Political Science Theory Research Articles

Heritage diplomacy and soft power competition between Iran and Turkey: competing claims over Rumi and Nowruz

ABSTRACT In this paper, we examine the use of intangible cultural heritage as a vehicle for soft power in the service of geostrategic competitions between Iran and Turkey, two regional powers in West Asia. We focus on two significant trans-regional instances of intangible cultural heritage relevant to both countries: the mystic poet Rumi and the New Year’s celebration of Nowruz. We draw on theories in political science and cultrual heritage as well as a host of sources in Persian, Turkish, and Azerbaijani, to demonstrate how heritage is mobilised concurrently as a nation-building device and a tool for soft power in international relations. We conclude by suggesting that, despite strong grounds for its claims, Iran’s response in this competition has been reactive rather than proactive. Overall, the paper contributes to the scholarship on soft power and heritage diplomacy by presenting the first comparative analysis of cases of shared intangible heritage in West Asia.

Status, gimmicks, and thwarted celebrations: the 2020 Olympics in Japan’s transnational politics

ABSTRACT Japan famously muddled through the 2020 Summer Olympics – triumphant as a host in that the Games were held, after a year-long delay, despite the global COVID-19 pandemic that had threatened to shutter the event entirely. The successes were qualified, with spectator-less matches and races leading to eerily quiet medals ceremonies, at least compared with normal years of cheering fans, enthusiasts, and tourists. Nowhere was the strangeness of the event more apparent than in the Opening Ceremony, filled with a combination of subdued but technologically adept spectacle, artistic representations of grief and loss, and the an unnervingly empty Olympic Stadium. This paper examines the politics of the Ceremony, and in particular the apparent early plans for a more standard, lightly nationalistic display of local history and culture, and toward a set of acknowledgments of a global crisis that transcended borders. In doing so, it calls attention to the complex political goals on display, as well as the challenges of benefiting politically from an event whose meaning in the midst of loss had been called broadly into question. Drawing from political science and literary theory, the paper emphasizes that while spectacle can matter, it risks, a dense environment of media reflection, being seen as little more than a gimmick.

“The Law of the Politics - When Creating Something New, One Should Rely on What Has Been Achieved, Not Diminish the Old”: for the 100th Anniversary of A.M. Kovalev

The study analyzes the contribution of Alexander Kovalev to science and education, who stood at the origins of political science since its institutionalization in Russia. The contours of his general political and philosophical concept of social development are determined, original approaches to the interpretation of the categories “power” and “politics”, the laws of politics and political activity, and a number of basic concepts of political science are reconstructed. The role of A. Kovalev in substantiating the importance of political science, its structure and its place in the system of social and humanitarian sciences is highlighted. His persistent desire to establish the foundations of politics with the way of production of public life is noted and thereby more fully highlight the ideological and methodological aspects of political science knowledge, to link the philosophy and theory of political science with the variety of its instrumental dimensions. A. Kovalev’s interpretation of the problem of interrelation and interdependence of system-wide and individual needs and interests in public life, natural and spontaneous in the political process, the importance of the moral principle in politics is revealed. The question is raised about his development of the problem of the correlation of natural and social, the dialectics of civilizational and formational in social development, the correlation of innovations and traditions in political life, the scientific responsibility of a political scientist. Particular attention is paid to the qualities of A. Kovalev as an organizer of science, teacher and mentor, who educated many dozens and even hundreds of political scientists who confidently took their place in the formation and development of political science in the country. It is emphasized that the scientific merits of A. Kovalev are inseparable from his highly moral civil position, responsibility for the fate of the Motherland.

Testing participatory budgeting voting design: Two cases from the city of Kitchener

ABSTRACT Participatory budgeting is an emerging space for designing democratic processes. Findings in political science (e.g. Duverger, 1959; Lijphardt, 2012) and social choice theory (e.g. Arrow, 1951) suggest that voting systems strongly shape the political dynamics of their societies, and that they are underexplored in participatory budgeting. This paper presents the results of two action research cases using different participatory budgeting voting processes in the City of Kitchener in Ontario, Canada. Our findings suggest that participatory budgeting processes produce different results from standard planning approaches, with voter-generated results being more popular than the staff-led designs. Moreover, different vote-calculation methods produced different bundles of goods, affirming that voting system design matters in participatory budgeting processes. These results matter for both the building of public trust in these processes and in the effectiveness of participatory budgeting for managing public finances.

