bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Parlementaire en buiten-parlementaire activiteiten van Vlaamse volksvertegenwoordigers
Authors: De Winter Lieven
Published: July 2021

In this article, we integrated the data of four inquiries, concerning various activities and features (clientelist activities, cumulation of extraparliamentary offices, various activities in parliament, non-attendance at committee meetings and plenary sessions, extent of personal electoral campaign, amount of preference votes, parliamentary seniority, etc.), computing the relations between all these quantitative variables by partialcorrelation and multiple regression techniques.Remarkably, the most determing factor of the amount of preference votes of a candidate seems to be his various activities in parliament.His clientelist activities and his personal electoral campaign influence also, but in a lesser way, the cast of these votes. Parliamentary seniority correlates positively with the number of cumulated offices, which in turncorrelates with the extent of his electoral campaign. The attendance of a representative during the committee meetings and during the plenary voting sessions seems not at all to be (negatively) influenced by this cumulations of various offices, and only slightly by bis clientelist occupations. This general pattern of parliamentary behavior differs considerably between parties. Finally, the effect of each particular branch ofextraparliamentary offices on the other activities of each member was examined.
Government formation and policy formulation : Patterns in Belgium and the Netherlands
Authors: Peterson Robert L. , De Ridder Martine , Hobbs J.D. , McClellan E.F.
Published: July 2021

Based on a study of three Belgian and Dutch government formations, this article examines the relationship between the formation of government coalition's and the formulation of public policy. The government formation process is disaggregated into three stages : the selection of participants in the bargaining process, the negotiation of the governmental agreement and the allocation of portfolios. These stages are then discussed in the context of a schema which focusses on the effects of contextual, relational and outcome components. By modifying assumptions made in traditional coalition studies, the government formation process is seen as involving the transferof issues from institutional arenas to a non-institutional arena in which bargaining processes are used to map and develop issue specific areas of consensus.
Theorievorming als machtsfactor : politieke elites en hun legitimatie 1830-1914
Authors: François Luc
Published: July 2021

Theories concerning the origin, the growth and the efficacy of political elites mainly originated after the first world-war. They arose in circles and with people who resented the increasing democratisation of political life. They were above all meant as a legitimation of conservative ideas with regard to the exertion of politica! power. The years between 1830 and 1914 however can be considered as the incubation-period for these elite-theories. Some examples taken from the Belgian political literature shall illustrate this evolution.The liberal middle class got divided on the interpretation of the political events between 1789 and 1848. The doctrinarians wished to maintain the acquired results whereas the radicals chose for a further sharing ofpower with the lower social classes. The conservatives held the past as an example and in principle they wished a return to the situation that existed before 1789. The contrast between clericals and anticlericals and above all the relationship between church and state interfered with these theoretical conceptions. But neither conservatives nor liberals however had their doubts about the elite-principle.In the second half of the nineteenth century the social consequences of the industrial revolution were felt in such a radical way that the masses too claimed political power in order to improve their destiny.On the political scene the discussion especially crystallized on the demand for universal suffrage and the way of representation. Not only political publicists hut towards the end of the century particularly scientists too supplied a theoretical foundation for the relationship between the elite and the masses.
Les élections législatives du 13 octobre 1985 : Analyse des résultats
Authors: Fraeys William
Published: July 2021

The main characteristics of the elections of 13th October 1985 seem to be the following.The turnout, as appears from the number of laid down ballot papers in relation to the number of registered voters, is slightly declining compared with 1981. It indeed amounted to 93.59 % against 94.56 % four years before. This rate of participation averages those of previous elections.The number of blank and spoilt ballot papers is rising very slightly.  It totalled 7.45 % for the House of Representatives, against 7.37 % in 1981. This is again an average percentage compared with the previous general elections.   It is considerably lower than the number of blank and spoilt ballot papers at the European elections of both 1979 and 1984.The extent of the shifts in votes is much lower than in 1981 and also averages those of the last year's elections.The votes are moving in a very similar way in the three regions of the country, although with one notable exception : the loss suffered by the PVV in Flanders. Apart from that, the Christian Democrats are registering a gain in the northern and southern parts of the country as well as in Brussels as far as the CVP is concerned ; the extent of the Socialist advance is the same in the three regions ; the loss suffered by the nationalist parties is general and the «green» lists are reinforcing their breakthrough everywhere.The parties of the outgoing coalition are improving their result, which very seldom happens at Belgian elections: Christian Democrats and Liberals are indeed progressing by 2.26 %. Another noteworthy element, however, is the fact that the ahead movement of the main oppositionparties is even more important than the majority's as the Socialists obtained 3.25 % more of the valid votes. Of course this double success took place at the expense of the nationalist parties, the Communists and some smaller lists.The shift in seats does not exactly reflect the shift in votes, because of a different distribution of the seats between the provinces, on the one hand, due to the variations in the number of inhabitants, and because of the concentration on certain lists of the allocation of the last seat, on the other.
De ingewikkelde structurering van het buitenlands beleid in België en de plaats van de Gemeenschappen daarin
Authors: Baert Frans
Published: July 2021

