Sirvi Autor "Wierenga, Louis John, juhendaja" järgi
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Kirje BRICS's role in influencing the state capacity through sanctions-proofing: a comparative analysis of Russia, Iran, and Venezuela (2010–2022)(Tartu Ülikool, 2024) Haiduk, Hanna; Wierenga, Louis John, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Sotsiaalteaduste valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Johan Skytte poliitikauuringute instituutState capacity, a pivotal concept in political science, has garnered extensive scholarly attention for its crucial role in shaping human progress. This thesis explores the origins, significance, and measurement of state capacity, emphasizing the influence of foreign policy tools, particularly economic sanctions. Initially, the study delineates the state's definition, tracing its historical evolution and examining its core components as articulated by Tilly and Mann. It then focuses on state capacity, defined by McAdam et al., as the degree of control state agents exercise over persons, activities, and resources within their territorial jurisdiction. The research investigates how economic sanctions, as a coercive foreign policy tool, impact the state capacity of targeted authoritarian regimes. Given the prevalent use of sanctions by the United States, the study selects three case countries—Russia, Iran, and Venezuela—examining the US-imposed secondary and oil sector sanctions. This focus is justified by the significant role of oil in these countries' economies and the global dominance of the US dollar. State capacity is analyzed through three dimensions: coercive, administrative, and extractive, relevant to the context of authoritarian regimes. The study introduces BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) as an explanatory variable, assessing its potential to mitigate the adverse effects of sanctions and support the sanctioned states' economic resilience. Employing qualitative research methods, including process tracing analysis, the thesis aims to elucidate the causal mechanisms linking sanctions, BRICS' interventions, sanctions-proofing tactics and changes in state capacity. Data sources include OFAC for sanctions, OPEC and Statista for oil market fluctuations, and the World Bank for state capacity indicators. The anticipated outcome suggests that countries with strong economic ties to BRICS will better withstand sanctions, maintaining more stable state capacity compared to those without such support. This research contributes to understanding the interplay between international economic policies and state capacities in authoritarian states.Kirje Conservative women’s representation in the European Parliament (2014-2019)(Tartu Ülikool, 2020) Ser-Od, Yumjirmaa; Varnagy, Reka, juhendaja; Wierenga, Louis John, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Sotsiaalteaduste valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Johan Skytte poliitikauuringute instituutThe European Parliament is an important institution in improving gender equality in the European Union. Generally, both descriptive and substantive women’s representation is much stronger in left-wing political parties compared to their right-wing counterparts. Some right-wing parties in the European Parliament have made more progress than others. This research aimed to develop an understanding of the conservative women’s representation in the European Parliament. By comparing the women’s issues championed by the conservative members of the European Parliament (MEP), the research aimed to reveal policy prioritization and variation of conservatism among the MEPs during the eight-legislative term of the European Parliament. The research has identified variety of issues presented by the MEPs and found some feminist issues presented as well. This research makes an important contribution to the literature on conservative women’s representation in the European Parliament.Kirje Constructing European Union in the alternative media channel of the Eesti Konservatiivne Rahvaerakond Uued Uudised(Tartu Ülikool, 2020) Kivipõld, Karin; Wierenga, Louis John, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Sotsiaalteaduste valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Johan Skytte poliitikauuringute instituutThis Master’s thesis studies the EU narratives in Estonian populist radical right (PRR) party’s alternative media channel Uued Uudised, which serves as an ideological platform where Estonian Conservative People’s party (Eesti Konservatiivne Rahvaerakond, EKRE) distributes news from their perspective. PRR movement is on the rise all over EU, but also in Western World in general. Their core ideology is combined with xenophobic nationalism – opposition to immigration, multiculturalism, political elite, while supporting authoritarianism claiming to represent the ‘pure’ ordinary citizens. Euroscepticism entered the agenda of Estonian discourse with the accession of EU in early 2000’s, however, became a prominent actor during the refugee crisis, that occurred shortly after EKRE’s electoral breakthrough in 2015 and has allowed EKRE to expand its discursive opportunities. However, Estonia was not hit by a wave of asylum seekers. EKRE’s successfully mobilized their electorate through socio-psychological strategies and playing on people’s feeling of security, comparing EU as the new oppressor after the collapse of Soviet Union. Strategical approaches, as relying on conspiracy theories, victim-attacker roles, attribution of blame