Election intereference can undermine democracies

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Political Parties ◽  
Ground Truth ◽  
The United States ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Political Actors ◽  
The Social ◽  
Electoral Strategies ◽  
External Actors ◽  
Social Level

Subject The security of electoral systems. Significance The United States is one of many countries due to hold elections this year, amid concern over foreign interference. Although interference by domestic or foreign actors through social media has attracted most attention, hacking is a broader phenomenon that can take place at the technical level (voting machines, counting mechanisms), the infrastructure level (electoral rolls, election officials) and the social level (news organisations, political parties). Attacks are more commonplace at the infrastructure level than the technical one. Impacts Beyond external actors, domestic political actors will also engage in disinformation as electoral strategies. Voters may be put off voting or question the outcome of the vote. Societal rifts are likely to widen due to lack of shared ground truth.

Canada voting system will hinder right-wing populism

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Democratic Party ◽  
The United States ◽  
Right Wing ◽  
Business Leadership ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Political Actors ◽  
The Social ◽  
Voting System ◽  
Right Wing Populism

Significance Trudeau’s government has been held up as a bulwark of liberalism given the surge of anti-immigration populist candidates and parties in Europe and the United States. However, two leadership candidates in the Conservative race have sought to ape the political style and policy agenda that brought Donald Trump to power in the United States. Mainstream Canadian political actors are seeking to either counter or benefit electorally from rising distrust in government, fears over immigration and integration, and communitarian focus on Islam within right-wing politics. Impacts Opposition to the Trump presidency may help unify fractious left-leaning Canadian voters behind the Liberals. However, the social-democratic New Democratic Party will cite Trudeau-Trump cooperation to peel off progressive voters. Alienation of anti-immigration Conservatives will increase under libertarian or pro-business leadership.

US-led air campaign will shape long-term fight in Iraq

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Prime Minister ◽  
The United States ◽  
Security Forces ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Actual Impact ◽  
Political Choices ◽  
External Actors ◽  
Military Campaign

Significance The United States and Iran are both fighting against ISG in Iraq, but their rivalry elsewhere, such as taking opposite sides in Syria and Yemen, and historic enmity has prevented explicit cooperation. They are likely to be the two most significant external actors in helping Baghdad reclaim Iraqi territory from ISG. Impacts The symbolic impact of capturing Tikrit would be significant, but its actual impact on the wider military campaign will be limited. It would provide Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi time to prepare Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) to a greater level of readiness. However, rapid success of militia forces could lead to even more difficult political choices.

Elections will sharpen US focus on Libya

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Foreign Policy ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
The United States ◽  
The State ◽  
Relative Influence ◽  
Donald Trump ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Past ◽  
External Actors

Subject The Trump administration's policy on the Libya conflict. Significance In recent weeks, the United States has pursued a more active foreign policy towards Libya. This is a departure from its position of the past eight years of ‘leading from the back’ on Libya and comes as US President Donald Trump faces an impeachment investigation and elections in November 2020. With the vote approaching, Trump's opponents have increasingly criticised his position on Moscow, drawing attention to the presence of Russian mercenaries in Libya. Impacts Ties with Egypt, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, and the relative influence Russia has with them, will weigh on the administration’s thinking. The State Department may push more actively for a ceasefire when a conference of external actors in Libya takes place in Berlin. A ceasefire could fragment the forces fighting Haftar without robust external guarantees that his forces would not violate it.

scholarly journals What drives job satisfaction in IT companies?

