Embassy of the United States

Government & Politics

Politics Archive

THE GLOBAL INTEGRITY REPORT 2008. Center for Public Integrity & Global Integrity. February 2009.
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The study suggests that the influence of private money in politics is rampant around the world. That’s the finding, which details international governance and corruption trends in 57 countries. The lackadaisical regulation of political financing has ranked as the top problem since Global Integrity began producing its survey three years ago.
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Sifry, Micah A SEE-THROUGH SOCIETY (Columbia Journalism Review, vol. 47, no. 5, January-February 2009, pp. 43-48)
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The public reaction to the Congressional emergency bailout legislation in September 2008 was overwhelming; an unprecedented number of e-mails crashed the House of Representatives web site, and several independent web sites that track Congressional activity were swamped. That explosion of public engagement online, Sifry says, signals “the beginning of a new age of political transparency. As more people go online to find, create, and share vital political information with one another ... and as the tools for analyzing data and connecting people become more powerful and easier to use, politics and governance alike are inexorably becoming more open. Citizens will have more opportunity at all levels of government to take an active part in understanding and participating in the democratic decisions that affect their lives.” City governments are leading the way; the District of Columbia, for example, since 2006 has put online all the raw data it has collected on government operations, education, health care, crime, and other topics on the CapStat online service. The new Obama administration has expressed a commitment to expanding government transparency with online databases.

IRAQ’S POLITICAL LANDSCAPE. Council on Foreign Relations. Greg Bruno. January 29, 2009.
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Iraq has held multiple national and local elections since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion ousted Saddam Hussein, but ethnic and sectarian violence has impeded political progress. Although there have been scattered assassinations and reports of intimidation leading up to elections, most experts agree the emergence of hundreds of new parties and thousands of candidates illustrate the maturation of the Iraqi political system. Unlike polls in 2005, major Sunni parties are participating, increasing expectations that as the United States ramps up its troop drawdown plan, a stable Iraqi political scene will emerge.
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THE NEW POLITICS OF CLIMATE CHANGE. Green Alliance. Stephen Hale. January 10, 2009.
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The pamphlet outlines a new approach to persuading politicians to act on climate change. It contends that only governments have the power to avert catastrophic climate change. However, despite initiatives and commitments from government, the progress is slow. It is crucial to mobilize the broad range of organizations that make up the other sector. Commitment and action across the sector, from the local to the international level, is critical to securing the political action that is needed to tackle climate change.
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Gaddy, Clifford; Kuchins, Andrew PUTIN'S PLAN (Washington Quarterly, vol. 31, no. 2, Spring 2008, pp. 117-129)
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Gaddy, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, and Kuchins, director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Russia and Eurasia Program, write that the primary aim of Russia’s electoral process has been to legitimize “Putin’s Plan,” ensuring a degree of continuity and stability after the end of Putin’s presidency. Defined as the political course of President Putin, the concept has been around since 2000, although the term was introduced into the political vocabulary by the chairman of the United Russia party only in 2007. Rooted in a Western business theory studied by Putin when he was with the KGB, the principal idea is that true strategic planning has to take into account unforeseen changes by establishing “a hierarchical system of interrelated subplans that address different dimensions of the problems being faced.” The strategic planner (CEO) is responsible for making needed adjustments but defines a course that appears stable and predictable to subordinates. According to Putin, Russian society needs unity and cohesion if it is to fulfill its destiny; that unity can best be guaranteed by the dominance of a single political party, United Russia. The growing economic power of Russia should be better reflected in the Bretton Woods institutions that manage the global economy. Long-term stability and predictability will continue to be vital to the Russian people, who “want their children to live better and their country to endure as a strong power” -– the goals of Putin’s Plan.

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Idov, Michael THE HIBERNATION: MEET DMITRI MEDVEDEV, A DOCILE PRESIDENT FOR A DOCILE RUSSIA (New Republic, vol. 238, no. 7, April 23, 2008, pp. 31-34)
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As Dmitri Medvedev takes office as Russia’s next president, the author takes stock of contemporary Russian politics since Vladimir Putin came to power in 2001. Idov dissects the Kremlin’s concept of “Sovereign Democracy,” finding marginalized and corrupted governing institutions, a “superfluous” youth movement, and an outsized state-owned network of industries such as Gazprom, “a parasite country piggybacking on Russia,” headed by none other than Medvedev. Living standards have improved, but growing cynicism has prompted many average Russians to disengage politically, says the author, warning that their seeming complacency should not be mistaken for contentedness. But for now, as Medvedev represents the end of the Putin era, he also represents no less than its ultimate triumph.