and ability the push their favorable agenda to political discourse or public, highlight the PRR rhetoric as important tool implementing their nationalist imaginaries of less integrated EU and more sovereign Estonia. Based on this research is proposed a theory, that EKRE extensively uses specific EU narratives for scapegoating the EU through real and imagined fears and deepening the polarization of society in order to maintain their electorate. PRR rhetoric serves as a useful ‘toolbox’ of strategies for embedding these narratives.Kirje Dancing with the devil: the populist radical right of Georgia and its Russian affinity(Tartu Ülikool, 2023) Blichfeldt, Viktor Jørgen; Nodia, Ghia, juhendaja; Wierenga, Louis John, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Sotsiaalteaduste valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Johan Skytte poliitikauuringute instituutThe affable relationship between the European populist radical right and the Russian regime is well-documented and longstanding. However, the various populist radical right parties in Europe are not a monolith: the Western European parties tend to have a positive attitude towards Russia, while in Central and Eastern Europe, attitudes range from outright positive to staunchly hostile, with geographical proximity and historical animosity being the deciding factors in engendering negative attitudes towards Russia. However, the populist radical right of Georgia stands out as an aberration, with a uniformly positive attitude despite its geographical proximity and centuries of conflict with Russia. Most explanations of this affinity have focused on allegations of Russian financial or political support for the Georgian populist radical right, arguing that they are simple stooges to the Kremlin. This approach, however, overlooks local motivations for far-right and Russian-friendly sentiments, ignores the agency of the populist radical right and the ideological attraction of the Russian regime. Instead, to thoroughly elucidate this apparent tension, this thesis relied on qualitative thematic analyses of social media posts made by two emblematic representatives of Georgia's populist radical right—the Alliance of Patriots of Georgia and the Conservative Movement—along with two field interviews of their leaders. The findings highlight an underappreciated phenomenon, namely the ability of Russia to engender genuine ideological attraction, which, in the case of the Georgian populist radical right, is bolstered by perceptions of mutual connections and pragmatic relations between the two countries. This affinity is further driven by perceived threats to Georgia’s cultural and political sovereignty, emanating from a hegemonic liberal West, along with alleged threats to Georgia’s territorial sovereignty posed by imperialist Turkey, bolstered by feelings of geographical isolation.Kirje From a critical mass to critical act(or)s: the substantive representation of women in peace processes(Tartu Ülikool, 2017) Libek, Elina; Wierenga, Louis John, juhendaja; Kilp, Alar, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Sotsiaalteaduste valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Johan Skytte poliitikauuringute instituutA growing awareness of the gender-specific experiences of women in war and post-war conditions have gradually introduced the term “substantive representation of women” to the attention of institutions and individuals concerned with peace and security, from whose agenda it had thus far been absent. Both scholars and policy-makers dealing with the issue of gender and security have reached a general agreement that peace processes should reflect women’s substantive representation, meaning that women’s interests should be included in official peace agreements. The main purpose of this paper was to answer the question, what are the factors accounting for the substantive representation of women in peace. That was done through an in-depth analysis of the peace processes in El Salvador, Guatemala and Colombia, combining within-case process tracing with cross-case comparison. The occurrence of the substantive representation of women in peace processes was analysed focusing on three dimensions – location of representational activities, critical actors, and means of expressing SRW. What emerged from the analysis are six factors accounting for more gender-sensitive peace agreements, substantively representing women’s interests: (1) inclusiveness of the peace process in terms of civil society and public involvement; (2) strength and autonomy of women’s organizations; (3) links between the informal and formal arenas of a peace process; channels for accessing the negotiation process; (4) co-operation between the critical actors in different representational arenas; (5) ability to create a coherent women’s agenda; (6) advocacy from the key stakeholders at the negotiating table. There is further research required on several subsequent issues, including: how well the gender-specific provisions of final peace agreements reflected the diversity of women’s concerns and the extent to which these provisions have been implemented in post-conflict settings. Notes: women, substantive representation, peace processesKirje Kremlin Calling?: An investigation into the geopolitical narratives of selected European radical right parties regarding Russia(Tartu Ülikool, 2020) Gray, Niall Marcus; Styczyńska, Natasza, juhendaja; Wierenga, Louis John, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Sotsiaalteaduste valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Johan Skytte poliitikauuringute instituutRising to prominence following the 2008 financial crisis, the European radical right has become a popular topic within both mainstream and academic debate. Now boasting a powerful presence in many European states, the political tradition has presented a myriad of existential threats to the continent’s liberal status quo. Among these new challenges is a widespread desire to reassess relations with Russia. Also eager to take advantage of Europe’s ongoing uncertainty, the Kremlin has shown great interest in engaging with radical right parties as part of its geopolitical resurgence. This relationship has drawn the attention of a fledgling body of literature, which has noted Russia’s willingness to fund and support these groups. Despite this, research has yet to investigate why exactly many radical right parties have been willing to engage with Moscow. This is all the more surprising given the literature’s discussion of a shared illiberalism, with studies continuing to focus solely on Russia’s export of such beliefs. As such, this study attempts to rectify this issue by directly engaging with Russia policies found in the literature of four radical right parties. Such information is subject to a methodology embracing both critical geopolitics and narrative analysis, with radical right theory lending itself to an explicitly ‘spatiotemporal’ understanding of international relations. The study finds that rather than embracing sheer opportunism, the parties have incorporated Russia into vivid narratives bound by desires to “revolt against the modern world”. Simultaneously, national circumstances ensure that this ‘template’ has been manipulated according to subjective needs, with party narratives now helping to challenge the seemingly ‘inevitable’ nature of the radical right-Russia relationship.Kirje The metamorphosis of the far right in Hungary: the case of Jobbik(Tartu Ülikool, 2022) Bregadze, Mariam; Dúró, József, juhendaja; Wierenga, Louis John, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Sotsiaalteaduste valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Johan Skytte poliitikauuringute instituutOne of the most successful far-right parties in Hungary and among the Visegrad Four states, Jobbik, has moderated and transformed into centrist people's party. This thesis analyzes the incentives and effects of repositioning the far-right party on mainstream politics in Hungary. The metamorphosis of the Movement for a Better Hungary has entailed overriding changes, starting from the emergence of breakaway extreme-right groups to the rhetorical shifts of the ruling party. The study fosters an understanding of the strategy shift of the far-right and enhances the paucity of data regarding the outlined phenomenon by virtue of expert interviews with party members and employing primary data derived from the analysis of party electoral manifesto and declarations. To advance understanding of the far-right strategy shift, demand- and supply-side factors, and its reverberations, the thesis embraces various facets of the populist radical right party family, gauging populism, ethnonationalism, nativism, and copious determinants that have stipulated this shift. Apart from electoral opportunism, the Hungarian tradition of the far-right, socio-economic and extrinsic factors are analyzed. In the course of changing political and economic situation emanated by the Russo-Ukrainian war, moderation of fringe politics has entailed mainstreaming extremism and the more rigid rhetoric of Fidesz. The 2022 Hungarian National Assembly elections paved the way for these changes after unprecedented unanimity of the opposition when former far-right Jobbik cooperated with leftist and conservative parties.Kirje A radical right lived ideology: an in-depth case study of the ideology of Sinine Äratus(Tartu Ülikool, 2024) Jezierska, Isabel Mari; Piirimäe, Eva, juhendaja; Wierenga, Louis John, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Sotsiaalteaduste valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Johan Skytte poliitikauuringute instituutThis thesis answered the research question “What is the nature and what are the core features of the ideology of Sinine Äratus?”. The decision to investigate the ideology of Sinine Äratus, a radical right youth organisation associated with the radical right Conservative People’s Party of Estonia, is multifaceted. Firstly, it serves as a compelling case for exploring the ideology of a radical right youth organisation, offering a rich source of information. Additionally, Sinine Äratus is situated in Eastern Europe, has global affiliations with other radical right organisations and activists, and has the potential to influence its mother party. To answer the research question, the author used dual-method approach. First, through theory-driven content analysis, the author demonstrated that the ideology of Sinine Äratus encompasses three key characteristics of radical right ideology: authoritarianism, anti-democracy, and nationalism, as defined by Elisabeth Carter. This confirmed that Sinine Äratus indeed is a radical right ideology. Second, the author employed data-driven qualitative content analysis along with morphological analysis to delve into the concepts, arguments connecting these concepts, and the underlying values that constitute the ideology of Sinine Äratus. The identified concepts were categorised into three themes: ethnonationalism, national independence, and