Methods, Theories and Evidence: A Reply to Arzheimer

Kai Arzheimer's careful and thorough comment upon my earlier BJPIR article raises a number of important issues. While engaging in a thorough critique of the original article's methods, he also points to the (perhaps) inherent problems any quantitative approach may encounter in this area. The consequences of this are that if we wish to assess whether there are social determinants to participation, quantitative methods are limited. In the light of this, after addressing some mis-characterisations in his comment, this reply seeks to provide qualitative evidence that there may well be a link between welfare state institutions and outputs and participation.     

现代系统论视野下的国际政治理论

本文拟以广义系统论一般模式的构造为基础,从国际政治体系的结构和层次、国际政治体系的功能和环境、国际政治体系的稳衡和变革四个方面,对20世纪70年代以来国际关系思想史中的主要理论,加以梳理、比较和分析,进而揭示系统论对国际政治理论研究所产生的巨大影响,并彰显诸理论之间的区别和联系.最终,希望通过对科学知识之间的渗透交叉与相互借鉴关系的辨明,能够在更广阔和深远的背景下建构中国的国际关系理论研究体系.     

Arthur Fadden: A Political Silhouette

Arthur Fadden: A Political Silhouette. By Tracey M. Arklay (North Melbourne: Australian Scholarly Publishing, 2014), pp. xiii + 240, AU$39.95 (pb).     

Through a Glass, Darkly: The Vision and Visions of Political Theory

This article assesses the recent history and possible future of political theory in Britain. Part One surveys the difficulties that political theory has faced. In particular, it focuses on the relationship between political theory and three developments in the study of politics: (i) the divorce of Anglo-American and continental political theory; (ii) the rise of the idea of a political science; and (iii) the tendency to narrow the focus of Anglo-American political theory around the themes of liberalism and justice. In Part Two the article focuses on the nature of both seeing and being seen by political theory. In doing so a conception of political theory is developed that views it as the activity of seeing ourselves reflected with others. Such an account of political theory advances it as (i) a social activity; that (ii) focuses on the importance of understanding; and (iii) involves a perspectivism based around a reflective seeing with others. This opens a space for a pluralistic political theory—a pluralism that reflects both perspectives and change, but one that is always limited by the reality, values and value of others, and the possibility of a shared understanding.     

Political Chronicles: July to December 1998

Commonwealth of Australia, by Rae Wear, p.254
New South Wales, by David Clune, p.259
Victoria, by Nick Economou, p.264
Queensland, John Wanna, p.271
Western Australia, David Black and Harry C. J. Phillips, p.276
South Australia, Andrew Parkin, p.284
Tasmania, Tony McCall, p.292
Northern Territory, David Carment, p.300
Australian Capital Territory, Sonia Palmieri, p.306