Financing political parties in Africa: the case of Zimbabwe

2021 ◽  
Vol 59 (3) ◽  
pp. 295-317
Author(s):  
Chipo Dendere
Keyword(s):  
Political Parties ◽  
State Funding ◽  
Court Cases ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
News Reports ◽  
Political Finance ◽  
Poor Access ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Opposition Parties

AbstractWhat is the impact of access to political party finance – money that parties use to fund their campaign activities – on politics in Africa? While multiparty elections have become more regular in the developing world, many opposition parties are still failing to win elections. This paper argues that poor access to political finance weakens democratic consolidation and negatively impacts the participation of less-resourced candidates who are unable to self-fund. As a result, opposition parties are forced to rely on weak promises of aid from international donors and unreliable state funding. This in-depth analysis of political finance, based on extensive interviews with politicians and government officials in Zimbabwe, political documents, news reports and a review of court cases, reveals that uneven financing has weakened opposition parties and serves as an extra advantage for incumbents.

Networked Collective Action and the Impeachment of President Park

2021 ◽  
pp. 73-98
Author(s):  
Hyunjin Seo
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Collective Action ◽  
Detailed Analysis ◽  
Citizen Participation ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
Affective Content ◽  
News Reports ◽  
Civic Organizations ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
News Organizations

This chapter offers a detailed analysis of online and offline interactions and information exchanges that took place in organizing candlelight vigils in 2016–2017 that contributed to the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye. Interactions between agents and affordances resulted in the nation’s first removal of a president through impeachment processes. Key agents—in particular, journalists, social media influencers, citizens, activists, news organizations, and civic organizations—interacted to produce, share, and amplify cognitive and affective content resulting in massive citizen participation in candlelight vigils for 20 consecutive weeks. It provides an in-depth analysis of these and related issues based on interviews with journalists, activists, citizens, government officials, and technology company representatives and experts. The interview data are triangulated using analyses of news reports and social media posts.

Which Parties Can Lead Opinion? Experimental Evidence on Partisan Cue Taking in Multiparty Democracies

2012 ◽  
Vol 46 (11) ◽  
pp. 1485-1517 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ted Brader ◽  
Joshua A. Tucker ◽  
Dominik Duell
Keyword(s):  
Great Britain ◽  
Political Parties ◽  
Experimental Evidence ◽  
The Other ◽  
Policy Preferences ◽  
Policy Issues ◽  
Ideological Position ◽  
Ideological Clarity ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Opposition Parties

Political parties not only aggregate the policy preferences of their supporters, but also have the ability to shape those preferences. Experimental evidence demonstrates that, when parties stake out positions on policy issues, partisans become more likely to adopt these positions, whether out of blind loyalty or because they infer that party endorsements signal options consistent with their interests or values. It is equally clear, however, that partisans do not always follow their party’s lead. The authors investigate the impact of three party-level traits on partisan cue taking: longevity, incumbency, and ideological clarity. As parties age, voters may become more certain of both the party’s reputation and their own allegiance. Governing parties must take action and respond to events, increasing the likelihood of compromise and failure, and therefore may dilute their reputation and disappoint followers. Incumbency aside, some parties exhibit greater ambiguity in their ideological position than other parties, undermining voter certainty about the meaning of cues. The authors test these hypotheses with experiments conducted in three multiparty democracies (Poland, Hungary, and Great Britain). They find that partisans more strongly follow their party’s lead when that party is older, in the opposition, or has developed a more consistent ideological image. However, the impact of longevity vanishes when the other factors are taken into account. Underscoring the importance of voter (un)certainty, ideologically coherent opposition parties have the greatest capacity to shape the policy views of followers.

Les députés et les partis politiques sortants profitent-ils d'un avantage électoral ? Une analyse des résultats électoraux au Québec

2017 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 723-746 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ariane Blais-Lacombe ◽  
Marc André Bodet
Keyword(s):  
Political Parties ◽  
Small Difference ◽  
Statistical Tools ◽  
Multivariate Statistical ◽  
National Assembly ◽  
Incumbent Party ◽  
Electoral Performance ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Opposition Parties

AbstractUsing official electoral results from provincial elections since 1973, we evaluate the incumbency effect in Quebec by measuring the impact of a combination of characteristics related to candidates and political parties. We verify whether the presence of an incumbent candidate is necessary to ensure that the incumbent party benefits from an electoral advantage. We also compare the magnitude of the incumbency effect between governing and opposition parties. Making use of parametric multivariate statistical tools, we conclude that political parties benefit from an electoral advantage in Quebec. Except for ministers who make a small difference, simple Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) do not improve their electoral performance, while in some cases new candidates with incumbent parties perform better.

