A case for Data Democratization

The 21st century is quickly becoming the century of data. Growth in data volumes, data types, analysis tools, data mining, computing power, and machine learning algorithms have given organizations unprecedented fodder for data-driven decisions. The democratization of data, which we define as intra-organizational open data, provides an opportunity to transform employees from data users into citizen data scientists who provide valuable insights. This conceptual exploratory paper investigates the concept of data democratization, including processes, definitions, implications, and example

Democratization in the Middle East - A Comparative Case Study

One of the unsolved puzzles in democratization studies today is the prevalence of authoritarian regimes in the Middle East. Previous comparative studies have overlooked the region because it does not contain a single case of successful democratization. Middle Eastern scholars, on the other hand, tend to lack the theoretical tools on what it would take for this area to democratize. The purpose of this study is to elucidate the factors behind the level of (non-)democratization in the MENA-region. I will argue that democratization in the Middle East takes place on three different levels: international, national and societal. The study combines statistical data with process tracing analysis, in order to corroborate the evidence. Twelve variables, covering a wide range of democratization theories, are tested on four cases: Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. From this, I am able to confirm or discard certain theories, as well as establish the factors that are relevant for each case. Among other things, I am able to refute the claim that a Muslim population affects democratization negatively; to confirm the validity of the rentier state theory; to show that path dependency and political parties matter; and that FDI and aid can play a part in the future democratization of the Middle East

How 5G wireless (and concomitant technologies) will revolutionize healthcare?

The need to have equitable access to quality healthcare is enshrined in the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which defines the developmental agenda of the UN for the next 15 years. In particular, the third SDG focuses on the need to “ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages”. In this paper, we build the case that 5G wireless technology, along with concomitant emerging technologies (such as IoT, big data, artificial intelligence and machine learning), will transform global healthcare systems in the near future. Our optimism around 5G-enabled healthcare stems from a confluence of significant technical pushes that are already at play: apart from the availability of high-throughput low-latency wireless connectivity, other significant factors include the democratization of computing through cloud computing; the democratization of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cognitive computing (e.g., IBM Watson); and the commoditization of data through crowdsourcing and digital exhaust. These technologies together can finally crack a dysfunctional healthcare system that has largely been impervious to technological innovations. We highlight the persistent deficiencies of the current healthcare system and then demonstrate how the 5G-enabled healthcare revolution can fix these deficiencies. We also highlight open technical research challenges, and potential pitfalls, that may hinder the development of such a 5G-enabled health revolution

Analisis Demokratisasi Desa Era Reformasi (Studi Kasus: Desa Tanah Datar, Kalimantan Timur)

This paper aims to examine the implementation of village democratization in the reform era, especially in Tanah Datar Village, East Kalimantan. The author uses a descriptive qualitative research method by collecting data and information using library research. The main source for this scientific writing is the official website of Tanah Datar Village. Meanwhile, the object of this research is the extent to which democratization has progressed in Tanah Datar Village, East Kalimantan. So it can be said that in this research, the author sees that village democratization in the reform era has experienced changes and improvements. This can be seen in the policy-making process involving the community, transparency and government accountability, as is the case in Tanah Datar Village. The implementation of democratization in Tanah Datar Village, East Kalimantan can also be illustrated through the transparency of the use of the APBDes which is described on the village government website. However, there are still several things that can be used as evaluation material for the village government, such as the freedom of association of the Tanah Datar Village community which is still very minimal and the damage which occurs in several village infrastructure. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the implementation of democratization in Tanah Datar Village so that the implementation of democratization in the village can run more effectively and be responsive to the various needs of its residents in this reform era

Opium for the Masses: How Foreign Free Media Can Stabilize Authoritarian Regimes

A common claim in the democratization literature is that foreign free media undermine authoritarian rule. No reliable micro-level evidence on this topic exists, however, since independent survey research is rarely possible in authoritarian regimes and self-selection into media consumption complicates causal inferences. In this case study of the impact of West German television on political attitudes in communist East Germany, we address these problems by making use of previously secret survey data and a natural experiment. While most East Germans were able to tune in to West German broadcasts, some of them were cut off from West German television due to East Germany's topography. We exploit this plausibly exogenous variation to estimate the impact of West German television on East Germans' political attitudes using instrumental variable estimators. Contrary to conventional wisdom, East Germans who watched West German television were more satisfied with life in East Germany and the communist regime. To explain this surprising finding, we demonstrate that West German television's role in transmitting political information not available in the state-controlled communist media was insignificant and that television primarily served as a means of entertainment for East Germans. Archival material on the reaction of the East German regime to the availability of West German television corroborates our argument.instrumental variables; causal inference; local average response function; media effects; East Germany; democratization

Transitional Justice and Prospect of Democratic Consolidation in Taiwan: Democracy and Justice in Newly Democratized Countries

