Document Type : Research Paper
Author
Assistant Professor, Department of Political Sciences, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
Abstract
Introduction
National security theorists used to view security primarily as a hardware issue, focused on military and government-oriented concerns. However, more recent theorists approach national security from a software perspective, emphasizing civic and public issues. The security governance model is one of the recent models for providing national security. The model highlights the role of various public and private sectors, alongside the central government, in creating, maintaining, and distributing security in today’s complex world. Moreover, an often overlooked but crucial component of the political system that can contribute to national security is the political party system, which has been largely ignored by security theorists. The present study aimed to address how national security is influenced by the political party system, assuming that it is impossible to achieve security within the security governance model without the development of a political party system. Political parties are so integral to the realization of security governance that they determine the success or failure of security governance. A review of existing literature reveals that few works directly address the topic, though some relevant studies exist. Notable works include “Foreign Politics and National Security Governance” (Yazdanfam, 2023), “Political Parties and the Provision of Non-State Security in Lebanon” (Stedem, 2021), and “Conceptualizing Security Governance” (Krahmann, 2003). The current research is based on the hypothesis that political parties significantly influence various dimensions of the security governance model, such as the involvement of public and private sectors in the security provision process, decentralized policymaking and decision-making, acquisition, and accumulation of resources and benefits of security, etc. Moreover, political parties contribute to the model’s foundations, such as coordination, accountability, competition, socialization, etc. The study examined the influence of political parties on national security in two phases. The first phase concerns their impact on the dimensions of security governance, and the second phase focuses on how political parties affect the foundations of security governance.
Materials and Methods
The present study adopted a multi-level, mixed-method approach, in which various methods were used in combination in line with different stages of the study. Having collected the data through a library–documentary method, the research relied on two levels of analysis: causal explanation and structure–agency explanation. The causal framework was used to explain the impact of political parties on the realization of security governance, whereas the structure–agency analysis helped explain the realization of the indicators and foundations of security governance.
Results and Discussion
The analysis investigated the relationship between the political party system and the provision of national security within the governance model. According to the research findings, political parties can influence security governance indicators such as the involvement of public and private sectors in the security provision process, policymaking, decentralized policymaking and decision-making, acquisition and accumulation of resources and benefits of security, civic participation, and decentralized geography. Second, political parties can impact the foundations of security governance, including coordination, accountability, promulgation of the non-ideological viewpoint, socialization, and development of the prismatic perspective. Additionally, one of the most significant findings is the interplay between individual dynamics and the collective environment, which drives the provision of national security. In other words, political parties cannot automatically achieve security governance on their own; rather, they facilitate its realization through the cooperation of political and social structures and agents.
Conclusion
The effectiveness of the model is contingent upon the growth and development of robust political parties with robust organizational structures, which are essential for making the security governance model feasible, efficient, and effective. It is also important to note that the security governance model—regardless of how it is formulated or implemented—offers greater efficiency, effectiveness, and adaptability than traditional security models, particularly in today’s pluralistic and complex world. Finally, the results of the study proved its theoretical innovations, addressed a gap in the existing literature, and provided a foundation for future research to analyze other factors influencing the security governance model through comparative studies.
Keywords
- National security
- Security governance model
- Political party system
- Multi-level security
- Robust party organization
Main Subjects
)