Many factors have a restraining influence on the decision making and the dynamical function of foreign policy. Next to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, there are the Undersecretary for Foreign Trade and the Undersecretary for Development Co-operation. As a result, there is no continuity in policy making. The division of competences is even problematic for the administration.Since 1980, the communities also have international competences, for instance to ratify treaties. These competences are legal and constitutional, although the Central Government tries to cut them down. The strict application of the legal and constitutional prescriptions should undoubtedly simplify the problems.
Amerikaanse, Canadese en Engelse politiek-wetenschappelijke publikaties over België (1976-1986)
Authors: Huyse Luc
Published: July 2021

Ten years after the first effort (Res Publica, 1975, nr. 3, 413-432), this second article compares a number of english political science publications about Belgium. Twenty-five contributions (between 1976 and1986) are questioned on two grounds. First, what is their information value for a non-Belgian audience. Except for a few striking factual errors, the quality of the books and articles ranges from reasonable toexcellent. The second question, on the surplus value for Belgians themselves, provides a less optimistic image. There is evidence of very little theory building activities in this last decade. The key-authors of theprevious period do not have successors. Also, in contrast to the earlier period, the « politics of accommodation » and « pillarization » issues are abandoned in nearly exclusive favor of the language problem. Monotony has taken the place of diversity.
Nota over de herinrichting van de kiesindeling in Brabant
Authors: Hooghe Liesbeth
Published: July 2021

Despite major institutional and political changes in the Belgian political system in the last 25 years, the electoral organization has been very stable.The adaptations of the electoral organization have even been less in the province of Brabant, although the politica! developments have caused there additional problems. Brabant's electoral constituencies contain a rather strange mixture of heterogeneous electorates : (1) a constituency, which consists of the bilingual capital Brussels as welt as several Flemish communes, (2) a unilingual Walloon constituency, (3) a unilingual Flemish constituency. The proposed solutions for Brabant's complex situation can be summarized into six alternative systems of electoral organization, concentrating either on the functioning of the system of provincial allotment (II, III, IV : to prevent the election of a candidate from one language community in the unilingual constituency that is part of the other language community), or on a radical redrawing of the boundaries of the electoral constituencies (V, VI, VII : to separate theFlemish and French electorale more neatly).The impact of the six alternatives on the seats distribution among the political parties is rather restricted. The shifts of seats inside the parties (from one constituency to another) are more striking than between the parties. Alternatives IV and VI cause the largest reallocation of seats between the parties, whereas alternatives II, III and V result in only minor changes.
Het Belgisch beleid inzake de erkenning van China
Authors: Oosterwaal Jörgen
Published: July 2021

On the basis of a chronological approach of the decision-making process with regard to the recognition of the PRC we concluded in an analytical part that the decision-making process was merely of the "hypo-institutional" type. Afterwards, we examined the effectivity of the Belgian policy in comparison with the international scientific literature on recognition and with the practice of other small European states. We concluded the non-recognition policy had been ineffective.  The relation between "hypo-institutional" decision-making on the one hand and ineffective public policy on the other hand is just one element within a broader research-project : "The effectivity of public policy according to type of decisionmaking".
Massamedia en parlementaire verslaggeving
Authors: Bouveroux Jos
Published: July 2021

During the last years the mass media have paid less and less attention to parliamentary activities. That is so because the real decision making, the real power, has shifted from the legislature to the executive. There are also other reasons for the declining interest in parliament: its complicated functioning, the limited interest of parliament in topical subjects, the often lengthy and technical debates.  Parliament and mass media could, however, try to bridge the gap between eachother, e.g. by broadcasting special programmes on parliamentary activities.  This might give the parliament a chance to reconquer a portion of its lost power.  However, it remains to be proved that there is a genuine political willingness to restore the legislature as the dominant political power centre. The mass media cannot and may not be a party to this conflict. They can only be a tool.
De programmabegroting als bruikbaar instrument voor de parlementaire controle
Authors: Stienlet Georges
Published: July 2021

