The Alignment and Representation of European Voters

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dennis C. Spies
Keyword(s):  
Voting Behavior ◽  
The Political ◽  
Left Wing ◽  
Foreign Born ◽  
Extreme Right ◽  
Political Landscape ◽  
The Us ◽  
Party Support ◽  
The One ◽  
Party Family

The chapter shows how anti-immigrant sentiment and welfare support influence the voting behavior of natives and foreign-born citizens in Europe. The results indicate that both sets of attitudes are strongly related to party support, and that, in combination, they do not lead to very welfare-critical political coalitions. On the one hand, parts of the US setup are present in many European countries: anti-immigrant votes go nearly exclusively to the Extreme Right and the mainstream-right, whereas foreign-born voters predominantly support left-wing parties. On the other hand, the political landscape with regard to welfare that emerges from these alignments is far less likely to foster retrenchment than the political landscape we find in the US. Extreme Right Parties (ERPs) especially, as the party family benefitting most from the anti-immigrant vote, are deeply divided by the heterogeneous welfare stance of their supporters.

Martin Shapiro: An Appreciation

The Forum ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Shep Melnick
Keyword(s):  
Institutional Environment ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
The Political ◽  
Public Officials ◽  
Thick Description ◽  
Past Half Century ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Matrix ◽  
The One ◽  
Better Than

AbstractOver the past half century no judicial politics scholar has been more respected or influential than Martin Shapiro. Yet it is hard to identify a school of thought one could call “Shapiroism.” Rather than offer convenient methodologies or grand theories, Shapiro provides rich empirical studies that show us how to think about the relationship between law and courts on the one hand and politics and governing on the other. Three key themes run through Shapiro’s impressive oevre. First, rather than study courts in isolation, political scientists should view them as “one government agency among many,” and seek to “integrate the judicial system in the matrix of government and politics in which it actually operates.” Law professors may understand legal doctrines better than political scientists, but we know (or should know) the rest of the political system better than they do. Second, although judges inevitably make political decisions, their institutional environment leads them to act differently from other public officials. Most importantly, their legitimacy rests on their perceived impartiality within the plaintiff-defendant-judge triad. The conflict between judges’ role as impartial arbiter and enforcer of the laws of the regime can never be completely resolved and places powerful constraints on their actions. Third, the best way to understand the complex relationship between courts and other elements of the regime is comparative analysis. Shapiro played a major role in resuscitating comparative law, especially in his work comparing the US and the EU. All this he did with a rare combination of thick description and crisp, jargon-free analysis, certainly a rarity the political science of our time.

scholarly journals What’s Left? Political orientation, economic conditions and incarceration in Greece under Syriza-led government

2020 ◽  
pp. 147737082096656
Author(s):  
Leonidas K. Cheliotis ◽  
Sappho Xenakis
Keyword(s):  
Political Orientation ◽  
Economic Conditions ◽  
The Political ◽  
Economic Downturn ◽  
Left Wing ◽  
State Punishment ◽  
National Economic ◽  
Political Spectrum ◽  
The One ◽  
Fiscal Implications

An important body of scholarly work has been produced over recent decades to explain variation in levels and patterns of state punishment across and within different countries around the world. Two variables that have curiously evaded systematic attention in this regard are, first, the orientation of incumbent governments along the political spectrum, and second, the experience and fiscal implications of national economic downturn. Although recent years have seen both variables receive somewhat greater consideration, there is still precious little research into the effects on state punishment that they have in interaction with one another. With a view to helping fill this gap in the literature, this article identifies the direction and assesses the extent of influence exerted by government political orientation, on the one hand, and by economic downturn alongside its fiscal repercussions, on the other hand, upon the evolution of incarceration in the context of contemporary Greece. In so doing, we offer a uniquely detailed account of carceral trends before and during the period that a coalition government led by the left-wing Syriza party was in power. With regard to carceral trends as such, the scope of our analysis extends beyond conventional imprisonment also to include immigration detention. As well as arguing that economic downturn can place crucial limits on a government’s ability to execute progressive plans in carceral matters, we additionally conclude that a government’s scope of action in this vein may be further restricted depending on the autonomy it can wield in defiance of foreign forces intervening in both economic and political realms.

The Dynamics of Social Capital and Recent Political Development in Malaysia

2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 443-464
Author(s):  
SYEDA NAUSHIN PARNINI ◽  
MOHAMMAD REDZUAN OTHMAN ◽  
AMER SAIFUDE
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Civil Society ◽  
Political Development ◽  
Voting Behavior ◽  
Domestic Politics ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
The Political ◽  
Political Landscape ◽  
The Social ◽  
Opposition Parties

AbstractThe political landscape in Malaysia has been changing since the late 1990s with a gradual rise in resistance from civil society and the opposition parties. Domestic politics have become more contentious recently, particularly evidenced by the advent of a strong civil society and a multi-cultural opposition coalition. Thus, the social capital stimulated by ICTs and CSOs has played a vital role in strengthening and empowering the role of the opposition parties in Malaysia. This study seeks to understand how ICT-driven social capital has facilitated the surge in the opposition movement by situating the political use of social capital in a broader socio-political context. Hence the dramatic political change has been intertwined with the dynamics of social capital and creation of a public sphere accelerated by the rapid growth of ICTs in the country. By analyzing recent voting patterns, this study demonstrates that ICT-driven social capital does have a great impact on the changing political landscape in Malaysia, particularly in shaping voting behavior and political participation of Malay and non-Malay citizens in domestic politics.

