Public Policy Issues and Campaign Strategies: Examining Rationality and the Role of Social Media in a Legislative Election Within a Middle Eastern Context

Abstract

While most studies from western countries emphasize rationality in electoral behavior, the present study proposes that rationality is also a driver of candidates' behavior in a non-Western context. The purpose of the present study is to map campaign content as well as campaign strategies of 214 candidates in the 2015 United Arab Emirates legislative elections. The qualitative analysis showed rational consideration drove the selection of both campaign strategies and public policy positions. Candidates decided to include patriotism and social and economic policy issues in their campaigns to attract votes. In addition, while candidates utilized social meda in their campaigns hoping to maximize their voter outreach, doing so was not necessarily decisive in garnering more votes. Thus, juxtaposed with social meda channels like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, SnapChat, and GooglePlus, traditional campaigning strategies remained very potent.Problemas de política p ublica y estrategias de campaña: examinando la racionalidad y el papel que juegan las redes sociales en una elecci on legislativa dentro del contexto del Medio Oriente ResumenMientras que muchos estudios de países occidentales enfatizan la racionalidad en el comportamiento electoral, este estudio propone que la racionalidad es tambi en un motor del comportamiento de los candidatos en un contexto no occidental.El prop osito de este estudio es esquematizar el contenido de las campañas, así como las estrategias de campaña de 214 candidatos en las elecciones legislativas de los Emiratos Arabes Unidos en 2015. El an alisis cualitativo mostr o que la consideraci on racional fue el motor de la selecci on de las estrategias de campaña y de las posturas de política p ublica. Los candidatos decidieron incluir los problemas de patriotismo y política social y econ omica en sus campañas para atraer votos. Adicionalmente, mientras que los candidatos utilizaron las redes sociales en sus campañas esperando llegar a m as votantes, el hacer esto no fue necesariamente decisivo para obtener m as votos. Por ende, yuxtapuestas con canales de redes sociales como Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, SnapChat y GooglePlus, las estrategias tradicionales de campaña siguieron siendo muy potentes.

Parliamentary questions, institutional change, and legislative oversight in a non‐Western context

“…The economy of the UAE is capitalist and fosters the free movement of people, ideas, and resources, reflecting its diverse population where approximately one million nationals coexist harmoniously with nine million expatriates representing nearly every country globally. The primary attraction for these expatriates lies in the economic opportunities that the UAE offers as one of the largest and most diversified economies in the Arab world (Yaghi & Antwi‐Boateng, 2017; Yaghi & Yaghi, 2013). The government's economic and social philosophy, shaped by a free‐market system since 1971, has played a pivotal role in transforming the nation.…”

“…Despite differences in analytical approaches, researchers in the field tend to make two overarching arguments: (a) institutions are not stable and (b) institutions change in different ways, such that the change is dependent on other contextual factors. These arguments recognize the living nature of institutions (Walsh et al., 2006) and the interdependence between them and their surroundings (Yaghi & Antwi‐Boateng, 2017; Yaghi & Yaghi, 2023). While theoretically addressing these discussions is beyond the scope of the current study, acknowledging that the evolution of political institutions (including parliaments) is a gradual process incorporating a series of changes occurring over long periods of time is essential (Montambeault, 2019; Yaghi et al., 2007).…”