scholarly journals Presidential politics of constitutional amendment in Francophone Africa: The case of Senegal

2022 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Political Institutions ◽  
Constitutional Amendment ◽  
Francophone Africa ◽  
Political Transformations ◽  
Head Of State ◽  
Institutional Structures ◽  
Constitutional Reforms ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Constitutional Changes

Abstract The paper is devoted to the role of the head of state in initiating and implementing constitutional reforms in Senegal. This country can legitimately be regarded as one of the few examples of a relatively successful democratization process in Africa, as evidenced, among other things, by the lack of military coups leading to the loss of power by civilian governments, as well as by two democratic transfers of power (in 2000–2001 and 2012), after which the main opposition parties gained the presidency and the majority of parliamentary seats. Both these fundamental political transformations generated important constitutional changes (for example, the adoption of the current Constitution of 2001, or the constitutional modifications of 2016 and 2019) that have influenced, to a greater or lesser extent, the position of the presidency in Senegalese systems of government. The author analyses their significance for the functioning of contemporary political institutions in the broader context set by the politics of constitutional amendment which was conducted by previous presidents of this country. The main goal of the paper is to examine to what extent the constitutional modifications introduced before and after the adoption of the 2001 Constitution were designed to contribute to the beginning or consolidation of pro-democratic trends, and to what extent they were created to strengthen the position of an incumbent president himself, leading to a political imbalance and regress in the democratization process. The author argues that the constitutional modifications adopted over the years have often gone in two opposite directions, influencing the efficiency and durability of Senegalese institutional structures.

Developing attachments to new political institutions: a multi-level model of attitude formation in post-Communist Europe

2010 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 475-494 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerhard Loewenberg ◽  
William Mishler ◽  
Howard Sanborn
Keyword(s):  
Eastern Europe ◽  
Political Institutions ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Central And Eastern Europe ◽  
Communist Regime ◽  
Democratic Regimes ◽  
Institutional Structures ◽  
Level Model ◽  
Multi Level

In America and Western Europe, legislatures preceded democratization and contributed to the establishment and maintenance of democratic regimes in the late 18th and the 19th centuries. In Central and Eastern Europe in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, legislatures and democratic regimes appeared simultaneously. In the first 15 years of post-Communist transitions in 12 countries, attachments to the new regimes have been influenced by their institutional structures, their economic performance, and their records in protecting human freedom, while attachment to the new parliaments have been predominantly influenced by cultural factors related to early life socialization including education, age, gender, social status, and attitudes toward the former communist regime. Attachment to parliament was a product more than a cause of attachment to the new regimes, but the parliamentary system of government created a context that contributed to citizens’ attachment to their new political institutions. In that respect, attitudes toward parliaments in Central and Eastern Europe played a role similar to the role that these attitudes played in an earlier stage of democratization in Europe and North America, the role of attaching citizens to new political institutions.

scholarly journals Parliamentary Representation and the Normalization of Radical Right Support

2021 ◽  
pp. 001041402199715
Author(s):  
Vicente Valentim
Keyword(s):  
Social Norms ◽  
Political Institutions ◽  
Regression Discontinuity ◽  
Radical Right ◽  
Difference In Differences ◽  
Political Preferences ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Radical Right Parties ◽  
Mode Study

How do stigmatized political preferences become normalized? I argue that the parliamentary representation of the radical right normalizes radical right support. Radical right politicians breach established social norms. Hence their supporters have an incentive to conceal that support. When the radical right enters parliament, however, its voters are likely to perceive that their views have been legitimized, becoming more likely to display their private preferences. I use three studies to test this argument. Study 1 employs a regression discontinuity comparing the underreport of voting for radical right parties (RRPs) above and below thresholds of parliamentary representation. Study 2 compares how much individuals report liking RRPs in post-electoral surveys depending on interview mode. Study 3 employs a difference-in-differences that looks into the underreport of UKIP vote before and after entering parliament. The results support the argument and highlight the role of political institutions in defining the acceptability of behaviors in society.

scholarly journals Gæslumaður Alþingis: Breytt valdastaða forseta Íslands

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 139
Author(s):  
Björg Thorarensen ◽  
Stefanía Óskarsdóttir
Keyword(s):  
Majority Rule ◽  
Public Attitudes ◽  
The Political ◽  
Authority Structure ◽  
Head Of State ◽  
The Creation ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Constitutional Changes

The article focuses on the constitutional role of the president of Iceland when the republic was established in 1944, and the evolution of this role during the time Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson has been in office. The study shows that the creation of a republic involved hardly any changes in the constitutional role of the head of state neither in regard to executive nor legislative powers. Thus the authors reject the theory that the creation of a republic introduced a dual authority structure, consisting of Althingi and a powerful president, which characterizes semi-presidentialim. However, despite the fact that the text of the constitution, regarding the presidency, has not been changed since 1944, the political importance of the president has increased in recent years. This is mainly the result of Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson´s interpretation of the constitutional role of the president, as well as changes in public attitudes regarding democracy and the role of the president. According to this interpretation, the president acts as Althingi´s keeper who acts as a check on the majority rule of Althingi contrary to what was decided in 1944. The authors maintain that in the absence of formal constitutional changes, were the role of the presidency is better defined; the power of the president vis-à-vis the cabinet and parliament may continue to grow.

