The paper concludes using Tiv system of moral justice which reveres the pride of truth telling as a strong panacea towards building an integrative Nigerian democratic variable culture.

“Who Cares?”: Young Adolescents’ Perceived Barriers to Civic Action

While civic participation is a crucial component of healthy and sustainable democracies, young adolescents may perceive or experience barriers that limit their civic action. This study draws from focus groups and surveys during a week-long summer civics camp to explore ways in which 47 young adolescents entering Grades 6–9 described barriers they perceive to civic action in their schools and communities. Findings reveal that participants entered camp believing they were capable of making a difference in their communities. Their ideas for youth civic action in schools and broader communities typically represented personally responsible and participatory notions of citizenship. Key obstacles to civic activities included partnerships with peers/adults, peers’ reluctance to exercise civic duty, social-emotional factors, and lack of resources.

The Effects of Manpower Planning and Crises Management in Public Sector: A Case Study of Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research in Edo State

This paper examines the Effects of Manpower Planning and Crises Management in Public Sector: A Case Study of Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR) in Nigeria as a democratic sustainability. It evaluates how effective the organization policy have been able to restructure the political economy of Nigeria by training of its manpower and being able to resolve crises in the system. Since the early 1990s, the issue of Good Governance has become an important concept in the International Development debates and Policy discourse. Over the last decade however, Public Sector, especially Nigerian NIFOR has not adequate avail their workers opportunity to attend short-term courses if they cannot be released for training courses of between 1 to 3 years. This has led to several crises in the organization which would have been avoided, if adequate crises management techniques were put in place. The Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR) has not also imbibe the policy of inclusiveness. In the course of this study, the Effects of Manpower Planning and Crises Management in Public Sector: A Case Study of Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR), Edo State were brought to the fore while the objectives of the study are well spelt out. Hypotheses were postulated and the Scientific Management Theory was used to explicate the works. Data were obtained from both primary and secondary sources. From the primary sources, the survey method, that is, the use of questionnaire designed and adopted. Data obtained from this method were analyzed with the aid of Simple Percentage. Thereafter, the five researchable hypotheses were tested and accepted while the null hypotheses were rejected. The implication is that there was relationship between the dependent and independent variables. Generally, the paper brought to focus that the Effects of Manpower Planning and Crises Management is a collective effort in reaching a compromise in the management of Public Sector in Nigeria and it has contributed immensely to the growth and development of public enterprise elsewhere. Finally, it suggests policy and crises management techniques and recommendation which are aimed at repositioning Public Sector like NIFOR not only in Edo State in particular, but also in Nigeria in general. Keywords: Crises, Management, Resolution, Effects, Public, Manpower DOI: 10.7176/DCS/12-2-03 Publication date: February 28 th 2022

CITIZEN PARTICIPATION IN BUDGETARY PROCESSES IN NIGERIA: MYTH OR REALITY

Citizen participation in governance processes is critical for sustaining the development of any society. Citizen participation in budgetary processes is a system of promoting efficient and responsive government by having citizens input into resource allocation decisions. The paper noted that citizen-participation in governance is at its lowest in the nation. This paper is qualitative in nature, relying on secondary data, such as textbooks, journals, official documents etc. The paper is anchored on stakeholders’ theory which argues that citizen participation is a pillar of democracy and is necessary for a sustainable democracy. As a result, it gives every individual opportunity to influence and change political, social, economic and public decisions and allows citizens to be an important part of the democratic decision-making in Nigeria. It observed that since the return of democratic rule in Nigeria in 1999, efforts at participatory governance have never received the full backing of the ruling class, because they see it as a threat to their collective interest. The paper examines the mature of budgetary process in Nigeria, and states that participatory budgeting could be an important tool that can be used to encourage active citizenship in the transformation and development of their community. It concludes that the quality of democracy depends on how far people can participate in and influence the governance process. Citizen participation is critical for democratic decision-making and ensuring transparency and accountability.

Topic Modeling of the Pakistani Economy in English Newspapers via Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA)

This research paper explores aspects of the Pakistani economy using the Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) technique. The data based on 3,000 articles were collected from two Pakistani English newspapers, Dawn and The News, (2015–2020), through Lexis Nexis database. The headlines of the news articles relevant to Pakistan’s economy, were taken into account. By employing the data-driven approach of the grounded theory, it is found that changes in policies, security preference, textile industry, the shift of energy, inflation, growth and investment, mega projects, sustainable democracy and poverty control need to be focused to overcome the challenges of Pakistan’s economy. It also reveals that mega projects like the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) are called to boost Pakistan’s economy. The results show that smooth trading would help reduce poverty in the country.

