Left-right perceptions,partisan preferences,electoral participation,and partisan choice in France

An analysis based on survey data shows that electoral participation at the second ballot in France can be accounted for by partisan preferences but not by left-right perceptions of party locations. This finding runs counter to the work of Rosenthal and Sen (1973), who validated a spatial model of participation at the second ballot employing left-right perceptions and partisan preferences interchangeably. Because they use aggregate data, Rosenthal and Sen (1973) are restricted in two ways that, operating interactively, lead them to an unwarranted conclusion concerning the power of left-right perceptions. Later work by Rosenthal and Sen (1977) indicating that left-right perceptions can account for shifts in partisan choice between the two ballots by voters who have decided to participate is confirmed, but partisan preferences account even better for second-ballot choices. Left-right perceptions and partisan sympathies are related, but discrete partisan attitudes are a more powerful factor than left-right perceptions in French second-ballot electoral behavior.     

The 1999 Berlin land election

The Berlin election of 1999 resulted in the continuation of the city's Grand Coalition with the veteran CDU leader, Eberhard Diepgen, at the helm, and confirmed the PDS as the strongest party in East Berlin. This article examines the election campaign in Berlin and considers the key factors which determined the outcome. It also considers whether or not the ‘wall in the ballot box’, a political manifestation of the infamous ‘wall in the mind’, still exists over nine years after German reunification. The author argues that the unique history, demography and social make‐up of Berlin, coupled with the prevailing political mood throughout the Federal Republic, made another grand coalition inevitable. She demonstrates that, judging by voting behaviour, ‘inner unity’ remains elusive in Germany's new capital.     

Berlin‐Brandenburg? Nein danke! The Referendum on the Proposed Länderfusion

On 5 May 1996, a narrow majority of voters in Berlin voted in favour of a merger between Berlin and Brandenburg, while a decisive majority in Brandenburg voted against, causing the initiative to fail. In this article the principal arguments put forward by the leading advocates and opponents of the merger are examined. Then the results in East and West Berlin and Brandenburg are analysed in turn in an attempt to identify the primary factors which appear to have determined voting. What emerges is that subjective factors played a greater role than the objective arguments of politicians, producing a result which suggests that deep divisions continue to exist in Germany today.     

Book reviews

General

Asia's Population Problems. With a discussion of Populations and Immigration in Australia. Edited by S. Chandrasekhar. London, Allen and Unwin, 1967. Pp. 311. Map. Index. 45s.

Central Asia

Islam in the Soviet Union. By Alexandra Bcnningsen and Chantal Lemercier‐Quelquejay. London, Pall Mall Press in association with the Central Asian Research Centre, 1967. Pp. xiii + 272. Maps. Bibliog. Indexes. 50s.

A Sino‐Soviet Cultural Frontier. The Hi Kazakh Autonomous Chou. By George Moseley. Harvard University Press; London, Oxford University Press, 1967. Pp. viii + 163. Index. 24s.

Afghanistan. By John C. Griffiths. London, Pall Mall Press, 1967. Pp. viii + 179. Maps. Index. 30s.

Afghanistan. By W. K. Fraser‐Tytler. Third edition, revised by M. C. Gillett. London, Oxford University Press, 1967. Pp. xvi + 362. Maps. Illus. Bibliog. Index. 45s.

The Northern Tier: Afghanistan, Iran and Turkey. By Rouhollah K. Ramazani. Van Nostrand Inc., London and New York, 1966. Pp. 142. Maps. Bibliog. Index. 12s.

South Asia

Cabinet Government in India. By R. J. Venkateswaran. London, Allen and Unwin, 1967. Pp. 200. Bibliog. Index. 35s.

Experiment with Freedom. India and Pakistan, 1947. By Hugh Tinker. Published for Chatham House by Oxford University Press, 1967. Pp. x + 165. 15s.

