Nationalism and Masculinity

2020 ◽  
pp. 107-129
Author(s):  
Magdalena Wong
Keyword(s):  
Political Leadership ◽  
Xi Jinping ◽  
First Lady ◽  
National Leader ◽  
Grassroots Level ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Militaristic Nationalism ◽  
Responsible Leader ◽  
Ordinary Citizens

This chapter suggests that the national leader, Xi Jinping, has managed to build a new image of political leadership that corresponds with the discourse on masculinity in contemporary times. The archetypal model is constructed with the assistance of Xi’s wife and her modern First Lady image. There are multiple ethnographic vignettes highlighting the popular response to Xi’s policies and performance, and ordinary citizens’ expressions of militaristic nationalism, directed mainly against Japan. In the midst of this, President Xi is shown to have become the epitome of an able-responsible leader who shoulders responsibilities by his tough stance to fight corruption and poverty, and his call for the resurgence of national greatness. Xi’s prolific citations from classical, traditional, teachings to mundane analogies have special appeal on the grassroots level.

Cultivating the Art of Anxiety: Securitising Culture in China

China Report ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 000944552110470
Author(s):  
Rudolf Fürst
Keyword(s):  
Ethnic Minorities ◽  
Security Policy ◽  
Political Leadership ◽  
The State ◽  
Public Communication ◽  
The Political ◽  
Xi Jinping ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Security Concern

Deepening globalisation and worldwide availability of free information and ideas raise concerns of the communist China’s political leadership about the stability of the regime and the sustainability of the state ideological orthodoxy. Therefore, the state’s tightening control of the public communication to curtail the domestic criticism and occasional public discontent is becoming framed and legitimised in terms of cultural security as a non-traditional security concern. This study argues that the restrictive impacts of the politicisation of culture in the centralised agenda of President Xi Jinping reinvigorate China’s anti-Western narratives and attitudes. The research focuses on the state’s cultural security-related and applicable strategy in the political and institutional agenda and media. Moreover, the study also traces the state cultural security policy in the field of the civic and non-governmental sector, religious and ethnic minorities policy, literature, film and audiovisual sectors. The findings assess the concern that the intellectually anachronistic, self-restraining and internationally hostile policy devaluates China’s cultural potential and complexity.

scholarly journals China's Dilemmas on the Road to Reforms Under Xi Jinping

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 133-149
Author(s):  
Juhan Värk
Keyword(s):  
Central Committee ◽  
Shadow Banking ◽  
Xi Jinping ◽  
Strategic Partner ◽  
Military Reform ◽  
The Road ◽  
National Leader ◽  
The People ◽  
The World ◽  
On The Road

AbstractOn 15 November 2012, at the plenary session of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Xi Jinping was elected the Party' general secretary, whereas he also became the chairman of the influential Central Military Commission. Too eager to wait to be inaugurated as President of the People' Republic of China in March 2013, the new national leader announced that in the following decade he is guided by the main objective of his predecessor Hu Jintao to double the prosperity of the people by the year 2020 and to keep the country' economy stable and growing fast. Unfortunately, it will be difficult for the new leader of China to implement his intentions, since, presumably, the country' new leadership will be from the older generation, hardliners, and, most importantly, politically conservative. But the difficulties lie in carrying out economic reforms because of rampant corruption and shadow banking in the central apparatus and in regions.According to the World Bank' analysis, China has become the world' largest economy. But the large expenditures to military reform and environmental protection are not sufficient for Xi Jinping to accomplish the goal to raise significantly the poor living standards of Chinese people. China has also faced difficulties in complying with the basic principles of its foreign policy, especially after the annexation of Crimea and its incorporation into the Russian Federation by China' strategic partner, Russia. In the past, China has carried out campaigns against “Americanization”, although with no tangible results. Thus, the leaders of today' China are faced with a number of dilemmas.

scholarly journals The First-Class, the Familiar and the Forgettable: An analysis of Prime Ministerial performance in New Zealand

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Katherine Smith
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Political Leadership ◽  
The United States ◽  
Public Perceptions ◽  
Prime Ministers ◽  
Political Performance ◽  
Professional Interest ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Current List ◽  
A Current

<p>Within the literature associated with political leadership, scholarship directly focused upon political performance in office is thinly conducted, both in New Zealand and in other areas across the world. This thesis aims to greater understand political leadership and performance in New Zealand, and address the gaps in the literature correlated with Prime Ministerial performance. To do this, this thesis provides a current list of rankings of former Premiers and Prime Ministers in New Zealand and identifies the dimensions that one must fulfil to display exceptional performance in office. To undertake this research, this thesis uses a series of surveys – distributed to students at Victoria University of Wellington, and to other individuals with a professional interest in politics and history in New Zealand – to best assess public perceptions towards political performance. Building upon the path dependency created by former exercises of the same nature in New Zealand (conducted by Simon Sheppard in 1998, and by Jon Johansson and Stephen Levine in 2011), this thesis provides a snapshot of the current public perceptions of outstanding political performance. In a similar nature to the earlier studies, this thesis identifies the dimensions of longevity, death in office, and being a ‘big change’ or crisis Prime Minister as being directly correlated with elevated performance in office. Additionally, this thesis investigates whether a series of variables – namely time between exercises in New Zealand, and the appearance of a possible recency effect– provide any influence or change over results. Additionally, this thesis moves outside the scope of exercises conducted previously in New Zealand, by ranking Prime Ministerial performance using a series of different methodologies. In conjunction with a replication of the exercises already conducted in New Zealand, this survey also assesses Prime Ministerial performance by using a survey based upon the well-cited Schlesinger ranking studies in the United States, and a third survey aimed to assess political shifts and levels of knowledge and recall rates amongst university students. Regardless of such factors, the results of this thesis remain consistent with previous exercises, with Michael Savage, Richard Seddon, Helen Clark and Peter Fraser being regarded by the political and academic elite across all surveys as embodying the highest qualities of successful political leadership in New Zealand.</p>

