For example, if your general topic is poverty, in the first part, you can put research related to inequality, then research related to jurisprudence and poverty, then research related to the psychological aspects of poverty. For reasons of integrity, it is very important to review the entire legal design in order to understand the legal framework and, if necessary, to determine the necessary corrective measures and, if necessary, the nature of the final measures to be taken. Your research focuses on the implications of the free trade agreement between Mexico and the United States, in which case one theory you might choose is the so-called comparative advantage theory, two prominent authors on the subject are David Ricardo (classical economist) and Paul Krugman (contemporary economist). Next, you will need to describe what these authors said and how it relates to your thesis. To ensure that election results reflect the will of voters as accurately as possible, the legal framework must protect the principles of liberty, justice and electoral competition (see Fair and Just Trial). These can be designed, as in the Philippines, to seek an honest, orderly, peaceful and credible context and to give the country`s citizens equal opportunities in public service. 74 The legal framework is capable of protecting the integrity of the election in different ways. Authority is transferred to certain bodies that perform certain functions. However, this power can be limited if we distribute this power among the different institutions and subject them to a series of revisions and adjustments. For example, one election administration body has the power to administer elections, but another body may have the power to set electoral boundaries or manage the public funds of political parties. Here are some tips for each of the most important frameworks in your study project. The legal framework empowers the electoral authority to carry out the tasks of administering elections in accordance with the structure established in its own regulations.
It also allows political parties to raise funds and participate in elections in accordance with applicable legislation. Finally, it ensures that voters retain their political rights to vote and to elect their government representatives. The legislation includes guidelines for determining the structure of election administration, instructions to returning officers on how to do their work, and the rights and obligations of political parties, the media, electors and other participants in an election. For more information on the legal framework for elections, see Legal instruments (doctrine/theory). In emerging democracies, the rules for free and fair elections continue to evolve. In these cases, it is very important to integrate the basic principles into the legal framework. According to Dr. Robert Pastor, in the case of elections in countries in transition from authoritarian to democratic rule, “the challenge is to negotiate electoral rules in such a way that all parties accept and respect them.” 75 Once this fundamental legal framework has been completed, this work can begin within the institutional and administrative framework for the electoral process. The legal framework provides us with the foundations on which institutions are built and determines the scope and nature of political participation. The legal framework of an election, and in particular issues related to its integrity, are regularly found in various legal and interrelated laws. Reform of the legal framework can become the starting point for restoring the integrity of the electoral process. This was the case, for example, in Mexico, where electoral reform became the “lever”76 for genuine democratic change.