The 2019 General Election in Northern Ireland: the Rise of the Centre Ground?

The experience of the 2019 general election in Northern Ireland took a very different course to that of the rest of the UK and, indeed, to the pattern of electoral politics typical of the region. Coming after almost three years with no functioning devolved government, combined with intense disagreement and uncertainty about Brexit, voters were ready to give a message to the two largest parties. Both Sinn Féin and the DUP suffered losses in the election, with the headline outcome being that unionism no longer holds the majority of seats for Northern Ireland in Westminster. More generally, there was a swing from both sides towards centre ground voting, which brought significant gains for the Alliance Party and the SDLP. This article summarises the reasons for this broad trend, focussing on the conditions and electoral pacts which brought it about. It also considers what it might mean for the prospects for Irish unification, noting that a referendum on unification will only be passed by attracting votes from those who tend to see themselves as neither unionist or nationalist.     

中国青年志愿服务的支持体系分析

志愿服务的支持体系由支持和保障志愿行动发展的政策、智力、资金、资源等组成,包括社会环境因素和组织内部因素。中国青年志愿服务经历了单一支持体系向拓展支持体系、多元支持体系、综合支持体系变化的过程;支持体系的结构包括党政支持体系、群团支持体系、社团支持体系、公众支持体系、专业支持体系和传播支持体系等;支持体系的要素包括政策、资金、人力、品牌等。在加快社会建设、创新社会治理的背景下,青年志愿服务支持体系建设要注重统筹协调、联盟合作、专业提升和国际发展。     

日本国家安全保障会议探析

国家安全决策机制是整个国家政权体系的基本构成,是国家权力安排的重要组织表现,也是公民安全诉求的主要凭借。以1947年美国成立国家安全委员会为起点,世界各主要国家无不结合本国实际,积极探索"国安委"模式的建构。安倍内阁为突破战后体制束缚,谋求使日本成为正常国家,在经济、政治、军事上全面出击,其标志性事件就是日本国家安全保障会议的革新。它以国家安全保障局为机构依托,辅之《国家安全保障会议设置法》与《特定秘密保护法》,借力美国"亚太再平衡"战略,为日本安保体制带来战术和战略层面的双重改善,是安倍集权外向扩张的先兆,将给中日关系、东亚局势产生诸多不确定性因素。     

论拉丁货币同盟走向崩溃的原因

拉丁货币同盟是法国、比利时、瑞士、意大利于1865年建立的货币联盟。后来,希腊、德国、北欧的一些国家及美国也参加进来。这一货币联盟曾在19世纪的资本主义世界的金融领域产生了广泛的影响。但是由于拉丁货币联盟没有规定发行货币的共同规则,没有规定保证体系稳定所需要的黄金储备,也没有控制住信用货币的流通。除了外形、重量、货币大小外,拉丁货币联盟没有任何的货币合作机制。这就造成拉丁货币联盟危机频仍,最后终于因第一次世界大战的破坏而于1928年解体。     

日本“政治大国”走向与自主防卫

进入20世纪80年代以后,作为经济强国的日本已经不再满足于“经济大国政治小国”的地位,历届内阁开始要求与经济大国地位相适应的政治大国地位。日本政府在寻求实现政治大国目标的过程中,主要选择了以军事领域作为突破口,以成为军事大国带动政治大国目标的实现。具体体现在强化日美同盟、建立和完善有事法制、保持自主、高效的自卫力量与积极参与联合国维和行动四个方面。     

The Birth and Rebirth of the Liberal Democrats

This article tells the story of the Liberal Democrats from the final days of the Liberal/SDP Alliance to the general election of 1992. Drawing on the author's roles as an MP and as chair of the party's communications operations, it examines the factors that contributed to the party's troubled birth in 1988, and gives an insider's view on how the party survived to grow in the years after 1990. Key issues include the branding of the party and the development of its policy of paying for improvements to education through increasing income tax. It also lays stress on the importance of the party's activist base and its central campaigns expertise in not only surviving in local elections, but also in securing key by-election victories.     

野田内阁加入TPP的战略意图探析

TPP是一种旨在实现贸易、投资及人员往来等全面自由化的高水平自由贸易协定。野田内阁意图通过TPP提升日本企业的国际竞争力,推动国内农业的结构性改革,重振日本经济;在对外关系上,则欲借此修复巩固日美同盟,配合美国牵制中国的战略布局,并在未来亚太经济一体化的进程中占据有利位置。基于上述战略意图,尽管遭到日本国内长期依赖财政补贴及贸易保护的农业部门和希望继续维持现有医疗保障体系的医师会等团体的坚决反对,以致日本面临政治分裂的风险,野田仍作出了参加TPP谈判的政治决断。     

2010年韩国外交综述

过去的2010年,韩国政府在巩固＂新亚洲外交＂成果的基础上,努力应对朝鲜半岛的紧张局势,以举办G20峰会为契机,加强韩美同盟、积极开展经济外交,推动FTA战略的实施,拓展与其他国家的交流合作,促进经济的较快发展。本文旨在探讨韩国政府过去一年的外交政策,对其外交的主要特点进行阐述和分析。     

Pan-European thought in British fascism: the International Third Position and the Alliance for Peace and Freedom

Shaffer’s article explores pan-Europeanism in post-war British fascism by examining the International Third Position (ITP) and the Alliance for Peace and Freedom (APF). More marginal than the National Front and the British National Party, these groups never sought electoral influence or attracted a noteworthy membership. However, the ITP and the APF served as an important expression of extremist thought after the National Front and British National Party suffered from declining support. Both notably involved Nick Griffin and Roberto Fiore—who played significant roles in post-war fascism—although their involvement has not been explored in detail. By examining their activities, Shaffer argues that the pan-Europeanism of the ITP and the APF represented an evolution of British fascism that focused on foreign audiences and non-electoral goals. Despite containing elements of pan-Europeanist thought that existed in the NF and the BNP, they sought a purer and more exclusive objective with a strictly international focus.     

Exploring the role of dependence in influencing small states’ alliance contributions: A reputation mechanism argument and assessment

Dependence has been demonstrated to be a main factor driving small states’ alliance contributions. However, the causal pathway linking dependence on the one hand, and small states’ contributions on the other, is seldom explicated and assessed. Furthermore, the ways in which dependence may shape, not only drive, such contributions, have received little attention. The purpose of this article is to elaborate the role of dependence in these regards. Drawing on Glenn H. Snyder’s “fear of abandonment” concept, it is argued that reputation is the main mechanism linking dependence and contributions. The article specifies the causal pathway and assesses it against case-study evidence of Norway’s and Sweden’s military participation in ISAF. The process tracing lends much support to the proposed mechanism, and comparison helps clarify how different alliance relationship status (member or partner) impacts on the theorised causal chain.