Legislative Demands for Bureaucratic Policymaking: The Case of State Medical Boards

Abstract While much is known about the relationship between Congress and regulatory agencies, there has been little examination of the role state legislatures play in the activities of state regulatory bodies, particularly those activities related to timely, salient policy issues. This article explores the relationship of state legislatures to medical boards, which are increasingly becoming more policy active. We find that state legislative involvement and influence are the most important determinants of policy‐active state medical boards; institutional elements play a secondary role. Major changes in the private health care delivery system affect legislative involvement and play an indirect role in predicting policy activism. We drew our data from a 50‐state survey of executive directors of state medical boards.     

Electoral Institutions,the Personal Vote,and Legislative Organization

What is the relationship between electoral institutions and the internal organization of legislatures? Existing research on the U.S. Congress suggests that electoral incentives shaped by the candidate‐centered nature of congressional elections explain the emergence of strong committees in that legislature. Exploring the issue from a comparative perspective, it is argued that the impact of ballot structure on committee system structure is dependent on how legislators cultivate personal votes. Committees will be stronger when legislators supply fiscal legislative particularism (pork), but weaker when legislators cultivate support by delivering extra‐legislative constituency service. Statistical analysis, combining original data on committee design in 39 democratic legislatures with measures of ballot structure and mechanism to cultivate a personal vote (MCPV), confirms the expectation.     

Marriage and the Moral Bases of Personal Relationships

Marriage is a legal institution. Current debates about whether it should be extended beyond its traditional heterosexual constitution, and whether many of its legal incidents should apply to couples who live together without marrying, and about the introduction of civil partnership (modelled closely on marriage) for same-sex couples, make an examination of its contemporary role particularly timely. This article is about the interplay between the institution of marriage and ideas of obligation within personal relationships. It takes as its starting point some commonly held opinions. First, that the sense of obligation which hitherto guided people's behaviour in their personal relationships has much diminished or even disappeared. Second, that this diminution is reflected in the decline in marriage. We will then examine what the evidence of an empirical study conducted by the Oxford Centre for Family Law and Policy reveals about the way people in married and unmarried relationships understand the nature of their personal obligations. In doing this it will be seen that the moral bases which underpin people's personal relationships is complex and does not correspond in a simple way with formal, external social categories.     

计算机犯罪的特征及立法完善

本文结合修订后的刑法第285条、第286条、第287条有关计算机犯罪的规定,对计算机犯罪的类型及主要特征进行了探讨,并针对我国刑法中关于计算机犯罪规定的不足,提出了完善刑法的立法建议。     

我国一人有限责任公司的立法特点

我国新<公司法>顺应世界一人公司发展的潮流,首次承认一人有限责任公司的法律地位.现行一人有限责任公司的立法,对一人公司的性质进行了严格限定,其股东多元化,限定有最低注册资本和缴纳方式,限制股东设立一人公司的数量,增强了公司的透明度,简化了公司机构,建立了一人公司法人人格否认制度.但是,其仍然有进一步完善的空间.     

The Subnational Connection in Unitary Regimes: Progressive Ambition and Legislative Behavior in Uruguay

How do legislators develop reputations to further their individual goals in environments with limited space for personalization? In this article, we evaluate congressional behavior by legislators with gubernatorial expectations in a unitary environment where parties control political activities and institutions hinder individualization. By analyzing the process of drafting bills in Uruguay, we demonstrate that deputies with subnational executive ambition tend to bias legislation towards their districts, especially those from small and peripheral units. Findings reinforce the importance of incorporating ambition to legislative studies and open a new direction towards the analysis of multiple career patterns within a specific case.     

