Question

can anyone explain the term 'political space'?

Answer 1

By political space we mean both the ability to express one’s opinion about the prevailing political system and political leadership, and the availability of effective channels to influence the political system. Naturally, some political societies and systems are more open and tolerant to criticism than others. In some countries, for instance, it is acceptable to criticize the prime minister and cabinet ministers, than to criticize the president. In others, it is very sensitive to criticize prevailing ideologies, such as secularism in Turkey, or
religious institutions, such as Al-Azhar in Egypt, or the Catholic Church in some Latin American countries. In addition, often it is much tougher to criticize the “Ministry of Defense”, or the “intelligence agency” than to criticize many other authorities.

In terms of political space, we can divide countries into three main categories:
closed : eg North Korea, Myanmar
narrow : eg China, Thailand
open : eg India, France

Answer 2

Assessing the political space goes beyond the formal political arena into the informal or
cultural one. Public opinion leaders and cultural institutions have so much political
power that makes it critical to assess as part of the external environment. For instance, in
many countries, religious institutions and leaders influence shaping prevailing policies
and culture, and thus politics. Addressing cultural issues, such as the status of women, in
many parts of the world is a so sensitive an issue that it likely leads to a political conflict.
Another example can be in the sensitivity of criticizing well-established religious
institutions in some parts of the world. Should the organization decide to criticize such
institutions, it should be aware of the potential political danger that may result.

Answer 3

It's like outer space but colder and darker.

Answer 4

like outer space