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821. "The Honor Code" by Kwame Anthony Appiah

Author:
Sharon Krause
Publication Date:
12-2011
Content Type:
Journal Article
Institution:
Carnegie Council
Abstract:
The language of honor is apt to strike the modern reader as quaint, even obsolete, if not downright pernicious. It calls to mind the hierarchies of the ancien régime and the absurdities of the duel, not to mention the horrible "honor killings" that perpetuate the domination of women in some traditionalist societies today. If honor is out of favor, one might think so much the better.
Topic:
Politics
Political Geography:
China

822. "Empires in World History: Power and the Politics of Difference"

Author:
Eva Hausteiner
Publication Date:
12-2011
Content Type:
Journal Article
Institution:
Carnegie Council
Abstract:
Recent books on empires—and there have been many—often have quite straightforward titles. Famous examples include Michael Doyle's Empires(1986), Niall Ferguson's Empire (2003), Herfried Münkler's Empires (2008), and Timothy Parsons'sThe Rule of Empires (2010). Jane Burbank and Frederick Cooper's Empires in World History is no exception. One reason for this might be that the concept of empire is still not fully established in the scholarly vocabulary when it comes to describing the present. Speaking of empires in the past is widely accepted, but imperial structures as recurring and even contemporary political phenomena are still highly debated. The endeavor of bringing empire back in as a transhistorical concept of heuristic value, complementing existing notions of political order, such as the nation-state, and going beyond the analysis of imperialism, is far from concluded.
Topic:
Politics
Political Geography:
Africa, China, and Eurasia

823. Doing Justice to the Political. The International Criminal Court in Uganda and Sudan: A Reply to Sarah Nouwen and Wouter Werner

Author:
Bas Schotel
Publication Date:
11-2011
Content Type:
Journal Article
Abstract:
This article is a reaction to Sarah Nouwen and Wouter Werner, 'Doing Justice to the Political. The International Criminal Court in Uganda and Sudan', 21 EJIL (2010) 941. It takes issue with attempts to understand international law and particularly the workings of the International Criminal Court in terms of Carl Schmitt's thesis on the political as distinguishing between friend and enemy. My contention is that parties to a violent/ political conflict may try to mobilize the law in their struggle, but that the structure of the law itself escapes the logic of the political: law cannot be 'political' in the Schmittian sense. The unexpected upshot of this is that Schmitt's notion of the political may operate as a normative criterion for testing whether legal officials are still respecting the constraints of their practice. If legal authorities are indeed in the business of defining the enemy of mankind, then they are not doing this through or with the help of the law. They may simply act against the law. To substantiate this point, the article thinks through the difference between conventional and absolute/real enemies and contrasts these notions with the characteristics of (international criminal) law.
Topic:
Politics
Political Geography:
Uganda and Sudan

824. Salafis and Sufis in Egypt

Author:
Jonathan Brown
Publication Date:
12-2011
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Abstract:
As expected, Egypt's first parliamentary election after the overthrow of longtime leader Hosni Mubarak confirmed the popularity and organizational strength of the Muslim Brotherhood and Freedom and Justice Party, which won 77 of the 156 parliamentary seats contested in the first electoral round. Surprisingly, it also revealed the unexpected strength of the Salafi alliance, dominated by the al-Nour party, which secured 33 seats. Much to the discomfort of secular Egyptians and Western governments, Islamist parties now dominate the Egyptian political scene.
Topic:
Democratization, Government, Islam, and Politics
Political Geography:
Arabia, North Africa, and Syria

825. Executive Accountability in Southeast Asia: The Role of Legislatures in New Democracies and Under Electoral Authoritarianism

Author:
William Case
Publication Date:
01-2011
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
East-West Center
Abstract:
In an influential study, Fish and Kroenig argue that "overarching institutional designs" (i.e., presidential, parliamentary, and dual systems) tell us less about the prospects of a new democracy than does the particular strength of the legislature. Specifically, executives are best checked where legislatures are powerful, generating horizontal accountability. In addition, ordinary citizens are better informed by the robust party systems that strong legislatures support, fostering vertical accountability. In comparing Freedom House scores with their Parliamentary Powers Index (PPI), Fish and Kroenig show clear correlations, leading them to conclude that democracies are made strong by legislatures that are empowered. In this monograph, this thesis is tested in five country cases in Southeast Asia: the Philippines and Indonesia, both new democracies, and Malaysia, Cambodia, and Singapore, cases of electoral authoritarianism. Analysis uncovers that in the new democracies, though their legislatures may be rated as powerful, members are geared less to checking the executive than to sharing in state patronage. In addition, although the legislature is evaluated as weak under electoral authoritarianism, it features an opposition that, with little access to patronage, remains committed to exposing executive abuses. What is more, when the executive operates a regime type that lacks the full legitimacy gained through general elections, he or she grows more receptive to at least mild legislative scrutiny. Contrary to Fish and Kroenig, then, this study concludes that the executive is held more accountable by legislatures under electoral authoritarianism than in new democracies. But rather than leading to a transition to democratic politics, this accountability strengthens authoritarian rule.
Topic:
Civil Society, Democratization, Development, Government, and Politics
Political Geography:
Malaysia, Asia, Cambodia, and Singapore

