Democratic innovations in Central and Eastern Europe: expanding the research agenda

Democratic innovations have recently gained momentum throughout the world. An increasing number of such practices takes place and coincides with a visible grow in the number of analyses focusing on the forms, functioning and effects of democratic innovations. In spite of these developments, a great deal of research on democratic innovations have largely neglected Central and Eastern Europe. This special issue of Contemporary Politics adds to the existing literature on democratic innovations by focusing on such attempts to deepen citizen participation in the political decision-making process in Central and Eastern Europe. Its attempt to expand the research agenda relies on new empirical evidence relative to three major forms of democratic innovations (direct democracy, deliberative democracy and citizens’ involvement with the aid of ICTs)

ADAS at Work: assessing professional bus drivers\u27 experience and acceptance of a narrow navigation system.

Due to the argued benefits of passenger comfort, cost savings, and road safety, the bus sector is showing increasing interest in advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS). Despite this growth of interest in ADAS and the fact that work tasks are sometimes complicated (especially docking at bus-stops which may occur several hundred times per shift), there has been little research into ADAS in buses. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop further knowledge of how professional bus drivers experience and accept an ADAS which can help them dock at bus-stops. The study was conducted on a public route in an industrial area with five different bus-stops. Ten professional bus drivers got to use a narrow navigation system (NNS) that could dock automatically at bus-stops. The participants’ experience and acceptance were investigated using objective as well as subjective data (during and after the test-drive) and data were collected using interviews, questionnaires, and video recordings. The participants indicated high levels of trust in and acceptance of the NNS and felt that it had multiple benefits in terms of cognitive and physical ergonomics, safety, and comfort. However, the relatively slow docking process (which was deemed comfortable) was also expected to negatively affect, e.g., timetabling, possibly resulting in high stress levels. Therefore, when investigating users’ acceptance of ADAS in a work context, it is important to consider acceptance in terms of the operation, use, and work system levels and how those levels interact and affect each other

Participação Política no Brasil e na Suécia: o papel dos estereótipos e do contágio

This study assessed the influence of Stereotypes about Parliamentarians and Behavioral Contagion on Political Participation, comparing two countries: Brazil and Sweden. Stereotypes were admitted to be useful to tell parliamentarians’ groups apart and predict their behavior. Behavioral Contagion was investigated as a possible catalyst of political action. Online questionnaires were administered to 984 Brazilians (37.4% women) and 879 Swedes (46.5% women). Structural Equation Modeling assessed relationships among variables. Behavioral Contagion played a pivotal role on predicting political engagement. Stereotypes predicted participation where they challenged commonsense: Brazilians usually cannot tell the difference among politicians, then those Brazilians who could were more politically engaged; in Sweden, the factor “corruption” predicts noninstitutional types of Participation.Este estudo investigou a influência de estereótipos sobre parlamentares e contágio comportamental na participação política, comparando dois países: Brasil e Suécia. Considerou-se que estereótipos podem ser úteis para diferenciar grupos de parlamentares e predizer seus comportamentos. O Contágio Comportamental foi investigado como um possível catalisador da ação política. Os questionários online foram respondidos por 984 brasileiros (37,4% mulheres) e 879 suecos (46,5% mulheres). Empregou-se a Modelagem por Equações Estruturais para aferir as relações entre as variáveis. O Contágio Comportamental foi central na predição do engajamento. Os estereótipos predisseram participação quando desafiavam o senso comum: brasileiros não costumam diferenciar parlamentares, mas aqueles que conseguiam eram mais engajados; na Suécia, o fator “corrupção” predisse a participação não-institucional

Political participation in Brazil and Sweden : the role of stereotypes and contagion

Este estudo investigou a influência de estereótipos sobre parlamentares e contágio comportamental na participação política, comparando dois países: Brasil e Suécia. Considerou-se que estereótipos podem ser úteis para diferenciar grupos de parlamentares e predizer seus comportamentos. O Contágio Comportamental foi investigado como um possível catalisador da ação política. Os questionários online foram respondidos por 984 brasileiros (37,4% mulheres) e 879 suecos (46,5% mulheres). Empregou-se a Modelagem por Equações Estruturais para aferir as relações entre as variáveis. O Contágio Comportamental foi central na predição do engajamento. Os estereótipos predisseram participação quando desafiavam o senso comum: brasileiros não costumam diferenciar parlamentares, mas aqueles que conseguiam eram mais engajados; na Suécia, o fator “corrupção” predisse a participação não-institucional.This study assessed the influence of Stereotypes about Parliamentarians and Behavioral Contagion on Political Participation, comparing two countries: Brazil and Sweden. Stereotypes were admitted to be useful to tell parliamentarians’ groups apart and predict their behavior. Behavioral Contagion was investigated as a possible catalyst of political action. Online questionnaires were administered to 984 Brazilians (37.4% women) and 879 Swedes (46.5% women). Structural Equation Modeling assessed relationships among variables. Behavioral Contagion played a pivotal role on predicting political engagement. Stereotypes predicted participation where they challenged commonsense: Brazilians usually cannot tell the difference among politicians, then those Brazilians who could were more politically engaged; in Sweden, the factor “corruption” predicts non-institutional types of Participation

