The aim of the thesis is to analyse and assess discussions related to the implementation of the direct election of mayors, both in the Czech Republic and in selected European countries. The thesis compares the evolution and course of the discussions that precede the anchoring of direct election of mayors in five European countries, such as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Federal Republic of Germany, Italy, Croatia, and Belgium-Walloon. It is particularly focused on the central motives leading towards the launch of discussion, main arguments included in the discussion, key actors, and the levels of the discussion. The crucial part of the thesis is devoted to the analysis of the discussion of possible implementation of directly elected mayors in the Czech Republic. The emphasis is put on the identification of individual platforms of the Czech political scene that intervene into the discussion. The thesis also highlights the attitude of key political parties, interest groups, and mayors, towards the question of the direct election. The Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic represents the principal mediator of the ongoing discussion. The thesis targets to answer the following questions. At which platforms the discussion about the eventual implementation of direct...

This thesis deals with humour on Facebook, I examine the themes and practices of humorous posts that are related to the direct election of the President of the Czech Republic,in particular to the two candidates who got into the second round of presidential elections, Karel Schwarzenberg and Miloš Zeman. In the theoretical part I introduce humour from a theoretical point of view. I identify three central theories, types of jokes and function of laugh. In subsequent chapters I define the basic assumptions that lead to the involvement of fans in the creation of online posts, which can circulate through social networks. I present new tools in online political marketing and summarize the basic topics of the official campaigns of both candidates. In the practical part I analyze, using the grounded theory, how and why Facebook users worked with humour in posts which respond to the presidential election. The material which was searched, can be described as illustrated jokes, photos with or without text, collages, comics or cartoons from official and unofficial Facebook pages of both candidates. The research showed that humour had primarily negative role during the campaign. Humour was a tool to defame and ridicule the candidate, jokes showed his shortcomings. It also warned voters what could happen in the...

自1990年代中起國大陸經濟發展欣欣向榮之際，城市治理議題則圍繞在國家如何平抑發展中可能的基層動亂。本研究選取中國大陸經濟發展前沿城市的上海基層社區--居民委員會選舉作為觀察主題，直接選舉的推動是否會影響社區政治中黨國的單一獨斷？學習效果(learning effects)的理論預設是，隨著選舉演練次數和民眾政治參與的增加，會引發「批判公民」(critical citizens)意識的興起。這樣的理論預設是否能在上海基層選舉中看到？ 本研究觀察2003年到2012年的居委會換屆選舉。發現近年來，社區民眾對黨國的挑戰並未因為選舉限制的不斷增強而退卻，反之，民眾會利用選舉過程來挑戰官方威權或是作為社區事務發聲的管道。社區民眾如何在嚴酷的制度環境中發起對當權者的政治挑戰？本文將從居委會選舉中的選舉競爭，分析民眾挑戰執政當權所使用的資源稟賦。最後，通過基層競選觀察獲得的啟發是，民眾權利意識的提升，使得黨國忠誠不再凌駕一切。開放直接選舉的制度效果，如現代化理論所昭示的，存在學習效應並且在中產階級社區最為明顯。 / Undergoing the dramatic development of economic and social change in China, local governments pay great strength on the issue of governance for preventing any potential contentious activities. Facing the challenges of local governance, the Chinese governments adopt “Direct elections" for reducing the tension between state and society. In Urban city, direct elections as an important political reform, have been initiated in Residential Committee. Under the CCP party-state system, the local elections have been under severe surveillance. The negative result sharply deduces citizens’ political efficacy, especially on the manner of the participating in voting and political confidence towards local governments. However, in recent years, we observed that some Residential Committees in Shanghai experienced electoral competitions. In these cases, citizens organized the campaign to challenge the authority. The main questions are below: why Chinese people challenge the local authority? And how do they mobilize the campaign? Finally, how should we evaluate these political subjects? Based on these experiences, I conclude that the social-economical development may bring positive consequences on Chinese political reform.

This diploma thesis focuses on constitutional conventions in the Czech Republic. Its aim is to analyze their role in the Czech constitutional system. The work focuses on five areas where the influence of constitutional customs is often spoken. Priority is given to exploring the places where several constitutional institutions are interwoven because it is precisely on them that the power of constitutional conventions is best documented. It focuses in particular on how the practices have been observed in the past and how other constitutional actors have responded. The thesis examines the influence of introducing the direct election of the president to constitutional conventions. A directly elected president may feel more legitimate, and in order to gain a stronger position for himself, he may tend to violate some constitutional conventions or try to introduce new ones. As a result, the finding that the Czech constitution is still a relatively new document and that there was not enough time to fully establish most of the constitutional conventions. However, some constitutional conventions are already becoming an integral part of the constitutional order, whose strength will be decided by the following years. If the constitutional actors - and especially the directly elected presidents - will continue to...

Au lendemain de la Première Guerre Mondiale, les travaux de révision de la Constitution de 1919-1921 s’ouvrent sur des promesses substantielles de démocratisation du gouvernement représentatif hérité de 1831. Que deviennent ces promesses par la suite ?En privilégiant une approche interdisciplinaire, nous analysons l’évolution du droit positif belge qui régit la participation politique des citoyens et le lien entre électeurs et élus de 1831 à nos jours. Au terme de notre recherche, nous montrons que le constat posé par Bernard Manin dans son ouvrage Principes du gouvernement représentatif, selon lequel «la démocratie s’est assurément étendue, mais il est au mieux incertain qu’elle se soit approfondie » ,se vérifie dans le cas de la Belgique. Celle-ci a assurément augmenté le nombre de bénéficiaires de la participation politique mais, pour une large part, elle semble avoir perdu de vue l’approfondissement du contenu de celle-ci. A partir de 1919-1921, s’impose peu à peu la conviction selon laquelle la Belgique aurait basculé dans la démocratie grâce à l’universalisation du droit de vote. La face démocratique solaire du suffrage universel (masculin) tend à plonger dans l’ombre l’héritage aristocratique hérité de 1831. Nous montrerons que, pourtant, les attentes et les promesses de démocratisation formulées à cette date étaient plus substantielles que l’abolition du suffrage censitaire. Par la suite, sous l’influence du scénario selon lequel la Belgique aurait une fois pour toutes basculé dans la démocratie depuis l’universalisation du suffrage, les promesses de démocratisation semblent tomber dans l’oubli: l’approfondissement de la démocratisation n’est plus à l’ordre du jour et certains acquis démocratiques hérités des temps passés font l’objet d’inattentions. <p> / Doctorat en Sciences juridiques / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Primary aim of this thesis is to describe the effects of direct elections on the nature of the political regime in the Czech Republic. Specifically, author focus on the distinctive attributes of various forms of government, which are then applied to the current state regime in the Czech Republic after the introduction of direct presidential elections and whether it effectively means a transition from parliamentary to semi-presidential regime. Historical analysis of the presidential office in the Czech countries describes the phenomenon of its extraordinary role and respectability, which is reflected in the contemporary political realities and have a major influence on the functioning of the state. Theoretical analysis deals with impacts introduction of the direct presidential election had on the constitutional order of the Czech Republic and disproves various arguments, which once lead to its legislative implementation. Using a descriptive analysis of the behaviour of the first directly elected president Miloš Zeman, author tries to unveil actual jurisdictional disputes between him and other elements of power. The result is a detailed description of the existing cooperation between individual people and institutions of power within the regime and its final character assessment accompanied by...