权利抑或利益：个人信息保护立法模式之辩

当个人信息保护与数据流通发生冲突时,基于利益衡量,原则上应力求二者关系的协调,但无法衡平时个人信息保护应处于优先地位。检视个人信息利益的保护模式,其中一般人格利益模式和纯粹的民事利益模式均存在缺陷。运用德国权益区分理论,在法教义学上审查可知应当确立个人信息权利模式。基于应更侧重于人格权益的保护、作为具体人格权可兼顾数据流通、可实现多途径救济等因素的考量,将个人信息权利合目的性限缩为具体人格权。在个人信息保护法的制定中,还应注重场景适用具体规则的构建,包括应排除纯粹私生活领域的信息行为,确认为维护公共利益处理个人信息的行为,强化商业领域信息处理的规制力度。     

The Effect of the Electoral Calendar on Politicians' Selection into Legislative Cohorts and Legislative Behavior in Argentina, 1983–2007

How do electoral opportunities affect politicians' career strategies? Do politicians behave strategically in response to the opportunities provided by the electoral calendar? We argue that in a legislature that combines nonstatic ambition with a staggered electoral calendar, different kinds of politicians will have dissimilar preferences towards running in concurrent or midterm elections. More specifically, politicians with no previous executive experience should strategically run in midterm legislative elections in order to increase their visibility among voters, while more experienced politicians should opt for concurrent elections. We support these claims with data from the Argentine Chamber of Deputies between 1983 and 2007.     

Legislative Behavior in Romania: The Effect of the 2008 Romanian Electoral Reform

This article analyzes the impact of electoral rules on legislators’ rate of vote defection from their party position in legislatures while accounting for how party‐leadership strength mediates this impact. To this end it looks at the effect of the 2008 Romanian electoral reform. The reform shifted the electoral system from a closed‐list proportional representation to one in which all candidates run in single‐member districts. The analysis finds that because party leaders have maintained their leverage intact, the impact of the reform was minimal, with legislators being more likely to defect in less important votes only, in which party leaders allow defection. Also, after the reform legislators are more likely to use other means to impress their voters, such as legislative initiation and cabinet questioning. These forms of behavior are more accepted by party leaders.     

Trajectories of Delinquency and Problem Behavior: Comparison of Social and Personal Control Characteristics of Adjudicated Boys on Synchronous and Nonsynchronous Paths

In this paper we identify and distinguish two categories of manifestations of deviance, problem behavior and delinquency, and show that they often follow synchronous developmental sequences. Using data from a sample of 506 adjudicated boys, we investigate the difference between those with synchronous trajectories, in which problem behavior and delinquency follow similar developmental paths, and those with nonsynchronous trajectories, in which the two follow different developmental paths. Comparison of the trajectories shows that personal control variables, such as social maladjustment, value orientation, manifest aggression, and extroversion, are more effective in discriminating between trajectories than are social control variables from school, peer, routine activities, and belief categories. These personal control variables are often not included in studies of delinquency.     

Electoral Reform and Changes in Legislative Behavior: Adoption of the Secret Ballot in Congressional Elections

There is widespread agreement that the Australian ballot fundamentally altered the American electoral system. One common approach to test the effects of ballot reform is to examine legislators elected under the party and secret ballot. An alternative research design, which we adopt here, compares changes in the behavior of legislators who were elected under both ballot types. We use this approach to investigate whether ballot reform directly influenced legislators' decisions to seek renomination and their behavior within the institution. Our results raise a number of important implications for understanding the effects of electoral reform on political behavior.     

情感主义伦理学的心理学印证——道德情绪的表征及其对道德行为的影响机理

理性主义伦理学强调理性在道德行为中的作用,科尔伯格的道德认知理论为其提供了坚实的心理学依据。情感主义伦理学突出情感的动机力量,而当前的道德情绪研究能够对此充分证实。道德情绪指的是在对自己或他人进行道德评价时产生的一种复合情绪,能够影响道德行为的产生和改变。自豪、内疚、移情和钦佩等道德情绪不仅能够激发个体的亲社会行为,而且与反社会行为呈显著负相关。羞耻和愤怒等道德情绪容易引发个体的不良行为或反社会行为。今后的道德情绪研究应注重探究文化在道德情绪中的作用、道德情绪的认知神经机制、集体道德情绪、道德情绪的实践应用和哲学思考等。     

商事信托:制度特性、功能实现与立法调整

在现代社会,信托制度的利用已经从民事领域进入了商事领域.由于内部制度上的特性,信托在商事领域发挥了重要作用,信托法也在与公司法的良性互动中得以发展.在我国,应当建立一个更加完善的信托法体系来调整现实生活中的商事信托.     