826. Tunisia's National Constituent Assembly: Current Politics and Next Steps

Author:
Duncan Pickard
Publication Date:
11-2011
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University
Abstract:
The paper is intended for all policy analysts interested in Tunisia, but it could be especially helpful for members of the NCA and the legal advisory committee, chaired by Yadh Ben Achour, that was recently established to advise the NCA on constitutional law and drafting procedure. The National Constituent Assembly of Tunisia (NCA) will act as the constitutional convention and transitional legislature of Tunisia and was elected on 23 October 2011.1 Decree No. 582, released on 20 May 2011, extends a one-year mandate to the NCA to write a new constitution for the republic. This commitment was also reflected in a September 18 agreement signed by Tunisia's largest political parties. Drawing from recent cases and academic literature, this paper explores key procedural questions that will confront the NCA in its first month in office.
Topic:
Democratization, Politics, and Treaties and Agreements
Political Geography:
Arabia, North Africa, and Tunisia

827. Would Women Leaders Have Prevented the Global Financial Crisis? Implications for Teaching about Gender and Economics

Author:
Julie A. Nelson
Publication Date:
10-2011
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Global Development and Environment Institute at Tufts University
Abstract:
Would having more women in leadership have prevented the financial crisis? This question challenges feminist economists to once again address questions of "difference" versus "sameness" that have engaged—and often divided—academic feminists for decades. The first part of this essay argues that while some behavioral research seems to support an exaggerated "difference" view, non-simplistic behavioral research can serve feminist libratory purposes by debunking this view and revealing the immense unconscious power of stereotyping, as well as the possibility of non-dualist understandings of gender. The second part of this essay argues that the more urgently needed gender analysis of the financial industry is not concerned with (presumed) "differences" by sex, but rather with the role of gender biases in the social construction of markets. An Appendix discusses specific examples and tools that can be used when teaching about difference and similarity.
Topic:
Economics, Gender Issues, Politics, Political Theory, Financial Crisis, and Governance

828. Elections in Egypt: Analysis of the 2011 Parliamentary Electoral System

Publication Date:
11-2011
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
International Foundation for Electoral Systems
Abstract:
The uprisings that unfolded in countries throughout the Middle East and North Africa during the first half of 2011 triggered a wave of electoral reforms and proposals for reform. In Egypt, one of the most pressing and controversial questions has been how to elect a new parliament that, as part of its charge, will select a body to draft a new constitution. How to elect representative assemblies is one of the fundamental questions of democracy. The resulting choice is greatly consequential in the transition from a despotic regime to a democratic system. The real challenge of election system design is producing an assembly that represents societal diversity, supports the important policy decisions made by legitimate governments, and provides a check on the exercise of executive authority.
Topic:
Civil Society, Democratization, Politics, and Political Activism

829. Why the Rich Are Getting Richer

Author:
Robert C. Lieberman
Publication Date:
01-2011
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Foreign Affairs
Institution:
Council on Foreign Relations
Abstract:
Increasing inequality in the United States has long been attributed to unstoppable market forces. In fact, as Jacob Hacker and Paul Pierson show, it is the direct result of congressional policies that have consciously -- and sometimes inadvertently -- skewed the playing field toward the rich.
Topic:
Politics
Political Geography:
United States

830. Burundi: du boycott électoral à l'impasse politique

Publication Date:
02-2011
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
International Crisis Group
Abstract:
Six mois après la nouvelle victoire électorale du Conseil national pour la défense de la démocratie et Forces de défense de la démocratie (CNDD-FDD), le Burundi s'enfonce dans une impasse politique qui pourrait se transformer en une crise majeure susceptible de remettre en cause dix ans de progrès. En effet, au lieu de consolider la démocratie, les élections communale, parlementaire et présidentielle de 2010 ont abouti à la marginalisation de l'opposition, au p assage dans la clandestinité des Forces nationales de libération (FNL) et à l'émergence d'une nouvelle rébellion. Combinée à un système de gouvernance faible, cette évolution pourrait conduire à un recul démocratique. Seul s le rétablissement du dialogue politique entre le gouvernement et l'opposition, la sortie de la clandestinité pour les FNL et le renforcement des institutions démocratiques sont de nature à inverser cette dangereuse évolution.
Topic:
Civil Society, Democratization, Politics, and Political Power Sharing
Political Geography:
Africa