Unaccountable: The Current State of Private Military and Security Companies

Abstract

The current accountability system for private military and security contractors (PMSCs) is woefully inadequate, and mere enhancements in oversight cannot hope to remedy that failing. I contend that once we recognize the kind of accountability required of PMSCs, we will realize that radical changes in the foundational relationship between PMSCs and the state are required. More specifically, in order to be appropriately accountable, members of PMSCs must become a part of or, at the very least, directly responsible to the legitimate authoritative military or police structures, and there must be a clear and precise delineation of responsibility among public officials for holding individual members of PMSCs criminally liable.     

理念之契合：论透明度原则与我国警务公开制度

透明度原则作为WTO首先提出的一项基本原则,它以改善各成员方贸易政策的透明度,提高贸易政策的稳定性与可预测性,避免、减少各成员方之间贸易磨擦的发生为目标。警务公开是政府信息公开在特殊政府机构即公安机关的具体化。从一定角度来看,透明度原则与我国警务公开制度统一于前者所体现出来的公正、公开（透明）、效率等理念和精神的价值取向上。这些理念所承载的警务公开制度同时也是立警为公、执法为民这一制度保障的基础。     

Legislative Transparency and Credit Risk

Open governance requirements are designed to improve accountability, which implies that transparent governments are more trustworthy stewards of their publicly invested power. However, transparency may also reduce institutional effectiveness and inhibit political compromise, diminishing the capacity to manage resources responsibly. We assess empirical support for these competing perspectives in the context of American state legislatures, many of which have become exempt from state sunshine laws in recent decades. We leverage variation in the timing of these legislative exemptions to identify the effect of removing transparency in a crucial governing institution on investors’ risk perceptions of states’ general obligation bonds. Our analysis of these data during the period 1995–2010 suggests that removing legislative transparency reduces state credit risk. We conclude that while openness in government may be normatively desirable, shielding legislative proceedings from public view may actually be better for states’ debt repayment capacity, improving their overall fiscal health.     

以“能力本位”为核心理念改革公安管理体制

公安机关是国家改革开放稳定大局的捍卫者,其管理体制的先进与否直接关系到我国现代化建设的稳定局面,虽然我国公安管理体制的改革已经进行了几十年,但其思路与模式更多的是立足于简单的＂裁、并、撤＂,没有明确的改革理念。而市场经济的内在运行机制要求社会运行体制要以能力为本位,牢固树立＂德为先行,能力为本＂的思想,这也决定了公安管理体制改革要以能力本位为核心理念,以人事管理体制改革为突破口,建立一支让党和国家放心,让人民满意的精英警队。     

行政程序法治观与行政许可透明度——从制度创新努力看建设阳光政府的方向

必须摒弃神秘主义行政文化传统观念,树立阳光行政和行政程序法治观念,推动提升行政透明度的民主化转型;《行政许可法》、《政府信息公开条例》等法律文件对行政程序透明和阳光政府建设提出了要求、创造了条件;在实践中,许多地方和部门积极开展行政程序公开、政府信息公开、公众参与管理、完善监督救济和创设服务中心等方面的探索创新,天津、成都、邯郸等地的改革经验值得研究借鉴;建设阳光政府的进一步努力,需要充分发挥地方的主动性、积极性和创造性。     

透明度原则及其对中国法治的影响

WTO的透明度原则要求各成员方迅速公布其贸易法律规章和措施,并保证其贸易法律规章和措施的统一实施。中国作为WTO的成员之一,其立法和实践将受到WTO透明度原则的深刻影响。     

论WTO透明度原则在争端解决中的适用

透明度原则是WTO法律制度当中的基本原则之一,对于监督各成员方遵守WTO 法律框架,进而推进自由贸易发挥着重要作用。该原则在争端解决中的适用经历了先冷后热的过程,凸显出透明度原则应对非关税壁垒的优越性。在适用过程中,争端解决机构确立透明度原则适用对象和透明度标准,认为透明度原则适用于对成员方的国内部门法的整体审查,认为透明度原则应当能够保护贸易者的预期。在此基础上,在众多的案件中总结出争端解决机构的一贯立场以期能够对未来的透明度案件产生借鉴意义。     

Fiscal transparency puzzle and electoral institutions: applying a 3Ds approach for tracking the action cycle in Egypt

This article aims at contributing to the discussion on the fiscal transparency puzzle. The authors challenge the idea that fiscal disclosure can directly increase fiscal accountability. Using an original data set at the level of individual members of parliament (MPs) in the Egyptian parliament, constructed from content analysis of budgetary discussions during the period 2000–10, it is shown that political incentives determined by a majoritarian electoral system curbed the willingness to check government fiscal behaviour, even among opposition MPs. This is because MPs still favoured pork-barrel behaviour to boost their re-election chances. Moreover, fiscal data disclosed could not be communicated to voters and the opposition showed a relatively higher avoidance against fiscal disclosure. The authors conclude that the electoral system is a dominant factor in shaping the final effect of transparency given its influence on the structure of political incentives.     

Market Transparency and Collusion: On the UK Agricultural Tractor Registration Exchange

We review the decision by the European Commission in the case of the UK Agricultural Registration Exchange. We propose a theoretical model, offering a basis for some of the intuitive arguments used by the Commission on the anti-competitive role of information exchange in the case of price and non price collusion. Market transparency on non price data is shown to be a collusion facilitating device which may achieve stability in otherwise unstable cartels.     

