Post-Cold War Democratic Experiment and Presidential Term Limits in Africa

The introduction of presidential term limits was one of the outcomes of the various negotiations that preceded the post-Cold War transition elections in Africa. With constitutional support for presidential term limits, which were often ratified in most African countries through a referendum, presidential term limits not only assumed a democratic principle, but were also expected to become both a ＂process and practice＂ in new African democracies.1 The constitution legitimizes term limits （years and tenures） as a democratic principle to regulate power and leadership transition within the context of democratic elections. Shinn （2009） argues that term limits for a country＇s most important political leader are an essential component of building democracy. Their importance adds value to the process, practice and constitutive feature of liberal democracy （Shinn, 2009）. Numerous studies show that presidential term limits are one of the most consistent predictors of power transition （Beetham, 1994; Linz, 1996a; Cheeseman, 2010）. Presidential term limits are also important in sustaining open-seat contests that ensure power alternation. However, this was not to be the case in African democratic experiment, where the process and practice of presidential term limits have become problematic. This paper focuses on how the removal of presidential term limits has worked against the consolidation of democracy in African post-Cold War democratic experiment, resulting in weak institutions, entrenchment and reconsolidation of power by long serving dictators, democratic hybridity and sometimes democratic reversal.

Great Changes Unseen for a Century in American Politics and the 2020 US Presidential Election

American politics is currently undergoing great changes unseen in a century,which has been predominately manifested in the following hree aspects:first,the rampant COVID-19 pandemic has caused the US tosuffer its worst economic recession since the Great Depression in 1929;second,social division and political polarization are besetting the US as evidenced in its wide partisan divide between the supporters of its two major parties on a range of critical issues;and third,the US is caught in anational identity crisis,while China's rise is believed to intensify such a crisis.These three factors are bound to exert great impacts on the 2020 presidential election of the United States:the COVID-19 pandemic will have certain influence on voter turnout and the approval rating of the two parties;in the context of the aforementioned serious social divide and highly polarized political landscape,the basic constituencies of the two parties are likely to show an extraordinary degree of party loyalty,which could result in the possibility that a few voters in a handful of key states will determine the results of the election;and as China's peaceful rise ismistaken as a serious threat to the national identity of the US.China will be one of the key topics in the coming US presidential election,hence further worsening the relations between China and the United States.

RUSSIA AFTER THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

In the recent presidential election,a most bitter trial of strength since its inde-pendence took place between the“democrats”and the so-called“traditionalists”in Russia.The outcome of this rivalry has a direct bearing on thechoice of Russia’s future development path.The reelection of the incumbent Presi-dent Boris Yeltsin in the second round of the voting has offered the political guaran-tee for the country’s further search for an appropriate development strategy alongthe current track.

Presidential Proposals in Congress

This paper analyses what is likely to happen to a presidential proposal once it has been introduced in Congress. By analysing the efforts of Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama to pass comprehensive healthcare reform, this paper argues that the ideological spread in the House of Representatives and the Senate, the influence wielded by interest groups, and the nuanced responses of both parties in Congress to presidential proposals are all of fundamental importance to the chances a presidential proposal has of eventually becoming law. Given the success of the Obama administration and the failure of the Clinton administration to succeed in passing fundamental healthcare reform, these two cases can provide the field of political science with a convincing account of what a presidential proposals eventual fate will be.

Mitt Romney, Mormonism, and Religion in the 2008 Presidential Election

This study examined the impact of Mormonism on the 2008 presidential campaign of Mitt Romney. Romney faced a situation that reminded observers of John F. Kennedy＇s 1960 campaign. In 1960, Kennedy faced doubts about his Catholicism while Ronmey faced questions about the Mormon religion. Kennedy faced those doubts directly with a speech in Houston, Texas late in the campaign. Romney tried to do the same thing with a speech on his religious beliefs early in the primary campaigns. Kennedy＇s speech was effective, and he went on to win the presidential election. Romney＇s speech was not effective, and he was out of the race within two months. Kennedy＇s speech directly addressed the public＇s questions about Catholicism, while Romney＇s speech was an appeal for religious tolerance. The speech is examined in terms of the Pharisee Effect, a hypothesis which argues that religious appeals in politics failure if they are over used. Some voters were turned off by the negative image of his religion--a response consistent with the fanaticism backlash of the Pharisee Effect. Others may have reacted negatively to his perceived inauthentic attempts to reach out to evangelicals--a move that is consistent with the intentionality dimension of the Pharisee Effect. The Mormon issue did not become an issue in the 2012 election; Romney avoided it by simply not talking about his religion.