What Drives Nuclear-Aspiring States? The Cases of Iran and North Korea

What Drives Nuclear-Aspiring States? The Cases of Iran and North Korea

The Use of Popular Songs and Cartoons in Teaching Introduction to International Relations and Comparative Politics

Abstract The use of popular culture as a teaching tool is often overlooked in teaching introductory-level political science courses. In recent years, advocacy for the inclusion of popular culture in the classroom has increased due to studies that highlight the benefits of such application in combination with other teaching methods. This paper argues that the incorporation of popular music and cartoons as a combined auxiliary teaching tool is an efficient way to increase students’ understanding of theoretical concepts at multiple levels and to encourage them to think unconventionally. Relating political science paradigms and theories to popular culture makes them accessible to a broad spectrum of students and ensures that students become more engaged in the classroom. Students may also be more likely to apply theoretical concepts to real-life events. In this paper, we share our observations of using popular songs and cartoons as supplementary teaching materials and methods to explain theories of international relations and comparative politics.

Voting System and Electoral Malpractices in Nigeria: A Case Study of the Fourth Republic of Nigeria

This paper examines the effect of voting system and electoral malpractices in Nigeria with the fourth republic as the case study (1999 - 2023). In carrying out this work, two theories will be used: game theory will be used as the first context in the area of study, to explain reasons for why electoral malpractices is inherent in Nigeria voting system while the theory of E-Democracy will be used as the way forward for electoral malpractices and violence in Nigerian voting system. Game theory is a theoretical framework used in the explanation of many phenomena in political science, politics, economics, psychology etc, and game theory is simply a systematic study of strategic interactions among rational individuals. A popular example of game theory in politics is the sum zero game, the sum zero has to do with which one player winning all and others losing all. In the context of election in Nigeria with reference to “to first win the post” as the dominant type of electoral system in Nigeria, two things are usually involved which is; the winner wins all and the looser loses all, as the result of this, political actors device all forms of strategy to win an election in the political actors often take advantage of the lapses inherent in the traditional paper voting system in Nigeria to advance their interest. This is through rigging, electoral violence, ballot box stuffing, falsification of electoral result multiple voting etc. the exercise of franchise is the fulcrum on which democracy revolves. Unfortunately, anti-democratic practices such as underage voting, snatching of ballot boxes, denial of voting rights to qualified physically challenges and deliberate falsification of vote figures to favour a particular candidate have greatly bastardized the democratic procedure. This scenario has simply placed a question on the Nigerian democracy. Keywords: Elections, Electoral Process, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), E-voting (Electoral Voting), Electoral Malpractices, E-democracy theory. DOI: 10.7176/PPAR/13-4-04 Publication date: May 31 st 2023

The motivations of stakeholders when developing university industry collaborations in an Australian university: three case studies

ABSTRACT The need for universities and industry to collaborate has been well established. In this paper, we present three cases studies, including 14 semi-structured interviews, across a range of disciplines. In the design and analysis of the study, we apply management and political science theories to better understand how stakeholder’s motivations influence the development of university industry collaboration within an Australian university environment. We present our findings across cases, and through five emerging themes: (a) stakeholder – trust and respect; (b) business alignment; (c) employability – mutual benefits; (d) commitment to cause – alignment of values; and (e) innovation/research focus. This study provides real-world insight into influencing the development of university industry collaborations enhancing the student experience, and potentially impacting employability after graduation.

Tolerant and intolerant responses to populist parties: who does what, when and why?

This article introduces the special issue of Comparative European Politics on Tolerant and Intolerant Responses to Populist Parties: Who does what, when and why? Populist parties have become more powerful political actors in Europe’s multilevel system of governance. Yet we lack concepts and comparative empirical studies charting how those who disagree with populist parties oppose them and theoretical accounts of the normative implications of this opposition. Discussing how the articles in this special issue address these shortcomings, this introductory article argues that while responses to populist parties is a neglected field in the study of populism, the ambiguity of populist orientations to liberal democracy sits uneasily with traditional paradigms for studying democracy’s challengers. It then outlines a new typology, developed with reference to case studies on Germany, Denmark, Italy and Poland, which aims to present a new conceptual language for understanding contemporary opposition to poulist parties. The article also explores the conceptual and institutional limits of political and legal (in)tolerance, a concept which provide a bridge between political science and political theory traditions encompassed in the special issue.