The Mahalle as Margin of the State

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 79-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
Urszula Woźniak
Keyword(s):  
Ethnically Diverse ◽  
The State ◽  
Urban Landscapes ◽  
Public Morality ◽  
Political Transformations ◽  
Norms And Values ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Moral Talk ◽  
Coup Attempt

The neighbourhood-based battles over norms and values in the ethnically diverse as well as sexual and gendered urban landscapes of the Istanbul neighbourhood (mahalle) spaces of Tophane and Kurtuluş reflect the complexity of the current political transformations that have been shaping Turkey as a whole and Istanbul in particular before and after the 15 July 2016 coup attempt. The analysis of the mahalle as the state’s margin reflects on how public moral talk, including the notion of ‘sensitivity’ (hassasiyet), reverberates in the making of public morality in both neighbourhood spaces. This article specifically focuses on the role of rumours in mediating ideas on behaviour deemed as in/appropriate in the mahalle as ‘moral territory’ and the mundane practices of self-appointed old and new ‘guards’ of the mahalle.

Child and Adolescent Suicides in Bosnia and Herzegovina Before and After the War (1992–1995)

Crisis ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 160-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Almir Fajkic ◽  
Orhan Lepara ◽  
Martin Voracek ◽  
Nestor D. Kapusta ◽  
Thomas Niederkrotenthaler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bosnia And Herzegovina ◽  
Age Differences ◽  
Suicide Risk ◽  
Child And Adolescent ◽  
Youth Suicide ◽  
Southeastern Europe ◽  
Suicide Rates ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Sex And Age Differences

Background: Evidence on youth suicides from Southeastern Europe is scarce. We are not aware of previous reports from Bosnia and Herzegovina, which experienced war from 1992 to 1995. Durkheim’s theory of suicide predicts decreased suicide rates in wartime and increased rates afterward. Aims: To compare child and adolescent suicides in Bosnia and Herzegovina before and after the war. Methods: Data on youth suicide for prewar (1986–90) and postwar (2002–06) periods were analyzed with respect to prevalence, sex and age differences, and suicide methods. Suicide data from 1991 through 2001 were not available. Results: Overall youth suicide rates were one-third lower in the postwar than in the prewar period. This effect was most pronounced for girls, whose postwar suicide rates almost halved, and for 15–19-year-old boys, whose rates decreased by about a one-fourth. Suicides increased among boys aged 14 or younger. Firearm suicides almost doubled proportionally and were the predominant postwar method, while the most common prewar method had been hanging. Conclusions: The findings from this study indicate the need for public education in Bosnia and Herzegovina on the role of firearm accessibility in youth suicide and for instructions on safe storage in households. Moreover, raising societal awareness about suicide risk factors and suicide prevention is needed.

Strategic Role of Zakat in Multidimensional Quality of Life in Sijunjung, Indonesia

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-72
Author(s):  
Herlin Hamimi ◽  
Abdul Ghafar Ismail ◽  
Muhammad Hasbi Zaenal
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Wealth Distribution ◽  
Absolute Poverty ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Status ◽  
Being There ◽  
The Impact

Zakat is one of the five pillars of Islam which has a function of faith, social and economic functions. Muslims who can pay zakat are required to give at least 2.5 per cent of their wealth. The problem of poverty prevalent in disadvantaged regions because of the difficulty of access to information and communication led to a gap that is so high in wealth and resources. The instrument of zakat provides a paradigm in the achievement of equitable wealth distribution and healthy circulation. Zakat potentially offers a better life and improves the quality of human being. There is a human quality improvement not only in economic terms but also in spiritual terms such as improving religiousity. This study aims to examine the role of zakat to alleviate humanitarian issues in disadvantaged regions such as Sijunjung, one of zakat beneficiaries and impoverished areas in Indonesia. The researcher attempted a Cibest method to capture the impact of zakat beneficiaries before and after becoming a member of Zakat Community Development (ZCD) Program in material and spiritual value. The overall analysis shows that zakat has a positive impact on disadvantaged regions development and enhance the quality of life of the community. There is an improvement in the average of mustahik household incomes after becoming a member of ZCD Program. Cibest model demonstrates that material, spiritual, and absolute poverty index decreased by 10, 5, and 6 per cent. Meanwhile, the welfare index is increased by 21 per cent. These findings have significant implications for developing the quality of life in disadvantaged regions in Sijunjung. Therefore, zakat is one of the instruments to change the status of disadvantaged areas to be equivalent to other areas.

