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28592. The Global Politics of Gay Rights: The Straining Relations between the West and Africa
- Author:
- Hakeem Onapajo
- Publication Date:
- 01-2016
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal:
- The Rest: Journal of Politics and Development
- Institution:
- Centre for Strategic Research and Analysis (CESRAN)
- Abstract:
- This article analyses the contemporary global politics of gay rights as it relates to the straining relations between the Western powers and many African states that oppose sexual minorities’ rights. While the West (with emphasis on the United States, EU, and Britain) advocates for the protection of gay rights in the world, Africa provides the largest concentration of states opposed to them. Therefore, there has been rising tension between both regions. This became more apparent after Nigeria and Uganda, respectively, signed their anti-gay bills into law in January and February 2014. In response to this, the Western powers decided to take some punitive measures, especially imposition of sanctions, against the countries to pressurise them to repeal their laws. In an unusual manner, the African states are radically determined to go ahead with their anti-gay laws in open defiance to the demands of the Western powers. This development, which is informed by a number of factors, shows a rather new pattern of behaviour by African states in global politics.
- Topic:
- Minorities, LGBT+, Sexuality, and Gay Rights
- Political Geography:
- Africa, Europe, North America, and United States of America
28593. Financial Development and Economic Growth in European Countries: Bootstrap Causality Analysis
- Author:
- Fuat Lebe
- Publication Date:
- 01-2016
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal:
- The Rest: Journal of Politics and Development
- Institution:
- Centre for Strategic Research and Analysis (CESRAN)
- Abstract:
- In the present study, it was investigated whether there was a causality relationship between financial development and economic growth for sixteen European countries. Data from the period of 1988-2012 was analyzed using the bootstrap panel causality test, which takes cross-section dependence and heterogeneity into account. The results of the test showed that there was a strong causality relationship between financial development and economic growth in European countries. In European countries, there was a causality relationship from economic growth to financial development and from financial development to economic growth. These results support both the supply-leading and the demand-following hypotheses. Therefore, it can be said that the feedback hypothesis is valid for European countries.
- Topic:
- Development, Regional Cooperation, Economic Growth, and Financial Development
- Political Geography:
- Europe
28594. Complaint Calls as a Proxy for Perceived Quality: The Turkish Dishwasher Demand Estimation
- Author:
- Çağlar Yurtseven
- Publication Date:
- 01-2016
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal:
- The Rest: Journal of Politics and Development
- Institution:
- Centre for Strategic Research and Analysis (CESRAN)
- Abstract:
- The paper estimates dishwasher demand and supply in Turkey. The constructed Stackelberg type oligopolistic competition, with its strong testable implications is demonstrated to be consistent with a stable market composed of a leader firm and followers. The paper has an important contribution to demand estimation literature as well. The complaint calls rate for a product is offered and shown to be a valid proxy to help the problem of omitted variable bias due to the unobserved characteristics as perceived quality or after sale service quality. Elasticities calculated for each demand determinant can help durable good firms in emerging countries to use their investment and marketing resources more efficiently.
- Topic:
- Science and Technology, Demand, Supply, and Consumerism
- Political Geography:
- Europe, Turkey, and Asia
28595. IMS-Growth Triangle, SADC and APEC: A Brief Analysis of Regional Integration and Transborder Relations from Critical Geopolitical Perspectives
- Author:
- Iqbal Shailo
- Publication Date:
- 07-2016
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal:
- The Rest: Journal of Politics and Development
- Institution:
- Centre for Strategic Research and Analysis (CESRAN)
- Abstract:
- This study briefly discusses three case studies of regional integration, namely the Indonesia-Malaysia-Singapore Growth Triangle (IMS-GT), the South African Development Community (SADC) and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), to critically examine contemporary integration project as a phenomenon in which sovereignty, identity and boundary/territory are constructed and confirmed. Poststructuralist approaches reconsider regional communities as pre-given institutes, practices and actors, and inspire to focus on how these categories are constructed and implemented. I am concerned with two important questions: what are the central theoretical dilemmas concerning the concept of regional integration; and how can critical geopolitics employ the integration project and constructive discourses to form a broader view of regional integration?
