The cumulation problem

Nomination: A note on the cumulation problem by Dag Anckar, p.73
Reflections: The cumulation problem revisited by Gunnar Sjöblom, p.78     

Norwegian Politics of Abortion: Perspectives, Arguments, and Values

Grid-group cultural theory is applied to an empirical analysis of five debates on abortion in the Norwegian Parliament between 1992 and 1996. Policy arguments concerning selective abortion and abortion in general are compared. In the cultural–theoretical literature, restrictive policy arguments towards abortion have been connected to the hierarchical cultural bias, whereas permissive policy arguments have been associated with egalitarian and individualistic worldviews. The empirical analysis, however, shows that there are various different connections between abortion policy arguments and cultural biases. The possibly contradictory situation that arises when parties switch between cultural biases is discussed, and the article concludes that grid-group cultural theory proves useful in relating the various abortion policy arguments to broader worldviews that transcend this particular policy issue.     

The Role of International Clientelism in the National Factionalism of Palestine

In this article I investigate the role of the international community's policy in the national factionalism in Palestine. I attempt to illuminate how international policy has contributed to the sustaining of internecine Palestinian violence as Fatah, which lost the elections in 2005 and 2006, has been motivated not to hand over power. In the process of selecting allies in the fight against Islamist terrorism, the epitomic undemocratic feature of Arab political culture, clientelism, has been promoted over democracy. Hamas seizing power in Gaza in 2007 probably resulted from the need to tame unruly militant groups which were sponsored by leaders of the Palestinian Fatah party, which again were supported by Western powers. To understand the national splitting in Palestine there is a need to analyse the interconnection between warlords, local clientelism and international clientelism.     

Book reviews

Consuming Public Services, Nicholas Deakin and Anthony Wright (eds), 1990, pp. ix + 222, Routledge, £30.00.

Managing under Pressure: Industrial Relations in Local Government, Martin Laffin, 1989, pp. 207, Macmillan, £30.00 hardback, £8.95 paperback.

Targeting Urban Employment Initiatives, Ivan Turok and Urlan Wannop, Department of the Environment (Inner Cities Directorate), HMSO, 1990, £8.50.

Tourism and the Inner City: An Evaluation of the Impact of Grant Assisted Tourism Projects, Polytechnic of Central London, Leisureworks and DRV Research, Department of the Environment (Inner Cities Directorate), HMSO, 1990, £15.50.

Five Year Review of the Bolton, Middlesbrough and Nottingham Programme Authorities, PEIDA Ltd, Department of the Environment (Inner Cities Directorate), HMSO, 1990, £16.50.

Getting People into Jobs: Good Practice in Urban Regeneration, Keith Hayton, Department of the Environment, (Inner Cities Directorate) HMSO, 1990, £13.00.

US Experience in Evaluating Urban Regeneration: Reviews of Urban Research, Tim Barnekov, Douglas Hart and Wilhelm Benfer, Department of the Environment (Inner Cities Directorate), HMSO, 1990, £7.70.

American Development Control: Parallels and Paradoxes from an English Perspective, Richard Wakeford, HMSO, 1990, pp. 277, £25.00.

Urban Government in the 1990s: Lessons from the USA, Robin Hambleton, School for Advanced Urban Studies, University of Bristol, 1990, pp. 129, £7.45.

Shropshire County Council: A Centenary History, D. C. Cox, Shropshire County Council, 1989, pp. 104, £5.95.

A History of Devon County Council 1889–1989, Jeffrey Stanyer, Devon Books, 1989, pp. 105, £3.95.

Government and County. A History of Northamptonshire County Council 1889–1989, Jonathan Bradley, University of Bristol Press, pp. 280.

Political Parties and Coalitions in European Local Government, Colin Mellors and Bert Pijnenburg (eds), Croom Helm, 1989, pp. 311, £35.00.

London 2001, Peter Hall, Unwin Hyman, 1989, pp. 226, £17.95

Abolition: The Reform of Metropolitan Government in England 1983–86: A Review and Bibliography, Ken Young and Lesley Grayson, 1988, Technical Communications, pp. 186.