The Reichstag Elections

1925 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 362-370
Author(s):  
Elmer D. Graper
Keyword(s):  
Public Opinion ◽  
The Political ◽  
Extreme Right ◽  
Political Situation ◽  
General Elections ◽  
The One

Although two general elections were held in Germany during 1924, the political situation remained confused. The election of May resulted in gains for both the extreme right and the extreme left; the one of December registered a reaction against both extremes. However, neither of these contests was sufficiently conclusive to indicate clearly the direction in which the currents of public opinion were moving. The result has been a remarkable series of cabinet crises, the latest of which it took more than a month to settle.

scholarly journals Good times for a change? Ireland since the general election

Soundings ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 75 (75) ◽  
pp. 66-81
Author(s):  
Colin Coulter ◽  
John Reynolds
Keyword(s):  
Status Quo ◽  
General Election ◽  
The Political ◽  
Left Wing ◽  
Popular Vote ◽  
Election Result ◽  
Political Status ◽  
Political Landscape ◽  
Fianna Fail ◽  
First Time

The 2020 Irish general election result was widely characterised as both a 'shock' and as a victory for the left. These claims are only partially true. The recent turn to the left was not a sudden development, but rather an expression of how the Irish political landscape has changed since the global financial crash. And while the electorate certainly appear more open to left-wing politics, the principal beneficiaries in terms of the popular vote (Sinn Féin) and access to power (the Greens) were parties with only questionable left-wing credentials. Before a new government could even be formed, the advent of the global health pandemic transformed the political terrain once more, with the two traditionally dominant centre-right parties (Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil) agreeing to share power for the first time. While the restoration of the political status quo has exposed the weakness of the republican left, we suggest that the neoliberal policies that lie ahead may in time revive the fortunes of the socialist left.

scholarly journals Building local brand for fresh fruits and vegetables: A strategic approach aimed at strengthening the local agricultural sector

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Just ◽  
Amir Heiman
Keyword(s):  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Left Wing ◽  
Political Landscape ◽  
Political Views ◽  
Strategic Approach ◽  
Fresh Vegetables ◽  
The Us ◽  
Willingness To Purchase ◽  
Vegetables And Fruits

Abstract The debate about whether to reduce import barriers on fresh produce in order to decrease the cost of living and increase welfare or to continue protecting the local agricultural sector by imposing import duties on fresh vegetables and fruits has been part of the Israeli and the US political dialog. The alternative of building a strong local brand that will direct patriotic feelings to support of the agricultural sector has been previously discussed in the literature as a non-tax barrier to global competition. The motivation of consumers to pay more for local fresh fruits and vegetables are better quality, environmental concerns, altruism, and ethnocentrism. Local patriotic feelings are expected to be stronger among national-religious consumers and weaker among secular left wing voters. This project empirically analyzes consumers’ attitude toward local agricultural production, perceptions of the contribution of the agricultural sector to society and how these perceptions interact with patriotic beliefs and socio-political variables perhaps producing an ethnocentric preference for fruits and vegetables. This patriotic feeling may be contrasted with feelings toward rival (or even politically opposing) countries competing in the same markets. Thus geo-political landscape may help shape the consumer’s preferences and willingness to purchase particular products. Our empirical analysis is based on two surveys, one conducted among Israeli shoppers and one conducted among US households. We find strong influences of nationalism, patriotism and ethnocentrism on demand for produce in both samples. In the case of Israel this manifests itself as a significant discount demanded for countries in conflict with Israel (e.g., Syria or Palestine), with the discount demanded being related to the strength of the conflict. Moreover, the effect is larger for those who are either more religious, or those who identify with right leaning political parties. The results from the US are strikingly similar. For some countries the perception of conflict is dependent on political views (e.g., Mexico), while for others there is a more agreement (e.g., Russia). Despite a substantially different religious and political landscape, both right leaning political views and religiosity play strong roles in demand for foreign produce. 

scholarly journals Andreas Papandreou’s Exile Politics: The First Phase (1968-1970)

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stan Draenos
Keyword(s):  
Third World ◽  
The Other ◽  
The Political ◽  
National Liberation ◽  
Protest Movement ◽  
The Third ◽  
The Us ◽  
Initial Evolution ◽  
The One ◽  
The Third World

