Search Articles
Journal: all
Keyword: political economy
Total 18 articles
Article    12 Jan 2026
Mehmet Recai Uygur, Fatih Tekin, Fatma Sever and Samson Abiodun Toye
Politics in all regimes hinges on ordinary acts of obedience, yet the mechanisms that sustain it differ. This article theorizes “sustainable obedience” as obedience (i.e., rule-following and deference to collectively binding authority) that reproduces itself because Politics in all regimes hinges on ordinary acts of obedience, yet the mechanisms that sustain it differ. This article theorizes “sustainable obedience” as obedience (i.e., rule-following and deference to collectively binding authority) that reproduces itself because the marginal costs of monitoring and sanctioning are kept low by institutional and cultural feedback. We develop a dual-channel model: a fear channel (deterrence through selective coercion and information control) and a trust channel (procedural justice, impartial enforcement, and legitimacy) that interact through path dependence and habit formation. Mixed methods combine cross-national indices (V-Dem, Freedom House, World Values Survey) with comparative discourse and document analysis (2014–2025) to trace these mechanisms in three contrasting regimes: the Netherlands (liberal democracy), Turkey (competitive authoritarianism), and Russia (closed autocracy). Findings show trust-based obedience dominates in the Netherlands and is temporarily supplemented by proportionate deterrence during crises; Turkey institutionalizes a high and persistent fear architecture, with limited compensatory appeals to performance and electoral legitimacy; Russia sustains obedience primarily through multi-layered coercion and digital control backed by ideological narratives. We derive testable propositions about substitution and complementarity between channels and show how crises can normalize exceptional measures. Normatively, democratic resilience depends on renewing the trust architecture without entrenching fear; authoritarian resilience remains cost-effective yet ultimately fragile under information shocks. or Access Full Article
Highlights of Sustainability
Volume 5 (2026), Issue 1, pp. 15–33
264 Views59 Downloads
Review    17 Oct 2025
Jesús Huerta de Soto, Antonio Sánchez-Bayón and Philipp Bagus
This paper reviews the efficiency and sustainability of the management model during the COVID-19 crisis and beyond. There is a comparison between the centralized bureaucratic management versus the agile market alternative or spontaneous and flexible social This paper reviews the efficiency and sustainability of the management model during the COVID-19 crisis and beyond. There is a comparison between the centralized bureaucratic management versus the agile market alternative or spontaneous and flexible social coordination. This is a study of Political Economy, Management, and Health Economics from the perspective of Austrian economics, with special attention to the Spanish case. The analysis is based on Mises theorem about the impossibility of economic calculation under centralized coactive systems, and other economic principles. In this context, we also pay attention to collateral problems of the centralized and coactive management. Finally, we propose a solution based on dynamic efficiency and the constitutions of wellbeing economics based on digitalization. or Access Full Article
Highlights of Sustainability
Volume 4 (2025), Issue 4, pp. 205–215
1180 Views322 Downloads1 Citations
Article    3 Apr 2025
Martin Wynn and Peter Jones
Highlights of Sustainability
Volume 4 (2025), Issue 2, pp. 95–107
2569 Views2821 Downloads
Review    25 Mar 2025
Phoenix Eskridge-Aldama, Aden Stern, Anna Vaughn and Diana Stuart
As global temperatures continue to rise, those in favor of rapid climate mitigation face critical questions regarding maintaining current levels of economic growth. On a global scale, there remains a clear positive correlation between economic growth As global temperatures continue to rise, those in favor of rapid climate mitigation face critical questions regarding maintaining current levels of economic growth. On a global scale, there remains a clear positive correlation between economic growth and carbon emissions, leading many climate scientists to call for a move away from a growth-focused economy. In this article, we draw from recent research to compare possible outcomes in terms of social well-being and climate mitigation for green growth and degrowth pathways. Green growth aims to maintain economic growth while reducing carbon emissions. Degrowth calls for a purposeful contraction of economic growth in wealthy countries. Drawing from recent studies, we compile evidence to compare these pathways and assess how each of these key strategies is evaluated and framed in the literature. We find that research indicates clear differences between these pathways in terms of mitigation potential and risks to human welfare, and we call for future research on specific topics related to a degrowth transition. Additionally, we identify issues of feasibility as primary concerns within both paradigms. or Access Full Article
Highlights of Sustainability
Volume 4 (2025), Issue 2, pp. 69–94
5588 Views879 Downloads
Article    22 Feb 2025
Assitan Diaby, Mehdi Seraj and Huseyin Ozdeser
Highlights of Sustainability
Volume 4 (2025), Issue 1, pp. 56–68
2229 Views978 Downloads1 Citations
Article    1 Feb 2025
Bogusław Ślusarczyk, Małgorzata A. Kozłowska and Zuzanna A. Kozłowska
Highlights of Sustainability
Volume 4 (2025), Issue 1, pp. 16–37
2138 Views407 Downloads
Article    24 Jun 2024
Vesela Veleva, Svetlana Todorova, Kevin Bleau, Joy Mohr and Rob Vandenabeele
Highlights of Sustainability
Volume 3 (2024), Issue 3, pp. 275–293
4524 Views3826 Downloads1 Citations
Review    9 May 2024
Maria M. Ramirez-Corredores
Highlights of Sustainability
Volume 3 (2024), Issue 2, pp. 205–239
6199 Views723 Downloads6 Citations
Review    18 Apr 2024
Md Tasbirul Islam, Usha Iyer-Raniga and Amjad Ali
Highlights of Sustainability
Volume 3 (2024), Issue 2, pp. 129–162
8331 Views1103 Downloads5 Citations
Article    29 Jan 2024
Manuel Rodeiro
Environmentalists have long claimed it is unjust for the state to prioritize economic interests over environmental ones by sacrificing ecosystem integrity and functioning to unsustainably expand the economy. Recently, mainstream environmentalists have moved to a more Environmentalists have long claimed it is unjust for the state to prioritize economic interests over environmental ones by sacrificing ecosystem integrity and functioning to unsustainably expand the economy. Recently, mainstream environmentalists have moved to a more conciliatory approach highlighting the common ground between environmental and economic goals. They today claim processes of economic growth and development can be made just if they become green. This paper explores the question: should states pursue “green growth”? Although some critics claim green growth is impossible, I maintain it is. I theorize three conditions that must be met for an instance of growth to be truly considered green. That a development project is green, however, does not automatically ensure it is just. Justice considerations remain in adjudicating the competing interests of different groups of stakeholders. I then examine four reasonable approaches to resolving controversies over the pursuit of green growth: cost-benefit analysis, sufficientarianism, democracy, and pluralism. I conclude a liberal pluralist form of decision-making is best for ensuring fairness. or Access Full Article
Highlights of Sustainability
Volume 3 (2024), Issue 1, pp. 33–45
3021 Views885 Downloads2 Citations
Subscribe to read the latest articles and newsletters from Highlights of Science.