Untill recently the primary emphasis of the budget of the Belgian State was on formal controls of spending. The detailed classification of objects of expenditure was the main control mechanism. The growing needs for managerial control on the proliferation of public organisations turned intrest of the government executive to concerns with the efficient performance of government activities. Program budgeting was introduced as a technical solution for the public management.  Legislative action resulting in an expenditure change has become more and more exceptional and shows how extraordinaly skillful must be those who wish to penetrate this budgetary system from outside the executive.Parliament thus remained silent in this debate. However, when linked with the definition of social objectives, budgeting by outputs could be a vehicle for restoring the active role of the legislature in the budgetary process.The general idea is to gain control on budgetary decisions by focusing on the end products of public organisations and on governemental objectives instead of on inputs as personnel, equipment or maintenance. By effective goalsetting, the Belgian Parliament could restore its budgetary authority.
De rol van de overheid in het Europeaniseringsproces van het bedrijfsleven in België
Authors: Heremans Dirk , Guldemont Jo
Published: July 2021

The European internal market presents an enormous challenge for business firms in a small open economy. Major adjustments may be in order in certain business sectors, as the success of 1992 will in first instance depend upon the dynamism of the Belgian firms themselves.Whithin the federal context of a simultaneous devolution of powers towards the European level and towards lower-level jurisdictions in Belgium, the functions of governments have to be redefined. The process of translating European directives into national law and of further adapting the legal and economic framework, especially in the financial field, has just taken off in Belgium. However, a more continuous effort of modernising the institutional and economic environment will be in order for the years to come.
Twintig jaar politieke strijd rond de abortuswetgeving in België (1970-1990)
Authors: Witte Els
Published: July 2021

Tbe struggle for the liberalization of the law on abortion began in Belgium in 1970 when the taboo was breached in an initial bill. However, support by pressure groups failed and this led to a long period of nondecision, which may be explained by the disunity in the camp of the supporters on the one hand and the blocking tactics of the Flemish Christian Democrats on the other. In 1986 a compromise between supporters finally emerged, and via a majority which cut right through the governmental coalition an abortion law was approved at the end of March 1990, which closely corresponds to British, French and Dutch legislation.  The catholic monarch's refusal to ratify the bill caused a political crisis which was solved by the unanimous signing by the assembled ministers.
Imperiali, D'Hondt en Niemeyer als verdelingstechnieken bij de gemeenteraadsverkiezingen : Een simulatie aan de hand van de gemeenteraadsverkiezingen van 9 oktober 1988
Authors: Ackaert Johan
Published: July 2021

Earlier research pointed out that the processing of the results of the municipal council elections shows a serious distorsion favouring the strongest lists and prejudicing the weaker ones. The Belgian Parliament will discuss at an early date two different proposals of law on that problem. One prefers the "D'Hondt"-method (which is used for all the other elections in Belgium), the other suggests the "Niemeyer"-technique, which is used in Germany. Both systems seem to be more proportional than the "Imperiali"-way (which is used naw). However, the "Niemeyer"-technique is not always able to transform an absolute majority of votes into a majority of seats in the municipal councils. A modification of the seatsdistributionsystem will seriously reduce the number of absolute majorities in the municipal councils. This could pose problems of political and administrative stability in local government. A  modification will also produce negative ejfects on the positions of the christian-democrats in Flanders and the socialists and christian-democrats in the Walloons. Nearly all the other parties and particularly the small ones will improve their positions.
De ontwikkeling van de collectieve uitgavenquote en de ombuigingen in de gemeentefinanciën
Authors: Moesen Wim , Vanneste Jacques , Vansina Yolande
Published: July 2021

Budgetary austerity has been implemented by all levels of government in Belgium since 1982. The public attention has focussed on the achievements of the centra[ level. However, also at the local level a remarkable budgetary retrenchment has been realised. This study investigates the various aspects of decremental budgeting of the Belgian municipolities, both at the expenditures and the revenues side.
L'Islam et l'Etat belge
Authors: Blaise Pierre , De Coorebyter Vincent
Published: July 2021

In the countries with a strong muslim immigration, the practice and the organization of Islam  represent a national and international politica! stake. The Belgian state, which recognizes and supports the most important cults financially, recognized Islam in 1974. But this cult doesn't still obtain this state support and the questions concerning its organization are more complex than ever. Thelegislation is insufficient and its application almost non-existent. The debates on 'integrism' and hijab have confronted us with the problem of the integrating role of Islam. The Belgian political world seems today to fear the influence of foreign countries on immigrants. All these factors throw light on the history and the present state of the Belgian legislation on the organization of the islamic cult, which this article analyses.
Twijfel, onverschilligheid en afkeer : Blanco-stemmers en meer-partijen-stemmers onder Brusselse hogeschoolstudenten
Authors: Rosseel Eric
Published: July 2021