The Impact of Political Finance Regulation on Party Organisation

2018 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anika Gauja ◽  
Stephen Mills ◽  
Narelle Miragliotta ◽  
Joo-Cheong Tham ◽  
Zim Nwokora ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Political Parties ◽  
New South ◽  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
Family Type ◽  
Party Organisation ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Political Finance ◽  
Australian State ◽  
Party Family ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Political finance regulations require political parties to engage with a complex and multi-faceted regulatory environment. This article develops a framework to understand how political finance regulation impacts on party organisation and applies it to a diverse grouping of six parties from the Australian State of New South Wales. We find that all parties seek to capture the benefits of compliance, and minimise their exposure to the risks of non-compliance, by centralising and professionalising their organisation. However, the intensity of these responses is moderated by party characteristics, including levels of institutionalisation, party family type and incumbency status. The research thus highlights the intended and unintended consequences of regulation on party organisation, and illuminates the mechanisms through which change occurs.

Determinants of a political party’s social media strategy: A comparative analysis of Tanzania’s opposition political parties’ Twitter practices

2021 ◽  
pp. 135406882110410
Author(s):  
Aikande Clement Kwayu
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Political Parties ◽  
Political Context ◽  
Mainstream Media ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Qualitative Research Methodology ◽  
Alternative Means ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Opposition Parties

The impact of political context on a political party’s organizing and mobilizing strategies has been noted in the literature. Opposition political parties operating in autocratic contexts look for different ways in which they can communicate, organize, and mobilize their members. Advances in digital technology and, in particular social media, have created such spaces in which political parties can communicate and mobilize their members. In Tanzania, the state has imposed repressive political restrictions against opposition parties. In this context, it would be assumed that opposition political parties would turn to social media as an alternative means for mobilization and communication due to restrictions in traditional spaces such as mainstream media and rallies. This article argues that, in Tanzania, the opposition political parties’ levels of institutionalization and resources determine their use of social media more than the repressive political context. The study compares the Twitter use of two opposition parties—Chadema and ACT-Wazalendo—in two periods between 2016 and 2020, which is the period of increasing authoritarian tendencies in the country. The study deploys a qualitative research methodology using a case study approach and collection of data from the parties’ practices in their official Twitter accounts as well as key informant interviews.

Turkish Gender Discrimination Cases in Domestic and International Courts

2019 ◽  
pp. 175-224
Author(s):  
Lisa McIntosh Sundstrom ◽  
Valerie Sperling ◽  
Melike Sayoglu
Keyword(s):  
Domestic Violence ◽  
Gender Discrimination ◽  
Court Cases ◽  
European Court ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Lgbt Community ◽  
Attitudes Toward Sex ◽  
Barriers And Opportunities ◽  
Comparative Inquiry ◽  
The Impact

Chapter 6 is a comparative inquiry into the international and domestic opportunity structure for gender discrimination court cases. The chapter asks, how generalizable are the barriers and opportunities to bringing sex-based discrimination cases to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) from Russia to other Council of Europe member states? The chapter examines social, interpersonal, and material barriers to bringing gender discrimination and LGBT discrimination cases in Turkey. It looks at types of gender discrimination, including domestic violence and honor killing, as well as violence against members of the LGBT community, such as hate crimes. The chapter includes an in-depth analysis of discrimination cases from Turkey regarding both women and LGBT citizens, and finds that, with a few illuminating exceptions, the barriers in Turkey are similar to those in Russia (these include reluctance to go to court, stereotypical attitudes toward sex-based and LGBT discrimination among law enforcement and in the courts, a lack of statistical data to prove patterns of discrimination, lengthy procedures and unsatisfying court decisions and/or implementation of decisions, and a lack of legal training on discrimination). In addition to discussing important gender discrimination and LGBT discrimination cases in domestic court in Turkey, the chapter covers ECtHR rulings on Turkish cases, as well as the impact of the Convention on Eliminating All forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), and the Istanbul Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence.

