Introduction: Parties, Party Choice, and Partisanship in East Asia

2007 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 177-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Russell J. Dalton ◽  
Yun-han Chu ◽  
Doh Chull Shin
Keyword(s):  
East Asia ◽  
Electoral Competition ◽  
Democratic Process ◽  
Political Pluralism ◽  
Party Choice ◽  
Democratic Polity ◽  
Political Interests

Political parties are widely seen as “a sine qua non for the organization of the modern democratic polity and for the expression of political pluralism.” The manner in which parties articulate political interests largely defines the nature of electoral competition, the representation of citizen interests, the policy consequences of elections—and ultimately the functioning of the democratic process.

The Patterns of Party Polarization in East Asia

2007 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 203-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Russell J. Dalton ◽  
Aiji Tanaka
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Study ◽  
East Asia ◽  
Party System ◽  
East Asian ◽  
Party Systems ◽  
Party Competition ◽  
Party Polarization ◽  
Party Choice ◽  
Party Positions ◽  
The Comparative Study

The alignment of parties within a party system shapes the nature of electoral competition, the process of representation, and potentially the legitimacy of the system. This article describes the distribution of parties and the levels of party polarization in the party systems of East Asian democracies. We examine the public's perceptions of party positions on a left-right scale to map the pattern of party competition. The evidence is based on two waves of surveys from the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems. We describe considerable variation in the polarization of Asian party systems, which has direct implications for the clarity of party choice and the behavior of voters. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of our findings.

Political Parties’ Campaign Financing in Ghana’s Fourth Republic: A Contribution to the Discourse

2016 ◽  
Vol 52 (8) ◽  
pp. 1124-1140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Arthur
Keyword(s):  
Political Parties ◽  
Political Party ◽  
Electoral Competition ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Democratic Process ◽  
Financing System ◽  
Secondary Sources ◽  
Playing Field ◽  
Liberal Democratic ◽  
Political Resources

The period from 1992 saw Ghana, under pressure from both internal and external sources, embark on the transition to democratic rule. Despite the strides, an issue that has the potential to undermine Ghana’s liberal democratic credentials has centred on the process of political party financing. The purpose of this paper is to analyse how the existing political party financing system in Ghana is negatively impacting on electoral competition and the country’s democratic process. Drawing on secondary sources, this paper shows that, given that it is political resources that drive party vibrancy and competitiveness, a level playing field in terms of public financing of political parties can help in electoral competition and the promotion of the democratic process in Ghana. However, the importance of transparency and accountability, as well as a legal framework that monitors, denounces, sanctions and punishes abuse in the use of public funds, would be crucial if success is to be attained.

scholarly journals “Islamic Moderation” in Perspectives: A Comparison Between Oriental and Occidental Scholarships

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 69-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tazul Islam ◽  
Amina Khatun
Keyword(s):  
Social Norms ◽  
Democratic Process ◽  
The West ◽  
Political Pluralism ◽  
Media Attention ◽  
State Legitimacy ◽  
Legal Position ◽  
Western Scholarship ◽  
Willingness To Cooperate ◽  
Contextual Difference

‘Islamic moderation’ has received a great deal of academic and media attention both in the West and in the East. Yet, the denotation of the very term still remains abundantly paradoxical as different regions and contexts provide different sheds of meanings. In the western scholarship, Islamic moderation is concerned with liberal social norms, hermeneutics, political pluralism, democratic process, organizational affinities, and views of state legitimacy over the monopoly of violence, some kind of adaptation, willingness to cooperate or compromise. However, it is by no means exhaustive as its definition in Islamic scholarship provides some unlike constituents. To define moderation, Muslim scholars, firstly explores to lexical meanings of its Arabic substitute “wasatiyyah”. Secondly, they explore the textual meanings of the word “wasatiyyah” used in the orthodox text i.e the Quran and traditions (Sunnah) of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). According to them, moderation is a best suited, justly balanced or middle position between two extremes i.e. extremism and laxity. Their use of the term, is contextualized in terms of counter-extremism, modest socio-religious behaviour and temperate legal position. This research finds out a considerable textual and contextual difference in the use of the term ‘Islamic moderation’ between the East and the West. Hence, this study aims to explore the lack of integration between both scholarships in this issue. 

Negotiating Independence in Mauritius

2005 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 263-292 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaheen Mozaffar
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Learning Curve ◽  
The Political ◽  
Social Stability ◽  
Electoral Institutions ◽  
Strategic Bargaining ◽  
Democratic Polity ◽  
Political Interests ◽  
Democratic Stability ◽  
New Institutions

AbstractThe democratic institutions, especially the electoral institutions for converting votes into seats that were chosen during independence negotiations, have been the key to democratic stability in Mauritius. These institutions emerged out of strategic bargaining structured around a combination of contextual and contingent variables. Conflicting political interests reflecting a combination of class, sectarian and communal interests influenced the institutional preferences of Mauritian elites involved in independence negotiations, leading them to converge on institutional designs that they expected would protect and promote those interests in the new democratic polity. Once in place, the new institutions represented equilibrium outcomes, creating incentives for all actors, engendering a learning curve in peaceful accommodation of inter-group conflicts, and establishing the political basis for social stability, democratic consolidation, and economic development.

scholarly journals Kompleksitas Keamanan Kawasan dan Tantangan Kerja Sama Keamanan Asia Timur

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-44
Author(s):  
M. Najeri Al Syahrin
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
South Korea ◽  
East Asia ◽  
North Korea ◽  
The United States ◽  
Regional Security ◽  
Security Cooperation ◽  
Political Interests ◽  
Security Relations ◽  
The Many

This article will explain the regional security complex as a key challenge in the establishment of regional security cooperation in East Asia. The complex of security in East Asia described by explaining the security relations between North Korea and South Korea, China and Japan, the United States with Japan, and China with the United States and a pattern of chain reaction to the various security policies of these countries. This security complex makes it difficult to establish effective regional security cooperation. The Challenge of the regional security complex that most decisive in the formation of cooperation that will be done by the countries of the East Asia region is due to competition and differences of interests between the United States and China as a superpower state in the region. In addition, the many differences in the nature and orientation of political interests of Japan, South Korea, and North Korea are also still a constraint in the formation of regional security organizations and cooperation.