Knowledge of the profiles of blank voters and multi-party voters and the underlying dynamics of these forms of voting is very defective. At least three phenomena of political-psychological importance may foster interest in these forms of ambivalent or deviant voting behaviour: 1) so-called political 'homeless' who are interested in politics but notparty-organized 2) political indifference 3) protest voting.Data of a study on social and political attitudes among Brussels students (n =1393) were used to analyze socio-demographical correlates and attitudinal profiles of blank and multiparty voters. Differentiations among multi-party voters are indeed linked to specific attitudinal profiles.
Belgian politics in 1992
Authors: Cottenier Ivan
Published: July 2021

After unsuccessful attempts to form Liberal-Socialist and tripartite cabinets, another center-left cabinet was made. It was the first cabinet headed by Flemish Christian-Democratjean-Luc Dehaene. Not commanding a two-thirds majority in Parliament, the constitutional reform agenda was referred to a community-to-community dialogue which resulted in an overall constitutional reform agreement concluded in the fall.Not much action was taken on the budget deficit, and the cabinet's reliance on new taxes led to tension inside the coalition, with the CVP insisting on additional spending cuts. Labor and management reached agreement on a 1993-94 national inter-industry accord for the private sector.The cabinet decided to abolish conscription, and the armed farces were involved in UN-sponsored peacekeeping missions in ex-Yugoslavia and Somalia.In Parliament, there was a large majority in favor of the Maastricht Treaty.
Inspraak van het lid in het VBO
Authors: Bernaert Wilfried
Published: July 2021

The Federation of Belgian companies (VBO/FEB) is a confederation which groups 36 branch associations covering 30. 000 individual firms. About 85 % are small and medium-sizedfirms occupying less than 50 employees. The VBO/FEB is the most important exponent of the high degree of affiliation on the employers' side.  The process of decision making reflects the structure of the federation. The mandate is defined in the board of the VBO/FEB, composed by a representative ofeach branch association. This representative holds his mandate on the basis of the deliberations held in the elected board of his association. The guiding principle is consensus, which is not synonymous of unanimity. When a consistent and representative majority emerges from the debate, the members holding another opinion join that majority in a spirit ofemployers' solidarity. The decision making process aims in this way to combine efficiency and democracy. This is particularly important for the VBO/FEB, as that organisation not only acts as a lobby but also as a social partner able to conclude agreements.  In the Belgian system, social partners are consulted by the authorities, because of their representativeness. It must however be clear that they may not interfere with the political decisions which in our democratic system rest with government and parliament.
Urban conflict and voting pattern : some tentative generalizations from the last state election in Hamburg
Authors: Jagodzinski Wolfgang , Friedrichs Jürgen , Dülmer Hermann
Published: July 2021

During the last years immigration has aggravated the socialproblems in many disadvantaged urban districts. High proportions of foreigners are concentrating in those areas which suffer from unemployment and bad housing conditions. The accumulation of social problems has created a climate of insecurity, social prejudices, and political dissatisfaction. Since political discontent presently is not remedied by the established political parties, it results in low voting participation and increasing proportions of right wing votes. The close connection between the intensity of social problems on the one side, low voter turnout and high success of right extremist parties on the other side, is empirically established by an ecological analysis of the recent state elections in Hamburg.
De gemeenteraadsverkiezingen van 9 oktober 1994 : Analyse van de resultaten
Authors: Ackaert Johan
Published: July 2021

The institutional setting of the 1994 local elections was characterized by a by law introduced limitation of campaign expenditures and the increased share (at least 25%) of female candidates.  In spite of compulsory voting rules, the turnout decreased with 1,2%. The proportion of blanc or invalid votes increased slightly with 0,3%.  The results of the local elections followed the trends drawn by the 1991 general election. This means general losses for the traditional parties and large progress for the extreme right-wing parties. In the Flemish region, the winners were the extreme right-wing Vlaams Blok, the ecologist AGALEV and the VLD liberals.  The others parties lost votes. This was particularly the case for the Flemish-nationalist VU, followed by the socialists (SP) and the christian-democrats (CVP).In the Walloons region, all the traditional parties were set back or stagnated.  The socialists (PS) suffered the largest decline, but the liberals (PRL) and christian-democrats (PSC) lost voters too. The ecologist ECOLO only kept a modest status quo position. On the other hand, the extreme right-wing parties Front National and Agir realised a breakthrough. In Brussels, we notice the same tendencies, set-backs for the traditional parties and progress for the extreme rightwing parties (of both languages). The ecologists belonged there also to the winning side. Nevertheless, the fragmentation of the local political system should not be dramatized.In general terms, parties supporting the leaving political majorities in the municipalities were no langer electorally favoured. On the contrary, the liberals realized better results in these municipalities where they belonged to the opposition.
De UNESCO en de vrijheid van informatie : Een reconstructie van 50 jaar machtspolitiek
Authors: Servaes Jan
Published: July 2021

