Foreign policy decision making – military, propaganda, economic, intelligence & military

1.0 Introduction Instrument of foreign policy is the forms of pressure and influence available to decision-makers, represent an ascending scale of seriousness in terms of the commitment of resources, the impact on third parties, and the according degree of risk in use. The instruments can be categorized into soft power to hard power. Instrument of … Read more

World in Times of Coronavirus and Aftermath

The Covid-19 crisis has created a new normal – empty streets, closed cafes and restaurants, sealed borders, restricted travels and human interactions – a world paralysed at its own pace. Coronavirus has engulfed everyone’s lives with the fear of unknown, rather unforeseeable. People, in billions, have been forced to stay at home. Young and the … Read more

The efficacy of nudge theory

Introduction With 1.7 million Singaporeans at risk of obesity related illnesses, the Ministry of Health introduced mandatory nutrition labels for high sugar beverages (HPB, 2014). It serves as a nudge for Singaporeans to purchase healthier drinks (Goh, 2020). Conceived by Thaler and Sustein (2008), nudging rose to prominence for governments through the years. Besides promoting … Read more

Alan Sked

So wrote Alan Sked, LSE historian and founder of the UK Independence Party (UKIP), amidst the uncertainty of the hung parliament of 2017-2019. It was one in a long series of interventions made by Sked since his resigning the leadership in the summer of 1997. Sked had for over a decade sought to put distance … Read more

The philosophical ideas of Socrates and Machiavelli compared

The philosophical ideas of both Socrates and Machiavelli share similarities and differences. These men helped expand political idealism through their values and morals. Both political theorists changed the way people think and have had a significant impact on political thought throughout the past few centuries. Socrates and Machiavelli contributed remarkably to political discussions of their … Read more

Hobbes’ Leviathan – a combination of the two political structures

Machiavelli divides all states into principalities or republics: rule by one with absolute authority or rule by more than one. Calling into question this dual categorization of statehood, Hobbes crafted a new political model, the Leviathan, by combining concepts of both principality and republic into a new political structure. Concerning how the Leviathan differs from … Read more

Machiavelli’s and Hobbes’ Aim For Politics

The modern political theorists do not always play by the rules. Today, the democratic credentials of contentious politics are highly indecisive although some political scholars believe that this type of politics tends to have insufficient respect for the democratic decision. Arguably however, the main tasks of any state include provision of security, development of a … Read more

Analysis of Machiavelli’s The Prince

Considering the political landscape of Italy during the latter part of 1513 where there were intense waves of political unrest it can be argued that Machiavelli’s cynical and some critics argue cold blooded stance on politics are justifiable. (Curry, Zarate, and Appignanesi, 2011) The Prince was written due to Machiavelli’s observation of the previous failed … Read more

What is the role of ‘othering’ in developing a strong state?

The term ‘othering’, for the purposes of this analysis, is used to describe the process in which one group, or at times one individual, is distinguished from another group or individual. By doing so, the emphasis between the two entities is emphasized and enforced. This process is used to primarily assign or draw attention to … Read more

Weber’s definition of a state

A state is a political organisation that has evolved and been shaped by various revolutions and events such as wars in the history of mankind. This has resulted in the changes in ideas of the state and state form, making the state seem malleable. However, the state did not always exist and there were different … Read more

Soft Power (UK, Japan)

Playing a major role in attracting a political leader both internally and internationally, the use of soft power is argued to be essential in certain aspects of political sphere. Its level of influence is argued and contested by different scholars and politicians, with Nye arguing for the relevance of soft power in creating obedience and … Read more

Political change in Britain

One very unique thing about the United Kingdom is its reliance on tradition, and it’s ability to remain stable through it all. Though this tradition is a monarchy, limitation of the power of the king began early to avoid one individual gaining absolute power. Today, democracy is accepted as a basic and vital part of … Read more

The right of the population to elect representatives

In Democracy’s free elections are vital to the survival of this form of government. “The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by … Read more

Compulsory voting reduces people’s freedom

In this essay, I will argue the side that compulsory voting does in fact reduce people’s freedom. By making voting compulsory, it takes away people’s freedom not to vote therefore reduce freedom (which comes under negative freedom). Although, it can be disputed and compulsory voting does not in fact reduce freedom because it depends how … Read more

Barriers that hinder women’s active political participation

Introduction: Political quotas and their effectiveness in promoting gender equitable policies are subject to continuously ongoing discourse. This essay will attempt to answer the question of women’s political quotas and whether they help to promote more gender equitable policies. In order to fully answer the question, the paper will first provide a brief historical background … Read more