The issue of justice figures prominently m various stages of democratization yet the topic is still understudied in the broad literature of democratization. The handling of transitional justice is crucial to the successful transition from authoritarian rule to democracy. However, the type of transition (e.g., transformation vs. replacement) also significantly shapes the approach toward transitional justice: forgive and forget vs. prosecute and punish. More importantly, enhancing social justice is essential to the prospect of the upgrading from electoral democracy to liberal democracy. As discussions on Third World democratization move from quantity (democratic enlargement) to quality (democratic consolidation), an examination of the role played by justice is crucial. This article studies an index case of newly democratized country Taiwan. It first examines Taiwan\u27s unique approach toward transitional justice, by focusing on the February 28 Incident, and discusses some of the rationales for the political calculus for this approach, including considerations for ethnic relations. It then provides a preliminary empirical exploration into the role justice plays in Taiwan\u27s democratization by analyzing the data from proxy\u27\u27 questions for justice in TEDS - Taiwan\u27s premier survey research consortium. Survey results show that Taiwanese electorate display high degree of commitment toward democracy, despite some ambivalence and they attach great importance to justice in the country\u27s evolution into a liberal democracy

Democratization, New Leaders, and the Need for Economic Reform: Can Preferential Trading Agreements Help?

Can international institutions help leaders commit economic reform? In this article, we examine how leaders use preferential trading agreements with major powers (European Union and the United States) to promote liberal economic policies. We argue that under democratization, new leaders benefit the most from credible commitment. Using original data on treaty negotiations, our empirical analysis shows that under democratization, leader change greatly increases the probability that the government of a developing country begins treaty negotiations. We also demonstrate that preferential trading agreements are accompanied by liberalization in different sectors of the economy, and this effect is most pronounced if it follows a leader change. These findings support the notion that international institutions enable credible commitment to economic reform

Democracy and Trade: An Empirical Study

The theoretical discussion on globalization has suggested that there are linkages between democracy and trade, although the direction of influence is less certain. Formal empirical studies remain scarce, and have often focused on the question of whether democratic regimes influence trade policy, as opposed to the actual relationship between democracy and trade. This paper seeks to answer the question, ``Do democracies trade more?'' by applying the gravity equation to a large dataset of bilateral trade data for the period 1948-1999, while taking into account the role of democracy. It finds that democracy has a positive effect on trade flows, but only after controlling for trade pair heterogeneity. In addition, it makes the case for studies of this nature to draw a distinction between trade flows in the pre- and post-1990s period of rapid democratization as well as between developed and developing countries.Democracy, trade, gravity model

Between empowerment and abuse: citizen participation beyond the post-democratic turn

In this special issue on “Democratization beyond the Post-Democratic Turn. Political Participation between Empowerment and Abuse”, we have explored changing understandings of participation in contemporary Western representative democracies through the analytical lens of the concept of the post-democratic-turn. We have investigated technology-based, market-based, and expert-led innovations that claim to enhance democratic participation and to provide policy legitimation. In this concluding article, I revisit the cases made by the individual contributors and analyse how shifting notions of participation alter dominant understandings of democracy. I carve out how new and emerging ideas of participation are based on different understandings of political subjectivity; furthermore, how constantly rising democratic expectations and simultaneously increasing scepticism with regard to democratic processes and institutions point to a growing democratic ambivalence within Western societies. Making use of Dahl’s conceptualization of democracy, in this article, I review changing understandings of participation in light of their contribution to further democratization. The article shows how under post-democratic conditions the simulative performance of autonomy and subjectivity has become central to democratic participation. It emphasizes that what in established perspectives on democratization might appear as an abuse of participation, through the lens of a post-democratic-turn might be perceived as emancipatory and liberating

EU Democracy Promotion in the European Neighborhood: Conditionality, Economic Development, and Linkage.

[From the introduction]. Enlargement is often called the most successful foreign policy of the European Union (EU). The attractiveness of EU membership and the strict conditionality attached to the accession process have vested the EU with considerable transformative power in the applicant countries (Grabbe 2005; Schimmelfennig and Sedelmeier 2005). After the breakdown of Soviet communism and hegemony in Eastern Europe, enlargement has been credited with having contributed significantly to economic recovery, peace and stability as well as democratization in the transition countries of the region. With the accession of Bulgaria and Romania in January 2007, the Fifth Enlargement of the EU has been completed. Whereas the Western Balkans and Turkey continue to have a membership perspective, the EU has devised the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP) for the remaining countries of Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean as an alternative to accession. It remains to be seen, however, whether ENP will be able to produce similarly positive effects as enlargement. This policy question provides the practical interest we have in this paper....In this paper, we address these potential sources of bias and uncertainty. On the one hand, we systematically include in our analysis core variables of modernization theory as well as several proxies for diffuse international and transnational influences beyond the specific incentives of the EU. Second, we extend the study to 36 countries of the “European neighborhood” and thus to almost all post-communist and Mediterranean countries from the late 1980s to the beginning of the 21st century. Finally, in order to deal with this expanded data set, we move from comparative case studies to a panel regression analysis