Harmoniously Denied: COVID-19 and the Latent Effects of Censorship

While few would doubt that censorship is a form of surveillance, the practice and theory of censorship does not hold as prominent a place within surveillance studies as one might think. In this paper, we demonstrate the constitutive effects of censorship that seep into the collective mentality and, in Foucauldian terms, “conducts the conduct.” We examine the wider socio-political impact of China’s censorship of COVID-19. We argue that censorship is a force “at large.” By this we refer to the pervasive uptake of censorship practices at different levels and how censorship manifests itself as a form of power unchained, making it difficult, if not impossible, to track and contain its impact, even for the authorities. We argue that censorship surveils the expressed and, by extension, regulates the not-yet-expressed. It surveils what can be perceived and, by extension, pre-conditions the not-yet-conceived. We highlight the domestic impact of how China’s censorship regime bends its population into acquiescing to a harmonious denial of its collective prospects and how it curtails the global response.

Republic of Uzbekistan

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted Uzbekistan. Growth is projected to slow to 1.5 percent in 2020, while lower exports and remittances are expected to widen the current account deficit to almost 10 percent of GDP. Addressing the external shock and the domestic impact of COVID-19 is expected to require additional external financing of about US$ 4 billion (7 percent of GDP). At the same time, weaker than expected revenues and additional crisis-related expenditures are expected to widen the fiscal deficit from near balance to about 4 percent of GDP. Uncertainty about the severity and length of the global downturn and the impact on Uzbekistan’s economy is large.

Jamaica

The COVID-19 shock hit Jamaica only a few months after the successful completion of its precautionary Stand-By Arrangement with the Fund, which was underpinned by strong ownership and civil society oversight. Jamaica’s established track record of economic reforms has created buffers that are invaluable today in responding to the COVID-19 crisis. However, the domestic impact of the outbreak, increasing fiscal needs, falling remittances, and a sudden stop in tourism receipts are generating a sizable balance-of-payments need. The authorities are, therefore, requesting emergency financial support under the Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI) of 100 percent of quota (SDR 382.9 million or about US$520 million).

The Domestic Impact of International Standards

Regulation is no longer purely a domestic affair. International standards now exist across a broad range of regulatory arenas, touching on issues that may be central to domestic values, such as the regulation of health, safety, and the environment. Although a number of studies have looked at the domestic impact of globalization more generally, few scholars have evaluated the effects of international standards, specifically. This paper investigates that issue, with an empirical focus on agrochemicals. Using original data on changes to US agrochemical regulations between 1996 and 2015, I evaluate whether and how domestic rules have changed in response to international standards. Contrary to common fears, I find little evidence that international standards primarily act as a ceiling, thereby undermining domestic regulations. Instead, international standards seem to serve as focal points, pulling nations toward leniency as well as toward stringency. These findings not only contribute to the broader literature on the domestic effects of globalization, but they also allay concerns that international standards could act as a regulatory cap, encouraging nations to sacrifice caution for economic gain.

Argentina-Brazil tariffs aim for domestic US impact

Headline BRAZIL/ARGENTINA/US: Tariffs aim for domestic impact

The Common Agricultural Policy: A Case of Embedded Liberalism

The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) can be fruitfully construed as an instance of European embedded liberalism, shaped by overlapping layers of domestic, European Union, and international policymaking. Such a conceptualization reveals the large role of domestic politics, even in an area like the CAP, where policy competences were early on extensively transferred to the supranational level. This in turn reflects the rather prominent role of national governments in the EU construction, compared with traditional federal polities. This role can be probed by analyzing two related scholarly agendas: an agenda devoted to the shaping of the CAP by member states (policy shaping); and an agenda devoted to the domestic impact of the CAP. Current policy challenges highlight our need to develop our understanding of: (1) the interaction between different types of CAP decisions at the EU level; (2) the domestic impact of the CAP; (3) and the experience of Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC).

Where Regional Norms Matter: Contestation and the Domestic Impact of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance

Twelve years after the adoption of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, scholars and policymakers are still pondering whether the regional document has had any actual effect. Based on case studies from Madagascar and Burkina Faso, this article demonstrates the Charter’s impact on political dynamics within both countries. By analysing contestations around the application of Article 25(4), which defines who is eligible to run in transitional elections, I show that various national and international actors (attempt to) use the Charter as a legal script to limit access to state power and restrict the electorate’s voting choices. That these attempts are highly contentious is evidence of the Charter’s effect. If it were seen as irrelevant, nobody would bother to contest it. I therefore suggest studying the effects of the Charter from a different analytical angle – that is, “bottom-up” – by focusing on the settings and places in which it is actually applied.