environment. Using two different methods for studying the ideology of Sinine Äratus not only allowed the author to reconstruct the ideology of Sinine Äratus from two different perspectives but also allowed the author to demonstrate what researchers would fail to capture if they were to just use one method for studying an organisation’s ideology.Kirje Right-wing populism and gender ideology: case study of Hungary's Fidesz and Poland's PiS(Tartu Ülikool, 2022) Taweesaman, Wacharaporn; Reka, Varnagy, juhendaja; Wierenga, Louis John, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Sotsiaalteaduste valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Johan Skytte poliitikauuringute instituutKirje The role of populist radical right parties in framing the multipolar world order(Tartu Ülikool, 2020) Tauts, Madli Katriin; Wierenga, Louis John, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Sotsiaalteaduste valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Johan Skytte poliitikauuringute instituutThe potential transformation of the existing world order has been one of the most prominent topics in International Relations’ (IR) academic sphere and literature in recent years. However, several IR scholars have argued that in order to truly justify states’ actions, the impact of domestic players in shaping the foreign policy agenda of a state should be investigated as well. During the recent decades, one of the main emerging domestic players have been populist radical right (PRR) parties whose impact, thanks to their recent boost in electoral votes as well, can be seen not only in the domestic policy sphere but also in IR in general. Furthermore, its role in shaping multipolar world order is currently an understudied topic. Derived from that, the aim of this thesis is to investigate the role of PRR parties in framing the multipolar world order and for that, an interpretative compare-and-contrast case study was conducted, with a focus on four relevant PRR parties in Europe: The League (Italy), The Freedom Party (Austria), The Finns Party (Finland) and Conservative People’s Party of Estonia. According to the results, the main factor contributing to the way how PRR parties frame the multipolar world order is their negative stance on globalisation and the bigger power the PRR has in terms of governance, the grater its impact on the anti-hegemonic drift.Kirje The rural inter-enterprise collaboration problems: the case of Läänemaa(Tartu Ülikool, 2021) Kuusemaa, Kairi; Wierenga, Louis John, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Sotsiaalteaduste valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Johan Skytte poliitikauuringute instituutLäänemaa as well as Europe are facing the marginalization of rural areas, including socioeconomic and cultural decline. It has been argued that cooperation between rural enterprises can have a positive impact not only for the individual business development, but also for socio-economic problems. The aim of this thesis is to understand how rural entrepreneurs make decisions about cooperation as the research problem is lack of cooperation in rural Läänemaa, despite possibilities for EU funding. This leads to the first research question: what are the primary factors, which encourage or discourage rural entrepreneurs to cooperate with other rural businesses? In order to complement the purpose of this research, a policy dimension has been added on how does the EU rural development policy impact rural business cooperation, which leads to the second research question: what is the role of the EU in fostering inter-enterprise collaboration? Qualitative content analysis of responses was conducted manually through a coding process identifying, categories, themes and the concept. Quantitative Likert scale method was to complement the qualitative method for measuring entrepreneurs` attitudes, beliefs, or opinions on given statements, and was analysed with Microsoft Excel. Based on the analysis, the proposed theory was social capital to explain rural inter-enterprise collaboration problems. As a result of analysis, the primary factors, which encourage rural entrepreneurs to cooperate were identified as business development, competitiveness, social networks and new market access. The primary factors, which discourage were identified as social relations and investment risk such as no labour force/variable business environment or market price. The role of the EU in fostering inter-enterprise collaboration with providing opportunities and connecting stakeholders though supply chain action, clusters, incentives, platforms, information days and joint marketing possibilities. Based on the analysis, the reason for the lack of cooperation in rural Läänemaa is because of the negative impact of social capital and little awareness of the benefits through social capital.Kirje The surge of souverainism in radical right populism. The Italian case of the League(Tartu Ülikool, 2021) Salvadori, Andrea; Wierenga, Louis John, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Sotsiaalteaduste valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Johan Skytte poliitikauuringute instituutKirje „Teine“ 21. sajandi Eesti identiteedipoliitikas näidendite „GEP“ ja „sugu: N“ näitel(Tartu Ülikool, 2023) Rannik, Johanna-Elizabeth; Wierenga, Louis John, juhendaja; Oruaas, Riina, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Sotsiaalteaduste valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Johan Skytte poliitikauuringute instituutKäesolev bakalaureusetöö uurib