Russia and its Western Neighbours: A Comparative Study of the Security Situation in the Black,Baltic and Barents Sea Regions

Abstract

Since Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine in 2014, the security situation of Europe’s eastern ‘frontline states’ has undergone significant changes. In and around the Black Sea, the Baltic Sea and the Barents Sea, the scope and scale of military activity has grown, as has the frequency of Russian–Western military encounters. Despite the many similarities between the three regions, and despite the increased risk of negative spillover from one region to another, there are also noteworthy regional differences. As of today, the security challenges appear to be more severe and pressing in the southern and central part of the ‘frontline’ than in the northern.     

Proving the Potential of Independent Commissions: A Critical Review of the Richard Commission on the Powers and Electoral Arrangements of the National Assembly for Wales

This article examines the composition, operation and recommendations of an independent commission, the Richard Commission on the Powers and Electoral Arrangements of the National Assembly for Wales, which was set up in July 2002 and reported in March 2004. It is written from an insider's perspective (I served as a member of the Commission) and discusses the way in which the Commission functioned, its deliberations and its report, emphasizing the unprecedented nature of its evaluation of Welsh politics and public administration. The article highlights the lasting significance of the Richard Commission report, not only in Wales, but for future governance arrangements across the United Kingdom as a whole. It considers more generally the functions of commissions and suggests a continued role for them in assisting the various activities of government.     

工读生对攻击性行为的自我效能感和行为反应的后果评估

本研究通过调查问卷和访谈,结果发现,工读学生和普通学生在攻击性行为的自我效能感和行为反应后果方面存在差异。和普通生相比工读生对自己通过攻击性行为的方式解决问题的能力常常估计过高,对其后果常常抱有乐观的期待。在这一点上男生常常比女生表现的更为突出。     

Reforming family policy in the Baltic States: The views of the elites

The aim of this paper is to explore the various views of the social policy elites in the Baltic States concerning family policy and, in particular, family benefits as one of the possible explanations for the observed policy differences. This study is based on semi-structured expert interviews from the three Baltic countries conducted in 2002. The qualitative analyses indicate that the Baltic States differ significantly with regard to the reasons behind their family policies. Lithuanian decision-makers seek to reduce poverty among families with children and enhance parents' responsibility for bringing up their children. Latvian policy-makers act so as to increase the birth rate and create equal opportunities for children from all families. Policies that seek to create equal opportunities for all children and the desire to enhance gender equality was more visible in the case of Estonia in comparison with the other two countries. This study thus indicate how intimately the attitudes of top-level bureaucrats, policy-makers and researchers shape social policy.     

法国总统选举中的新看点

2007年最引人瞩目的选举莫过于法国的总统选举了.从去年的11月一直到现在,它不仅拨动着每一个法国人的心弦,也牵动着全世界的目光.     

Changes of ethnic composition in the Baltic States

"The aim of this article is to analyze changes in the ethnic structure in the Baltics. The publication of the results of the 1989 Census data allows one to analyze the dynamics of ethnic structure in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania since the 1920s." The author notes that "as a result of significant changes in all demographic processes in the 90s, the proportion of the titular nationalities in all three Baltic States has increased for the first time, while the proportion of Slavs, particularly of Russians, decreased."     

Reconsidering Nationalism: The Baltic Case of Latvia in 1989

This study analyzes the revolution of 1989 in the Baltic State of Latvia and considers its effects on democracy since the reestablishment of independence in 1991. Scholarly and popular accounts tend to depict the 1989 movement as an ethno-nationalist one. While recognizing the importance of ethnicity and cultural nationalism, this article suggests that transnationalism was an equally important force. An analysis of the information bulletin of the Popular Front of Latvia, Awakening [Atmoda] reveals that independence activists deliberately sought to place their movement in a global and transnational framework. The article concludes with a discussion of the fate of this transnational vision after 1991. In the immediate post-independence period, strict citizenship and language legislation indicated a retreat from transnational ideals. However, more recent reforms suggest that this retreat was not permanent and that the discussions of 1989 continue to shape the building of democracy in Latvia. Evidence of the continued existence of transnationalism can be found in government legislation, participation in institutional networks such as the European Union, and individual decisions to apply for citizenship.     

多元启发决策理论与美国总统使用武力：一种定量检验

多元启发理论将决策过程假设为两个阶段：第一阶段,决策者基于一个简化的心理认知捷径和非补偿原则排除了那些不能满足关键维度效用的方案;第二阶段则在剩下的方案中以一种理性选择方式选定效用最大的方案。本文从国际危机行为数据库（ICB3．0）选取了1946年至2006年美国总统在对外政策危机中使用武力的数据来检验多元启发理论决策两阶段和非补偿原则的假设。本文的逻辑回归分析发现：在决策的第一’阶段,作为关键维度的国内政治得失对总统应对外交政策危机时是否使用武力的行为具有显著性影响,这支持了多元启发理论关于领导人基于-~＊1-偿原则决策的假设;在第二阶段,理性因素如实力差异、对国际影响的威胁以及国内经济条件等对总统使用武力行为具有显著性影响。这些发现支持了多元启发理论的核心假设。     

Progrssive Regrimes, Partnerships and the Involvement of Local Communities: A Framework for Evaluation

This paper examines the nature of community involvement in urban politics as it is played out through regeneration partnerships. At a theoretical level, it explores the potential for a community dimension to local governance, that is, a strategic influence for communities within local power structures. It is argued that the nature of involvement can be explicated by considering three concepts: power (as expressed by urban regime theory), participation and partnership. The paper explores these three broad themes and then focuses on the particular issues pertaining to community involvement in partnership working. Building on this frame-work, the paper develops a model – a 'wheel of involvement'– for analysing the effectiveness of community involvement in regeneration partnerships. This model enables the effectiveness of involvement to be 'quantified by the use of a simple questionnaire survey. It provides a tool for academic researchers and practitioners concerned with evaluating partnerships to begin to explore the quality and level of community involvement in the process of urban renewal. The results of an analysis of two regeneration partnerships are presented as an illustration of the efficacy of the evaluative technique.