＂New Thinking＂ in Japan＇s Diplomacy--On the New Fukuda Doctrine

In September 2008, Yasuo Fukuda resigned after serving for a year as prime minister, and then Taro Aso formed a new cabinet. Due to the boycott of the opposition parties in the Diet, which wielded the majority, the Fukuda cabinet had achieved little in terms of internal affair. In foreign affairs, however, it left a deep impression by improving relations with China and advancing the New Fukuda Doctrine. As for the Aso cabinet, people were once worried that troubles might erupt in China-Japan relations given Aso＇s past stand. But since taking office as prime minister, Aso has kept a positive attitude toward promoting China-Japan relations and Asian diplomacy. Then what are the new considerations of Japan in its Asian diplomacy and Japan-China relations？ What position do China-Japan relations occupy in Japan＇s Asian diplomacy？ What are the tendencies of Japan＇s Asian diplomacy and its China policy？ All these issues warrant in-depth probing.     

Ideological extremism and electoral design. Multimember versus single member districts

Relying on a formal theoretical model, Gary Cox demonstrates that single member districts induce candidates toward policy positions at their constituency median while multimember districts encourage dispersion. We test this theoretical implication in the context of the Arizona state legislature, in which each legislative district chooses one senator and two representatives in single member and multimember contests respectively. To do so, we generate W-NOMINATE estimates of scores based on roll-call data from the Arizona state legislature that are comparable across chambers (Senate and House). Our results are substantially less supportive of the formal theory than are those of prior studies.     

Performance: Promises to Keep and Miles to Go

In July 1995, the American Society for Public Administration's Endowment Board established the Donald C. Stone Fund to honor the memory of this public administration legend. Income from this fund is used to sponsor a lecture or symposium at ASPA's national conference, which reflects Stone's varied interests and contributions to the field. This year marked the tenth Donald C. Stone Lecture. On April 4, Patricia Wallace Ingraham was ASPA's Stone Lecturer and gave the following speech     

International diffusion and postcommunist electoral revolutions

Over the past decade, a number of elections in postcommunist regimes perched between democracy and dictatorship have led to the triumph of liberal oppositions over illiberal incumbents or their anointed successors. The international diffusion of these electoral revolutions reflects the interaction among five factors: the long term development of civil society, expanded opportunities for democratic political change, the rise of collaborative networks among international democracy promoters, regional exporters of democracy and local oppositions, and, finally, careful application of an electoral approach to regime transition. The cross-national diffusion of the electoral model in this region, however, may have run its course, largely because of less supportive local and international conditions.     

新形势下党内民主建设迫切性的系统分析

中国共产党历来重视发展党内民主．但目前党内民主的现状，相对于新形势下我们党自身发展的状况以及党所面临的国际国内环境而言，仍难尽如人意。正确认识和积极应对新形势下的挑战，这就要求我们党加快发展党内民主，加强党内民主的制度建设，使党内民主真正成为党的生命。     

The Regime Change from Koizumi to Abe and Japanese Nationalism

During his term of office, Prime Minister Koizumi time and again paid homage to the Yasukuni Shrine where the Class-A