Studying Political Leadership in European Governance

2019 ◽  
pp. 15-34
Author(s):  
Henriette Müller
Keyword(s):  
Political Leadership ◽  
Analytical Framework ◽  
Research Strategy ◽  
Variable Model ◽  
Leadership Performance ◽  
Leadership Analysis ◽  
European Governance ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Eu Commission ◽  
Interactionist Approach

This chapter presents the analytical framework for studying the political leadership performance of EU Commission presidents. First, it clarifies why European integration theories have proved insufficient in explaining the actual impact and performance of the presidents of the European Commission. Second, it conceptualizes political leadership as a behavioral phenomenon within the field of social interaction and relates it to European governance. Third, it introduces the interactionist approach to analyzing political leadership, focusing on its central variables: (1) personal (pre-)dispositions, (2) institutional structure, and (3) situational setting. Moreover, it develops a typology of patterns of leadership performance and a functional-phases/variable model to operationalize leadership analysis of the Commission presidency. Fourth and finally, it presents the research strategy, encompassing a structured, focused comparison alongside systematic content and discourse analyses for each case under study.

Why Do Kalmyks Want A New National Leader?

Inner Asia ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 100-117
Author(s):  
Elvira Churyumova
Keyword(s):  
Political Leadership ◽  
Soviet Period ◽  
Political Regime ◽  
The Political ◽  
National Leader ◽  
National Leaders ◽  
New Ideas ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Soviet Historiography ◽  
Post Soviet Period

This paper is a brief political and ethnographic commentary on the ‘issues of weakness’ in the current political leadership of Kalmykia. In the Republic of Kalmykia, southwest Russia, ideas about national leaders have been subject to change, depending on the political regime in Russia. Whereas in the Soviet period good leaders, both historical and contemporary, were thought to be skilful managers who did not necessarily have the power to change the course of history, in the post-Soviet period proper national leaders are considered to be those who are endowed with the power to influence history. According to the author, this change in the concept of leadership became possible owing to certain political developments in post-Soviet Kalmykia that allowed alternative ideas to contest some tenets of the Soviet historiography, such ideas remaining largely intact. The tension in Kalmyk historiography between old Soviet and new ideas is unresolved, a situation which is symptomatic of wider tensions and transformations occurring in Kalmyk society itself.

scholarly journals Local Political Leadership in Urban Governance and Public Administration Modernisation: The Role of the Mayor and Councillors in a Spanish Municipality (1979-2007)

2010 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 185-201
Author(s):  
Ángel Iglesias Alonso ◽  
Manuel Villoria Mandeta
Keyword(s):  
Public Administration ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Urban Governance ◽  
Political Leadership ◽  
Policy Interventions ◽  
Governance Strategies ◽  
Administrative Change ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Governance Processes

Implementing urban governance strategies to improve local democracy and to regulate local economic growth is an important determinant of effective local administrative change and performance. The underlying hypothesis adopted here is the assumption that the adoption of urban governance processes requires political leadership. It inevitably results in the introduction of innovations within the administrative apparatus in order to improve its performance. Indeed, understanding the interaction between these three aspects (political leadership, urban governance, and administrative modernisation) is of fundamental importance for the effectiveness of most, if not all, policy interventions directed at the introduction of democratic innovations and public administration modernisation initiatives in local governments. To bring out the importance of those interactions, case study1 research is used. KEYWORDS: • local government • urban governance • administrative modernisation • public policy • political leadership • Spain

scholarly journals Assessing the Performance of UK Opposition Leaders: Jeremy Corbyn’s ‘Straight Talking, Honest Politics’

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 15-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Diamond
Keyword(s):  
Political Leadership ◽  
Labour Party ◽  
The Other ◽  
British Politics ◽  
Interim Assessment ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Uk

This article contributes to a burgeoning literature on political leadership, offering an interim assessment of Jeremy Corbyn’s tenure as leader of the UK Labour party. At the time of writing, the candidate of the party’s Left had been leader for a mere seven months. Media commentators and pundits have been critical of Corbyn’s platform and performance, gleefully predicting his imminent demise. On the other hand, the ‘Corbynistas’ who swelled Labour’s ranks in the aftermath of the 2015 defeat have remained steadfast and committed supporters. Their hope is not only that Labour will win the next election, but that Corbyn can recast the landscape of British politics by challenging the economic and political establishment which has assented to the growth of inequality and austerity.

Lethal Incompetence: Leaders, Organizations, and the U.S. Response to COVID-19

The Forum ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 317-337
Author(s):  
Jonathan Bendor ◽  
John G. Bullock
Keyword(s):  
Government Performance ◽  
Diminishing Returns ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Extended Discussion ◽  
The U.S ◽  
Ordinary Citizens ◽  
The Way

Abstract The study of voter competence has made significant contributions to our understanding of politics, but at this point there are diminishing returns to the endeavor. Voter competence is unlikely to improve dramatically enough to make much of a difference to our politics. By contrast, the competence of officials can and does vary substantially over short periods of time. To understand variations in government performance, therefore, we would do better to focus on the abilities and performance of officials, not ordinary citizens. We elaborate on this argument, emphasizing the “incompetence multiplier”: the way that the properties of hierarchies can amplify the incompetence of those in powerful positions. We illustrate our argument with an extended discussion of the U.S. response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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