- Topic:
- Globalization, Regional Cooperation, Geopolitics, Borders, and Regionalism
- Political Geography:
- Indonesia, Malaysia, and Asia
28596. Debating State Capacity and Intrastate Wars in South Asia
- Author:
- Azhar Ali
- Publication Date:
- 07-2016
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal:
- The Rest: Journal of Politics and Development
- Institution:
- Centre for Strategic Research and Analysis (CESRAN)
- Abstract:
- In South Asia the notion of intrastate wars are prevalent and prolonged. Most of the countries in the region have faced or are still struggling with such wars. Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebellion movement in Sri Lanka, till very recently, violent Nexal movement and Maoist insurgency in India and sectarian violence in Pakistan, Taliban and Al-Qaida in Afghanistan have all been the part of intra-state wars. These wars challenge the authority and the integrity of the state. The state’s monopoly over the means of violence seems eroded in South Asia due to certain developments in the international system. The issue of intra-state war has become major problem for the states in South Asia to deal with. This paper argues that these intra-state wars challenge and influence the power of the state particularly in South Asia. It further analyses the state capacity and tries to look that how state finds itself constrained to in dealing with such intrastate wars. In a precise manner this paper also attempts to understand the changing conceptions of security due to the changed nature of modern warfare.
- Topic:
- Globalization, War, State Formation, Information Technology, and Intrastate Wars
- Political Geography:
- Pakistan, South Asia, India, and Asia
28597. A Review of Public and Private Investment in South Africa
- Author:
- Garikai Makuyana and Nicholas M. Odhiambo
- Publication Date:
- 07-2016
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal:
- The Rest: Journal of Politics and Development
- Institution:
- Centre for Strategic Research and Analysis (CESRAN)
- Abstract:
- The paper aims to put the limelight on the growth dynamics of public and private investment in South Africa from the apartheid period through to 2012. With the adopted inward-looking growth policy during the apartheid, massive economic infrastructure public investment stimulated private investment. Growth buoyancy of private investment continued with the implementation of the market system in 1994, complemented by the core infrastructure growth. While the South African investment climate is considered to be competitive, at least in comparison to other African economies, there are areas that still need further improvement to unlock higher investment growth potential that includes non-all-inclusive infrastructure.
- Topic:
- Apartheid, Infrastructure, Economic Growth, Investment, Public Sector, and Private Sector
- Political Geography:
- Africa and South Africa
28598. The Role of Contesting Ideologies: Civil-Military Relations in Turkey
- Author:
- Rahman Dag
- Publication Date:
- 07-2016
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal:
- The Rest: Journal of Politics and Development
- Institution:
- Centre for Strategic Research and Analysis (CESRAN)
- Abstract:
- Civil-military relationship is generally examined through the use of an institutional approach or theories (concordance) that emphasise the salience of power struggles and social cohesion. These contributions are important but often exclude the role of contesting ideologies. To address this gap, this paper takes an ideological approach to address civil-military relations in Turkey. The analyses commence with the military reforms of the Ottoman Empire in the late 19th century and the Republican period. The paper argues that modernization projects of the Empire paved the way for military superiority which turned into being saviour and founders of the Republic. It then moves to consider the ideological parameters that coloured the military establishment, arguing that the target of modernization was itself systemized and internalized into Kemalist ideology and the duty to preserve this remains inculcated in the contemporary military establishment.
- Topic:
- Military Strategy, Military Affairs, Coup, and Civil-Military Relations
- Political Geography:
- Europe, Turkey, and Asia
28599. Tunisia’s Economic Transition? Popular Evaluations of Social Crisis and Reform
- Publication Date:
- 11-2016
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Arab Barometer
- Abstract:
- Economic growth and adequate social provision can make or break a potential democratic transition. In the five years following the 2011 uprising that overthrew former President Zine el-Abedine Ben Ali, Tunisia has successfully installed the architecture of political democracy: presidential and parliamentary elections in 2014 have been widely hailed as fair and transparent, and a consensus constitution was promulgated in January 2014. Yet the substantive benefit of democracy – the translation of citizens’ needs and priorities into concrete policy solutions – has in many ways remained elusive. Previous survey research has established that a plurality of revolutionary protesters in 2011 were motivated by economic failures and corruption (Beissinger, Jamal, and Mazur 2015); an exit survey of Tunisians during the 2014 parliamentary elections likewise showed that a large majority of voters prioritized economic growth, employment, and the cost of living over other concerns, including security and civic freedoms (Berman and Nugent 2015). National household survey data from the Arab Barometer (2016) confirms that Tunisians identify “the economic situation” as the most important challenge facing their country.
- Topic:
- Demographics, Education, Public Opinion, Higher Education, Academia, and Students
- Political Geography:
- Tunisia
28600. Ambassador Walid Obeidat, A conference at the Knesset
- Author:
- Walid Obeidat
- Publication Date:
- 07-2016
- Content Type:
- Video
- Institution:
- Mitvim: The Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies
- Abstract:
- A conference at the Knesset, July 2016
- Topic:
- Foreign Policy and Knesset
- Political Geography:
- Middle East, Israel, Palestine, and Jordan