股权式资产转让税收规避行为的法律评价与立法选择

税法实践中以股权转让形式进行资产交易的行为很常见.这种行为一般以排除税法适用、规避特定税种纳税义务为目的,利用股权转让税制的漏洞进行非常规的法律安排,造成国家税款大量流失.税务机关对这种税收规避行为的态度不明确、处理不一致,根源是对股权式资产转让法律实质的评价争议很大,造成反避税立法迟迟不能出台.当前税收法定已成为财税体制机制改革的基本遵循,从立法层面对这种经济行为进行约束成为当务之急.一般反避税、股权交易、公司人格否认税收立法能够直接解决这一问题,同时税法与其他部门法的立法协调机制也需重新审视并完善.     

论公民道德知行关系张力的客观性与调适

关于我国目前公民道德存在着严重危机的观点几成共识,其主要根据是公民道德知行不一或知行矛盾现象普遍存在。然而,这种观点却是对我国公民道德现状认知的片面化、表象化和简单化,因而都是非历史性的认知。事实上,生活中人为制造的道德两极现象是道德知行矛盾出现高度紧张性关系的主要原因。因为道德自身的理想性和模糊性等决定了道德知行矛盾始终存在,所以二者的张力具有客观必然性,也即,知与行的统一是相对的。因而,公民道德的发展总是呈现出由不知到知、由知到行之偶然、由行之偶然到行之必然的梯度演进过程。而公民道德知行适度张力蕴涵着道德进步发展的动力,理性的道德批判能够起到缓压公民道德知行的紧张性张力的积极作用。     

立法权去中心化与立法模式转变

立法权本应属于人民全体,只是交由代议机关行使,但是立法权的所有与行使的分离使其有被滥用的可能,由此导致立法权在行使时出现趋中心化:立法权绝对化、非理性化、将立法权而不是公民作为立法过程的核心。因此,应着力实现立法权的去中心化,实现立法权行使范围和方式的变革。立法模式应该实现由单一政府立法到政府立法与社会立法相结合的转变,更多地发挥公众、社会团体和专家的实质性作用。     

危险驾驶罪的立法理念与立法完善探讨

刑法修正案（八）首次将＂醉驾＂、＂飙车＂行为以危险驾驶罪入刑。鉴于民众甚至司法人员对该罪的认识上和操作中均存在不少亟待澄清和回应的问题,诸如该罪立法理念上与刑法谦抑性是否存在着矛盾和冲突？如何认识和处理该罪中＂罪过倒挂＂问题？如何理解和适用该罪的追诉时效问题？如何看待和处理该罪的行为方式过窄的问题？通过对以上诸问题进行阐释进而提出了完善相关立法的构想及其路径。     

新媒体时代道德绑架特征分析

近年来道德绑架事件频繁出现,且每每发生都会引起广泛关注,造成不良社会影响。道德绑架主要是以道德为筹码来胁迫他人从事违背本人主观意愿的行为。从其产生根源来看,道德绑架与道德相伴而生,并非近年来新生事物。只是随着新媒体时代的到来,道德绑架的施众与受众在新媒体的催化下都呈现出新的特征;加之新媒介特殊的传播方式使得道德绑架事件愈演愈烈,不仅侵犯当事人权利更会弱化道德的社会调节作用。应对新媒体时代的道德绑架,既要加强社会道德教育提升公民道德修养,也应加强新媒体平台的管理规制,减少道德绑架发生的可能。     

商行为特征的法理分析

商主体与商行为是构成商法内容体系的两大基础性要素。现代商法意义上的商行为作为商法规范中最为重要、最为典型、最为普遍的行为,具有明显区别于一般民事行为的法律特征———特定性、营利性、营业性。关于商行为法律特征的分析研究对于完善我国商法理论及立法具有重要价值。     

人格权法律特征新探

人格权是民事权利体系中重要的组成部分 ,其地位与物权、债权相并列 ,从某种意义上可以说处于核心地位。对人格权法律特征的探讨不仅是确定人格法律关系之前提而且是人格得到保护与实现之必要。从人格权的内涵和外延特征对人格权的法律特征进行论述 ,并对我国现有的人格权法律制度进行评说及展望。