Continuing our Referendum Rundown, Japan’s political situation has become ever more precarious for the long standing LDP. After a drawn out election cycle, Japan has elected its first ever female leader: Sanae Takaichi. She has had a long career as a politician and served in the Abe Administration for years. Many are already calling her Japan’s Iron Woman. In fact, Takaichi has publicly mentioned her adoration for the late British Prime Minister, having drawn inspiration for her signature blue suits from Thatcher’s iconic blue suits of the 1980’s..
Technically, there’s more than one problem with export economies. But they all feed into each other, resulting in a much bigger and singular problem. To start, export economies rely on there being a party that is willing to import the exporter’s goods and services. Usually, the exporter can offer such things at equal quality (or better) than the importer can produce on its own, and at a better price too. The general argument for the benefits of international trade follow this logic, calling it a specialization in competitive advantage. However, this model assumes that the goal is to maximize the ability to consume, regardless of others consequences.
Voting for the next South Korea president is already underway with early and shipboard voting having commenced earlier in the week. South Korea’s democracy is a major facet of what makes South Korea a success story. June 3rd will only be South Korea’s 21st presidential election. While it looked like Lee was going to win in a landslide, the conservative candidates have made some serious headway in the last few weeks. But we entered the polling blackout period, one of the many unique ways South Korea tries to regulate, protect, and promote its elections. Let’s take a look at some facets of Korea elections that make the system unique, as they are laid out in the Public Official Election Act (POEA).
The Canadian election has been a fascinating watch. At first glance, it would appear that we have seen one of the most drastic polling reversals in recent memory. I would rather argue that an unpopular leader left a popular party. While abruptness of this change has been fueled by an erratic foreign policy from Canada’s Southern neighbor, the change itself was set one way or another. The sudden and unpredictable nature of the new U.S. administration has trumped over most other issues in Canada. However, these issues will still plague whichever party comes out on top.
Welcome to our Referendum Rundown! Our new series on elections from around the world. This series will take a look at elections from around the world. Coverage will cover different aspects of elections including, candidate rundowns, predictions and implications, and results and analysis. Our election coverage will often have a foreign policy angle, as that is our expertise, and it ensures relevance to global audiences. My personal interest and expertise will mean that you can expect coverage to focus on Northeast Asia, specifically South Korea. However, my own intrigue will often lead me to explore elections from around the pacific. In the coming days you can expect pieces previewing several key elections from around the Indo-pacific. Australia, South Korea, and Canada are all set to have elections in the coming weeks. While other states, like Japan, are inching their way towards a general election in the near future.
In 2024, the world saw the most people in human history cast their ballots for their respective states. As we have come to see, democracy can be a fragile system. We should stop and take the time to appreciate the time we live in. Millions of people get to have a voice in the government that rules over them. This concept would be unheard of just a few centuries ago. When each person gets a say in politics, politics becomes messy. The electoral process is attempting to get a group of people to have a conversation and come to a decision. This conversation becomes increasingly complicated. It’s difficult to have a productive meeting with 5 people talking, let alone millions. This messy, complicated, and fragile system creates equally complicated, and at times, unexpected results.
Whether or not we will ever see more people vote than in 2024 is yet to be seen. We are in a time of democratic backsliding across the globe, making each election increasingly important to watch. It is our goal to bring you along for the crazy ride that is a world full of vibrant elections from all around the world!
The United Nations (UN) is one of the most widely recognized institutions in the world, bringing together more than 190 nations. The bright blue of the UN has become an international symbol, quickly recognized on flags, boxes of aid, and on military uniforms.
The UN serves as a forum for nations to collaboratively tackle complex global problems with a nuanced, global solution. Every day, the United Nations works to create and enforce trade and regulatory frameworks, peace agreements, aid distribution, scientific collaboration, and more. Joining the UN brings a state into this wide network of resources, which includes major economic institutions like the International Monetary Foundation (IMF) and World Trade Organization (WTO).
