Ethnic Party Bans In Africa: A Research Agenda

2007 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 617-634 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthias Basedau ◽  
Matthijs Bogaards ◽  
Christof Hartmann ◽  
Peter Niesen
Keyword(s):  
Political Parties ◽  
Research Agenda ◽  
Party Politics ◽  
New Democracies ◽  
Level Playing Field ◽  
Political Systems ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Playing Field ◽  
History Of ◽  
Political Associations

The wave of democratization that has engulfed African countries since the 1980s has been characterized by the establishment of or return to multi-party politics. This has mostly happened in political systems with a long history of de facto and de jure constraints on the ability of political parties to function effectively. While few countries today (examples include Eritrea and Swaziland) continue to deny the principle and legitimacy of a pluralistic organization of political associations and parties, many political parties in “new democracies” still face insurmountable obstacles in creating a level playing field and have to cope with legal and administrative provisions that severely restrict their free operation.

scholarly journals Incumbents without a Campaign Finance Advantage: Competition and Money in Chile's Congressional Elections

2011 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 3-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joel W. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Inverse Relationship ◽  
Campaign Finance ◽  
Balance Of Power ◽  
Electoral System ◽  
Congressional Elections ◽  
Level Playing Field ◽  
Political Systems ◽  
Legislative Elections ◽  
Playing Field ◽  
Political Finance

Research from various countries has shown that incumbents in legislative elections raise and spend more money when they face a tougher contest. A statistical analysis of Chilean candidates’ campaign finance disclosures shows the opposite: an inverse relationship between incumbent spending and electoral competitiveness. This occurs because Chile's deputies are relatively limited in their influence over policy and pork and because the congressional electoral system makes most competitive contests relevant only to the intra-coalitional balance of power. This account implies that political finance is as much a function of political systems and the supply of contributions as it is candidates’ demand for funds, and motivates several hypotheses about campaign finance in Chile. Among others, the analysis confirms that incumbents and challengers compete on a level playing field, spending similar amounts of campaign finance. The paper also illustrates that incumbents and challengers fare equally well in Chile's “secret” donation system.

Democracy and the Question of Its Feasibility in Africa

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mamoudou Gazibo
Keyword(s):  
Identity Politics ◽  
Political Systems ◽  
Political Organizations ◽  
Constitutional Courts ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Political Pluralism ◽  
Nation States ◽  
Level Of Economic Development ◽  
History Of

Until the end of the 1980s, most observers believed that democratic prospects in Africa were limited, given the low level of economic development, the absence of strong nation-states, and the inexistence of a long history of social and political pluralism. However, beginning in 1989, a wave of popular protests demanding democratic reforms swept the continent. Within a couple of years, virtually all the countries liberalized their political systems. Since then, Africans have shown consistently that they strongly prefer and support democratic rule. At the same time, democratic institutions such as electoral commissions and constitutional courts have taken root on the continent. These developments suggest that the question of the feasibility of democracy in Africa is no longer relevant. Nonetheless, the existence of democratic demands, support, and institutions does not mean that democracy is easy to establish and consolidate. In many African countries, democratic gains are reversible and face several hindering factors, including state weakness, autocratic mindset, unstable and divided civic and political organizations, and widespread identity politics. This is why the level and quality of democracy on the African continent vary dramatically from country to country and from one region to another.

The Mid-Victorian Reform of Britain’s Company Laws and the Moral Economy of Fair Competition

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-37
Author(s):  
DAVID CHAN SMITH
Keyword(s):  
Driving Force ◽  
Moral Economy ◽  
Company Law ◽  
Law Reform ◽  
Level Playing Field ◽  
Playing Field ◽  
Fair Competition ◽  
Company Law Reform ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Law

This paper reconstructs the history of the reform of Britain’s company laws during the 1850s and makes three major arguments. First, the Law Amendment Society was the driving force for reform and organized the campaign for change. Second, the advancement of working-class interests and ideas of fairness were central to the conceptualization of these reforms and the course of their advocacy. Company law reform was broadly conceived to include the revision of the law of partnership, corporations, and cooperatives to create a level playing field in which smaller entrepreneurs could compete against established capitalists. Finally, central to this campaign was the institutional logic of “fair competition.” Socialists and liberals both used this logic, demonstrating how moral ideas can shape organizational change.

