“Political Atlas of the Modern World 2.0”:
formulation of the research problem
Melville A.Yu.,
HSE University, Moscow, Russia, amelville@hse.ru
elibrary_id: 251142 | ORCID: 0000-0002-1414-5783 | RESEARCHER_ID: B-1152-2014
Malgin A.V.,
MGIMO University, Moscow, Russia, artemmalgin@gmail.com
elibrary_id: 376145 |
Mironyuk M.G.,
HSE University, Moscow, Russia, mmironyuk@hse.ru
elibrary_id: 251177 | ORCID: 0000-0002-8183-3084 | RESEARCHER_ID: K-9102-2015
Stukal D.K.,
HSE University, Moscow, Russia, denis.stukal@gmail.com
elibrary_id: 1096522 | ORCID: 0000-0001-6240-5714 | RESEARCHER_ID: ABA-3314-2020
Article received: 2022.12.08. Accepted: 2023.01.11
DOI: 10.17976/jpps/2023.02.06
EDN: BZYWWX
Melville A.Yu., Malgin A.V., Mironyuk M.G., Stukal D.K. “Political Atlas of the Modern World 2.0”: formulation of the research problem. – Polis. Political Studies. 2023. No. 2. https://doi.org/10.17976/jpps/2023.02.06. EDN: BZYWWX
The article was prepared within the framework of the MGIMO consortium of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and HSE University from the grant for the implementation of the program of strategic academic leadership “Priority 2030”.
This article gives an overview of the consortium between MGIMO-University and HSE University that was launched in 2022 to jointly implement the “Political Atlas of the Modern World 2.0” research project. Among the central objectives of this project is the study of the characteristics of states that determine their positions within the modern world system. An obvious challenge for the project team is that both the states and the system of which the states evolve are important, yet not only the actors are undergoing various transformations; both the states and the system are sources and targets of countless influences. A good solution to the problem in the context of this challenge is seen in the definition and systematic measurement of the characteristics of states, describing both the resources at their disposal and the features and results of their activities. As part of the research project, it is necessary both to re-conceptualize the previously proven indices of stateness, the potential for international influence, external and internal threats, the quality of life and the institutional foundations of democracy and to clarify the variables used in the indices, and to test new methods of analysis (for example, methods of Bayesian statistics, network analysis, etc.) of the ever-growing volume of time series data. Among other opportunities, this allows to assess the dynamics of states’ positions in the world. For example, efforts to re-conceptualize statehood are to account for the problem of state resilience, which is currently the focus of both academic and applied research. The development of software to visualize and provide access to the results of the project to representatives of the academic and expert communities and decision makers is underway. This includes the development of an online encyclopedia of political and socio-economic systems of modern states.
References
Bull, H. (1977). The anarchical society. A study of order in world politics. London: Red Globe Press London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-24028-9
Chandler, D., & Coaffee, J. (Ed.). (2017). The Routledge handbook of International Resilience. London: Routledge.
Cline, R. (1977). World power assessment 1977: a calculus of strategic drift. Boulder: Westview Press.
Haken, N., Woodburn, D., Gallo-Carelli, J., Cooper, A., Moglen, D. S., Faborode, J., Asfaw, Y., Wilson, W., Turner, P., Duvor, C., Nyukechen, E., Reece, N., Waterworth, M., Fiertz, N., Taft, P., Madden, J., Sample, E., Silveira, N., Tomusiak, A. & Miller, R. (2022). Annual report. Fragile states index 2022. https://fragilestatesindex.org/2022/07/13/fragile-states-index-2022-annual-report/
Hall, J.R. (1996). International orders. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Melville, A.Yu., Akhremenko, A.S., & Mironyuk, M. (2019). What Russia can teach us about power and influence in world politics. Russian Politics, 4(2), 137-167. https://doi.org/10.1163/2451-8921-00402001
Melville, A.Yu., Polunin, Y., Ilyin, M., Mironyuk, M., Timofeev I., Meleshkina, E., & Vaslavskiy Y. (Ed.). (2011). Political atlas of the modern world. An experiment in multidimensional statistical analysis of the political systems of modern world. Wiley-Blackwell.
Paul, T.V., & Hall, J.A. (Ed.). (1999). International order and the future of world politics. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press.
Akhremenko, A.S., Gorelskiy, I.E., & Melville, A.Yu. (2019a). How and why should we measure and compare state capacity of different countries? Theoretical and methodological foundations. Polis. Political Studies, 2, 8-23. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.17976/jpps/2019.02.02
Akhremenko, A.S., Gorelskiy, I.E., Melville, A.Yu. (2019b). How and why should we measure and compare state capacity of different countries? An experiment with empirical research. Polis. Political Studies, 3, 49-68. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.17976/jpps/2019.03.04
Fenenko, A. (2018). «Prusskie uroki» dlya Rossii [“Prussian Lessons” for Russia]. Russian International Affairs Council. https://russiancouncil.ru/analytics-and-comments/analytics/prusskie-uroki-dlya-rossii/?ysclid=lav5miojx5971548153
Melville, A.Yu., & Mironyuk, M.G. (2020). “Political atlas of the modern world” revisited. Polis. Political Studies, 6, 41-61. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.17976/jpps/2020.06.04
Melville, A.Yu. et al. (2007). Politicheskii atlas sovremennosti. Opyt mnogomernogo statisticheskogo analiza politicheskikh sistem sovremennykh gosudarstv [An experiment in multidimensional statistical analysis of the political systems of modern world]. Moscow: MGIMO University Publ.
Torkunov, A.V., Melville, A.Yu., & Mironyuk, M.G. (Ed.). (2009 (2012); 2012; 2012; 2014). Politicheskie sistemy sovremennykh gosudarstv: Ehntsiklopedicheskii spravochnik: v 4 tomach. T. 1: Evropa; T. 2: Aziya; T. 3; Amerika. Avstraliya i Okeaniya; T. 4: Afrika [Political systems of modern states: Encyclopedic reference book: in 4 volumes. Vol. 1: Europe; Vol. 2: Asia; Vol. 3; America. Australia and Oceania; Vol. 4: Africa]. Moscow: Aspect Press.
See also:
Melville A.Yu., Malgin A.V., Mironyuk M.G., Stukal D.K.,
Empirical challenges and methodological approaches in comparative politics (through the lens of the Political Atlas of the Modern World 2.0). – Polis. Political Studies. 2023. No5
Melville A.Yu., Mironyuk M.G.,
“Political Atlas of the Modern World” Revisited. – Polis. Political Studies. 2020. No6
Bolshakov A.G.,
Problematic statehood in the epoch of global crisis of national sovereignty. – Polis. Political Studies. 2011. No5
Patrushev S.V.,
The Modern World’s Arrangement. What We Have Learned and What We Should Like to Learn in the Epoch of Csisis. Listing One Book’s Pages. – Polis. Political Studies. 2009. No3
Melville A.Yu., Ilyin M.V., Meleshkina Ye.Yu., Mironyuk M.G., Polunin Yu.A., Timofeev I.N.,
Essay of Countries Classification. – Polis. Political Studies. 2006. No5