This article assesses the role and profile of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in the international information and communication debate over the past fifty years. It describes the ideological controversies and shifts which took place as a result of and for conditioned by political and economic power changes.The concepts freedom of information' and 'free flow of information' are of a relatively recent date. However, the ideas on which they are based are very old.  For centuries, these principles have been at the base of the Western way of thinking. The practical application of these liberties soon escaped the national level and the need for international agreements was felt. This shift can partly be explained as a result of changing power factors, partly also through culturally defined interpretation problems.A number of examples are presented. The interpretation of communication principles, the MacBride Report, or the New International Information Order, is linked to powershifts on the political and for economic level, as well as to the questioning of their universa[ validity.The article also adresses the role of the Western newsmedia as agenda setters for the public and political opinion.
De sociale achtergrond van de lokale politieke elite in Vlaanderen 1946-1988
Authors: Reynaert Herwig
Published: July 2021

From the analysis of the social background of the local elected people in Flanders during the period 1946-1988 one can conclude that there are barriers for women, lower social classes and certain age categories preventing them from moving up the local political elite. The democratization process of the Flemish local political elite bas not yet made much progress. It appears from the fact that men are more numerous in political fonctions, that the distribution among the various professional categories strongly deviates from the general social stratification and from the conclusion that certain age categories are clearly dominant. It is however clear that the composition of the elites neverfully reflect society as a whole. On the other hand, the important fact is that the differences cannot be reduced to smaller variances which inevitably go together with any representative system.
Reimagining the Nation : Mass Media and Collective Identities in Europe
Authors: Servaes Jan
Published: July 2021

The interrelationschip of culture, nation and communication is one of the key themes in the study of collective identities and nationalism. In this opening article to this special issue this interrelationship is being assessed. The article aims to contribute to a discussion ofthe assumptions on which the above interrelationship is built.It is argued that nationhood is at the point of intersection with a plurality of discourses related to geography, history, culture, polities, ideology, ethnicity, religion, matriality, economics, and the social. The discourse of nationhood can best be understood in relation to boundedness, continuities and discontinuities, unnity and plurality, the authority of the past, and the imperative of the present.Contributions of a number of contemporary thinkers (Benedict Anderson, Wimal Dissanayake, Ernest Gellner, Sutart Hall, Eric Hosbawm, anthony Giddens, among others) are incorporated in this article in order to underline the complex and contested discursive terrain that nationhood undoubtedly is. It is concluded that various cultures also manifest different and fragmented identities.
Politieke statistiek in België : Oproep bij het einde van 170 jaar België
Authors: Dewachter Wilfried
Published: July 2021

The great promises that "Statistik" yielded in the 19th century in Belgium, did  not materialise. At least as far as political statistics are concerned. In the second half of the 20th century the output was rather limited and thus very incomplete, not very professionally conceived and elaborated, disorderly provided, strongly related to an outrunned institutional approach and thus quite conservative in its orientation, veiled in inaccurate categories with the static view rather dominant. Therefore, starting from a global approach of the 3 P's (=polity, politics and policy), a rebuilding is necessary. This should provide for an inventory of existing statistical data and -above all -a masterplan to achieve a straightforward view on the 3 P's in Belgium: polity, politics and policy. A polyarchy has the right and the need to in depth information that is as complete as feasible. Statistics are very handy tools to provide this information to both policymakers and citizens.
Het politiek gebruik van internet naar aanleiding van de gemeenteraadsverkiezingen van 8 oktober 2000
Authors: Hooghe Marc , Stouthuysen Patrick
Published: July 2021

The proliferation of the use of Internet has led to speculations that the interactive possibilities offered by this technology will lead to a democratisation of political communication. It is argued that citizens will enjoy more opportunities to discuss polities with other citizens and to express their opinions toward the political system. In this casestudy, we examine the political  use of internet at the time of the Belgian local elections of 8 October 2000. Building on the coding scheme developed by Pippa Norris, we distinguish interactive and institutional communication through the Internet, in which we expect that interactive communication has a democratie potential, while the institutional communication shows atendency to strengthen existing power relations. The data show that during this election campaign the Internet has been used mainlyfor institutional purposes, not for interactive applications. Therefore our conclusion is that, especially in small languageareas, the democratic potential of Internet remains limited.
Een verscheurende keuze : Analyse van het stemgedrag van de VU-leden bij de ledenbevraging over het voortbestaan van de partij
Authors: Wauters Bram
Published: July 2021