The UN isn’t always thought of in such a positive light. It took Switzerland over 50 years to join! The United States has just pulled out of several large organizations within the UN, in a move seeming to distance the world power from the UN. This is not the first UN-skeptic move from the United States. In the early 2010’s, there were new calls for the United States to leave the UN. With the Trump administration being more transactional and isolationist in nature, this piece seeks to explore the potential for a US withdrawal, not only from the security council, but from the United Nations as a whole.
Could the US seek to withdraw from the United Nations as a whole?
With the new administration, there may be an attempt by either Mr. Trump or his allies to withdraw the US from the UN. No country has ever withdrawn from the institution in its nearly 80 year history. There have been attempts to leave and even attempts to expel members. However, there is no formal mechanism to leave the UN, although the UN Charter does provide insight into when a member state can be expelled. Article 6 of the UN Charter allows for the Security Council to recommend expulsion of a member, but it has never been invoked, despite the numerous opportunities that have presented themselves.
Prior Attempts to Withdraw from the United Nations
There was one instance of a country attempting to withdraw from the UN. Indonesia did intend to withdraw from the UN in 1965. A formal letter was submitted to the General Assembly stating Indonesia’s intent to withdraw from the organization. However, Indonesia would go through a violent change in government later that year. The government that would later rise to power would reverse course and remain a part of the UN. Ultimately, Indonesia is still a member of the UN and one of the emerging economies of the world.
Concluding Thoughts
A formal withdrawal from the United Nations is extremely unlikely for any state, let alone a permanent member of the security council. There is one option that the Trump administration could pursue to further distance the US from the transnational organization. The United States could withdraw any and all funding from the United Nations, and even go as far as to stop sending and form of representation.
The Trump Administration has shown a propensity to withhold funding to various departments and organizations in just the first few weeks. This nuclear option has not been gaining any sort of meaningful traction, but it remains an option. No one can say for certain how the halls of the General Assembly would feel without an American presence, but there would be a large absence that is sure to be felt. As one example of the complications from a US withdrawal from the UN: one of two headquarters are located in New York City.
Further Reading
For more articles on US diplomacy, this article talks about a new book on Henry Kissinger’s global impact as a long-serving, leading US statesman: Kissinger’s Shadow: New Required Reading.
Chaos broke out at the Western Seoul District in the early hours of the morning on January 19th. They furiously ran through the court house, destroying and defacing everything in their path. The mob made it as far up as the 7th floor, where the judges’ offices are located. The staff that were working in the building at the time were forced to hide on the roof of the building behind a makeshift barricade. According to reporting by the Korea Times, 63 people have been arrested and formally charged for the violence at the Courthouse. Many traditional media sources, observers, and ordinary citizens are comparing the violence in South Korea, to the violence from January 6th 2021 in Washington DC.
South Korea’s National Assembly has impeached a president for the second time in almost 7 years. (Background on that can be found in our prior missive.) South Korean President Yoon, former Prosecutor General, has found himself in a legally precarious position. He is facing 2 major investigations. The case focused on his impeachment from office will be heard by the constitutional court starting December 27th. The court has impeach presidents before, this is not uncharted territory. However, this is the first time ⅓ of the bench is vacant. Yoon’s martial law debacle has put the South Korean political system on full display, the good and the bad. The international community has heralded South Korea as one of the strongest democracies in Asia, especially after seeing how civil society reacted to the martial law declaration. However, Yoon’s declaration has exposed a critical flaw in South Korea’s democratic system – judicial appointments.
Update: 7:54am PST, December 14, 2024—According to the Associated Press, South Korean President Yoon has been impeached by the National Assembly. The powers of the Presidency have been transferred to Prime Minister Han Duck-Soo. The Constitutional Court will have 180 days to rule on Yoon’s impeachment.
South Koreans and international observers are struggling to remember a time when tension on the Korean Peninsula has been higher. We have seen North Korea sending trash balloons into South Korea, including over the Blue House, so in response, Seoul resumed loudspeaker broadcasts towards the North. In recent days, we have even seen North Korea send over 7,000 troops to reinforce Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.