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sérgio Moro ◽  
Ricardo F. Ramos ◽  
Paulo Rita
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
The United States ◽  
Job Dissatisfaction ◽  
Support Vector ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social ◽  
Employees Satisfaction ◽  
It Employees ◽  
Media Platform

PurposeStrategic goal achievement in every sector of a company relies fundamentally on the firm's employees. This study aims to disclose the factors that spur employees of major Information Technology (IT) companies in the United States (US).Design/methodology/approachIn this paper, 15,000 reviews from the top 15 United States IT companies were collected from the social media platform Glassdoor to uncover the factors that satisfy IT employees. To learn the most meaningful features that influence the scores, positive and negative remarks, as well as advice to the management team, were analyzed through a support vector machine.FindingsResults highlight a positive attitude of coworkers, contributing to a positive environment and job satisfaction. However, unsatisfied IT employees reveal that work exhaustion is the main reason for their job dissatisfaction.Practical implicationsIT human resource departments can use these valuable insights to align their strategies in accordance with their employees' desires and expectations in order to thrive.Originality/valueThe study highlights the relevance of IT companies to understand the reasons behind their employees' satisfaction. Up until now, little is known concerning the variants of job satisfaction among IT employees, enriching the understanding in this particular professional area.

scholarly journals Politicians Gone Wild: A Comparative Analysis of Political Scandals in New Zealand, The United States and France

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Elizabeth Argyle
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Social Theory ◽  
The United States ◽  
Liberal Democracies ◽  
Political Actors ◽  
The Social ◽  
Functionalist Theory ◽  
Year 2000 ◽  
Political Scandals

<p>The place of political scandals in the academic literature is contentious; scandals are commonly dismissed as distractions from the ‘real issues’ in a society. This thesis challenges that notion, instead arguing that political scandals are an important phenomenon in functioning democracies. Through a comparative lens, political transgressions since the year 2000 that have occurred in three liberal democracies, New Zealand, the United States and France, have been analysed. Transgressions by political actors in these jurisdictions of a sexual, financial and power nature have been applied to previously established frameworks. Observations about the political culture of these countries have been made as a result of this analysis. Four existing theories on the significance of political scandal – the functionalist theory of scandal, the no consequence theory, the trivialisation theory and social theory – were also tested. The social theory of scandal is concluded to be the most applicable to the case studies assessed. The social theory of scandal argues that political scandals can foster cultures of debate and criticism which is important to functioning democracies; however, political scandals of a large magnitude or high frequency can damage the public’s perception of political actors and institutions. This analysis therefore serves as evidence that political scandals are not frivolous occurrences but instead are important indicators of societal values and can have important and lasting consequences. This thesis also considers political scandals in broader historical and cultural contexts, drawing attention to the pervasiveness of scandal as a topic of academic and public interest.</p>

Social Cleavages and Political Change: Voter Alignments and U.S. Party Coalitions. By Jeff Manza and Clem Brooks. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999. 342p. $55.00.

2001 ◽  
Vol 95 (2) ◽  
pp. 478-480
Author(s):  
Carole Kennedy
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Political Parties ◽  
Political Change ◽  
The United States ◽  
Vote Choice ◽  
Social Cleavages ◽  
Oxford University ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Bases ◽  
And Gender

This work is touted as the only book-length examination of the sociological model of vote choice in American politics since David Knoke's The Social Bases of Political Parties (1976), and it is, indeed, a well-researched examination of the role that race, class, religion, and gender play in our under- standing of voter alignments in the United States. At the same time, I have concerns about some of the methodological decisions made by the authors and the effect of these choices on their conclusions.

Honduras scandal may undermine Hernandez re-election

2016 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Government Spending ◽  
Public Life ◽  
The United States ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Political Actors ◽  
The Government ◽  
Run Up

Subject Outlook for the government of President Juan Orlando Hernandez. Significance On November 7, in a move that opposition figures claim is unconstitutional, President Juan Orlando Hernandez announced his intention to run for re-election in 2017. The announcement follows allegations relating to Hernandez's brother, that have highlighted links between senior figures in public life and a leading drug cartel. This risks undermining relations with the United States, and compounds controversy over the president's re-election bid. Impacts Hernandez may succeed in distancing himself from allegations of Cartel del Atlantico influence in public life. Presidential re-election may well be in the interests of a range of political actors. Increased government spending will drive higher growth in the run-up to next year's election.