The Making of Pakistan. A Study in Nationalism. By K. K. Aziz. London, Chatto and Windus, 1967. Pp. 228. Bibliog. Index. 35s.

Pakistan: Its Ideology and Foreign Policy. By Arif Hussain. London, Frank Cass, 1966. Pp. 186. Bibliog. Index. 35s.

Land Tenure in Village Ceylon. A Sociological and Historical Study. By G. Obeyesekere. London, Cambridge University Press, 1967. Pp. xi + 319. Maps. Bibliog. Index. 70s.

South West Asia

The Middle East Crisis: A Personal Interpretation. By Glubb Pasha. London, Hodder and Stoughton, 1967. Pp. 48. Maps. 3s. 6d.

The Communist Movement in Iran. By Sepehr Zabih. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press. London: Cambridge University Press, 1966. Pp. viii + 279. Bibliog. Index. $6.00. 48s.

South East Asia

Vietnam. A Diplomatic Tragedy. Origins of U.S. Involvement. By Victor Bator. London, Faber and Faber, 1967. Pp. 253. Map. Index. 42s.

Victor Charlie. The Face of War in Vietnam. By Kuno Knoebl. Translated from the German by Abe Farbstein. London, Pall Mall Press, 1967. Pp. xiv + 304. 42s.

A Concise History of Southeast Asia. By Nicholas Tarling. London, Pall Mall Press, 1967. Pp. xvix + 334. Maps. Bibliog. Index. 52s. 6d.

Malaysia and its Neighbours. By J. M. Gullick. London, Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1967. Pp. xiii + 194. Map. Bibliog. Index. Hard cover, 25s. Paperback, 12s. 6d.

Ideology in Indonesia. Sukarno's Indonesian Revolution. By Donald E. Weather‐bee. Yale University. South East Asian Studies. Monograph Series No. 8, 1966. Pp. x + 125. (No price.)

International Aid to Thailand. The New Colonialism. By Ronald C. Nairn. London, Yale University Press, 1966. Pp. vi + 228. Bibliog. Index. 48s.

The Rice Bowl of Asia. By David M. Davies. London, Robert Hale, 1967. Pp. 176. 25s.

Far East

Stages of Industrial Development in Asia. By Sung Jae Koh. University of Pennsylvania Press; London, Oxford University Press, 1966. Pp. 461. Index 96s.

Britain and the Rise of Communist China. A Study of British Attitudes 1945–54. By Brian Porter. London, Oxford University Press, 1967. Pp. 195. Bibliog. Index. 35s.

Political Participation in Communist China. By James R. Townsend. University of California Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles, 1967. Pp. 233. Index. 44s.

The Function of “China” in Marx, Lenin and Mao. By Donald M. Lowe. University of California Press, 1967. Pp. xiv + 200. Bibliog. Index. 40s.

The Party and the National Question in China. Edited and translated by George Moseley. Massachusetts Institute of Technology Press, 1966. Pp. ix + 186. Maps. Bibliog. Index. 60s.

The Role of the Chinese Army. By John Gittings. London, Oxford University Press for Chatham House, 1967. Pp. xix + 331. Bibliog. Index. 50s.

China Looks at the World. Reflections for a dialogue: eight letters to Tang‐lin. By François Geoffrey‐Dechaume. Translated from the French by Jean Stewart. Foreword by Philip Noel‐Baker, M.P.; Introduction by Professor Paul Mus. London, Faber, 1967. Pp. 327. Index. 36s.

The Chinese Chameleon. An Analysis of European Conceptions of Chinese Civilization. By Raymond Dawson. London, Oxford University Press, 1967. Pp. 235. Illus. Bibliog. Index. 42s.

Biography and Autobiography

Gandhi's Emissary. By Sudhir Ghosh. London, The Cresset Press, 1967. Pp. 351. Illus. Index. 42s.

Rudyard Kipling. Realist and Fabulist. By Bonamy Dobrée. London, Oxford University Press, 1967. Pp. x + 244. Index. 30s.