Remembering Complicity and Resistance: A Review of Mihaela Mihai’s <em>Political Memory and the Aesthetics of Care: The Art of Complicity and Resistance</em> (2022)

This article offers a review of Mihaela Mihai’s book Political Memory and the Aesthetics of Care: The Art of Complicity and Resistance (2022). In it, Mihai courageously brings together insights from critical theory, political and legal science, philosophy, literary studies, and feminist theory to argue for the need of rearticulating how we remember complicity and resistance in the aftermath of political violence. Mihai develops her argument in three steps. First, she provides an account of how complicity and resistance are misremembered after systemic violence. Second, she tracks the political, epistemic and ethical consequences that this faulty work of memory-making holds for the present and future. And third, she proposes a strategy for challenging reductive narratives of the past and fostering more nuanced models of remembrance. The review analyses each of these steps with the aim of sketching out Mihai’s contribution to the burgeoning scholarship on complicity and implication in violence.

A Study Of Naqsh Faryadi In The Context Of "Spiral Of Silence Theory"

The spiral of silence theory is a political science theory proposed by the German political scientist Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann. According to the spiral of silence theory, individuals will be more confident and outward with their opinion when they notice that their personal opinion is shared throughout a group. But if the individual notices that their opinion is unpopular with the group they will be more inclined to be reserved and remain silent. During the mid-20th century, there was a series of social oppressions everywhere in the subcontinent which resulted in a terrible culture of silence, During this turbulent time Faiz Ahmad Faiz a renovated urdu poet joined The Indian progressive writer’s movement and gradually started raising his voice against social oppression, In his poetry different gradations can be observed in this regard, This article will present an in-depth analysis of these graduations under the light of upper mentioned socio-political theory.

Toward a Theory of Political Science and the Future of Exopolitics

The aim of this paper is to inform (or enlighten) the public about exopolitics, which is a sub-discipline of political science that puts a new spin on studying extraterrestrial life or non-human, intelligent entities — that is, as it especially relates to politics. And despite its contrary and controversial message, exopolitics pushes the political science envelope. Indeed, the discipline speaks volumes about a supposed relationship we (humans) may have with intelligent creatures outside our realm of understanding, particularly with an unprecedented wave of UFO sightings worldwide. Of course, human beings have always felt the need to connect with other humans; but will this position mean that we can also come together with humanoids from another planet? Exopolitics is also concerned with other alien worlds, and different academic thought processes that might led to profound misunderstandings about this specific political science discipline, and our understanding of the fabric of the universe. Further, we need objectivity and clarity when it comes to studying exopolitics. Finally, exopolitics, fortunately, has not caused some kind of academic backlash; nor is it some namby-pamby academic discipline that has no bearing on anything.

The Motivational Power of Ideas in Institutions and Collective Action

The cognitive revolution has left its mark on institutional theory in sociology and political science. Cognitive structures – schemas, typifications, frames and ideas – are recognized as a crucial variable of social behavior, institutional development and collective action. However, while the assertion that “ideas matter” is widely shared, institutional theorists are still struggling with the question of how ideas matter, especially in motivational terms. The role of ideas not just as switchmen, in Weber’s terms, but as genuine drivers of collective action still lacks theoretical underpinning. This article aims at closing this gap. It elaborates a theoretical model to explain how ideas shift the structure of motivation from the individual to the collective level. Borrowing from motivational psychology and social philosophy, especially from the work of John Searle, two crucial mechanisms are explicated. The first one is imagination, a specific mental state that allows collectivizing the intentional structure of beliefs and affords a sense of self-efficacy in collective contexts. The second one is plural self-awareness, a mechanism that shifts intentions-in-action to the collective level.

Methodological Dilemmas of Political Science

The article identifies and analyses methodological dilemmas in Polish political science in the last fifty years. These dilemmas concern: the object of cognition – its existence and preferred research strategies, the development model of the discipline, methods in political science, methodological identity of political science, the essence of politics and what is political, empirical or theoretical character of political science, the possibility of formulating grand theories in political science, new subdisciplines in political science, political anthropology, individual agency and the ontological status of social groups, value judgments, and axiological neutrality of the researcher. The article concludes that Polish political scientists in the last fifty years have been advocating a complementary position that goes beyond concrete alternatives.

Frames and political choice in Scottish election campaigns

The paper presents interdisciplinary research using the framework of cognitive linguistics based metaphor theory and nationalism studies of political science. Frames of movement are placed under scrutiny during the discourse analysis of the 2016 and 2021 election manifestos of the Scottish National Party and social media posts. In relation to metaphors of movement, images describing the future of an independent Scotland are also detected. The authors attempt to analyse and interpret findings both from the perspective of cognitive linguistics and ethno-symbolism. Apart from the texts of the manifestos, the timeframe of the research involved social media posts two months preceding and two months following the elections in both cases. Methodology was issue-driven and computer assisted but supervised: key words linked to movement were extracted from the manifestos and clustered. Their occurrence and frequency in the social media posts was checked. In the qualitative analysis phase, messages of the manifestos and of the posts were contrasted in order to answer our research question what kind of persuasive political discourse was used when options for the citizens were outlined.

