Conceptualizing political support in democracies and autocracies

2020 ◽  
pp. 23-34
Author(s):  
Marlene Mauk
Keyword(s):  
Value Orientations ◽  
Political Support ◽  
Regime Stability ◽  
Institutional Structures ◽  
Autocratic Regimes ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Political Value ◽  
Regime Support

This chapter conceptualizes political support in democratic and autocratic contexts. It first sets the basis for a comparison between democratic and autocratic contexts by defining both democracy and autocracy and outlining the fundamental differences between the two types of regimes, both in terms of institutional structures and functional logics. Taking into account how the different institutional structures and functional logics of democracies and autocracies affect the structure of political support, it distinguishes between three levels of political support: political value orientations, regime support, and incumbent support. Discussing their consequences for the stability of democratic and autocratic regimes, the chapter identifies regime support as the most consequential attitude for regime stability.

Introduction

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Marlene Mauk
Keyword(s):  
Research Strategy ◽  
Political Support ◽  
System Level ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Regime Stability ◽  
Citizen Support ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Regime Support ◽  
The Empirical Analysis

This introductory chapter develops three core research questions for the book: How widespread is citizen support for the respective regime in democracies and autocracies? What individual-level sources is regime support based upon in democracies and autocracies? What system-level sources affect regime support in democracies and autocracies? Pointing out the relevance of political support for regime stability, it argues that answering these questions can contribute to assessing the stability of both democracies and autocracies. Following a brief review of the literature, it outlines the theoretical model proposed in the book and gives an overview of the research strategy, case selection, data, and methods applied in the empirical analysis.

Bread or Roses: How Economic Inequality Affects Regime Support in China?

2021 ◽  
pp. 003232172110480
Author(s):  
Xian Huang ◽  
Cai Zuo
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Politics ◽  
Empirical Test ◽  
Economic Inequality ◽  
Political Legitimacy ◽  
Political Support ◽  
The Political ◽  
Political Values ◽  
Political Effects ◽  
Political Value ◽  
Regime Support

Much comparative politics scholarship has examined whether economic inequality affects democratic values or political support in democracies. Nevertheless, they lack a close examination of the political effects of economic inequality and, more importantly, how economic inequality shapes political support in non-democracies. We provide an empirical test of the effect of economic inequality on regime support using the China data from the Asian Barometer Survey between 2002 and 2015. We argue and demonstrate that perceived economic inequality significantly reduces regime support in China. Moreover, using a causal mediation analysis, we find that the detrimental effect of perceived economic inequality on regime support is not driven by demands for redistribution, but rather by the political value orientation. These findings advance our understanding of the connection between economic inequality and political values and the economic base of political legitimacy in non-democracies.

Looking forward and looking backward: Economic evaluations and regime support in China

Politics ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 026339572198954
Author(s):  
Yida Zhai
Keyword(s):  
Economic Evaluation ◽  
National Economy ◽  
Authoritarian Regimes ◽  
Economic Situation ◽  
Economic Conditions ◽  
Economic Evaluations ◽  
Age Cohorts ◽  
Psychological Mechanism ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Regime Support

It is widely acknowledged that the economic situation is of vital importance for the stability of an authoritarian regime, but it is rarely known how the public’s economic evaluation contributes to such outcomes. This study examines the effects of citizens’ retrospective and prospective evaluations of their household economic situation and the national economy on the level of regime support in China. The findings show that the national economy outweighs household economic conditions in its effects on the public’s support of the regime. However, the gap between evaluations of the national economy and individual economic situations debilitates regime support. The population in different age cohorts has distinct patterns of relationships between retrospective and prospective economic evaluations and regime support. This study elucidates the political-psychological mechanism of the public’s economic evaluation affecting regime support, and the ruling strategy in authoritarian regimes of manipulating this evaluation.

The Political Economy of Macroeconomic Policy in Resource-Rich Arab Economies

2019 ◽  
pp. 17-51
Author(s):  
Adeel Malik
Keyword(s):  
Political Economy ◽  
Macroeconomic Policy ◽  
Institutional Constraints ◽  
The Political ◽  
Macroeconomic Policies ◽  
Resource Rents ◽  
Institutional Structures ◽  
Oil Rents ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Political Objective

Revisiting the macroeconomic policies and outcomes of Arab resource-rich economies (RREs), this chapter synthesizes the political economy considerations that underpin policy choices. It argues that, in the context of Arab RREs, fiscal policies play a particularly important role in absorbing natural resource rents. Even where monetary policy has greater room to operate, existing policy frameworks are not geared toward domestic targets, such as inflation and unemployment. I argue that the political objective function is essential for understanding these macroeconomic arrangements. With weak productive constituencies and few institutional constraints, macroeconomic policy involves limited feedback from the private sector and upholds the interest of the sovereign. In this milieu, institutional constraints on fiscal policy are more important than central bank independence (CBI). The chapter also discusses the stability implications of current macroeconomic arrangements, arguing that such stability is almost entirely predicated on the uninterrupted flow of oil rents rather than resilient institutional structures.

scholarly journals Revisiting Axiological Aspects of the Doll Phenomenon Under the Conditions of Cultural Paradigm Change