The Flemish-nationalist party Volksunie ceased to exist in 2001. Due to deep divisions within the party, it was decided to organise a referendum in which each party-member could vote for a project, outlining the future of the party. Since none of the three projects managed to obtain a 50 %-majority, a requisite to preserve the party name, the name Volksunie disappeared and the party was split up in two new parties.  In this article we tried to answer the question which members voted for which project. A mail survey was held among a sample of Volksunie-members. Explanations for voting behaviour were found in characteristics of voters, their viewpoints on issues and their appreciation of notable party leaders. Finally, we analysed the second preference-party of the Volksunie-members in order to estimate with which existing parties the two new parties could possibly form future alliances.
Het uiteenvallen van de Volksunie en het ontstaan van de N-VA en Spirit : Een chronologisch en morfologisch overzicht (juni 1999 - juli 2002)
Authors: Noppe Jo , Wauters Bram
Published: July 2021

At the Belgian parliamentary elections in June 1999, the Flemish nationalist party 'Volksunie' (VU) which formed an alliance with the social-liberal ID21 progressed slightly.  On July 10, 1999, the party decided to participate in the purple-green-yellow Flemish government, but at the same time they decided to stay out of the federal Belgian government. Two years later, the VU-Party Bureau decided that due to deep divisions within the party it had become impossible for the party to continue. The 15.000 party members were asked to judge about the future of the party. Because no party project managed to obtain a 50 %-majority in the party member referendum, the VU dissappeared. Two new parties - the 'Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie' (N-VA) and 'Spirit' - emerged from the ruins of the VU.  The collapse of the VU can be seen as the most far-reaching change in the Flemish party political context of the last decade.  This article focusses on the last two and a half years of the VU and on the first year of the N-VA and Spirit (from June 1999 until July 2002). In a first part, achronological overview is build up. This part provides an overview «from day to day» of the events that played a role in the collapse of the VU and the creation of the N-VA and Spirit. The second part of the article draws amore morphological picture of the VU, the N-VA and Spirit: data are presented about the internal organisation of these parties (info about party meetings, the composition and competences of the leading party structures, internal elections, party mandates, the party employees and numbers of party members). By offering an extensive overview of facts and figures, it is the intention of the authors to provide a solid guidelinefor further investigation.
Leden en hun inspraak binnen politieke partijen
Authors: Wauters Bram
Published: July 2021

In response to a decline of 'the party on the ground', political parties in Western Europe have increased the opportunities for their members to have a say on the party's policy. In this article, four ways of increased involvement of the rank-and-file in Belgian political parties are analysed : party leadership elections, co-decision as concerns the composition of electoral lists, intra-party referenda and the widening ofthe suffrage on party congresses.  As concerns the statutory regulations, the involvement of party members has increasedsignificantly. In practice, however, influence of party members remains limited and the party elite continues to keep most power in their hands. Most party members are aware of the limits of their influence. Moreover, not all members are interested in having a greater say in party affairs. Those that adhere to a party because of ideological or programmatic reasons, participate most.
Participation gouvernementale et adaptation organisationnelle : une analyse qualiquantitative comparée des partis écologistes en Europe occidentale
Authors: Rihoux Benoît , Yamasaki Sakura
Published: July 2021

This contribution explores the reciprocal links between the organisational transformation of Western European Green parties and the access of some of these parties to national government participation. On the one hand, a series of hypotheses with regard to the possible link between prior organisational adaptation and eventual access to governmental participation are examined. On the other hand, the opposite question is addressed : that of the potential impact of governmental participation on further organisational adaptation.  Following both a qualitative and Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA), one does ultimately identify a link between prior organisational adaptation and eventual access to government, but a much more indirect and contrasted link between governmental participation and further organisational adaptation.
Transformation of health communication literacy in the pandemic era
Authors: Putri K. Y.S. , Mulyana Deddy , Istiyanto S Bekti , Zakiah Linda , Hafni Rayni Delya
Published: July 2021

Indonesian public health communication literacy is the education center for the government and related institutions. The formulation of this research problem is how to model health communication literacy in communities in tourism areas in Indonesia. The research objective was to determine the health communication literacy model in the community in tourism areas in Indonesia. The concept used in this research is new media literacy and health communication and audience attitudes. Several previous studies support this research. The method used is quantitative by distributing questionnaires to respondents. The result of the research is that health communication literacy on social media in a cognitive structure greatly affects the respondents. However, at the conative level, there are still some respondents who do not care about this pandemic because of the long duration. In the simple regression results, this study shows a great influence on the respondent's attitude. The suggestion of this research is the need for knowledge collaboration in subsequent research. So that it is not only in social science research but with natural science.
Evaluating the implementation of the character education strengthening program of vocational high schools in Yogyakarta City
Authors: Susatya Edhy , Santosa Budi , Andriyani Andriyani , Ariyani Dwi
Published: July 2021