Web-Based Accountability in the Nonprofit Sector: A Closer Look at Arts,Culture, and Humanities Organizations

ABSTRACT

Web-based accountability continues to be an important consideration for nonprofit organizations. This research examines the impact of certain variables on web-based accountability in the arts, culture, and humanities sector. A content analysis of eighty nonprofit organizations was performed and multiple statistical analyses were used. Findings indicated that regulatory measures, including the prosecution and a detection index, are the most significant variables for determining web-based accountability for this group of nonprofit organizations.     

Revisiting the Role of Private Military and Security Companies

Abstract

This essay addresses the role of private military and security companies (PMSCs) in security governance. In this context, it offers a historical overview of some of the main developments in the evolution of private warfare and critically discusses some of the key challenges confronting the quest for holding PMSCs accountable in accordance with international human rights and humanitarian norms.     

绩效考核在公安机关应用的价值分析

绩效考核起源于西方国家文官（公务员）制度。公安机关推行绩效考核,对进一步调动公安民警的工作积极性,增强公安工作的活力,提高公安队伍的整体战斗力具有重大的意义。但它的应用一定要考虑到它所适应的条件,绩效考核的管理方法才具有它的价值性。     

公安微博客对现代警务机制创新的影响研究

2012年政务微博的集群化、专业化发展对于推动社会进步意义重大.公安微博客在工作理念、工作方式方法、创新途径等方面对现代警务机制带来了深刻而又积极的影响.实际工作中需从建章立制、有效整合微博资源、严格管理规范服务等层面加强管理,以提升公安微博客的发展和服务水平.     

被问责官员复出机制探析

从法理和情理上讲,被问责官员复出本身并没有问题,但若被问责官员在被问责后不久即复出就是问题.本文认为,针对被问责官员草率复出的问题,应完善我国的被问责官员复出机制,加强被问责官员复出机制的法治化、规范化建设.这不仅有利于消解公众对行政问责的信用危机,对被问责官员的合法权益进行保护,同时也有利于克服被问责官员复出的草率性和随意性,提高政府行为的公信力和执行力.     

Thermal Modifications of Root Transparency and Implications for Aging: A Pilot Study

Root transparency has proven to be related to age and has been considered by different odontological methods for age estimation. Very little is known concerning possible variations of root transparency with heat, although the applicability of the method to burnt remains depends on the possible modifications of this specific variable. This pilot study presents the results of an experiment performed on 105 teeth obtained from dental patients and autopsy material, heated in an industrial oven at 50°C, 100°C, 150°C and 200°C. Root transparency was measured before and after the charring experiment. The heating process proved to radically modify root transparency, which decreased in 20% of samples at 50°C, in 34.6% at 100°C, in 50% at 150°C, in 77% at 200°C. The overall correlation index (CI) between decrease in root transparency and increase in temperature amounted to 0.96. These results show that heat may modify root transparency and suggest caution in using methods based on root transparency for age estimation.     

政府公开的原则与例外——论美国信息自由制度

信息公开是美国《联邦行政程序法》的重要组成部分,也是美国对世界行政法治的一大贡献。在简要总结了美国信息公开制度的历史进程和最新发展之后,还需详细探讨信息公开原则及其例外的司法适用,并深入分析信息公开和个人隐私之间的复杂关系诸问题。由于信息公开与透明度在行政程序中发挥着特别重要的作用,美国的经验应能对中国相关制度的完善提供有益的启示。     

公安机关参与的矛盾纠纷多元解决机制的构建

矛盾纠纷多元解决机制是当今世界各国在纠纷解决和司法制度发展中面临的共同课题，化解社会矛盾纠纷，则成为公安机关现阶段的一个重要研究课题。以新时期公安机关参与矛盾纠纷多元解决机制的理论基础为依据，分析公安机关在化解矛盾纠纷多元机制中的主体地位和作用，找出公安机关在化解矛盾纠纷多元机制中的困境，提出完善公安机关化解矛盾纠纷多元机制的建议。     

公安高校校局合作工作机制建设探讨

公安高校与公安机关的长期合作,取决于双方利益平衡点的寻找与把握,而能否使合作产生最大效益,则取决于长期合作中双方逐步探索建立的各种机制。因此,要推动和保障校局合作工作的有效开展,需要建立完善的互利共赢机制、激励机制、约束机制、沟通协调机制及保障机制等。     

公安机关社会管理机制建构研究——以广东省出入境管理创新为例

公安社会管理机制的建构是公安社会管理创新的核心内容之一。广东省作为我国出入境第一大省和改革开放的先行者,在出入境管理改革方面始终具有典型的先进性。广东省具有各级传统行政区及各类经济特区和管理新区,出入境管理制度随着社会发展的需要不断完善。出入境管理程序的设置更加科学化,便民服务逐渐成为规范出入境管理的主要方式之一,警民沟通的渠道得到不断地拓宽和改善。广东省出入境管理创新的成果和经验,对公安机关社会管理机制的建构具有示范性的效应。     

当事人隐私权保护视野中的司法透明之度

我国现有的公开审判制度及其运作远没有达到现代法治对司法机关的要求,司法透明度无疑是不够的。之所以强调透明应有必要的限度,是因为人民法院在全面落实公开审判制度过程中,保守国家秘密、审判秘密,保障当事人隐私权等合法权益与公众知情权、监督权的冲突不仅存在,而且日趋多样化。有鉴于此,立足公开审判,以当事人隐私权的保护为视角,对知情权等权利与隐私权之间的特殊关系进行理性思考和法理分析,探求在二者之间作出更为合理的制度安排,从而促进公开审判制度在我国得到更为全面的落实和更为规范的运行,真正实现“司法透明,公开有度”。