teisestamise mõju 21. sajandi Eesti identiteedipoliitikas ning selle avaldumist poliitilise teatri dramaturgias. Lähema vaatluse alla võetakse teisestamine rahvuse (ingl nationality), rahvusliku päritolu (ingl ethnicity) ja soo kontekstis. Autor defineerib teisestamist kui sümbioosi kuuluvusvajadusest ja gruppidevahelisest vastandusest, mis on mõlemad inimese minapildi ja maailmataju eluliselt olulised osad. Teisestamist ja identiteedipoliitikat on oluline uurida, kuna grupipõhine vastandumine on viimase 10 aasta jooksul üleilmselt populaarsemaks muutunud parempopulismi valguses tõusev tendents. Poliitiline teater kui ühiskonna kommenteerija ja peegeldaja võib anda rohkelt sisendit ja tõlgendusvõimalusi ka riiklikul tasandil – näiteks on teatril ka rahvusliku ja ajaloolise mälu kandja funktsioon, mis asetuvad globaliseeruvas maailmas üha suuremale pingeväljale. Töö on süntees teoreetilisest osast ning kvalitatiivsest analüüsist (mis sisaldab kodeerimist, juhtumipõhist ja juhtumiülest analüüsi). Lisaks on töö olemuselt interdistsiplinaarne, kuna kätkeb nii sotsiaal- kui ka humanitaarteaduslikke meetodeid. Autor näeb nii käesolevas uurimisteemas kui ka poliitilise kunsti uurimise kontekstis üldiselt senitäitmata potentsiaali ning kutsub üles sotsiopoliitilisi nähtusi poliitilise teatri kaudu akadeemilisel tasandil rohkem mõtestama. Töös analüüsitakse lavastuste „GEP ehk Garjatšije estonskije parni“ (2007, lav. Tiit Ojasoo, Teater NO99) ja „sugu: N“ (2015, dramaturg Maria Lee Liivak, lav. Priit Võigemast ja Henrik Kalmet, Vaba Lava) dramaturgiat – esimene neist käsitleb rahvuslikku identiteeti, teine vaatleb naise ühiskondlikku positsiooni ja argireaalsust. Analüüsi põhjal järeldab autor, et identiteedialane rõhumine ja teisestamine ei lahenda ühiskondlikke pingeid ega probleemide aluspõhjuseid – majanduslik ja sotsiaalne ebakindlus ühes ebaproportsionaalse vastutuskoormaga paneb vähemusgrupid end veelgi alaväärsemana ja lõksusolevamana tundma. Lahendusena pakub autor välja kaasava kommunikatsiooni ja vastastikuse empaatia väärtustamist ühiskondlikul tasandil.Kirje Towards the mainstream? The AfD as a case study(Tartu Ülikool, 2019) Lipa, Bardh; Petsinis, Vassilis, juhendaja; Wierenga, Louis John, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Sotsiaalteaduste valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Johan Skytte poliitikauuringute instituutThe radical right-wing party, the Alternative für Deutschland, caused a political tremor in 2017 German election by changing the political landscape significantly while becoming the third largest party in the Bundestag. Also, with most of the studies that asses AfD’s development being published while the party was starting to transform itself, the Euro crisis has lost its urgency, and given that party has been going through internal struggles for a while between ‘liberals’ and ‘extremists’ leads to the question on whether the AfD has shifted towards the mainstream? This dissertation works with the definition of ‘mainstreaming’ provided by Akkerman et al. (2016) and assess the party change along four key dimensions: 1) changes with respect to radical positions on core issues; 2) changes from a niche party to a party that focused on socioeconomic issues; 3) changes in the anti-establishment profile; and 4) changes regarding the party reputation. The research strategy adopted to this dissertation is the qualitative case study and consisted of a review of relevant literature the topic, coupled with the collection and analysis of a comprehensive range source of data. The findings from this research show that there is no sign that the AfD is shifting towards the mainstream; on the contrary, the party is tending to radicalize along first three dimensions while showing signs of mainstreaming on the fourth dimension to avoid possible juridical actions.Kirje Twiplomacy: An Analysis of Digital Diplomacy on Twitter(Tartu Ülikool, 2022) Guliyev, Amil; Wierenga, Louis John, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Sotsiaalteaduste valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Johan Skytte poliitikauuringute instituutSocial media and its influence are becoming more and more significant in international diplomacy. The vast majority of diplomatic actors from state officials to non-state actors have Twitter accounts, indicating how the speed and availability of information through Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) are an essential component of diplomatic practices. Thus, it is of great importance to have an understanding of how such technological advancements are altering the process of the conduct of diplomacy. This study will zoom in several selected tweets posted by the government officials during particular events to find out the influence social media causes on the evolution of digital diplomacy, while discovering the ways Twitter as a social media networking plays a key role in shaping the conduct of diplomacy in a digital environment. This is particularly critical in the light of the rise of digital efforts, which actors of digital diplomacy now must cope with.Kirje The use of religious populism in social media during presidential elections: the cases of Guatemala and Honduras(Tartu Ülikool, 2022) Vain, Kristiina; Kilp, Alar, juhendaja; Wierenga, Louis John, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Sotsiaalteaduste valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Johan Skytte poliitikauuringute instituutReligious populism signifies the relationship between religion