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Collins, Cathleen IDEAS, NETWORKS, AND ISLAMIST MOVEMENTS: EVIDENCE FROM CENTRAL ASIA AND THE CAUCASUS (World Politics, Vol. 60. No. 1, October 2007, pp. 64-96)
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Opposition Islamist movements vary significantly in origins, leadership, and strategies, but to be successful must develop a “locally-based” Islamist ideology that appeals to local supporters rather than a global Islamist agenda. Offering a case study of the Islamist Renaissance Party of Tajikistan, the Islamic Party of Azerbaijan, as well as the regionally active Hizb ut-Tahir al-Islami, the author underlines the importance of informal social networks to mobilizing in an authoritarian environment, as well as the limits of Islamist political movements to bring about change.

GERMANY AFTER TWO YEARS OF GRAND COALITION.
American Institute for Contemporary German Studies at Johns Hopkins University. Translation of speech by Dr. Thomas de Maziere. February 28, 2008.
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The German federal elections of September 18, 2005 led to the governmental “grand coalition” that exists today. The speaker addresses several challenges faced by the German government.

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US AND THEM: THE ENDURING POWER OF ETHNIC NATIONALISM.
Council on Foreign Relations, Foreign Affairs. Jerry Z. Muller, March/April, 2008.
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Americans generally belittle the role of ethnic nationalism in politics. But in fact, it corresponds to some enduring propensities of the human spirit, it is galvanized by modernization, and in one form or another, it will drive global politics for generations to come. Once ethnic nationalism has captured the imagination of groups in a multiethnic society, ethnic disaggregation or partition is often the least bad answer.

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TIME FOR KURDISH REALISM.
Brookings Institution. Michael E. O'Hanlon, et. al. February 9, 2008.
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Increasingly, Iraq's Kurds appear to be interfering with efforts to foster political accommodation among their country's major sectarian groups. Since Iraq's future hinges on establishing such a spirit of compromise, this trend has potentially grave implications for Iraq, its neighbors and the United States.

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LEBANON'S SUNNI ISLAMISTS: A GROWING FORCE.
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Omayma Abdel-Latif. January, 2008.
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This report identifies leading traditional Islamist and Salafist movements in Lebanon, key leaders, and their relationships with each other and external actors, including the United States, Hizbollah, Syria, and Iran. Sunni Islamist movements include those sociopolitical movements that embrace Islam as the only framework for social and political change and mobilization.

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DECODING CHINESE POLITICS: INTELLECTUAL DEBATES AND WHY THEY MATTER.
Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Melissa Murphy. Web posted January 28, 2008.
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For many Americans, the system by which China’s leaders are chosen, as well as the decisions they make, exist inside a black box. Discerning, or at least speculating about, the goings on in that box has been a passion of China watchers since 1949. This report examines the public debate in China prior to the 17th Party Congress in October 2007.

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THE DRAFT PARTY PLATFORM OF THE EGYPTIAN MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD: FORAY INTO POLITICAL INTEGRATION OR RETREAT INTO OLD POSITIONS?
Carnegie Papers, Middle East Series, No. 89, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Nathan J. Brown, Amr Hamzawy. Web posted January 14, 2008.
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While this “party platform” is not a document for an existing political party (the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood does not have legal recognition in Egypt), it serves as a “signal what sort of party (the EMB leadership) would found if allowed to do so.”

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Birnbaum, Jeffrey MICKEY GOES TO WASHINGTON (Washington Post Magazine, February 17, 2008, pp. 10-15, 22-26)
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Today, there are at least 261,000 lobbyists, twice as many as eight years ago, while fees paid to individual registered lobbyists have also doubled to more than $2 billion a year. To illustrate the pervasiveness of lobbying in Washington, the author, business writer for the Washington Post, discusses the strategy the travel industry is using to bring foreign tourists to the United States and how its lobbyists are trying to get the U.S. Congress to foot the marketing bill. As the events of Sept. 11 recede and tourism has started to come back, the industry’s main lobby, the Travel Industry Association, has decided it needed federal assistance; the agenda of the Discover America Partnership is to persuade the federal government to fund a $200 million tourism marketing campaign.