Comment on Reiter

1985 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 418-419
Author(s):  
Nelson W. Polsby
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Political Parties ◽  
The United States ◽  
Party Politics ◽  
Secular Trends ◽  
Recent History ◽  
History Of ◽  
American Party ◽  
Presidential Nominations

I am sure that all of us who have been attempting to make sense of American party politics these last couple of decades welcome Professor Reiter's contribution, and look forward to the publication of his book. As I understand the argument he is making, at least four positions are possible with respect to the recent history of political parties and Presidential nominations in the United States: (1) that no changes have occurred; (2) that long-term secular trends account for all changes; (3) that party reforms account for all changes; and (4) that a combination of longer-term trends and party reforms account for changes. Perhaps in order to hold the attention of readers, Professor Reiter has chosen to contrast positions (2) and (3).

scholarly journals Projecting Dynastic Majesty: State Ceremony in the Reign of Robert Bruce

2015 ◽  
Vol 40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucinda Dean
Keyword(s):  
Fourteenth Century ◽  
Level Playing Field ◽  
Civil Strife ◽  
Royal Authority ◽  
Playing Field ◽  
Common Purpose ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Common ◽  
Scottish History ◽  
Funeral Ceremony

Following the murder of his rival John Comyn on 10 February at Greyfriars in Dumfries, and the crisis this act incited, Robert the Bruce’s inaugural ceremony took place at Scone in late March 1306. Much about this ceremony is speculative; however, subsequent retrospective legitimisation of the Bruce claims to the royal succession would suggest that all possible means by which Robert’s inauguration could emulate his Canmore predecessors and outline his right to rule on a level playing field with his contemporaries were amplified, particularly where they served the common purpose of legitimising Robert’s highly questioned hold on power. Fourteenth-century Scottish history is inextricably entwined in the Wars of Independence, civil strife and an accelerated struggle for autonomous rule and independence. The historiography of this period is unsurprisingly heavily dominated by such themes and, while this has been offset by works exploring subjects such as the tomb of Bruce and the piety of the Bruce dynasty, the ceremonial history of this era remains firmly in the shadows. This paper will address three key ceremonies through which a king would, traditionally, make powerful statements of royal authority: the inauguration or coronation of Bruce; the marriage of his infant son to the English princess Joan of the Tower in 1328, and his extravagant funeral ceremony in 1329. By focusing thus this paper hopes to shed new light on the ‘dark and drublie days’ of fourteenth-century Scotland and reveal that glory, dynastic majesty and pleasure were as central to the Scottish monarchy in this era as war and political turbulence.

scholarly journals Political Representation in Liquid Democracy

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chiara Valsangiacomo
Keyword(s):  
Political Parties ◽  
Political Participation ◽  
Intrinsic Motivation ◽  
Interest Groups ◽  
Political Representation ◽  
Selection Model ◽  
Level Playing Field ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Playing Field ◽  
Liquid Democracy

This article provides an in-depth survey of political representation in Liquid Democracy (LD). More precisely, it refutes two potential criticisms: 1) LD impoverishes the concept of political representation relative to existing representative democracies; 2) LD undermines the centrality of political parties. In answer to (1), the article shows that LD is compatible with a selection model of representation, in which proxies are characterized as gyroscopic representatives, driven by intrinsic motivation and indifferent to sanctions. This claim has far-reaching normative implications for the mandate-independence tradeoff, anti-elitism, and deliberation under LD. With regard to (2), the article examines the function of parties, arguing that, although it puts parties and interest groups on a level playing field, LD does not threaten partisanship, but rather expands the range of potential carriers of partisanship. In addressing these objections, this article demonstrates the democratic credentials of LD, showing that LD is compatible with a high-quality, democratic understanding of representation, which is surrounded by a cluster of thick concepts like commitment, intrinsic motivation, alignment of objectives, sympathy, trust, and dialogue. This turns LD into a powerful instrument for the refurbishment of representation both as a unique mode of political participation and as a practice of self-government.

ROLE OF POLITICAL PARTIES IN FORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF POLITICAL SYSTEM IN MODERN RUSSIA: CONSTITUTIONAL AND LEGAL ASPECTS

2019 ◽  
pp. 200
Author(s):  
Vitaly Melnik
Keyword(s):  
Political Parties ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Scientific Work ◽  
Legal Aspects ◽  
The State ◽  
Political Life ◽  
The Political ◽  
Political Systems ◽  
Rules And Principles ◽  
History Of

This scientific work was written because the theme of political parties is interesting to me. The reason for my interest in political parties is the relevance of this legal institution. As stated at the outset, it is the political parties that determine the political life of the state, and hence the economic and social life of the country. The purpose of my research is to study the degree of influence of political parties on the economy and social life, in the study of the essence of the influence of political parties on the life of the state. The scientific work examines the history of the emergence and development of political parties in Russia. In scientific work political parties of the Russian Federation, political parties of Latvia are considered, compared and correlated. Political systems of two different countries are compared and correlated. The purpose of this analysis is to identify the General rules and principles of development and existence of political parties.

