Internationalisation as a Democratic Tool: Revisiting Mexico's Double Transition

Mexico's double transition—democratisation and internationalisation—offers a good case study to analyse the interaction between internationalisation processes and domestic developments during transitions to democracy. This article explains how the specific way in which Mexico linked with North America worked as a causal mechanism during the country's democratisation. In the end, an inadequate project of internationalisation—spearheaded by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)—failed to fulfil its democratising potential.     

What judges know about eyewitness testimony: A comparison of Norwegian and US judges

Abstract

We surveyed 157 Norwegian judges about their knowledge and beliefs about eyewitness testimony, and compared their answers to a prior survey of 160 US judges. Although the Norwegian judges were somewhat more knowledgeable than the US judges, both groups had limited knowledge of eyewitness testimony. The Norwegian judges, like the US judges, frequently differed from eyewitness experts in their responses to such important issues as whether eyewitness confidence is related to identification accuracy at trial and what is the best method for conducting identification procedures. As was true for the US judges, more knowledgeable Norwegian judges had many of the beliefs that may be necessary for reducing and mitigating the effects of eyewitness error. The results suggest that increasing judges’ knowledge of eyewitness testimony may be an important component of the solution to eyewitness error.     

The Puzzle of the Iguazu Tri-Border Area: Many Questions and Few Answers Regarding Organised Crime and Terrorism Links

It is widely accepted that the Tri-Border Area between Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay is a nexus in global terrorist support, and perhaps even operations. However, it is rather more difficult actually to provide evidence of this connection. The region is certainly a smuggling haven, and has substantial populations from the Middle East. Beyond remittances sent to the Middle East – some of which flows to such organisations as Hezbollah – there is little hard evidence available to the academic researcher. Thus the study of this purported crime-terror nexus provides a valuable opportunity for academic researchers to question the assumptions and assertions of policy-makers and pundits, push for transparency of information on the reality of the region and even help understand the problem better.     

Introduction

Central Eastern Europe (further CEE) has been thoroughly reconstructed during nearly a quarter of century since the fall of the Berlin wall and the end of the cold war. The CEE countries turned to the West for economic and technological advancement, for political and administrative models as well as for protection. The authors coming from eight different countries look at the place and role of the former member states of the Warsaw Pact in the new European and international constellation. This concept of CEE includes most pro-western states of the former ‘Eastern block’: the four countries of Central Europe (Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary) and the Baltic states (Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia). There were many tumultuous political developments in and around the region within the last decade, and especially during the last five years when the financial crisis started to take its toll. While the Atlantic link of Central and Eastern Europe is still strong, many commentators have pointed out its wearing strategic meaning. The balance between the focus on the USA and the EU has shifted in favour of Europe. However, this shift has rather been an incomplete one due to the region's own political and economic problems. The aim of this special issue is to analyse the new constellation by looking at the CEE countries themselves, at their ability to react and adapt, produce sound political strategies and act on as national actors: through bilateral ties, regional co-operation, NATO and the EU. Also, the main external actors - the USA, Russia and Germany - are looked at as they directly influence the way how the CEE countries shape their policies.     

The changing landscape of higher education: an analysis of how national change might be brought about in American higher education compared with the Bologna signatory states

Throughout much of the world higher education has been subject to scrutiny, including for example cost, outcomes, stakeholder value, and change. The intensity of the scrutiny and the possible consequences in terms of change have accelerated as a result of 2009 being the year of financial turbulence and scarce resources being used to prop up failing industries such as the automobile industry, compounded by measures such as quantitative easing and huge amounts being made available to the banking sector. This article looks at the different contexts and legal frameworks regarding change being required as a result of legislation rather than happening through some organic way. The article does not focus on the merits of possible change but on how change may be brought about. The European context is that of the Bologna Process (with a brief reminder of the European Union's competency in this area), the US context is that of change at national, regional or state level but with the primary focus being national level change.     

美国因素对中国与东盟关系的影响

本文从历史与现实的角度考察了美国因素对中国与东盟关系的影响。本文认为,中国一东盟关系的演变与美国东亚政策的调整、中美关系的好坏有着密切联系。美国因素在中国- 东盟关系中既可能起积极作用,也可能起消极作用。在现阶段,美国因素对中国-东盟关系的负面影响程度将取决于这样几个方面:中美关系如何发展、东盟及东亚一体化进展如何、中国与东盟互信程度。     

近年美国留学生政策的若干变化及其影响

在“9·11”事件过去的一年多时间里,作为对恐怖主义的应对,美国留学生政策发生了若干变化,本文分析了这些变化及其影响。     

9·11后美国加紧推进同东盟国家关系及我国的应对之策

本文重点讨论9.11以来,美国同东盟关系的发展变化。文章首先回顾了9.11以来美国积极推进同东南亚的关系的表现,进而分析美国加紧推进同东盟关系的主要动机。最后,作者阐述了我们对美国-东盟关系发展应持的态度和对策。     

冷战后的美国太空控制战略

冷战后,美国为谋求太空霸主地位,实施太空武器化政策,并全力加速推进＂天军＂建设。美国控制太空的野心遭到了国际社会的反对,增加了核战的风险,加速了导弹、核武器扩散,给不扩散机制蒙上了阴影,给世界和平造成威胁,也给美国带来太空安全困境。同时,美国的太空控制战略也恶化了太空环境,妨碍了人类和平利用和探索太空。尽管奥巴马上台后调整了美国的太空政策,但美国的太空控制战略仍面临诸多重大挑战。     

Reinventing Human Resource Development: Unintended Consequences of Clinton Administration Reforms

Abstract

Many Clinton–Gore government reform initiatives focused on federal training. The reforms were intended to make training a more flexible management tool and give line managers more authority for employee development and training. Under political directives, a number of changes were undertaken simultaneously without adequate monitoring to evaluate their impact on agency performance. Many changes had unintended, negative consequences. When reinvention efforts ended in 2000, federal training programs did not work better and cost less and, in fact, the opposite was true and many problems remained unsolved.