THE FUTURE OF RED, BLUE AND PURPLE AMERICA.
Ruy Teixeira. Governance Studies at Brookings, Brookings Institution. Web posted January 14, 2008.
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Political polarization has a number of causes—media hype, gerrymandering, hyper-ideological elites, cultural “sorting,” and demographic and geographic population changes. The author looks at the history of demographic and geographic population changes that have altered population groups and shifted political orientations. The author believes that the most recent demographic and geographic shifts could be the “impetus for unlocking this polarization and policy gridlock in the future.”

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IRAQ, THE SURGE, PARTITION, AND THE WAR: PUBLIC OPINION BY CITY AND REGION.
Anthony H. Cordesman and Gary Langer. Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Web posted October 19, 2007.
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This report provides an analysis of Iraqi public opinion on the war, sectarian cleansing, the Iraqi government, U.S. forces, and the surge. It shows the differences of opinions by sect, ethnicity, governorate, and major city. The poll confirms a sharp decline in confidence in both the national and local governments. The Iraqis also believe that the violence will continue.

POLARIZED POLITICS AND POLICY CONSEQUENCES. Diana Epstein and John D. Graham. Occasional Paper, Pardee RAND Graduate School, RAND Corporation. Web posted August 31, 2007.
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America’s two political parties are becoming more distinct especially with the “political elites,” the members of Congress, party activists, and other influential players. Ordinary voters are also identifying more with political parties and ideological concerns. As a result, members of Congress have become “more internally homogeneous in voting and in their underlying beliefs.”

This reports attempts to better understand how this polarization “affects the quantity and substance of rulemaking, judicial decisions, and legislation. . .” at the federal, state, and local levels. This paper also examines some of the long-term policy challenges created by polarization.

IRAQ: TRIBAL STRUCTURE, SOCIAL, AND POLITICAL ACTIVITIES.
Hussein D. Hassan. Congressional Research Service (CRS), Library of Congress. March 15, 2007.
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“For centuries the social and political organization of many Iraqi Arabs has centered on the tribe. Socially, tribes were divided into related sub-tribes, which further divided into clans, and then into extended families. Seventy-five percent of Iraq’s estimated 26 million people are a member of a tribe. They are more strongly bound by these tribal ties and a strict honor code than by ethnic background or religion. This report describes the political orientation of several Iraqi Arab tribes, including the Shammar, Dulaym, and Jibur tribes. This report will be updated as warranted.”

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Cannon, Carl GENERATION “WE” THE AWAKENED GIANT
(National Journal, vol. 39, no. 10, March 10, 2007, pp. 20-27)
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The author examines the role young people play in American politics. "Today's youth are an underrated force in American civic life -- difficult to stereotype, with attitudes markedly different from those of their predecessors," Cannon writes. Additionally, there are surveys showing that youth are voting more -- in the 2004 elections, voting among 18-24 year-olds increased 10 percentage points compared to 3 percentage points among all voters. A study of youth founded that the September 11 attacks gave them new meaning to the concept of public service, and increased their interest in political issues. The author provides evidence arguing that youth were influential in two tight Senate races in 2006 in Virginia and Montana, the outcomes of which gave Democrats control of Congress.

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Goldberg, Jeffrey. THE STARTING GATE: FOREIGN POLICY DIVIDES THE DEMOCRATS
(New Yorker, January 15, 2007)
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Further confirming that this is going to be a long election season, The New Yorker’s Jeffrey Goldberg, writing a year before the Democratic primary, notes that foreign policy, not the usual hot-button issues such as abortion or taxes, is what differentiates the potential 2008 Democratic presidential candidates from each other and from the Republicans. Goldberg examines why Senator Evan Bayh (D-IN), before even declaring his candidacy, decided against running: Bayh believes the Iraq war has turned some Democrats away from their internationalist tradition, and that has created a new dynamic which may not leave much room for more hawkish Democratic candidates. He then cites several studies about the Democratic-voting electorate to explore how the platforms of Democratic candidates Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY), former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, and Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) compare with Democratic voters’ views of foreign policy issues. Goldberg concludes that “a year before the primaries, the Democrats have solid contenders ... each of whom -- some more than others -- is struggling to design a credible series of foreign-policy beliefs for a party that has foreign-policy inclinations but no reigning philosophy.”