Political Parties and Regime Outcomes in Multiparty Africa

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrienne LeBas
Keyword(s):  
Political Parties ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Government Accountability ◽  
Hybrid Regimes ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Playing Field ◽  
Party Organizations ◽  
Holding Power ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Independent Effects

Since the early 1990s, most African countries have experimented with multiparty elections, but the building and institutionalization of political parties has proven difficult. In many countries, parties—including those holding power—are fluid, volatile, and lack grassroots structures. In others, the party landscape remains surprisingly similar to Van de Walle’s assessment: “[consisting] of a dominant presidential party surrounded by a large number of small, highly volatile parties.” As Van de Walle points out, ruling parties—including the ex-single parties that continue to rule in many of Africa’s hybrid regimes—have advantages that mean that elections are not fought on a level playing field. Ruling parties may use repression against challengers, or they may manipulate voter registration, constituency redistricting, and other aspects of electoral administration. Incumbents can also take advantage of state resources, and a decline in patronage resources has been a powerful driver of electoral turnover in regions. But differences in election competitiveness in Africa are not only a function of repression, manipulation, or access to patronage. Differences in both ruling party and opposition party organizations have independent effects on parties’ ability to win elections, on the loyalty of mass constituencies, and on the conduct of election campaigns. New scholarship has started to take these differences in party organization seriously, and this will enrich our understanding of how voters in sub-Saharan Africa navigate political choice. Research on parties and party systems highlights the degree to which these factors differ across countries and over time, complicating standard narratives that often privilege clientelism and ethnicity as the primary—and largely uniform—influences on voter behavior and government accountability on the continent.

Constitutional dialogue in Uganda

2005 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erica Bussey
Keyword(s):  
Political Parties ◽  
Constitutional Amendment ◽  
The Political ◽  
Political Systems ◽  
The Supreme Court ◽  
Canadian Context ◽  
Open Debate ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
History Of ◽  
Dialogue Theory

The paper considers several recent constitutional cases in Uganda, including Constitutional Petition No. 5 of 2003, which struck down several sections of the Political Parties and Organisations Act, aimed at suppressing opposition party activity, and Constitutional Appeal No. 1 of 2002, in which the Supreme Court held that a constitutional amendment which had enabled the 2000 Referendum on political systems was unconstitutional, as examples of an emerging constitutional dialogue in Uganda. The paper examines the history of constitutionalism in Uganda, the 1995 Constitution, and recent constitutional cases in order to analyse the tools available within the Ugandan constitutional framework that make a meaningful dialogue between the courts and the legislature possible, and the ways in which these have, or have not been used in recent decisions. The paper discusses dialogue theory with an emphasis on the use of dialogue in the comparative (and particularly Canadian) context and considers whether dialogue is possible in nondemocratic systems. The recent cases indicate that not only is there the beginnings of a process of dialogue in Uganda, but that this dialogue may in fact be more important in some senses than it is within the democratic framework, since given the lack of open debate in Parliament and other fora, the dialogue between the courts and the legislature is often the only place in which important issues can be debated. However, recent developments, such as Museveni's reaction to the court's decision in Constitutional Petition No. 3 of 2000 which nullified the results of the 2000 Referendum, show how fragile this process of dialogue may be.

The Way We Never Were: Postracial Kinesiology and America

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 167-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maureen M. Smith ◽  
Katherine M. Jamieson
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Level Playing Field ◽  
Meaningful Life ◽  
Playing Field ◽  
History Of ◽  
Military Preparedness ◽  
Racial Hierarchies

Traditional histories of kinesiology generally read as chronological narratives of progress that highlight advancements in performance and technology; pioneering work by faculty and coaches (all White and very often male); the role of physical education in solving America’s crises of masculinity and military preparedness, and now obesity; and finally, stories of harmonious integration where sport serves as a meritocracy and level playing field. These narratives of progress remain prominent in many of the histories of our subdisciplines. Seven “snapshots” of moments in the history of kinesiology are utilized to illustrate often marginalized histories that reflect the profession’s role in creating and reinforcing racial hierarchies. Concluding remarks outline an anti-racist framing of kinesiology that may be worth pondering and outlining, especially as a way to link our subdisciplinary inquiries toward a goal of enhancing quality of life through meaningful, life-long physical activity for all.

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