Unique Political Environment Research Articles

Riding Samuel Huntington s Waves of Democracy: Unveiling the Middle East s Path and Egypt s Democratic Quest

This study explores the complex dynamics of democratization in the Middle East, with a particular focus on Egypt. Through an in-depth analysis of Egypt's political evolution, the paper examines the historical, social, and economic factors that have shaped its struggle for democratic governance. The research highlights the pivotal moments in Egypt's recent history, including the Arab Spring and its aftermath, to illustrate the challenges and opportunities faced by the country in its quest for democracy. By contextualizing Egypt's experience within the broader Middle Eastern landscape, the study provides insights into the region's unique political environment, the role of external influences, and the interplay between authoritarian legacies and democratic aspirations. The findings underscore the importance of addressing structural impediments, fostering inclusive political participation, and ensuring the protection of civil liberties to pave the way for sustainable democratization in Egypt and the wider Middle East.

Unveiling the digital persona image: the influence of social media on political candidates’ brand personality and voter behaviour in Kuwait

The research paper examined the interplay between social media, brand personality, and voter behaviour in Kuwait’s unique political environment. The study applied the Aaker model of brand personality to investigate how social media shapes the brand personality of political candidates, how voters perceive this brand personality, and the impact it has on their behaviour. Further, it explored the role of tribal and religious affiliations in shaping the perceived brand personality of candidates and their implications for election campaign strategies. Through a quantitative research design, data was collected from 363 Kuwaiti voters using a structured questionnaire. The findings revealed the significant influence of social media on voter behaviour, as well as the relevance of the Aaker model in the political context of Kuwait. The study uncovered the connection between voter demographics and preferences, highlighting the impact of socio-cultural factors on voter behaviour. The implications drawn from these findings provide valuable insights for election campaign strategies in Kuwait’s digitalised political environment.

THE INFLUENCE OF POLITICAL MARKETING VIA SOCIAL MEDIA ON POLITICAL PARTICIPATION: A MEDIATED MODERATION THROUGH POLITICAL EFFICACY AND POLITICAL INTEREST

This study explores the influence of political marketing activities via social media including customers’ relationship building and visibility on political participation in Lebanon. Moreover, the study examines the mediating effect of political efficacy and the moderating effect of political interest on the relationship between political marketing via social media and political participation. A Quantitative survey method was used to achieve the current research objectives based on data derived from 412 respondents. The findings of this study indicate that customers relationship building and visibility via social media are positively associated with political efficacy but not with political participation. Additionally, political efficacy fully mediates the relationship among these variables and political participation. The findings also reveal that political interest moderates the relationship between these variables and political participation. This study adds to the body of marketing literature the impact of political marketing on political participation in a unique political environment such as Lebanon. Moreover, this study guides both political marketing and political candidates about the influential factors of political participation in order for them to plan for the required actions to enhance political participation

Policy Uncertainty, Presidential Elections and Earnings Management: Evidence from South Korea

This study investigates South Korean firms’ earnings management (EM) practices when policy uncertainty increases during the presidential election period. We adopt the Economic Policy Uncertainty (EPU) index, a recent development in economics research, as a proxy for policy uncertainty. A heightened EPU contracts economic activity, thereby restricting a firm’s real activity-based earnings management (RM) rather than its accrual-based earnings management (AM). Nonetheless, we argue that South Korean firms become more reluctant to use AM than RM when EPU rises during a presidential election period due to their unique political environment. The constitution stipulates a single five-year presidential term, and it is common for an incoming government to conduct a series of inspections of the economic policies of the outgoing government. In this political system, South Korean firms can be easily entangled with political scandals such as allegations of bribery or corruption, which will increase the cost of AM because it is easier to detect than RM. Results show that South Korean firms are less likely to use AM as EPU increases in the presidential election period, while they are less likely to use RM when EPU rises during the non-election period.

The Energy Transition in China: Mid-to Long-Term National Strategies and Prospects

This report presents an analysis of China’s transition to a low-carbon energy system, which requires multi-disciplinary approaches. As a world’s energy consumption driver, China will continue to play a significant role in the global energy transition in next few decades and its future choices in the energy sector will have a great impact on global energy demand and supply pattern. On the other hand, China’s unique political environment, complex geographic diversity, and ongoing US-China trade conflict have compounded the uncertainties associated with energy transition. To look into the future roles of different energy technologies, the report mainly covers the spectrum of coal, hydro, nuclear, solar and wind, unconventional oil and gas, as well as electric vehicles. With a specific focus on the power sector, the report aims to help understand the prospects for China’s energy sector based on current contexts, existing policies, announced national and regional plans, and ongoing debates.

Salafis in parliament: Democratic Attitudes and party politics in the gulf

This article explores how political participation affects the attitudes of Kuwait's and Bahrain's Salafi parliamentarians towards democracy. In comparing the two states' Salafi parliamentary blocs, this study reveals that neither political inclusion nor ideology uniformly dictates either bloc's democratic sentiments. Instead, political incentives, as shaped by their state's unique political environments, colors and contrasts both blocs' democratic attitudes and policies. Like their liberal rivals, Salafi parliamentarians are susceptible to the rewards and realities of political power.