Ghana＇s Presidential Seats and Sword of State： Aesthetic Manifestation of Kwame Nkrumah＇ s Cultural Policy on Ghana＇s Political Culture

This study explores the aesthetic dimensions of Kwame Nkrumah＇s cultural policies in the creation of Ghana＇s Presidential Seats and the State Sword. The study is an Art Historical research situated within the qualitative research paradigm. It had a population of a defmed class of cultural policy makers, art historians, traditional rulers, nationalists, visual artists and Ghanaians resident both in and outside Ghana. The study examined how the creation of Ghana＇s Presidential Seats and the State Sword were influenced by Kwame Nkrumah＇s cultural policies and the cultural significance of the aesthetic interplay of ethnic insignias used in capturing the Ghanaian concept of Political authority. The study revealed that, Nkrumah recognised the cultural art forms and elements of ethnic Ghana as assets for national development. In line with his policy of building the Nation State of Ghana, he used ethnic cultural art forms and elements. At independence, Nkrumah commissioned some visual artist to create some artistic pieces （politico-cultural artefacts） for the Ghanaian political authority with inspiration or based on what pertains in the traditional authority （Chieftaincy） of Ghana. Politico-cultural artefacts as used in this study refer to the artefacts produced based on the cultural concepts of the ethnic states for the use of the political authority of the Republic of Ghana. Among these artistic pieces are the three Presidential Seats, The State Sword, The President＇s Personal Standard Pole and the State Mace.

The Representation of Foreign Politics Through Media Prism： A Case Study of 2008 U.S. Presidential Election Campaign in Mainland Chinese Newspapers

As the most powerful nation in the world, the U.S. presidential election campaign drew a lot of attention from the media around the world. This study examines how party-orientation and market-orientation newspapers in China presented 2008 U.S. presidential election campaign to their audience, and how the news serve for the reproduction of domestic dominated ideology and safeguarding domestic political needs. It adopted content analysis and textual analysis as research methods. The results show that Party newspaper tends to serve domestic political ideology, while market-oriented newspapers showed mixed attitude toward political demand. Although market newspapers, out of the concern of political safety, employed some tactic to comply with the demand of dominated ideology to some extent, their cooperation was limited since their main purpose was commercial success and their presentation even destroy the aim of linkage politics for the reasons include acquiring market profit and/or pursuit of professional value. This study is a positive effort to make up the current research gap of studies on international news in Chinese media.

Then and Now： A Content Analysis of Media Used in the Presidential Election Campaigns of Kennedy and Obama

American campaigning has become increasingly complex as it adjusts to our ever-changing cultural landscape. The use of electronic media in the presidential campaigns of 1960 and 2008 is illustrative of this shift. A content analysis of these two campaigns demonstrates how each applied the newest technologies available at the time to define the candidate＇s image and export the messages to the electorate. Whether it be Kennedy＇s use of television or Obama＇s usage of social media, the role that new media of the day played in both campaigns clearly set the tone for future political campaigns. This examination of the role of media in both elections serves to form a primer for how the successful applications of new media lead to campaign victory. Then and now, the growing influence of new technologies on campaigning makes it necessary to compare and contrast the successful usages and strategies employed. The need for continuing analysis will grow in the coming years.

Stylistic Analysis on Ivanka Trump’s Speech for Donald Trump’s Presidential Election

Public speech plays an important role in various social activities,it is one of the most necessary tools for lecturer to deliver basic information and achieve certain goals by both direct and indirect ways.This paper tends to analyze the stylistic features of Ivanka Trump’s speech for Donald Trump’s Presidential Election in four aspects including phonological level,lexical level,syntactical level and semantic level.

REENGAGING THE LAND AT THE GEORGE W.BUSH PRESIDENTIAL CENTER

In planning the George W.Bush Presidential Center in Dallas,Texas,former First Lady Laura Bush presented a very clear vision of what the Center should epitomize:“Because George was the first president of the new millennium,I wanted it to be forward and modern.”1 For the president and Mrs.Bush this meant making the building and landscape environmentally responsible,beautiful,and welcoming.In particular,their love of native Texas landscapes was an important framework for transforming the project’s urban site into a park that was sustainable and experientially rich for visitors.Sustainability was addressed from the start with smart planning that privileged contiguous parkland over impermeable surfaces and structures.Simultaneous consideration of every landscape component—-stormwater,plants,soil,topography,and more—netted cohesive natural systems that are better able to succeed with short-term establishment and provide enduring long-term health,the ultimate goals for a sustainable landscape.

US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 2016 AND NEW TENDENCIES IN CHANGING WORLD POLITICS

US Presidential Election Reflects Major Changes in US PoliticsAt present,there have been quite a few assessments on the historical significance of US Presidential Election2016 for political change in the United States,all of which be it high or low point to a new departure point or turning point in US politics.First,the Election reflects major changes in the power pattern

Presidential PR

Made In China: American Dreams As our series continues with this, the second of five articles beginning in Beijing Review's No. 38 issue, Martin Alintuck has the faint prospect-in his mind only-of taking over George W. Bush's job. Although Alintuck's communication skills are certainly better as the frontman for public relations company Edelman in Beijing, his "strategery" is a little odd. First, he's not a Bush. Second, he's not a politician. Third, he's in China. In fact, these realities only buttress A...

