Political trend or trends describes how the government, an institution, a political party, and politicians are going to act in the future. Like weather forecasting, it predicts the future and near-future outcome of any political system or entity.
Political parties, politicians, their donors, and possibly their voters, too, observe and watch such trends helping them to see their political future and opt out of the best possible option, available to them in a given scenario. Preparing for the best to avoid the worst one!
Political trends and political factors
Political trends, or political factors as we sometimes also call them, affect us all.
However, the two, political factors and political trends slightly differ from one another.
The political factors generally include the leadership of the country concerned, its government, and policies about foreign and domestic trade, and fiscal policies. They are more linked to the behavior and demeanor of the government in question.
On the other hand, political trends are an ongoing, smooth unidirectional, pattern of thoughts that develops over a specific period. Calculated and measured statistically to trace the upward or downward movement of the political trend or thought in question.
The continued and unusually prolonged political factors contributes to the setting up of political trends in a society and political system.
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That’s why right from the foreign policy of the country to the purchase of groceries from a store nothing is immune from it.
Consciously or unconsciously, we are prone to them.
Political trends and industry
Even mass-scale industries cautiously observe them while making any development or changes in their products. What to produce, how and when to produce them, and for whom to produce them.
For example in the turbulent US Presidential Elections of 2021, many brands launched elections-related products for their customers and consumers. Hotel.Com launched a five-night stay in New Mexico to avoid election hassle.
An election night survival kit of Drinkbabe.net for its customers.
Adidas painted a basketball court in Dubai with a French advertising agency, Havas, to pay tribute to the female basketballer, Asma Elbadawi (2022), and other female players in general.
While fighting and eradicating the evil of fake news, the Trust Project introduced the Trust Mark set to media outlets (2022) to calibrate their credibility.
Modern examples of social and political trends
With IoT (Internet of Things) many rapid social and economic changes are taking place. Once considered conventional and physical sphere things are now done through the internet. Online groceries and even medical consultations with a physician are done via the Internet. Similarly, Henry Ford a century-old concept of a five-day working week is now replaced by four day working week for the employees. With three days off for them to relax!
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Likewise, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Social Media, and Work from Home or Remote jobs are both creating opportunities as well as hurdles for governments and societies.
The rise of Populist politics in many countries is displaying its power by riding the tide of public and popular emotions. Donald Trump (USA), Narendra Modi (India), Bolsonaro (Brazil), Tayyip Erdogan (Turkey) and many other politicians of different countries used and would likely to use in future the tide of emotions of their countrymen for me their power.
This is what is called public Nabaz-Shanasi in Urdu language meaning knowing the public pulse and maneuvering them for your interests. Global mobility and migration are also affecting both domestic and world politics.
The list may be unending as the globalization and interlinking of national and international politics make it impossible for any government or institution to view any issue in isolation apart from other linked factors.
South Asian political trends
The seven countries of South Asia, Pakistan. India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and Maldives with a geographical extension to Afghanistan have some specific political and social trends.
1. The strong yet most dangerous one is the political volatility of these countries. Any situation immediately turns into a bloodbath between the contending parties.
2. Majority of the population of the region are young, jobless, uneducated or poorly educated youth. Divided on the basis of race, religion, and economic disparities could be easily used for any political mileage. The recent riots in the Indian state of Manipur between the Meitei people who are in the majority and the minority Kuki and Zo people are an example.
3. Almost all South Asian countries have political and geographical issues with their neighbors resulting in tense and unfriendly relations between them. The Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan. The Ganges Water (1996) dispute between India and Bangladesh.
4. the most neglected yet quickly destroying factor for them is the climatic changes that wrought doom for them in the shape of floods, water shortage, and food insecurity. The recent flood (2022) in Pakistan divested the agricultural heartland of the country which results in food shortages and price hikes.
To sum up,
The political trends of a society is making or breaking block of that society. The development, and grooming of a positive and constructive trends surely contribute positively to the overall wellbeing of the society and country.