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Vaida, Bara. JUDGING POLITICS
(National Journal, Vol. 39, No. 5, Feb. 3, 2007, pp. 36-41)
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Americans are losing faith in the impartiality of judges, something legal scholars and lawyers blame on corporate lobbying and conservative activists. More money is being pumped into state judicial races, with at least $40 million spent on state Supreme Court races in 2006. The increase in spending has lead to politicized campaigning, including TV attack ads. Also, in 2002 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that judges have the right to announce their political views, something that business groups and think tanks have jumped on, pushing judges to publicly declare their views on politicized issues like abortion and gay marriage. The conservative group Focus on Family even sent out questionnaires to judges, asking about political views and judicial philosophy. This shift has caused backlash from voters and in 2006 four states voted on initiatives to limit the power of the judiciary. The American Bar Association is trying to fight the backlash, advocating for the public financing of judicial races and developing universal standards to evaluate judges.

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Cannon, Carl M. RAW MATERIAL
(National Journal, vol. 38, no. 49, December 9, 2006, pp. 30-34)
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The author analyzes Illinois Democratic Senator Barack Obama's potential for becoming the next president. Obama is very popular, despite having served as a U.S. senator for only 22 months; he does not have the experience other presidents have had, such as service as a governor or a military officer. On the other hand, Obama appeals to many who feel he is similar to John F. Kennedy. Additionally, he is a "fresh face with an uplifting story at a time when Americans, always susceptible to a fad, are looking for the Next Big Thing, particularly when it comes to their governance," the author writes. Even some Republicans contend that Obama represents hope, talent, diversity, and a personality much different from President Bush, the author notes.

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Dingle, Derek T. RISE OF THE BLACK REPUBLICANS|
(Black Enterprise, vol. 37, no. 4, November 2006, pp. 101-114)
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It is a historical time for black Republicans in the United States, with GOP candidates thought to have a shot at many local and national races. The rise of black Republican candidates is seen as an attempt by the GOP to make inroads into the African-American community. Black Republican view this as progress, making the community less reliant on the Democrats and giving African Americans a voice in politics regardless of which party is in power. Issues of discrimination remain a problem for Black politicians, with Republicans 25 percent more likely to vote Democratic when a black candidate is running for the GOP. Support from the black electorate isn’t guaranteed for African-American candidates either. Some voters are reluctant to break with the Democrats to support an African-American Republican candidate. However, it can no longer be assumed that African-American voters will exclusively support the Democratic Party.

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Cannon, Carl M. HOW REPUBLICANS CAN GET THEIR GROOVE BACK (National Journal, May 13, 2006, pp. 24-30)
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As the November election gets near, the Republicans are feeling the lack of support even from traditionally Republican districts, according to Cannon. GOP political consultant Roger Stone agrees, noting that "parties are always defined by their leaders...that means this is going to be a tough midterm." Possible remedies, such as developing culture of ethics to gain trust back from the people, showing fiscal restraint, and taking care of Iraq, even if it means seeking help from other countries are discussed. Overall, none of these can be accomplished in a short period of time. Cannon concludes that perhaps after 12 years of GOP congressional rule, people are ready for change.

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Crowley, Michael FLOATERS (New Republic, Vol. 234, No. 4765, May 15, 2006, pp. 12-13)
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This piece asserts that some politicians use rumors of a presidential run as a means of personal gain. Crowley points to cases of senators 'floating' their names as possible presidential candidates to increase their power on Capitol Hill. Politicians involved in scandals may use the rumors of a presidential run to prove their competence and return to the good graces of their constituents. Finally, politicians on the speaker circuit or on book tours float a possible race to capitalize on the instant fame of the White House, hoping audiences will open their wallets to read the thoughts of a future president. Crowley worries that the practice of floating may trivialize presidential campaigns and undermine the efforts of well-meaning fringe candidates with a serious message to convey.

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Shogun, Colleen J. THE CONTEMPORARY PRESIDENCY: THE SIXTH-YEAR CURSE (Presidential Studies Quarterly, vol. 36, no. 1, March 2006, pp. 89-101)
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Shogun, a university government and politics professor, describes the scandals, economic depressions, and weakened political coalitions that have plagued sixth-year presidents since Ulysses S. Grant. Shogun describes the serious scandals and problems that dogged Presidents Clinton, Reagan, and Nixon and the less calamitous events of the Roosevelt and Eisenhower years. The article includes graphs depicting downturns in numbers of the congressional representatives from the sixth-year president's party during the mid-term elections. Shogun asserts that it is never an easy task to figure out the political prospects of George W. Bush but difficult fifth-years and generally followed by the "cursed" sixth year.

