Projects / Programmes
Political Science Research
January 1, 2015
- December 31, 2021
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 5.06.00 |
Social sciences |
Political science |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| S170 |
Social sciences |
Political and administrative sciences |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 5.06 |
Social Sciences |
Political science |
Democracy, legitimacy, crisis, Slovenia, EU, globalisation, Europeanisation, institutions, public administration, public sector, elections, political parties, interest groups, civil society, protests, political knowledge, comparative research, political data, political science
Researchers (17)
Organisations (1)
Abstract
This research programme is a continuation of the Political Science Research Programme - THE ONLY RESEARCH PROGRAMME IN SLOVENIA THAT SYSTEMATICALLY COLLECTS AND ANALYSES THE VARIOUS KINDS OF DATA ON THE DYNAMICS OF THE PRIMARY NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND ACTORS– INCLUDING ELECTIONS while taking into account both the internal and external variables. Previously, the research 'red lines' have been: (1) the factors determining the consolidation of democracy; and (2) the top-down impacts of globalisation / Europeanisation processes on national institutions, actors and processes. In the new programme period, our main
RESEARCH GOAL is: (1) to analyse the anatomy of the political crisis in Slovenia and the EU from a comparative perspective while also taking into account the economic crisis; (2) to take part in the current normative debate on political alternatives and their possible outcomes (especially in Europe) for solving the problem of declining legitimacy; and (3) to analyse the responsiveness of the political elite to the political crisis in the EU context.
The MAIN RESEARCH QUESTIONS are:
What are the key sources and mechanisms of the current deep political crisis in Slovenia and the EU? What are the key normative, structural and functional challenges to solving the crisis? What are the possible alternative scenarios of Slovenian and EU political system developments and what are their possible consequences for democracy? Which actors, resources and actions could provide alternatives supporting social wellbeing, peace and democracy; and which actors, resources and actions could support the counter-scenarios?
In answering these research questions we will focus on several longitudinal RESEARCH PILLARS (presented in FIGURE 1 in the attachment).
The main RESEARCH STRATEGIES are: (1) studying Slovenia from an international comparative perspective; (2) linking the Slovenia-focused research to the current debates on alternative intellectual and political responses to the global political crisis - particularly in the EU; (3) linking political science and interdisciplinary research; as well as (4) communicating with the stakeholders during the entire research process.
RESEARCH METHODS: The research will be based on qualitative, quantitative and mixed-method research designs (explanatory sequential, embedded, convergent parallel), which include our own data-gathering as well as the secondary analysis of other available databases.
KEY RESULTS EXPECTED: (1) to further intensify international collaboration leading to active participation in the European debate on alternative paradigms and to increase international publications; (2) the development of unique political databases covering elections since 1990 and their transfer to the Social Science Data Archive; and (3) to communicate with stakeholders throughout the research process in order to enhance the quality and applicability of the research results.
Significance for science
The research programme is crucial for the development of political science in Slovenia in line with the main political science fields and research streams in today’s most developed areas of political science. QUALITY POLITICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH in Slovenia also means enriching the findings of empirical research within specific social, economic, cultural and political environments to therefore contribute to the development of political science theory. Slovenian political science has already become visible by achieving important levels of PARTICIPATION IN INTERNATIONAL political science networking. Further enhancement of the DEVELOPMENT OF MORE INNOVATIVE POLITICAL SCIENCE CONTRIBUTIONS to international political science knowledge based on international comparative research and combining political phisolophical and political science analysis is planned, leading to a more ambitious role within the international academic community.
Significance for the country
A) SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: The research programme is just as important for Slovenia as all other research programmes addressing national identity and culture – particularly by the development of publicly accessible data bases created as results of research into political phenomena. POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS AND THEIR FUNCTIONING, POLITICAL CULTURE AND CIVIL SOCIETY ACTIVITIES as well as how they change through history are to some extent particular to each society. Research results (especially the results of international comparative research) are valuable in the process of the (TRANS)FORMATION OF INSTITUTIONS IN SLOVENIA since Slovenian society and its political (sub)system are adapting to the social, politicocultural and institutional environment of the European Union. In the context of Europeanisation, unresolved questions remain as to how to facilitate the competent functioning of Slovenian political elites, the public administration, political parties and civil society in the new circumstances of increasingly difficult and complex policymaking. It is expected that Slovenian political institutions will show greater interest in cooperating with political scientists in the future – especially in relation to the specific questions of institutionbuilding and building of communication channels for more efficient multilevel political decisionmaking and the implementation of common European policies in Slovenia.
B) TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT POSTGRADUATE STUDY: Since three members of the research team (Dr. Fink Hafner, dr. Kustec Lipicer and dr. Zajc) are the heads of master and doctoral political science programmes at the Faculty of Social Sciences in Ljubljana, the research results will be reflected in the linking of the research with postgraduate studies. These are precisely those postgraduate programmes that attract high enrolment levels from employees of Slovenia’s public administration. APPLIED RESEARCH: the practice of applied research has ensured the transfer of applied political science findings to the practical functioning of political institutions (especially when preparing methodologies used in evaluating specific public and other policies). EXPERTISE AND ADVICE: continuation of the already developed practice.
C) STRENGTHENING THE NATIONAL IDENTITY: The research will contribute to: a) national knowledge of international OPPORTUNITIES AND WEAKNESSES of the functioning of Slovenia’s political system and political science; b) KNOWLEDGE about Slovenia in the international public (especially through foreign publications, presenting research results in the framework of international collaboration with other scientists and institutions, participation at international conferences and workshops abroad, the organisation of international conferences in Slovenia). In the framework of European integration not only the DISSEMINATION of the research results on revealing both similarities and dissimilarities between Slovenia and new and old EU members are important, but also our contributions to current debates on determinants of the EU’s political crisis and about its alternative solutions. . The research will also contribute to: c) the DEVELOPMENT OF SLOVENIAN POLITICAL SCIENCE TERMINOLOGY, the CONSOLIDATION OF DEMOCRATIC PRACTICES in the education field; and e) SLOVENIAN POLITICAL SCIENCE EARNING GREATER RECOGNITION WITHIN THE INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL SCIENCE COMMUNITY (especially by publishing research results abroad and participating in international research projects, networks, regional and global political science associations).
Most important scientific results
Annual report
2015,
interim report
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Annual report
2015,
interim report
