Political Philosophy

In this article I intend to discuss the overarching socio-political as well as epistemological processes distinct to Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) as an emerging ‘school’ (or research program) of political critique. I argue that CDA is epistemologically pluralistic, politically far left, ontologically constructivist, strategically materialist, and tactically reformist. The scope of this article is confined to the political philosophy of CDA and yet vast book series could be published on this specialized topic alone. So I do not pretend to present an adequate history of CDA political thought here, instead I intend to paint a conceptual outline with necessarily broad brushstrokes.

"Czar Putin and Ukraine 2014 04 14

In the very year in which much of the world is focussed on the centenary of the outbreak of World War I, we see a situation unfolding that looks dismayingly familiar: violent street protests in which security forces killed and maimed protesters; an annexation; troop mobilization, threats and counter-threats.
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"Patricia Springborg
Abstract
On Political Education
Democracy does not come spontaneously, as recent events in the US, Germany and Italy reveal. The rise of populist parties like the Tea Party in the US, the Pirates and Alternative für Deutschland in Germany, and the Cinque Stelle in Italy suggests serious disaffection from the major political parties and, in terms of their behaviour, sometimes a failure to understand what representation and rule of law entail. Democratization is an ongoing project not only for the states of the ex-Soviet Union, and the Middle East – where it is hoped that democracy will come from the barrel of a gun, assisted by Facebook and Twitter! – but also in the West. Democracy requires education, based on learning by doing. How do we best prepare our publics for democracy and citizenship?
Politische Bildung
Demokratie kommt nicht spontan, wie die heutigen Entwicklungen in den USA, in Deutschland und Italien zeigen. Der Aufstieg populistischer Parteien wie die Tea Partei in den USA, die Piraten und die Alternativen für Deutschland, oder die Fünf Sterne Fraktion in Italien bedeutet eine Entfremdung von den traditionellen politischen Parteien und manchmal auch ein Missverständnis von Repräsentation und Rechtsordnung. Demokratie ist ein Projekt ohne Ende, nicht nür für die ex-Soviet Staaten, und den Mittleren Osten – wo davon ausgegangen wird, dass Demokratie aus dem Gebrauch einer Waffe stammt, mit Unterstützung von Facebook und Twitter! – aber auch im Westen. Demokratie braucht politische Bildung und Lernen durch Praxis. Wie können wir unser Publikum besser auf Demokratie und Staatsbürgerschaft vorbereiten?
Educazione politiche
Gli odierni  sviluppi negli Stati Uniti, Germania, Italia e Est Europa, mostrano come la democrazia non sia una manifestazione spontanea. L'ascesa dei partiti populisti come il Tea Party negli Stati Uniti, i Pirati e Alternative für Deutschland in Germania, e le Cinque Stelle in Italia suggerisce grave disaffezione dai principali partiti politici e, in termini di comportamento, a volte l'incapacità di capire che cosa comportino rappresentazione e stato di diritto. Democratizzazione è un progetto in corso non solo per gli Stati della ex Unione Sovietica, e il Medio Oriente - dove si crede che la democrazia verrà dall’utilizzo di un’arma, assistito da Facebook e Twitter! - ma anche in Occidente. La democrazia richiede educazione, sulla base del “learning by doing”. Come si fa a preparare al meglio il nostro pubblico alla democrazia e alla cittadinanza?"

This article concerns the extent to which corrupt behavior is dependent on the organizational power structure and the resources available for illegal exchange. This qualitative study is based on 42 in-depth interviews with organizational actors in different organizations in Hungary. Four core themes emerged from the analysis of the interviews: (a) isolated corruption at the bottom, (b) the middle level’s own corruption, (c) “technicization” when middle-level professionals and expert groups are used to legalize the corruption of the dominant coalition, and (d) “turning-off controls” when organizational elites intentionally deactivate internal and external controls to avoid detection.