Yearning for the Presidential Fix^1

Watching George McGovern hop on the presidentialmerry-go-round again makes you wonder whatmakes them run.After all,George didn’t have avery merry ride the last time—but the older they get,the harder they try.There’s something admirable about it,but alsosomething very sad.Here’s even Harold Stassen,the Young Lochinvar of the 1944 campaign,cryingfor his lost chances and still reaching for the brassring6 40 years later.

China Looms Large in U.S.Presidential Campaign

Presidential candidates look to score points with voters by blaming China for the slow economy The passage of the Currency Exchange Rate Oversight Reform Act by the U.S.Senate,which penalizes China for its "fundamentally misaligned" currency,

Anti-racism Protests and the 2020 US Election

The anti-racism protests triggered by the death of black man George Floyd were not merely an extension of the Blacks Lives Matters movement that began under the Obama administration,but also a new manifestation of American race conflict,which is often caused by conflict between the police and civilians.This movement has turned out to be thelargest and longest anti-racism demonstration in America since the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s.The increasingly intense race conflicts,the impact of the Coronavirus(COVID-19)pandemic on the US economy and society,and the heated political struggles of the 2020 election process have contributed to these mass movements.The demonstrations and the pandemic have led to a low approval rating of President Trump,and elevated race relations as an important issue in the election.The result of the 2020 election will affect the evolution of American race relations,but will not change the long-standing fact of American race conflict.

High-tech Interest Groups in the United States and Its Political Influence

Representing the appeals of its industry,the high-tech interest group has recently become an emerging political force in the United States.With abundant financial resources and proficiency in political communication,the group rapidly grows to be a significant force in the American political sphere.It has started to affect the internal and foreign affairs of the U.S.and played a proactive role in the latest presidential election.Since the high-tech interest group has already become and will continue to be a big player in Sino-U.S.relations,China should carefully deal with its appeals and conflict of interests,and try to develop this group into a stabilizer between the two countries.

Media Agenda and Citizen Perceptions About the Economic Crisis in Mexico： The Case of South-Center Area

This paper reports the role of national newspapers in the agenda setting process about the economical crisis in Mexico and its impact, as important mediators, in the public opinion, in a context of high social uncertainty. It has sought to know whether the responses of federal government economic policy have influenced the presidential level of acceptance and whether the adverse outcomes in federal elections intermediate reveal significant aspects in the electoral behavior of the population for presidential succession 2012. This involved measuring citizens perceptions and decisions before the reforms and their consequences, analyze government communication strategies to the crisis and assess the treatment and approaches news from three newspapers about the events concerning the public agenda. The analysis has focused on three states of the central-south of Mexico.

Sarah Palin and the Rhetoric of Victimage： From Pit Bull to Victim

This study argues that the 2008 presidential campaign provided a setting in which Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin began using the rhetoric of victimage——presenting herself as the victim of unfair media coverage. This study analyzes Palin＇s rhetoric using a three-step approach to Burke＇s concept of victimage： （1） identification of self as victim, （2） identification of a scapegoat who can be blamed for the victim＇s problems, and （3） catharsis or tragic dignification. The results of the analysis indicated that Palin＇s rhetorical strategy emerged during the 2008 election and was fully functional by the time she resigned as Alaska Governor in July 2009. Eventually, victimage rhetoric became her most constant rhetorical theme. Her approach was only partially successful, increasing her positive image among Republicans but contributing to a negative image among Democrats and independents.

A Semiotic Approach to Social Discourses on Colombian Political Events of the Late Twentieth Century

The paper that we present below addresses a methodological approach to Marc Angenot’s statements,in his Social Discourse(2012)of integrating certain views and opinions,taken from the written press,literature,and television,on events happened in Colombia,prior to 1990 presidential elections.When we study the discursivities1 that are the product and/or the representatives of some political crimes that took place in Colombia between August 1989 and April 1990,we speak mainly on discourses that took place some decades ago.Some of these stories have allowed us to give meaning to the world and,at the same time,integrate us in it.

A Study on Economic Impact in the Context of American Election Based on AHP

To assess the economic impact of the different policies of the Trump and Biden candidates,we formulate metrics on five aspects:Covid-19 prevention and control measures,environmental protection policies,taxation,health care reform,foreign trade.Moreover,each metric is subdivided into several secondary metrics,making a three-tier hierarchical structure.Take environmental protection policy as an example:Without direct data under Biden’s policies,we collected data on U.S.CO2 emissions and U.S.oil consumption during Obama’s presidency as Biden’s legacy.First,use the analytic hierarchy process(AHP)to select indicators that can reflect the U.S.economy and determine the weight of each indicator.For the U.S.economy,Biden scored 2.6498,Trump 2.3502,suggesting that the election of Biden might make things better for the economy.For China’s economy,Biden scored 0.6810 and Trump 0.3245,meaning Biden could give the Chinese economy more room to grow.To reduce the influence of AHP subjectivity on the results,the Pearson correlation coefficient is introduced to establish the P-AHP model.Take the impact on China’s economy.Biden scored 0.5846 and Trump 0.4154.