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Newport, Frank. POLL POSITIONS
(American Legion, vol. 160, no. 3, March 2006, pp. 16-20)
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This article summarizes the origin of polling and the usefulness of public opinion polls, especially in the context of political process. The author explains the methodology of polling, from the rationale behind random sampling to the legitimacy and validity of extrapolated results. Polling has become an integral part of the political process in the U.S., providing a essential means for voters to tell elected officials to pay more attention to public opinion, not special interests, and a way for politicians to maintain a dialogue with the public. Newport asserts that "paying attention to the collected wisdom of the people has a higher probability of guiding our society in the right direction in the long term" and the best way to measure that is with scientific polls.

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Waldman, Steven; Green, John C. TRIBAL RELATIONS: HOW AMERICANS REALLY SORT OUT ON CULTURAL AND RELIGIOUS ISSUES--AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR OUR POLITICS (Atlantic Monthly, Vol. 297, No. 1, January/February 2006, pp. 136-142)
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In analyzing the impact of religion and values on American politics, the authors move away from the simplistic "right versus left" stereotype, and categorize the U.S. public into what they call "the twelve tribes". On the Republican side are the Religious right (12.6 percent of the electorate), Heartland culture warriors (11.4 percent), and Moderate evangelicals (10.8); on the Democratic side are the Religious left (12.6), Spiritual but not religious (5.3), Black Protestants (9.6), Jews and Muslims and Others (1.9 and 2.7 respectively), and non-religious or Seculars (10.7); and the "Swing Tribes" are White-bread Protestants (8.1), Convertible Catholics (7), and Latino Christians. As the names suggest, the beliefs and attitudes of the "twelve tribes" are diverse and complex, especially in the "moral middle," which is comprised of the "swing tribes" and a few of the tribes within each party's base." The authors note that the size of the "moral middle" limits how much public policy can change after an election, but that cultural conflict will be a continual part of American politics for the foreseeable future.

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Wallis, Jim WITH GOD ON OUR SIDE? (American Prospect, vol. 16, no. 8, August, 2005, pp. 43-46)

Wallis, activist and author of GOD'S POLITICS: WHY THE RIGHT GETS IT WRONG AND THE LEFT DOESN'T GET IT, discusses the various groups who feel left out by both political parties. He contends that the media has covered the religion and politics in a problematic way for the Democrats, accusing those Democrats who talk about faith of pandering to conservatives. Wallis avers that both the secular fundamentalists who want to keep faith out of the public sphere entirely and the religious fundamentalists who want to impose their orthodoxy on the Republican Party and the nation stand in the way of progress. Most powerful reform movements have been shaped by spiritual and moral values; however, Wallis notes that "theocratic visions of morality can be a threat to democratic politics."

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Cohen, Richard E. GAVEL ENVY (National Journal, vol. 37, no. 23, June 4, 2005, pp. 1674-1682)
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Cohen explores the increasingly raucous competition among Republicans for coveted House committee chairmanships. As the competition for these seats heats up in the run-up to the 110th Congress in 2007, so too does the personal lobbying of Republican leadership -- something relatively new, considering the tradition of selecting the next highest-ranking majority member of the committee. Potential chairpersons now spend up to two years garnering support for bids. Cohen notes that the changes in chairmanship came about during the Gingrich era; following broad term-limits pledges by Republican House members in 1994, Gingrich presided over implementation of six-year term limits for Chairmanships in 1995 (the Senate followed suit shortly thereafter). Cohen predicts potential complications, including the possibility of a Democratic return to power in the House, the sometime-discussed retirement of Majority Leader Hastert, and ongoing investigations of Tom DeLay. One interesting possibility is a draft plan by the House Rules Committee to review jurisdictions of all committees, something that might lead to consolidation or elimination of smaller committees. The article includes a table of incumbent committee chairs as well as the most likely contenders for those seats in 2007.

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Kumar, Martha Joynt PRESIDENTIAL PRESS CONFERENCES: THE IMPORTANCE AND EVOLUTION OF AN ENDURING FORUM (Presidential Studies Quarterly, Vol. 35, No. 1, March, 2005, pp. 166-192)
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Kumar, professor of political science at Towson University, writes that press conferences are a unique event, during which the president must think on his feet, the public can see the president on his own, and where the president can explain his conduct and policies. Press conferences started with President Woodrow Wilson, 92 years ago. Kumar describes the evolution of the press conference and the impact of television. Presidents in current years have preferred to develop safer ways of dealing with reporters than regularly scheduled press conferences but Kumar believes that press conferences will not disappear entirely. The adversarial nature of a press conference, watching the president stand up to tough questioning, could effectively persuade the viewing public to support difficult decisions.