The research aims to evaluate the character education strengthening program (CESP) implementation in vocational high schools (VHS) throughout Yogyakarta City. The evaluation is done in the functions of (1) planning, (2) implementation, and (3) evaluation. In this descriptive qualitative research, the researchers collected information related to the implementation of CESP. The subjects are school principals, vice principals, and teachers determined using the snowball sampling technique in four vocational high schools in Yogyakarta City. The evaluation uses the discrepancy model, which looks for the gap between planning and implementation. Data were collected through observation, interviews, and documentation, validated using the source and collection triangulation, and analyzed using a descriptive technique carried out during and after completing data collection within a certain period. The findings show that: (1) the CESP planning consists of elements of initial assessment, CESP socialization, vision and mission, policy design, and CESP design, with an average score of 2.74, meaning that it is good; (2) the CESP implementation consists of the elements including CESP development in learning, school culture development, community participation, and implementation of the CESP main values, with an average score of 2.98, meaning that it is in a good category; and (3) the CESP evaluation has an average score of 2.50, meaning that it is in a good category. The results of this study are recommended as consideration for mapping the CESP implementation, determining education policies related to character education, developing CESP models, reference for character research, and as materials for discussions regarding character education.
Biodiversity of white grub, (Coleoptera: Scaraeidae) in semi arid agro-ecosystem of Rajasthan
Authors: LAL JAKHAR BHANWAR , BALODA AS , CHOUDHARY MD , SAINI KK , JAKHAR ML , YADAV T
Published: July 2021

White grubs are the major insect pests of cultivated plants in semi arid agro-ecosystem of Rajasthan. It is important to understand diversity, abundance and distribution of scarabaeid beetles for planning effective pest management programme. The experimental data were collected from nine locations in three different ecosystems in Kharif season of year 2019. Species identification revealed that there was total nine species were recorded from 18885 specimens collected. The identified species were belongs under two subfamilies of   Scarabaeidae family. Maximum specimens were collected in the month of July from selected sites. When species diversity was compared among different locations, it was found that Shannon Wiener diversity index varied from 1.235 to 1.095, which indicates that species were less diverse but frequently present. The present study can be   used to formulate the integrated pest management strategies based on most abundance and diverse scarabaeids in semi-arid agro-ecosystem of Rajasthan.
Modeling and Trend Analysis of Climatic Variables of Ranchi District, Jharkhand
Authors: JEET PAWAN , SINGH KN , KUMAR RAJEEV   RANJAN , GURANG BISHAL , SINGH AK , UPADHYAYA A
Published: July 2021

In this paper, an attempt has been made to study the temporal variation in monthly, seasonal and annual rainfall, and average annual maximum and minimum temperature for the period 1901-2015 over Ranchi district of Jharkhand, India. Long-term changes in rainfall, temperature was determined by Man-Kendall rank statistics and Sen’s slope, and forecasting of time series was determined by ARIMA model. The results revealed that there was significant decrease of average rainfall in the month of February and August while increase in month May and Pre-monsoon season. Average rainfall in the month of February, May, August and Pre-monsoon season showing insignificant increasing as well as decreasing rainfall trend. The average annual maximum and minimum temperature showing decreasing and increasing trend over Ranchi district during the period 1901 to 2015. This paper also describes five-year prediction of rainfall and temperature climatic variables.
Changes in Language Style and Topics in an Online Eating Disorder Community at the Beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Observational Study (Preprint)
Authors: Feldhege Johannes , Moessner Markus , Wolf Markus , Bauer Stephanie
Published: July 2021

BACKGROUND

COVID-19 has affected individuals with lived experience of eating disorders (EDs), with many reporting higher psychological distress, higher prevalence of ED symptoms, and compensatory behaviors. The COVID-19 pandemic and the health and safety measures taken to contain its spread also disrupted routines and reduced access to familiar coping mechanisms, social support networks, and health care services. Social media and the ED communities on social media platforms have been an important source of support for individuals with EDs in the past. So far, it is unknown how discussions in online ED communities changed as offline support networks were disrupted and people spent more time at home in the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to identify changes in language content and style in an online ED community during the initial onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

We extracted posts and their comments from the ED community on the social media website Reddit and concatenated them to comment threads. To analyze these threads, we applied top-down and bottom-up language analysis methods based on topic modeling with latent Dirichlet allocation and 13 indicators from the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count program, respectively. Threads were split into prepandemic (before March 11, 2020) and midpandemic (after March 11, 2020) groups. Standardized mean differences were calculated to estimate change between pre- and midpandemic threads.