scholarly journals Less Money, Fewer Donations: The Impact of New South Wales Political Finance Laws on Private Funding of Political Parties

2018 ◽  
Vol 77 (4) ◽  
pp. 797-812
Author(s):  
Malcolm Anderson ◽  
Joo-Cheong Tham ◽  
Zim Nwokora ◽  
Anika Gauja ◽  
Stephen Mills ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Political Parties ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Private Funding ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Political Finance ◽  
The Impact

Political Finance Reforms: How to respond to today’s policy challenges?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yukihiko Hamada ◽  
Khushbu Agrawal
Keyword(s):  
Political Parties ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Election Campaigns ◽  
Quality Of Democracy ◽  
Political Processes ◽  
Political Finance ◽  
Societal Changes ◽  
Political Economic ◽  
Transparency And Accountability

Money is a necessary component of any democracy: it enables political participation, campaigning and representation. However, if it is not effectively regulated, it can undermine the integrity of political processes and institutions, and jeopardize the quality of democracy. Therefore, regulations related to the funding of political parties and election campaigns, commonly known as political finance, are a critical way to promote integrity, transparency and accountability in any democracy. Political finance regulations must adapt and adjust to political, economic and societal changes. This report contributes to the discussion of the future of political finance by exploring the following trends, opportunities and challenges related to money in politics that need to be taken into consideration when improving political finance systems: • mainstreaming political finance regulations into an overall anti-corruption framework; • supporting the implementation of existing political finance regulations and monitoring their performance; • harnessing digital technologies to ensure transparency and accountability in political finance; and • designing targeted political finance measures to encourage the inclusion of underrepresented groups in politics.

The Catholic Diaspora—Experiences of Evacuation

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Brodie
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Religious Practice ◽  
Catholic Clergy ◽  
Profound Influence ◽  
The Social ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Nazi Era ◽  
Mass Evacuation ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Pastoral Practice

This chapter analyses the impact exerted on the Catholic Church’s pastoral networks in Germany by the mass evacuation of laypeople from bombed urban areas as of 1941. Drawing on the voluminous correspondence of priests and curates despatched from the Rhineland and Westphalia to Saxony, Thuringia, Silesia, Austria, and elsewhere to minister to Catholic evacuees, this chapter provides in-depth analysis of the social and cultural histories of religious practice in wartime Germany. It demonstrates that the evacuation of laypeople—a topic long neglected within histories of wartime religious practice—exerted a profound influence on pastoral practice by the years 1943–5, placing unprecedented pressures on the Catholic clergy of the dioceses central to this study (Aachen, Cologne and Münster). This chapter therefore also casts new light on regionalism in Germany during the Nazi era.

scholarly journals Decreased Medical Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic – A Comprehensive Analysis of Radiological Examinations

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annette Aigner ◽  
Bernd Hamm ◽  
Florian Nima Fleckenstein ◽  
Tazio Maleitzke ◽  
Georg Böning ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Care ◽  
Control Period ◽  
Surrogate Marker ◽  
Medical Specialty ◽  
Case Volume ◽  
Medical Specialties ◽  
Key Points ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Radiological Examinations

Objectives As a cross-section discipline within the hospital infrastructure, radiological departments might be able to provide important information regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare. The goal of this study was to quantify changes in medical care during the first wave of the pandemic using radiological examinations as a comprehensive surrogate marker and to determine potential future workload. Methods A retrospective analysis of all radiological examinations during the first wave of the pandemic was performed. The number of examinations was compared to time-matched control periods. Furthermore, an in-depth analysis of radiological examinations attributed to various medical specialties was conducted and postponed examinations were extrapolated to calculate additional workload in the near future. Results A total of 596,760 examinations were analyzed. Overall case volumes decreased by an average of 41 % during the shutdown compared to the control period. The most affected radiological modalities were sonography (–54 %), X-ray (–47 %) followed by MRI (–42 %). The most affected medical specialty was trauma and orthopedics (–60 % case volume) followed by general surgery (–49 %). Examination numbers increased during the post-shutdown period leading to a predicted additional workload of up to 22 %. Conclusion This study shows a marked decrease in radiological examinations in total and among several core medical specialties, indicating a significant reduction in medical care during the first COVID-19 shutdown. Key Points: Citation Format

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