Learning from Polls During Electoral Campaigns

Voters’ beliefs about the strength of political parties are a central part of many foundational political science theories. In this article, we present a dynamic Bayesian learning model that allows us to study how voters form these beliefs by learning from pre-election polls over the course of an election campaign. In the model, belief adaptation to new polls can vary due to the perceived precision of the poll or the reliance on prior beliefs. We evaluate the implications of our model using two experiments. We find that respondents update their beliefs assuming that the polls are relatively imprecise but still weigh them more strongly than their priors. Studying implications for motivational learning by partisans, we find that varying adaptation works through varying reliance on priors and not necessarily by discrediting a poll’s precision. The findings inform our understanding of the consequences of learning from polls during political campaigns and motivational learning in general.

What drives corporate social performance? The role of nation-level institutions

In our Decade Award-winning article from 2012, we theorized and provided evidence consistent with nation-level institutions having a significant impact on corporate social performance (CSP) variation across companies. By establishing a link between the macro (i.e., country level) and micro (i.e., firm level) levels of analysis and by synthesizing across multiple disciplines including institutional economics, political science, cultural research, and institutional theory, we were able to demonstrate that differences across countries in terms of the political system, the education and labor system, the financial system and the cultural system significantly impacted variation in CSP across companies. In this Retrospective, we briefly discuss our original findings and elaborate on future research directions. Given the weak evidence regarding the impact of the financial system in our original study, we specifically focus on discussing recent developments in the financial system and their implications for research. We suggest additional research opportunities inspired by recent articles by scholars of international business that have extended our original article in important ways.

О порождении идеалов развития общества

The article substantiates the approaches to the generation of social ideals and the ways of their fulfillment in the situation in which Russian society finds itself in the spring of 2022. The general characteristic of this situation is the development of society, which takes place in the mode of a jump-like transformation of its foundations. It is known that development is a change of the unchangeable. How can one think of new, qualitatively different forms of society’s existence without an improved repetition of the known? How is it possible to think of a way into the Unknown, which threatens society’s spiritual, moral and existential existence if not its physical one? Such questions arise for any thinking person, but with a special tension for those responsible for the step into the Unknown, which will permanently determine the fate of the people entrusted to them. The methodological approach to answering these and related questions consists in finding the conceptual foundations of existing and possible solutions about the long-term ideals of social development and justifying the very approaches to their development. It is shown that such foundations cannot arise in the course of deployment of ideas about the development that are proposed in economics, sociology, political science and other aspect evolutionary theories. The foundations for ideals of social development are found in the synthesis of discoveries of systemology, physical economics, quantum physics and cultural science based on its semantic-genetic concept. The author shows that the lines of development of these scientific approaches to comprehension of reality gradually converge in explaining the possibilities of humanity in creation of long-term stable trajectories of its existence. The result of the undertaken study of possible approaches to the choice of society’s path to the future is the identification of three significantly different types, which can be deployed in the form of five ways of generating the social ideal. The possibilities of their fulfillment with a matured demand are substantiated.

Why Political Scientists Should Study Smaller Cities

In the past 20 years, Political Science research has increasingly focused on urban and local politics. We systematically review this literature and find that smaller cities are disproportionally underrepresented, particularly outside the United States. Smaller cities exhibit economic, social, and political patterns that differ from those in large metropolitan areas. Using administrative data and existing research, we show how cities of different sizes vary in their demographic characteristics; citizens’ preferences; resources and capacity; intergovernmental relationships; and electoral politics. These patterns indicate the potential to update existing theories in Political Science, including those about gender and political participation, second-order elections, and intergovernmental relationships. We suggest that scholars consider how smaller cities might differ from larger cities and include smaller municipalities in their case study research. We also highlight political issues unique to small cities as new areas of inquiry.

The Politics of Covid-19 Containment Policies in europe

Do partisan preferences, the electoral system, checks on government, political fragmentation, civil liberties and trust contribute to explaining the stringency of containment policies in European countries? Empirical studies suggest that political science theories have helped very little in understanding European democracies' political response to the pandemic's first wave. We argue in this article that the negligible effect of politics, broadly defined, is confined to the first wave and that during subsequent waves over the autumn 2020 to spring 2021 season some of the above political factors contribute to our understanding of variation in countries' response. Employing a sample of 26 European democracies analyzing daily data on the stringency of adopted containment policies we provide evidence that politics does not matter during the first wave but is substantively important during later waves.