Category Archives: Politics

Subscores: Freedom in the World Report

Posted on February 2, 2014 by JDierkes

When the 2014 Freedom in the World report was released on January 23, it came with the following map: At the time I tweeted, “That dot of hopeful green in a see of authoritarian purple is #Mongolia #FIW“. I also … Continue reading →

Posted in Corruption, Democracy, Elections, Governance, Party Politics, Politics | Tagged | 1 Comment

Visas, Medicine, Education: Feeling Chinese Soft Power in Mongolia

Posted on December 16, 2013 by mendee

China has been gradually increasing its soft power in neighbouring Mongolia, from offers of visa-free travel to access to its medical facilities, and most recently, growing educational opportunities in China for Mongolians. These policies have gone far in diminishing deep-seated … Continue reading →

Posted in Asia Pacific Memo, China, International Relations, Publications | Tagged | 1 Comment

Results from the Corruption Perception Index 2013

Posted on December 2, 2013 by JDierkes

On Dec 3, Transparency International released its annual Corruption Perception Index. Previous Posts Last year, I wrote two blog posts that specifically focused on the CPI score for Mongolia: https://mongoliafocus.com/2012/corruption-transparency-international/ https://mongoliafocus.com/2012/more-on-corruption-in-mongolia-according-to-transparency-international-further-comparisons/ Last weekend, I wrote a post that looked ahead … Continue reading →

Posted in Corruption, Governance, Media and Press, Policy, Social Issues | Tagged | Leave a comment

Corruption in 2013

Posted on December 1, 2013 by JDierkes

The imminent release of Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index (Dec 3) is as good an occasion to think/write about corruption in Mongolia as any. Of course, it is especially important in the context of the CPI to emphasize that this … Continue reading →

Posted in Corruption, Governance, Media and Press, Politics, Public Service, Social Issues | Tagged | 1 Comment

Guest Post: Mongolia in the OSCE – One Year On

Posted on November 21, 2013 by JDierkes

Paul Bryce Further Expansion of the OSCE In the years immediately following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the dissolution of Yugoslavia, the membership of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) appeared to have expanded as … Continue reading →

Posted in International Relations, Mongolia and ... | Leave a comment

Canadian State Visit

Posted on October 13, 2013 by JDierkes

2013 marks the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Canada and Mongolia. Earlier this year, this anniversary was marked by a visit of the chairman of the Ikh Khural, Z Enkhbold, to Canada. Now, it has been announced that the Canadian … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, International Relations, Mongolia and ... | Tagged | 2 Comments

Solutions to the Current Economic Crisis?

Posted on October 8, 2013 by JDierkes

Previously, I have written about economic and political aspects of the challenges currently facing Mongolia. Right now, the economic situation seems a bit like a “wicked problem” or a quagmire, and I see relatively little cause for short-term optimism, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Development, Economics, Foreign Investment, Governance, Inflation, JD Mining Governance, Mining, Policy, Politics | Tagged | 2 Comments

Politics During the Current Economic Crisis

Posted on September 26, 2013 by JDierkes

There is no political crisis in the sense of any conflict within parliament or between parliament and the president. Nor are there major scandals at the moment. However, there does appear to be a crisis in the sense of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Development, Economics, Foreign Investment, Governance, Inflation, Mining, Oyu Tolgoi, Party Politics, Policy, Politics | Tagged | Leave a comment

Anatomy of the Current Economic Crisis

Posted on September 26, 2013 by JDierkes

Having spent last week in Ulaanbaatar, it is clear to me that the current crisis is a) more severe than I had thought, and b) more real/less perceived than I had thought. Below, I try to list elements in this … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, China, Corruption, Development, Economics, Foreign Investment, Governance, Inflation, JD Mining Governance, Mining, Oyu Tolgoi, Policy, Politics | Tagged | 3 Comments

Mongolia Buffeted by Global Winds

Posted on September 11, 2013 by JDierkes

[For another version of  observations of the current situation in Mongolia, see my piece in the Wall Street Journal Asia on September 13. This piece has been  posted on the World Economic Forum blog as well.] For most of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Democracy, Development, Foreign Investment, Governance, JD Mining Governance, Mining, Oyu Tolgoi, Policy | Tagged | Leave a comment

UBC Job in Asian Public Policy

Posted on September 5, 2013 by JDierkes

The Institute of Asian Research is hiring an assistant professor (tenure-track) in Asian Public Policy. I would personally be thrilled to see applications of junior scholars who focus some or all of their work on Mongolia. Here’s the job ad: … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Research on Mongolia | Tagged | Leave a comment

Review of “Mongolia’s State Policy on the Minerals Sector (2013-2024)”

Posted on September 2, 2013 by D.Byambajav

“State Policy on the Minerals Sector (2013-2024),” a document defining the policy framework for the Mongolian minerals sector in the next decade is expected to be discussed at the upcoming autumn session of the State Great Khural. President Elbegdorj decided … Continue reading →

Posted in Democracy, Development, Governance, Mining, Policy, Sovereign Wealth Fund | Tagged | Leave a comment

A Network Approach to NGO Development: Women’s NGOs in Mongolia

Posted on August 19, 2013 by D.Byambajav

This article presents results of a social network survey of women’s NGOs in Mongolia, which was conducted during the spring of 2010. The main objective of the survey was to understand the structural properties of collaborative interactions among women’s NGOs. … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Society, Democracy, Publications, Research on Mongolia | Tagged | Leave a comment

The Limitations of Mongolian-Kazakhstani Relations

Posted on August 18, 2013 by miliate

I have recently had an article published on The Diplomat, in which I explore Mongolian-Kazakhstani relations. I argue that despite geographical and cultural proximity, relations between these two post-communist states are limited by three factors: Historical Political Boundaries Kazakhstan’s continued … Continue reading →

Posted in Central Asia, International Relations, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and ... | Tagged | Leave a comment

Does Presidential Pardon Bring End to Enkhbayar Saga?

Posted on August 15, 2013 by JDierkes

Mongolian President Ts Elbegdorj was narrowly re-elected to a second term in the June 26 presidential election. He is embarking on this second and final term with expectations of personnel continuity and policy stability. He is setting out on this … Continue reading →

Posted in Corruption, Democratic Party, Law, Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party, Politics, Populism | Tagged | Leave a comment