Articles
| Jan Němec | ||
| Abstract | The article focuses on the newly studied format of government, the so-called coalitional presidentialism, with special emphasis on the Brazilian case. The author argues that the tradition of coalitional governments in this country contributes to the survival of extreme pluralism of party system which, in the first plan, it tries to overcome. After a brief overview of coalitional presidentialism in the Latin American regional context, where this pattern of government is rather common, he proceeds to the analysis of the Brazilian party system which is characterized as an extremely pluralist but with a low level of polarization. The author identifies poles established around two parties dominant on the left and right and a bloc of “volatile” parties which are able to make electoral and/or government coalition with both poles. The office-seeking character of these parties enables to make alliance regardless the policy orientation of respective government. Taking into account that these “volatile” parties belong to the best institutionalized ones in the Brazilian party system, we can conclude that the coalitional presidentialism is rather supportive to the existing structure of the party system in Brazil. | |
| Liudmila Volakhava | ||
| Abstract | The article is focused on Belarusians' identification in the context of civilizational borderland that appears to have a considerable impact on the nation's complex identification and remains utterly relevant in contemporary Belarus under its strongman A. Lukashenko. Significantly, the state's current president and, most importantly, his political course can be regarded as the nation’s key identity-provider in the geopolitical and civilizational dimension. Lukashenko’s pendulum-like foreign policy highlights the national identity reference points and regulates its either pro-Russian or pro-Western leaning. In the aftermath of regime’s relentless maneuvering between Moscow and Brussels, Belarusians' pro-Russia and pro-West orientations reached parity by the end of 2010. It means that the country’s identification trajectory is amenable to modifications in accordance with the ruling elite’s foreign policy imperatives and the current political conjuncture. Notwithstanding the fact that the elements of European identity are present in the Belarusian identity code, notably as the symbol of higher living standards, its role is far from relevant. Instead, strong bonds with the Eastern Orthodox civilization—nurtured within the Pan-Slavic “Russian World” paradigm—will probably prevail as the dominant vector for the nation’s identification in the long run. | |
| Vít Skála | ||
| Abstract | Study based upon survey among members of regional parliament (Vysocina) confirms that methods of Social Network Analysis are suitable for discovering key persons among members voted representatives: the persons with real informal power in the assembly. About 50 % members of regional parliament, most of those with the highest official authority, participated in the survey. Regional president, seven from nine members of regional council and five from six leaders of committees are among respondents. Analysis of anonymized data is provided and possible problems with data interpretation mentioned. SW program UCINET was used for presented analysis of centrality and cliques. SW program NetDraw was used for presenting ties among individual members of regional parliament showing relationship to their political parties, membership at committees and to district of their residence. Possible applications of these methods in sociology, political science and other fields of interest are mentioned, problems and another possible ways for other scholars are described in conclusion. | |
| Zuzana Machová | Foreign Nationals‘ Use of the electoral Law in the local elections in Czech Republic | |
| Abstract | The article sets itself a task to evaluate the using of voting right by foreign nationals in local elections in the Czech Republic. It shows the approach of other member states of European Union to the voting right of foreign nationals in local elections, the legislative framework and the legal position of foreign nationals in the Czech Republic. The centre point of the article lies in the real experience of the foreign nationals, mayors and workers of municipal authorities with voting right in the local elections. Information gained during the research allows to study the practice of voting right. During the research there were discovered reasons why the foreign nationals participate or not in local elections. There were explained opinions of foreign nationals about the quality of information of their possibility to participate in local elections and about the conditions of voting right declared by state. Opinions and ideas of foreign nationals are compared with the opinions and experience of mayors or workers of municipal authorities and state institutions. The research was originally part of the diploma thesis worked out by Zuzana Machova at the Institute of Political Studies at Faculty of Social Science at Charles University in Prague. | |
Material studies
| Josef Bernard | The complete name database of municipal election candidates and its use in the study of the changing structure of candidate and councilor population and other analyses of local politics | |
Miscelanea
| Blanka Říchová | ||
Reviews
Errata
| Redakce | ||