Pakistan army unlikely to see internal Islamist coup

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Political Parties ◽  
Nuclear Weapons ◽  
International Security ◽  
The United States ◽  
September 11 ◽  
Officer Corps ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Terrorist Groups ◽  
Western Media

Subject Risk of an Islamist coup with the Pakistan military. Significance Since the September 11, 2001 attacks, Western media and policymakers have been concerned about an Islamist coup within the Pakistan military. Given the army's exclusive control over nuclear weapons, an internal rebellion by radical sections of the officer corps could jeopardise regional and international security. A destabilised or divided military could give terrorist groups such as al-Qaida the opportunity to steal or acquire nuclear weapons technology. Such fears are exaggerated but not baseless. Impacts The military's relationship with Islamist militants will continue to be shaped by strategic calculations, rather than religious ideologies. This will undercut moderate political parties in Pakistan and the security of Afghanistan and India. Pakistan's defence ties with China and the United States would be imperilled by an Islamist shift in Pakistan's military.

scholarly journals Politicians Gone Wild: A Comparative Analysis of Political Scandals in New Zealand, The United States and France

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Elizabeth Argyle
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Social Theory ◽  
The United States ◽  
Liberal Democracies ◽  
Political Actors ◽  
The Social ◽  
Functionalist Theory ◽  
Year 2000 ◽  
Political Scandals

<p>The place of political scandals in the academic literature is contentious; scandals are commonly dismissed as distractions from the ‘real issues’ in a society. This thesis challenges that notion, instead arguing that political scandals are an important phenomenon in functioning democracies. Through a comparative lens, political transgressions since the year 2000 that have occurred in three liberal democracies, New Zealand, the United States and France, have been analysed. Transgressions by political actors in these jurisdictions of a sexual, financial and power nature have been applied to previously established frameworks. Observations about the political culture of these countries have been made as a result of this analysis. Four existing theories on the significance of political scandal – the functionalist theory of scandal, the no consequence theory, the trivialisation theory and social theory – were also tested. The social theory of scandal is concluded to be the most applicable to the case studies assessed. The social theory of scandal argues that political scandals can foster cultures of debate and criticism which is important to functioning democracies; however, political scandals of a large magnitude or high frequency can damage the public’s perception of political actors and institutions. This analysis therefore serves as evidence that political scandals are not frivolous occurrences but instead are important indicators of societal values and can have important and lasting consequences. This thesis also considers political scandals in broader historical and cultural contexts, drawing attention to the pervasiveness of scandal as a topic of academic and public interest.</p>

Winning the Argument and Moving the Fight: The Legacy of a Grassroots Humanitarian

Public Voices ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 115
Author(s):  
Mary Coleman
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
United States ◽  
Winning Strategy ◽  
Supreme Court Decision ◽  
The United States ◽  
Colleges And Universities ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
The Political ◽  
Political Actors ◽  
Trade Offs

The author of this article argues that the two-decades-long litigation struggle was necessary to push the political actors in Mississippi into a more virtuous than vicious legal/political negotiation. The second and related argument, however, is that neither the 1992 United States Supreme Court decision in Fordice nor the negotiation provided an adequate riposte to plaintiffs’ claims. The author shows that their chief counsel for the first phase of the litigation wanted equality of opportunity for historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), as did the plaintiffs. In the course of explicating the role of a legal grass-roots humanitarian, Coleman suggests lessons learned and trade-offs from that case/negotiation, describing the tradeoffs as part of the political vestiges of legal racism in black public higher education and the need to move HBCUs to a higher level of opportunity at a critical juncture in the life of tuition-dependent colleges and universities in the United States. Throughout the essay the following questions pose themselves: In thinking about the Road to Fordice and to political settlement, would the Justice Department lawyers and the plaintiffs’ lawyers connect at the point of their shared strength? Would the timing of the settlement benefit the plaintiffs and/or the State? Could plaintiffs’ lawyers hold together for the length of the case and move each piece of the case forward in a winning strategy? Who were plaintiffs’ opponents and what was their strategy? With these questions in mind, the author offers an analysis of how the campaign— political/legal arguments and political/legal remedies to remove the vestiges of de jure segregation in higher education—unfolded in Mississippi, with special emphasis on the initiating lawyer in Ayers v. Waller and Fordice, Isaiah Madison

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