Early English Travellers in India. By Ram Chandra Prasad. Delhi, Sunderlal Jain, 1965. Pp. xxii + 392. Map. Illus. Bibliog. Index. Rs.25.

Warlord: Yen Hsi‐shan in Shansi Province, 1911–1949. By Donald G. Gillin. Princeton University Press; London, Oxford University Press, 1967. Pp. xiv + 334. Maps. Bibliog. Index. 72s.

Ts'ao Yin and the K'ang‐hsi Emperor: Bondservant and Master. By Jonathan D. Spence. Yale University Press, 1967. Pp. xiv 4. 329. Map. Bibliog. Index. 56s.

Culture and civilization

Modern Arabic Short Stories. Selected and translated by Denys Johnson‐Davies, with an Introduction by Professor A. J. Arberry. London, Oxford University Press, 1967. Pp. 194. 25s.

The Tree Climber. A Play. By Tewfik al Hakim. Translated from the Arabic by Denys Johnson‐Davies. London, Oxford University Press, 1966. Pp. 87. 6s. 6d.

Javid‐Nama. By Sir Muhammad Iqbal. Translated from the Persian with introduction and notes by A. J. Arberry. London, Allen and Unwin, 1966. Pp. 151. Bibliog. Index. 27s.

History

North‐West Frontier. People and Events 1839–1947. By Arthur Swinson. London, Hutchinson, 1967. Pp. 354. Maps. Illus. Bibliog. Index. 45s.

The West in Asia 1850–1914. By Michael Edwardes. London, Batsford, 1967. Pp. 216. Maps. Bibliog. Index. 42s.

Indochina. By Bernard Philippe Groslier, trans. James Hogarth. London, Frederick Muller, 1966. Pp. 283. Endpaper maps. 35 colour plates; 110 monochrome plates. Bibliog. Index. 70s.

Malaysia: Selected Historical Readings. Compiled by John Bastin and Robin W. W. Winks. Kuala Lumpur; London, Oxford University Press, 1966. Pp. xvi + 484. Maps. Bibliog. Index. £4 10s.

Henri Mouhot's Diary. Edited and abridged by Christopher Pym. Kuala Lumpur; London, Oxford University Press, 1960. Pp. xxii + 160. Maps. Illus. Bibliog. Index. 37s. 6d.

Stories by Sir Hugh Clifford. Selected and introduced by William R. Roff. Kuala Lumpur; London, Oford University Press, 1966. Pp. xviii + 225. 42s.

Trente Siècles d'Histoire de Chine. By Roger Lévy. Paris, Presses Universitaires de France, 1967. Pp. 309. Maps. F.10.

Strangers at the Gate. Social Disorders in South China, 1839–1861. By Frederic Wakeman Jr. University of California Press; London, Cambridge University Press, 1967. Pp. 276. Maps. Bibliog. Index. 48s.

Feudal Control in Tokugawa Japan. By Toshio G. Tsukahira. Harvard University Press; London, Oxford University Press, 1967. Pp. 228. Bibliog. Index. Paperback, 28s.

Foundations of Constitutional Government in Modern Japan, 1868–1900. By George Akita. London, Oxford University Press, 1967. Pp. viii + 292. Bibliog. Index. 68s.

Political thought in early Meiji Japan, 1868–1889. By Joseph S. J. Pittau. London, Oxford University Press, 1967. Pp. vi + 250. Bibliog. Index. 56s.

Religion and philosophy

Islamic Reform. The Political and Legal Theories of Muhammad ‘Abduh and Rashid Rida. By Malcolm H. Kerr. University of California Press; London, Cambridge University Press, 1967. Pp. vii + 249. Bibliog. Index. 42s.

Travel

Tibetan Venture. By C. G. Lewis. London, Robert Hale, 1967. Pp. 191. Illus. 21s.