POLITICAL PLURALISM: NOTION, CONCEPTUAL AND INTERPRETATIVE FORESHORTENING

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 32-37
Author(s):  
VALERIA GELUNENKO ◽  
◽  
SERGEY ANDREEV
Keyword(s):  
Direct Democracy ◽  
Freedom Of Expression ◽  
Freedom Of Speech ◽  
Constitutional Court ◽  
Political Pluralism ◽  
Democratic State ◽  
Political Interests ◽  
Political Freedoms ◽  
Constitutional System ◽  
The Right

In order to reveal the content of political pluralism, the article considers conceptual, conceptual and interpretative approaches to its definition in the context of constitutional relations with the foundations of the constitutional system, constitutional values, freedom of speech and expression. It is revealed that the absence of the term “political pluralism” in the constitutional text of Russia is made up for by its disclosure through the interpretation of the related principles of “ideological diversity”, “political diversity” and “multiparty”. It is this perspective of the study of political pluralism that helps to justify it as the basis of the constitutional system of Russia. It is noted that since freedom of speech and expression are associated primarily with political freedoms, they are most logically associated with political pluralism. It is proved that the latter implies the presence of citizens in society who have their own interests, adhere to different views on the development of the state and society and unite on this basis in groups, as well as finding a compromise between them based on common ideals and values when solving issues of national importance. The analysis of the motivational part of the decisions of the constitutional Court of the Russian Federation served to reveal the content of political pluralism. The authors concluded that the structure of political pluralism consists of political diversity, freedom of speech, freedom of expression, and political compromise. As a generalization, the authors noted that the principle of political pluralism is revealed by this body through guarantees of political diversity and the possibility of finding a compromise of political interests at the level of the Parliament. In addition, it was stressed that the principle of political diversity in a democratic state is ensured through the functioning of such institutions of direct democracy as freedom of speech, free elections, freedom of peaceful public events, the right to Association and freedom of their activities, including political parties. It is concluded that the coordination of political interests should be provided by parliaments of various levels.

Procedural Fairness in a Militant Democracy: The “Uprising of the Decent” Fails Before the Federal Constitutional Court

2003 ◽  
Vol 4 (11) ◽  
pp. 1117-1136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thilo Rensmann
Keyword(s):  
Weimar Republic ◽  
Procedural Fairness ◽  
Trojan Horse ◽  
The Self ◽  
Constitutional Court ◽  
Democratic Process ◽  
Self Healing ◽  
Basic Law ◽  
Democratic Polity ◽  
Federal Constitutional

“If there be any among us who wish to dissolve this union, or to change its republican form, let them stand undisturbed, as monuments of the safety with which error of opinion may be tolerated where reason is left free to combat it.” The framers of the German Grundgesetz (Basic Law or Constitution) of 1949 had lost Thomas Jefferson's optimistic faith that the self-healing powers of reason would render a democratic polity immune to totalitarian temptation. The Weimar Republic had proved defenceless against the rise of a totalitarian movement, which availed itself of the democratic process as a Trojan horse in its effort to establish a brutal dictatorship.

Partisanship and Citizen Politics in East Asia

2007 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 295-321 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yun-han Chu ◽  
Min-hua Huang
Keyword(s):  
Civic Engagement ◽  
East Asia ◽  
East Asian ◽  
Political Engagement ◽  
Democratic Process ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Emerging Democracies ◽  
Global Trend ◽  
Citizen Politics ◽  
Established Democracies

This article assesses the relative importance of partisanship in explaining level of citizens' political engagement within a multivariate framework. In particular, we examine if the relative worth of partisan attachment in explaining civic engagement differs systematically between East Asian emerging democracies and established democracies. We find that partisanship in East Asia exerts just as much influence on citizens' engagement in politics as in established democracies. The global trend in which interest associations and social movements are becoming vigorous competitors to parties for the opportunity to represent and mobilize citizens in democratic process has also spread to East Asia.

Diversity in Political Institutions and Congressional Responsiveness to Minority Interests

2012 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 127-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael D. Minta ◽  
Valeria Sinclair-Chapman
Keyword(s):  
Civil Rights ◽  
Social Welfare ◽  
Political Institutions ◽  
Electoral Competition ◽  
Democratic Process ◽  
Congressional Hearings ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Minority Interests ◽  
Government Responsiveness

Despite claims that diversity benefits the democratic process, critics question whether increased diversity significantly improves government responsiveness and accountability beyond electoral competition and constituency influence. The authors advance a diversity infrastructure theory to explain why and how minority legislators have kept minority interests on the congressional agenda. Using data on congressional hearings held on civil rights and social welfare from 1951 to 2004, the authors find that despite the decline of national attention to civil rights and social welfare issues in general, increased diversity in the House and to a lesser extent in the Senate is responsible for keeping minority interests on the congressional agenda.

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