SUBLINGUAL VITAMIN D3 DRUG THERAPY IN VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY PATIENTS AT PRAVARA RURAL HOSPITAL

2019 ◽  
pp. 18-20
Author(s):  
Sanjeeva Kumar Goud T ◽  
Rahul Kunkulol
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin D ◽  
Vitamin D Deficiency ◽  
Vitamin D3 ◽  
Serum Vitamin ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Serum Vitamin D ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Before And After

The present study was aimed to study the effect of Sublingual Vitamin D3 on Serum Vitamin D level in Vitamin D deficiency patients. This was a cross-sectional and interventional study. All the Vitamin D deficiency patients of age 18-60years and either gender, willing to participate in the study were included. Patients who had greater than 20 ng/ml were excluded from the study. The total number of participants in our study was 200, out of these 111 males and 89 females, the mean age in our study was 51.07 ± 7.39Yrs. All volunteers were given sublingual vitamin D3 (60,000IU) in six doses every fifteen days of follow up for 3 months. The subject’s serum 25(OH)D levels were estimated before and after the treatment of sublingual vitamin D3. There was a statistically significant difference in serum vitamin D3 level before 16.61±6.71 ng/ml and after 35.80±7.80 ng/ml after treatment with Sublingual Vitamin D3. Six doses of 60,000IU of Vitamin D3 sublingual route having improved the role of serum 25(OH)D levels in the treatment of Vitamin D3 deficiency patients.Keywords: Vitamin D3; Sublingual route

Arthroscopy in Arthrosis: Is It Worth it? A case Presentation

2018 ◽  
Vol 69 (8) ◽  
pp. 2232-2235
Author(s):  
Marius Moga ◽  
Mark Edward Pogarasteanu ◽  
Antoine Edu
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Status ◽  
Loose Body ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
The Other ◽  
Joint Range Of Motion ◽  
Objective Evidence ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Total Knee ◽  
Joint Range

The role of arthroscopy in incipient and mild arthrosis, even combined with proximal tibial ostetomy, is well known and well documented. On the other hand, its role in the treatment of advanced arthrosis of the large joints, especially the knee, is a subject of controversy. The proponents of the use of arthroscopy in advanced arthrosis claim that meniscectomy, synovectomy, ostophytectomy, chondral lesion stabilization, arthroscopic release, plica and loose body removal greatly improve the quality of life for most patients, especially if followed by the use of viscoelastic injection, by diminishing pain and improving joint range of motion. The opponents claim that, even though the advantages are clear in the cases that refuse arthroplasty, in all the other cases the surgical indication should be total knee arthroplasty, as the clinical relief is temporary, but with all the risks of a surgical intervention. We have conducted an overview of the recent literature, in order to find objective evidence to sustain either point of view. We focused on articles published that included an objective measurement of before and after clinical status through clinical scores and objective measurements. We also focused on the follow-up period and on the evolution of the pathology after arthroscopy.

Study of Possible Relation between Fasting Plasma Glucagon, Gestational Diabetes and Development of Type 2 DM

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 148-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashraf Okba ◽  
Salwa Seddik Hosny ◽  
Alyaa Elsherbeny ◽  
Manal Mohsin Kamal
Keyword(s):  
Gestational Diabetes ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Post Partum ◽  
Plasma Glucagon ◽  
Type 2 Dm ◽  
Fasting Plasma ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Two Phases

Background and Aims: Women who develop GDM (gestational diabetes mellitus) have a relative insulin secretion deficiency, the severity of which may be predictive for later development of diabetes. This study aimed to investigate the role of fasting plasma glucagon in the prediction of later development of diabetes in pregnant women with GDM. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted on 150 pregnant women with GDM after giving informed oral and written consents and being approved by the research ethical committee according to the declaration of Helsinki. The study was conducted in two phases, first phase during pregnancy and the second one was 6 months post-partum, as we measured fasting plasma glucagon before and after delivery together with fasting and 2 hour post-prandial plasma sugar. Results: Our findings suggested that glucagon levels significantly increased after delivery in the majority 14/25 (56%) of GDM women who developed type 2 DM within 6 months after delivery compared to 6/20 (30%) patients with impaired fasting plasma glucose (IFG) and only 22/105 (20%) non DM women, as the median glucagon levels were 80,76, 55, respectively. Also, there was a high statistical difference between fasting plasma glucagon post-delivery among diabetic and non-diabetic women (p ≤ 0.001). These results indicated the useful role of assessing fasting plasma glucagon before and after delivery in patients with GDM to predict the possibility of type 2 DM. Conclusion: There is a relatively high glucagon level in GDM patients, which is a significant pathogenic factor in the incidence of subsequent diabetes in women with a history of GDM. This could be important in the design of follow-up programs for women with previous GDM.

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