Политическая культура в прибалтийских странах / Йоахим Экман

Секция 9. Вопросы миграции, беженцев и толерантности в современном миреDrawing on an original 2014 public opinion survey, this paper offers a brief overview of contemporary political orientations in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Looking specifically at performace-related system support and attitudes towards democracy, the paper demonstrates significant cross-national as well as ethnic attitudinal differences in the region. Support for democracy does not seem to be overly strong in the Baltic states, but the key finding is that public support for democracy is still comparatively stronger than support for authoritarian rule. This is tentatively good news: as long as support for non-democratic regime alternatives does not exceed support for a democratic polity, democracy may be deemed to have sufficient legitimacy among citizens, and the risk of a democratic breakdown in the Baltic states must be regarded as insignificant.В статье предлагается обзор существующих политических тенденций в Эстонии, Латвии и Литве на основе проведенного в 2014 г. опроса общественного мнения. В частности, проанализирована поддержка обществом системы осуществления власти и отношение общества к демократии. Сделан вывод о том, что настроения населения региона имеют значительные кросс-национальные и этнические различия. Поддержка демократии не является исключительной характеристикой Прибалтики, однако отмечается динамика в росте поддержки обществом именно демократического стиля управления по сравнению с авторитарным. И это положительная тенденция: если настроения на поддержку альтернатив недемократического режима слабее поддержки основ демократии, то такая демократия может считаться легитимной среди граждан, что обеспечивает устойчивость Прибалтики

Schools, Democratic Socialization and Political Participation: Political Activity and Passivity among Swedish Youths

The present text is based on a key note lecture (‘Civic Education, Democracy and Political Participation’) delivered at the symposium Globalization of School Subjects – Challenges for Civics, History, Geography and Religious Education, Karlstad University, 13–14 December, 2012. Drawing on recent developments in research on political participation and civic engagement, the text starts out with a discussion about different ways of understanding political passivity. Subsequently, the text turns to a brief analysis of ways in which schools may provide young people with political skills and competencies needed in a democratic society. Three dimensions of political citizenship are highlighted: political efficacy, political literacy, and political participation; and the analysis focuses on the impact of a number of different school-related factors on these three ‘citizenship competencies’

Политическая культура в прибалтийских странах / Йоахим Экман

Секция 9. Вопросы миграции, беженцев и толерантности в современном миреDrawing on an original 2014 public opinion survey, this paper offers a brief overview of contemporary political orientations in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Looking specifically at performace-related system support and attitudes towards democracy, the paper demonstrates significant cross-national as well as ethnic attitudinal differences in the region. Support for democracy does not seem to be overly strong in the Baltic states, but the key finding is that public support for democracy is still comparatively stronger than support for authoritarian rule. This is tentatively good news: as long as support for non-democratic regime alternatives does not exceed support for a democratic polity, democracy may be deemed to have sufficient legitimacy among citizens, and the risk of a democratic breakdown in the Baltic states must be regarded as insignificant.В статье предлагается обзор существующих политических тенденций в Эстонии, Латвии и Литве на основе проведенного в 2014 г. опроса общественного мнения. В частности, проанализирована поддержка обществом системы осуществления власти и отношение общества к демократии. Сделан вывод о том, что настроения населения региона имеют значительные кросс-национальные и этнические различия. Поддержка демократии не является исключительной характеристикой Прибалтики, однако отмечается динамика в росте поддержки обществом именно демократического стиля управления по сравнению с авторитарным. И это положительная тенденция: если настроения на поддержку альтернатив недемократического режима слабее поддержки основ демократии, то такая демократия может считаться легитимной среди граждан, что обеспечивает устойчивость Прибалтики

Политическая культура в прибалтийских странах / Йоахим Экман

Секция 9. Вопросы миграции, беженцев и толерантности в современном миреDrawing on an original 2014 public opinion survey, this paper offers a brief overview of contemporary political orientations in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Looking specifically at performace-related system support and attitudes towards democracy, the paper demonstrates significant cross-national as well as ethnic attitudinal differences in the region. Support for democracy does not seem to be overly strong in the Baltic states, but the key finding is that public support for democracy is still comparatively stronger than support for authoritarian rule. This is tentatively good news: as long as support for non-democratic regime alternatives does not exceed support for a democratic polity, democracy may be deemed to have sufficient legitimacy among citizens, and the risk of a democratic breakdown in the Baltic states must be regarded as insignificant.В статье предлагается обзор существующих политических тенденций в Эстонии, Латвии и Литве на основе проведенного в 2014 г. опроса общественного мнения. В частности, проанализирована поддержка обществом системы осуществления власти и отношение общества к демократии. Сделан вывод о том, что настроения населения региона имеют значительные кросс-национальные и этнические различия. Поддержка демократии не является исключительной характеристикой Прибалтики, однако отмечается динамика в росте поддержки обществом именно демократического стиля управления по сравнению с авторитарным. И это положительная тенденция: если настроения на поддержку альтернатив недемократического режима слабее поддержки основ демократии, то такая демократия может считаться легитимной среди граждан, что обеспечивает устойчивость Прибалтики