2020 ◽  
pp. 24-26
Author(s):  
Maria Konstantinovna Suvorova ◽  
Tatyana Nikolaevna Adametskaya ◽  
Svetlana Faatovna Rashitova
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Change ◽  
Value Orientations ◽  
Cultural Norms ◽  
Modern Culture ◽  
Cultural Paradigm ◽  
External Relations ◽  
Norms And Values ◽  
Historical Comparative ◽  
The Stability

This article analyzes the phenomenon of dolls in the process of transition from the traditional type of society to the postindustrial one. The authors outline that being a kind of mirror of the era, the doll phenomenon is inextricably linked with cultural norms and values, all social experience, which determined the stability and continuity of various activities. It is also noted that in the process of historical development, the image of the doll undergoes transformation, as does the image of the person himself. The inclusion by the authors the axiological characteristics of the doll phenomenon in the worldview coordinates of cosmo- and anthropocentrism makes it possible to reveal their new quality. The consideration of the doll as a phenomenon from this methodological position opens up new possibilities in understanding the existential essence of man himself. The purpose of the article is to analyze one of the most relevant aspects of the doll phenomenon in modern conditions – a qualitative change in its axiological content and significance in culture. Research methods: historical-comparative and semiotic. The result of the study is the identification of significant changes in the role of dolls in modern culture. It is emphasized that the value orientations of secular society and a desacralized, materialistic worldview result in dehumanization and objectification of the person himself with a pronounced desire to revitalize and humanize the doll. The development of anthropocentric attitudes has reached its limits, as evidenced by the shift in the semantics of dolls into the field of purely formal, external relations and meanings.

Justice system and corruption dog Bulgaria’s euro bid

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Banking System ◽  
Political Support ◽  
Banking Union ◽  
Waiting Room ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
European Banking Union ◽  
Finance Minister ◽  
European Banking ◽  
The Stability

Significance Bulgaria must also join the European Banking Union (EBU) as part of its Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM) II bid, in order to alleviate concerns over institutional governance, economic convergence and the stability of its banking system. ERM II accession -- the ‘waiting room to the euro’ -- would bolster Bulgaria’s financial and monetary stability, and help serve as a policy anchor; Bulgaria had hoped to join this month, but Finance Minister Vladislav Goranov said in June he now hoped for entry by year-end if not before. Impacts Timing will depend on Bulgaria’s meeting the new requirement to join both ERM II and the EBU at the same time. Political support from other euro-area states could also affect the ultimate timeline. That Croatia has just applied for ERM II shows adopting the euro is still a goal, particularly for smaller EU member states.

Conclusion

2020 ◽  
pp. 158-176
Author(s):  
Marlene Mauk
Keyword(s):  
Democratic Consolidation ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Theoretical Argument ◽  
Policy Recommendations ◽  
Initial Question ◽  
Autocratic Regimes ◽  
Regime Support

This final chapter provides a conclusion to the book. It summarizes the theoretical argument and core empirical findings of the book and points out how these contribute to the literature on regime support and its sources. Reviewing the implications of the study’s findings, it revisits the initial question of how stable the world’s democratic and autocratic regimes are likely to be. It also derives policy recommendations for those interested in fostering democratization and/or democratic consolidation. Finally, it suggests directions for future research wishing to build on the present work to take.

Levels and sources of regime support in democracies and autocracies

2020 ◽  
pp. 93-157
Author(s):  
Marlene Mauk
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
System Level ◽  
Multilevel Structural Equation Modeling ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Citizen Support ◽  
Autocratic Regimes ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Regime Support ◽  
Multilevel Structural Equation

This chapter presents the results of the empirical analysis of levels and sources of citizen support for democratic and autocratic regimes. The analysis proceeds in three steps. First, it compares the levels of regime support in democracies and autocracies. It shows that levels of citizen support, while varying considerably across individual countries, are roughly equal between democratic and autocratic regimes. Second, the analysis investigates the individual-level sources of regime support. It finds evidence that the same set of individual-level sources affect regime support in democracies and autocracies and that they do so in virtually the same way across regimes. Third, it addresses the system-level sources of regime support in democracies and autocracies. Using multilevel structural equation modeling, it observes effects of three of the four system-level sources in both types of regimes; yet, these system-level sources do not affect regime support in the same way in democracies as in autocracies.

Sources of regime support in democracies and autocracies

2020 ◽  
pp. 35-72
Author(s):  
Marlene Mauk
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Context ◽  
Value Orientations ◽  
Explanatory Model ◽  
Attitude Formation ◽  
Performance Evaluations ◽  
System Level ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Regime Types ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Regime Support

This chapter develops an explanatory model of regime support applicable to both democracies and autocracies. The explanatory model includes both individual- and system-level determinants and explicates how these interact in shaping regime support. On the individual-level, it integrates culturalist and institutionalist explanations of support to arrive at five central sources of regime support: political value orientations, societal value orientations, incumbent support, democratic performance evaluations, and systemic performance evaluations. On the system level, it draws on social psychological theories of attitude formation and identifies four sources of regime support: macro-cultural context, macro-political context, actual systemic performance, and level of socioeconomic modernization. Recurring to the fundamental differences between democracies and autocracies, the explanatory model expects the individual-level processes forming regime support to be universal across regime types, but effects of system-level sources of regime support to vary between democracies and autocracies, due to indoctrination and propaganda distorting the attitude-formation process in autocracies.

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