Andreas Papandreou’s exile politics, following his December 1967 release from Averoff Prison, have stereotypically been seen as simply adopting the neo-Marxist ideologies associated with the Third World national liberation movements of the era. In narrating the initial evolution of his views on the “Greek Question” in exile, this study attempts to surface the underlying dynamics responsible for radicalizing his politics in that direction. Those dynamics reflect, on the one hand, the relentless will-to-action informing Papandreou’s political persona and, on the other, the political upheavals, headlined by the protest movement against the US war in Vietnam, in which his politics were enmeshed.

scholarly journals Analysing Spatio-Temporal Voting Patterns in Brazilian Elections Through a Simple Data Science Pipeline

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
L. H. M. Jacintho ◽  
T. P. da Silva ◽  
A. R. S. Parmezan ◽  
G. E. A. P. A. Batista
Keyword(s):  
Voting Behavior ◽  
Presidential Elections ◽  
Data Science ◽  
The Political ◽  
First Year ◽  
Left Wing ◽  
Spatio Temporal ◽  
Election Results ◽  
Political Spectrum ◽  
The Right

Since 1989, the first year of the democratic presidential election after a long period of a dictatorship regime, Brazil conducted eight presidential elections. Short and long-term shifts of power and two impeachment processes marked such a period. This instability is a research case in electoral studies, mainly regarding the understanding of citizens' voting behavior. Comprehending patterns in the population behavior can give us insight into phenomena and processes that affect democratic political decisions. In light of this, our paper analyses Brazilian electoral data at the municipal level from 1998 to 2018 using a simple data science pipeline, which consists of five steps: (i) data selection; (ii) data preprocessing; (iii) identification of spatial patterns, in which we seek to understand the role of space in the election results employing spatial auto-correlation techniques; (iv) identification of temporal patterns, where we investigate similar trends of votes over the years applying a hierarchical clustering method; and (v) evaluation of results. We study the presidential elections focusing on the right and left-wing parties most relevant for the period: the Brazilian Social Democracy Party~(PSDB) and the Workers' Party~(PT). We also analyse the congressman election data regarding parties ideologically to the right and left in the political spectrum. Through the obtained results, we found the existence of spatial dependence in every electoral year investigated. Moreover, despite the changes in the political-economic context over the years, neighboring cities seem to present similar voting behavior trends.

scholarly journals Populist Disinformation: Exploring Intersections between Online Populism and Disinformation in the US and the Netherlands

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 146-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Hameleers
Keyword(s):  
Expert Knowledge ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
The Political ◽  
Discursive Construction ◽  
Right Wing ◽  
Left Wing ◽  
The People ◽  
The Press ◽  
The Us ◽  
Mainstream Press

The discursive construction of a populist divide between the ‘good’ people and ‘corrupt’ elites can conceptually be linked to disinformation. More specifically, (right-wing) populists are not only attributing blame to the political elites, but increasingly vent anti-media sentiments in which the mainstream press is scapegoated for not representing the people. In an era of post-truth relativism, ‘fake news’ is increasingly politicized and used as a label to delegitimize political opponents or the press. To better understand the affinity between disinformation and populism, this article conceptualizes two relationships between these concepts: (1) blame attributions to the dishonest media as part of the corrupt elites that mislead the people; and (2) the expression of populist boundaries in a people-centric, anti-expert, and evidence-free way. The results of a comparative qualitative content analysis in the US and Netherlands indicate that the political leaders Donald Trump and Geert Wilders blame legacy media in populist ways by regarding them as part of the corrupt and lying establishment. Compared to left-wing populist and mainstream politicians, these politicians are the most central players in the discursive construction of populist disinformation. Both politicians bypassed empirical evidence and expert knowledge whilst prioritizing the people’s truth and common sense at the center stage of honesty and reality. These expressions resonated with public opinion on Facebook, although citizens were more likely to frame mis- and disinformation in terms of ideological cleavages. These findings have important implications for our understanding of the role of populist discourse in a post-factual era.

Toward the Absence of Time

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaime Rodríguez Matos
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Models ◽  
Cuban Revolution ◽  
The Other ◽  
The Political ◽  
Political Modernity ◽  
The Us ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Political Time ◽  
The Many ◽  
The One

This chapter focuses on the concept of time at the heart of political modernity, particularly as it is embodied in various phases of the Cuban Revolution. It sets out a way of understanding a perhaps unexpected continuity in the concept of politics underwriting the Revolutionary State across different moments in its history. The chapter shows to what extent the opposition of the one and the many, the one hegemonic time of Capitalist modernity and the multiple peripheral temporalities that confront and fracture it, only serves to occlude the metaphysical structure of modern political time as a whole. The chapter is concerned, on the one hand, with the retroactive changes that obtain in our image of politics once we take into account recent developments such as the period that follows the fall of the USSR and the contemporary moment of “normalizing” relations between the US and Cuba. On the other hand, the chapter is concerned with the various theoretical models available to think the political temporalities at issue.

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