The judiciary and post-election conflict resolution and democratic consolidation in Ghana’s Fourth Republic

ABSTRACT

In recent times most elections in Africa have been fraught with post-elections conflicts that have had dire consequences on citizens. Kenya, Ivory Coast and Zimbabwe are few of these cases. This makes post-election conflict resolution a very important aspect of the electoral process deserving enormous attention. However, extant literature has not accorded it the needed attention. It is as a result of this, that this study investigates the nature of post-election conflict resolution in Ghana’s Fourth Republic. The study, based on a qualitative case study approach, found among others that, the Courts have been instrumental in consolidating democracy in Ghana, and stakeholders are devotedly operating within the legal framework governing elections, despite logistical, law enforcement and justice delivery challenges. The study being conscious of the progress made over the years concludes that, where democratic institutions are consolidating, the use of unconventional means to resolve conflicts is usually not an option.     

The rise of illiberal politics in Southeast Europe

ABSTRACT

Democracy is backsliding throughout Southeast Europe but there are no signs of full democratic breakdown. Instead, political parties and their leaders incrementally undermine challenges to governmental authority while keeping electoral contest largely intact. This article introduces a special issue that aims to examine and explain democratic decline by looking at the prevalence of illiberal politics across countries and issues. In order to overcome the limitations of fixed regime classification we adopt a procedural lens and look into governing practices that gradually tilt the electoral playing field. Utilizing the concept of Illiberal politics allows us to examine sets of policies enacted by political parties in government with the aim to remain in power indefinitely. By tracing democratic decline in Serbia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Albania, and Croatia we observe different patterns of weakness, but also common causes arising from weak institutions and inherited governance practices that preserve executive dominance, patronage, and informality.     

The Effect of Religiosity on Endorsement of Democratic Values: The Mediating Influence of Authoritarianism

This study addresses the as yet unaddressed question of the nature of the effects of religiosity and authoritarianism upon endorsement of abstract democratic values. Findings obtained through the analyses of structural equations show that, despite the unsettled political and security atmosphere, Israelis believe in democratic values to a considerable extent. Furthermore, findings do not fully support the theoretical expectation that religiosity is likely to decrease support for democratic values; namely, in and of itself, religiosity has a negligible impact on endorsement of democratic values. Yet again, analyses lend credence to theory on authoritarianism—the negative effect of religiosity on endorsement of democratic values results from the mediation of authoritarianism. These findings are understood and discussed with regard to theoretical implications. The major conclusion, then, in contrast to existing assumptions regarding religiosity and negation of democracy linkage, is that religiosity cannot be considered the sole direct root cause of negation of democracy.     

私营企业实行民主管理的必然性--"知识经济"时代私营企业管理环境的转变

基于对企业未来发展的考虑,即使是私营企业内部也开始关注"外人莫入"的危害,并且也有希望改变现状、输入"外人"的要求.虽然由于种种原因,不少企业主一时还无法完全将意识中的东西顺利地付诸实践,但是,随着企业发展的客观需要,"外人"会不断加入家族企业.随着"外人"的不断增加,其要求参与企业管理和利益分配的呼声也会越来越高,企业的管理权必然不断地"外流"或"下放",最终促成企业将民主管理视作"最后的解决方案".     

从现实出发稳步推进党内民主建设

发展党内民主是党建的目标之一,也是中国政治体制改革的突破口。推行党内民主具有理论的现实性,同时也存在着与实际相冲突的地方。要充分估计现实中的不利因素和存在的问题,科学理解和处理好党内民主与"四个服从"、民主集中制的关系,加强党内民主的制度建设,创造良好的社会政治环境,从而使党内民主建设稳步健康发展。     

民主及其对现代政治的形塑

现代政治的基本形态是民主共和国,它在西方是由民主主义、共和主义、自由主义和代议制等要素相互融合的结果,而民主是其重要基础,对于塑造现代政治形态具有重要作用。民主的本义是人民直接治理国家,但是其所具有的强烈平民色彩使其长期被视为基于人数优势的平民暴政。近现代的资产阶级革命造就了资产阶级的共和国,工人阶级运动造就了民主的复兴,推动了民主要素在资产阶级共和体制中的扩展,民主本身也受到相应的制约,由此形成了民主共和国的基本形态。民主的巨大贡献在于不仅为弱势群体争得得了基本人权,而且为现代政体赢得了广泛的合法性。     

当代中国乡村民主文化结构研究

民主文化是当代中国民主政治建设的重要内容和影响因素。在当代中国乡村,民主文化的发展呈现出的三层结构模型:自身行为层、民主实践层、政府导向层。它们之间的沟通不畅、协调不力使乡村民主文化发展举步维艰。通过民主实践层的制度安排,实现政府理念导向的真实传递,进而内化为村民自身的民主意识,使民主政治成为其自觉自愿的行为,形成完整和谐的民主文化结构,以促进当代乡村民主政治的发展。     

社会主义行政问责制的伦理基础

社会主义行政问责制是社会主义民主政治的重要内容,也是社会主义行政的应有之义。社会主义的行政问责制是社会主义行政伦理的本质体现。人民民主决定了社会主义行政是责任行政;公共性、民主性和公平正义是社会主义公共行政的伦理基础,建立责任政府是社会主义行政伦理的基本要求;社会主义国家的工作人员是向人民负责的公仆。     

The Quest for Community Development in Nigeria: Interrogating the Utility of Fourth-Tier System of Government in Imo State

The recent establishment of fourth-tier system as a distinct, but coordinating level of government in Imo State came with the expectation that it would facilitate community development. However, the underdevelopment situation of most communities dashed this expectation. Thus, this recent study adopted theory of postcolonial state as our analytical framework to interrogate the development utility of the fourth-tier system using mixed research methods for evidence gathering and analysis. The analysis revealed that the system grossly underperformed its development functions resulting from lack of stakeholders’ supports, which should be the basis for determination and implementation of fourth-tier system in Imo State.     

让员工不再沉默——基于职工民主管理的视角

员工沉默使得信息被过滤和扭曲,影响组织决策质量、纠错及创新能力,引发员工工作倦怠和低工作满意度。而职工民主管理的理念和举措,缩小了组织权力差距、保护了少数派、增进了组织信任和员工满意度,能够有效地消减员工沉默行为。