Tribes and Tribulations. By Peter Somerville‐Large. London, Robert Hale, 1967. Pp. 188. Map. Illus. 25s.

Love and Hate in China. By Hans Koningsberger. London, Jonathan Cape, 1967. Pp. 150. 21s.     

Assessing the Influence of Familial Paternalism on Child Neglect Sentencing Decisions

Familial responsibilities have been found to significantly reduce the severity of sentencing outcomes of defendants in the criminal court. Additional research also has suggested that this leniency might be contingent on the type of offense, with defendants who commit crimes which imply that they are unfit parents (e.g., drug offenses) not receiving a significant reduction in their likelihood of incarceration. Utilizing familial paternalism as the theoretical basis, the current study examines whether having children influences the sentences of defendants charged with forms of criminal child neglect. The findings indicate that having children does result in significantly reduced odds of incarceration for defendants charged with child neglect. These findings support the arguments set forth by familial paternalism. However, they do not support the inference that defendants convicted of child neglect are presumed to be unfit parents. Implication of these results and directions for future research are discussed.     

Priority-setting processes for medicines: the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand

The agencies involved in the assessment and prioritisation of medicines for public subsidy purposes in Australia, England and Wales, and New Zealand are compared in terms of their processes; ultimate decision-maker and political involvement in decisions; price-setting processes; decision criteria and inclusion of economic assessment of cost-effectiveness; provision for the rule of rescue and separate treatment of potentially life-saving medicines and cancer drugs; levels of access; extent of consumer participation in processes and decisions; and provision for appeal from decisions. All countries face the key challenge of expanding access to important new treatments, while maintaining cost-effectiveness as a key criterion for public funding and safeguarding the affordability and sustainability of their programs into the future. New Zealand's model may have led to a greater focus on cost-containment and overall affordability than those of the other two agencies. Despite controversial decisions that have led on occasion to disappointment and challenge, the Australian and New Zealand agencies have survived and appear to have managed to date to maintain public and political support. By contrast, the United Kingdom's National Institute for Healthcare and Clinical Excellence is facing major changes to its role that could see it become more of an advisory organisation.     

Factual causation in medical negligence

The conventional approach to causation in negligence is the "but for" test, decided on the balance of probabilities. Even when supplemented by the "material contribution" principle, satisfying the onus of proof of causation can be an insuperable obstacle for plaintiffs, particularly in medical cases. Yet, having found a breach of duty, a court's sympathies may gravitate toward the plaintiff at this point in the case. Accordingly, courts have sometimes accepted a relaxation of strict causation principles. The judicial devices are described: a special principle of causation in particular duties of care; a shifting burden of proof; "bridging the evidentiary gap" by drawing a robust inference of causation; treating a material increase in risk as sufficient proof of causation; and permitting causation to be established on the basis of the loss of a material chance of achieving a better outcome and discounting damages. In Accident Compensation Corp v Ambros [2007] NZCA 304 the New Zealand Court of Appeal recognised the need for a legal device to ameliorate the injustice sometimes caused by the strict rules of causation, and preferred the "inferential reasoning" approach favoured by the Canadian common law for use in the context of the accident compensation scheme. It is hoped that the New Zealand Supreme Court approves Ambros if the opportunity arises.     

The efficiency of a group-specific mandated benefit revisited: the effect of infertility mandates

This paper examines the labor market effects of state health insurance mandates that increase the cost of employing a demographically identifiable group. State mandates requiring that health insurance plans cover infertility treatment raise the relative cost of insuring older women of child-bearing age. Empirically, wages in this group are unaffected, but their total labor input decreases. Workers do not value infertility mandates at cost, and so will not take wage cuts in exchange, leading employers to decrease their demand for this affected and identifiable group. Differences in the empirical effects of mandates found in the literature are explained by a model including variations in the elasticity of demand, moral hazard, ability to identify a group, and adverse selection.