Frank Meyer: The Fusionist as Federalist

Frank S. Meyer played a central role in defining the post-warAmerican conservative movement by defining and defending anideological "fusion" of traditional conservative principlesand libertarian political beliefs. While concerned with maintenanceof an objective moral order and the pursuit of virtue in theindividual, Meyer argued that the freedom of the person is thecentral and primary end of political society. The American systemof government, with its horizontal and vertical separationsof power, came closer than any political system in history toproviding the protection for individual liberties necessaryfor the effective pursuit of virtue. Federalism was particularlyimportant as it could forestall the centralization of governmentpower. Virtue, to have any meaning, had to be chosen freely,but providing for individual freedom provided no guarantee thatindividuals would pursue virtuous ends. By the same token, federalismand the separation of powers did not guarantee that state governmentswould adopt wise or moral policies, as the history of the civilrights struggle attests. Nonetheless, Meyer believed federalismwas essential if individual freedom was to endure.     

The chancellor as manager: Helmut Kohl,the CDU and governance in Germany

This article examines the relationship between German chancellor Helmut Kohl and his Christian Democratic Union. It first explains why his predecessors met with different degrees of success in winning support for government decisions from their own parties. An assessment of Kohl's record then confirms that attracting voters is less critical in this regard than serving as a link within the coalition and as a manager of party‐internal affirs. Kohl's own strategies for steering his coalition and running the CDU through a personal network, mediation among subgroups and contact with functionaries are presented as key aspects of his leadership.     

Frank Fischer: Citizens, Experts, and the Environment. The Politics of Local Knowledge

Ohne Zusammenfassung

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Frank Fischer: Citizens, Experts, and the Environment. The Politics of Local Knowledge Durham/London: Duke University Press 2000, 363 S., US$18,95 (paperback)

     

The Quiet Revolutionaries: Seeking Justice in Guatemala, Paul Jesilow and Frank M. Afflitto

The Quiet Revolutionaries: Seeking Justice in Guatemala recountsthe tragic history of the state-sanctioned violence that hitGuatemala in the second half of the 20th century. It focuseson the struggle of survivors to find information about missingrelatives and ultimately to seek justice for the cruelty andneglect they or their relatives experienced. When reading about the     

Diversity as a policy goal: The case of television

Diversity in communications is most appropriately understood as a free flow of ideas. In order to implement diversity, a comprehensive model of the communication process must be used for policy research, so that the various participants in the process can be properly restrained from abridging the free flow of ideas. The setting of priorities for implementing diversity has been illustrated using available studies of broadcast and cable television.     

The Electoral Connection: How the Pivotal Judge Affects Oppositional Success at European Constitutional Courts

Constitutional courts are often considered to be ‘veto players’ or ‘third chambers of parliament’. However, no attention has been paid to the composition of European constitutional courts and how they make decisions. Do European judges exhibit political preferences as their US counterparts do? If so, it is important to know who selects the judges as the selection determines the outcome. This article analyses the composition of the German Bundesverfassungsgericht and the French Conseil constitutionnel. It tests the correlation between the party affiliation of the pivotal judge and oppositional success empirically for all abstract reviews filed between 1974 and 2002. In both countries the likelihood of an oppositional victory or defeat varies with the ideological position of the pivotal judge. This leads to the conclusion that European judges decide on the basis of their political preferences like their US counterparts.