RESULTS

A total of 17,715 threads (n=8772, 49.5% prepandemic threads; n=8943, 50.5% midpandemic threads) were extracted from the ED community and analyzed. The final topic model contained 21 topics. CIs excluding zero were found for standardized mean differences of 15 topics and 9 Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count categories covering themes such as ED symptoms, mental health, treatment for EDs, cognitive processing, social life, and emotions.

CONCLUSIONS

Although we observed a reduction in discussions about ED symptoms, an increase in mental health and treatment-related topics was observed at the same time. This points to a change in the focus of the ED community from promoting potentially harmful weight loss methods to bringing attention to mental health and treatments for EDs. These results together with heightened cognitive processing, increased social references, and reduced inhibition of negative emotions detected in discussions indicate a shift in the ED community toward a pro-recovery orientation.
User Perspectives on a Resilience-Building App (JoyPop): Qualitative Study (Preprint)
Authors: Mushquash Aislin R , Pearson Erin S , Waddington Kayla , MacIsaac Angela , Mohammed Shakira , Grassia Elizabeth , Smith Savanah , Wekerle Christine
Published: July 2021

BACKGROUND

Resilience is the capability, resources, and processes that are available to a person or system to adapt successfully in the face of stress or adversity. Given that resilience can be enhanced, using advances in technology to deliver and evaluate the impact of resilience interventions is warranted. Evidence supports the effectiveness of the resilience-building JoyPop app in improving resilience-related outcomes after use; however, experiential data from users is also needed to provide a more comprehensive account of its utility.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to explore users’ experiences with the JoyPop app and their perspectives on its utility.

METHODS

This qualitative description study involved a combination of group and one-on-one semistructured interviews with a subset of first-year undergraduate students who participated in a larger evaluation of the JoyPop app. Participants used the app for a 4-week period and were subsequently asked about their frequency of app use, most and least used features (and associated reasons), most and least helpful features (and associated reasons), barriers to use, facilitators of use and continuation, and recommendations for improvement. Data were coded and categorized through inductive content analysis.

RESULTS

The sample of 30 participants included 24 females and 6 males, with a mean age of 18.77 years (SD 2.30). App use ranged from 1 to 5 times daily (mean 2.11, SD 0.74), with the majority indicating that they used the app at least twice daily. The Rate My Mood, Journal, and SquareMoves features were reported to be used most often, while the Rate My Mood, Journal, and Breathing Exercises features were identified as the most helpful. A number of themes and subthemes pertaining to facilitators of app use (prompts, creating routine, self-monitoring opportunities, expressive opportunities), barriers to app use (editing, lack of variety, student lifestyle), outcomes of app use (increased awareness, checking in with oneself, helpful distraction, emotional control), and recommendations for app improvement (adding more features, enhancing existing features, enhancing tracking abilities, providing personalization) were identified.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides insight into the aspects of the JoyPop app that motivated and benefitted users, as well as measures that can be taken to improve user experiences and promote longer-term uptake. Users were willing to engage with the app and incorporate it into their routine, and they valued the ability to self-monitor, express emotion, and engage in distraction.
Physicians’ Perceptions of and Satisfaction With Artificial Intelligence in Cancer Treatment: A Clinical Decision Support System Experience and Implications for Low-Middle–Income Countries (Preprint)
Authors: Emani Srinivas , Rui Angela , Rocha Hermano Alexandre Lima , Rizvi Rubina F , Juaçaba Sergio Ferreira , Jackson Gretchen Purcell , Bates David W
Published: July 2021

UNSTRUCTURED

As technology continues to improve, health care systems have the opportunity to use a variety of innovative tools for decision-making, including artificial intelligence (AI) applications. However, there has been little research on the feasibility and efficacy of integrating AI systems into real-world clinical practice, especially from the perspectives of clinicians who use such tools. In this paper, we review physicians’ perceptions of and satisfaction with an AI tool, Watson for Oncology, which is used for the treatment of cancer. Watson for Oncology has been implemented in several different settings, including Brazil, China, India, South Korea, and Mexico. By focusing on the implementation of an AI-based clinical decision support system for oncology, we aim to demonstrate how AI can be both beneficial and challenging for cancer management globally and particularly for low-middle–income countries. By doing so, we hope to highlight the need for additional research on user experience and the unique social, cultural, and political barriers to the successful implementation of AI in low-middle–income countries for cancer care.