and populism in otherwise secular states. It includes both the emergence of religious political actors in non-religious states as well as the populist use of religious symbols, traditions, and values by secular politicians. While populism itself is a political phenomenon that has been extensively researched in the last decades, religious populism has not received that much scholarly attention. The aim of this research is to study the presence of religious populism on social media during presidential elections in Guatemala and Honduras. A multimodal discourse analysis is carried out with the purpose to analyse Facebook posts made by the two most popular presidential candidates in the 2021 Honduran presidential elections, Xiomara Castro and Nasry Asfura, and by the two most popular presidential candidates in the 2019 Guatemalan presidential elections, Alejandro Giammattei and Sandra Torres. Data used in this research consists of posts made on verified public Facebook pages by these four candidates. Religious populism is assessed through five indicators in this thesis: 1) God’s sovereignty – focusing on God’s sovereignty instead of popular sovereignty 2) invoking a heartland – emphasising the connection between God and a specific territory 3) charismatic leadership – a leader presenting themselves as a martyr or as a saviour-like figure 4) a mission of salvation – framing one’s political mission as a religious one, promising salvation to people 5) a moral community – equating religious communities to the most moral ones. The strongest indicators of religious populism in the analysed Facebook posts proved to be the concepts of invoking a heartland, a moral community, and charismatic leadership, while two aspects of religious populism – a mission of salvation and God’s sovereignty – were missing in the posts. The research confirms that all analysed presidential candidates in Guatemala and Honduras have used some aspects of religious populism in their political campaigns on Facebook. While this thesis offers a comparative analysis of two Latin American countries, future research could focus on conducting a region-wide study regarding the use of religious populism in political campaigning.Kirje Where are the extremists? The Mexican case for a new understanding in the study of the far right(Tartu Ülikool, 2020) Chávez García, Guillermo; Wierenga, Louis John, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Sotsiaalteaduste valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Johan Skytte poliitikauuringute instituutThis work addresses the question of Why has there not been an increase in support for far-right organizations in Mexico? The author uses process tracing with a wide data range in order to overcome the lack of academic research done in the country about the far right. First, the theoretical framework for the far, radical and populist radical right are established, with a focus on populism and the populist radical right in the United States and Europe. Furthermore, the author narrates the historical background of the far right in Mexico in order to establish the primary characteristics and continuity from the aftermath of the Mexican Revolution until today. The main work is focused on explaining the process for the far right between 2008-2019. The author concludes that the far right in Mexico hasn’t been able to establish a foothold in large parts of the population, hindering their ability to grow; this in part to the lack of rallying topics such as migration or common external enemies such as the EU and their close links to the country’s economic elite. It also concludes that the far right has appeared in limited numbers in Mexico derived from the introduction of progressive laws in Mexico City as well as the election of left-leaning president Andres Manuel López Obrador. In a nutshell, there seems to be no appetite for a comparable growth in the far right in Mexico, despite their renovated activity in the last few years, so the appearance of a successful far right or populist radical right party seems unlikely.Kirje Women’s descriptive representation in the Riigikogu(Tartu Ülikool, 2017) Kivisalu, Kaidi-Lisa; Wierenga, Louis John, juhendaja; Kilp, Alar, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Sotsiaalteaduste valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Johan Skytte poliitikauuringute instituutThe research on women’s political representation has emphasised the role of political, structural and cultural factors in hindering women’s access to legislative office. The perceived obstacles can be multifaceted, ranging from electoral systems and party ideology to the socio-economic situation or the prevalent traditional gender norms in a society. This thesis researches the descriptive representation in the Riigikogu, by analysing the conducted interviews with women currently in the parliament. Three main research questions were posed in this research: what are the perceived obstacles that prevent women from entering the political sphere; what do female elected representatives feel can be done to change this and whether female members of the parliament believe that they represent women’s interests. The findings show that, most respondents do not believe that they represent women’s interests. Furthermore, three types of obstacles – political, cultural and individual – are identified that hinder women’s advancement in politics. Finally, two types of strategies are put forward – formal and non-formal – to combat inequality in the political sphere.