Effective administrative and legal regulation of forensic activities in the context of European integration

Effective administrative and legal regulation of forensic activity depends on the goals and objectives. Ukrainian society began to radically restructure its national system of law, enshrining the principle of the rule of law in the Constitution in 1996 and ratifying in 1997 the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.
 This article purpose is to define the main goals and objectives of the state to ensure effective forensic activities in the context of European integration. Ukrainian obligations to European community to build a developed and sustainable democracy and market economy require it, first of all, to focus the entire national system of law on such European values as democracy, respect for people and fundamental rights and freedoms, the rule of law, etc. For our state, the principle of the rule of law is related to the practice of the European Union, therefore, the main strategic direction is European integration.
 Within the framework of European cooperation, the field of justice in general and law enforcement and judicial authorities in particular are acquiring particular importance. Effective implementation of judicial reform and the fight against corruption are currently the priority areas of our state on the way to European integration.
 An important part of implementation of this goal is creation of a modern system of forensic science support of justice that should function effectively through the timely and proper implementation of the goals and objectives set before the subjects of forensic science.

Political Crisis and The Politics of Religious Divisiveness in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic

The relationship that exists between politics and religion cannot be over-emphasized in Nigeria polity since the evolution of a sustainable democracy which has heightened the relevance of religion in our society. Religion has been identified as one of the factors that have divided the people of Nigeria who are divided already by many phenomena that are of nature. The diversities engineered by cultures, customs, traditions and values are not as potent as religion in dividing the people, ensuing conflict, creating a paradise for favoritism, generating riot and insurgence. Religious leaders have become force to reckon with in the country, many of them become politicians out of the blues because of their influence on the mindset of their members to decide as regard electioneering activities. However, politics needs to be guided by religion ideally, evidently most policies fabricated, go in line with dogmas of either Christianity or Islam before other indexes may follow. People are better divided by religion. This paper focuses on examining the influence of religion on politics in Nigeria’s fourth republic using the Boko-haram insurgence as the major yardstick to establishing the impacts of religion on the divisive Nigeria.

Measuring Presidential Powers: New Governmental Design in Turkey

The newly adopted governmental system in Turkey it has been confronted with a kind new government practice since the declaration of the republic in 1923. The constitutional amendments made in 2017 have primarily created a tremendous change in the structure of the executive and created an executive body as it is in pure presidentialism in terms of constitutional history of Turkey. This new system, which is not a pure presidential system, is called the Turkish type presidential system and it has led to the occurrence of the most powerful president in the Turkish constitutional history. The president is also highly competent with regard to the powers of ministers in other less developed democratic countries. In this study, the powers of the president will be examined and measured through the legal framework of the new consti-tutional character in Turkey. Sustainable democracy entails that democratic mindfulness is improved on the part of people and its governments. Also by measuring the powers it will be put forward whether the government system is defined among the existing classifications. Finally an evaluation of topics with legislative and non-legislative powers of the presidents with the most powerful presidents will be pre-sented. Sustainability to governments and presidents may not be in the same proportion with the sustainable democracy.

Party nominee or independent candidate? Examining Electoral Reforms and the Use of Digital Technologies for Voter Participation in South Africa

This article discusses electoral reforms and the use of digital technologies for voter participation in South Africa. The study employed focus group discussions and in-depth interviews through semi-structured questions to engage with voters and politicians. Informed by theories on politics and technology, the articles notes that the current electoral system has advantages and disadvantages, though it can be enhanced by the inclusion of a mixed proportional or constituency-based electoral system whereby voters elect political party candidates or independent candidates to represent their constituencies. The article argues that digital technologies alone cannot enhance voter participation without electoral policies that promote voter participation in the candidate selection processes for provincial and national elections. The article further highlights the fact that the use of digital technologies and a mixed electoral system are desirable for maximum citizen participation in national and provincial elections. However, some political parties enjoying dominance in the multi-party democracy might perceive reform as unfavourable. The article concludes that consensus and political will are fundamental to harness all progressive electoral reforms and digital tools for sustainable democracy.

The Infallibility of Supreme Court Verdicts and Sustainable Democracy in Nigeria

The Supreme Court is final not because it is infallible; but it is infallible because it is final” – this status quo of the Supreme Court of Nigeria and its application in various electoral cases, especially in the just concluded 2019 general elections in Nigeria has aroused mixed feelings and raised questions on the credibility of the Nigerian Judiciary and its capability of enshrining sustainable democracy in Nigeria. Meanwhile, according to the report of the Kayode Eso Panel on Reform of the Judiciary, the mindset of an average Nigerian is that “the Nigerian Judiciary hardly redeems itself from the unfortunate image it acquired during the military interregnum when it was described as a judiciary in patent chaos, riddled with corrupt Judges and in need of urgent and radical reform”. This study which sought to explore the infallibility of the Supreme Court and sustainable democracy in Nigeria; the effect of the infallibility of the Supreme Court verdicts on sustainable democracy in Nigeria; and the effects of bribery and corruption of the Supreme Court Justices on sustainable democracy in Nigeria, is an exploratory research which employed qualitative method of research and adopted the Transitional Jurisprudence Model as propounded by Ruti Teitel (2015) to analyze these. The study found that the bribery and corruption of the Supreme Court Justices has significant effect on sustainable democracy in Nigeria; and that the infallibility of the Supreme Court verdicts have significant effect on sustainable democracy in Nigeria. The study recommends among others that there is need for the independence and accountability of the Judiciary with the other arms of the government in Nigeria.