How Armed Groups Fight: Territorial Control and Violent Tactics

This article analyzes the choice of tactics by armed groups. We claim this choice is largely determined by the capacity of the rebel groups to control territory. Groups that are not able to liberate territory remain underground and have to rely mainly on bombings. Groups with territorial control engage in guerrilla-like attacks in which there is a physical encounter with the enemy. This conjecture is tested and largely confirmed at three levels: a cross-sectional analysis of the distribution of tactics in 122 armed groups, using compositional data analysis; a geographical analysis of the distribution of tactics in the largest cities as opposed to the rest of the country; and a case study of Hezbollah.     

Mozi: No Aggression,But Universal Love

MOZI (ca.475-395 BC) was one of many philosophers in the volatile Pre-Qin Period (before BC 221 when the State of Qin annexed other six kingdoms and unified China) who were committed to restoring and overhauling the social order.Mozi was a commoner born in the State of Lü (in today’s Shandong Province),but spent most of his life in the State of Song (in present day Henan Province).He studied Confucian theory in his early years,and later established his own school of thought Mohism,which challenges Confucianism on many fronts.Mozi traveled around the states to sell his political ideas to the rulers,who gave him the cold shoulder however.This great thinker never held any high official position in his lifetime.     

Participation Under Lula: Between Electoral Politics and Governability

This article shows how and why the initial attempts of the Lula administration in Brazil to promote innovative counterhegemonic participatory strategies, such as those put in place by the PT in some of its subnational governments, fell by the wayside. It is argued that the implementation and scope of participatory initiatives under Lula were caught between electoral motivations and the need to secure governability. On the one hand, the need to produce quick results in order to maximize vote‐seeking strategies hindered attempts to promote counterhegemonic participation, while Lula and his inner circle opted for policies that would score immediate marks with the poorest sectors or influence public opinion. On the other hand, participation also took a back seat because the PT concentrated most of its energies on reaching agreements with strategic actors, such as opposition parties or powerful economic groups.     

‘Centre-left’ regimes in Latin America: History repeating itself as farce?

Examined here is the phenomenon of the‘centre-left’ regime that has emerged recently in Latin America, and the reasons why such palpably neo-liberal governments attract the uncritical support of leftist intellectuals worldwide. The‘centre-left’ governments of Lula in Brazil, Kirchner in Argentina, Tabare Vazquez in Uruguay, Evo Morales in Bolivia, Toledo in Peru, and Gutierrez in Ecuador are measured against a set of criteria designating espousal of leftist politics, a test failed by them all. It is argued here that, in order to develop authentically leftist views about future patterns of agrarian policy and transformation, and to support these once developed, it is necessary first to sweep away the rhetoric that these days is taken for‘leftist’ views.     

女性公务员心理健康状况研究:以北京市H区为例

女性公务员是一个特殊的群体,其心理健康问题不容忽视。本文以北京市H区的200名女性公务员为调查对象,通过问卷调查、座谈、访谈,从良好的道德、健康的情绪、正常的工作能力、协调的人际关系和平衡的心理等五个方面来分析接受调查的女性公务员的心理健康状况,并提出要建立政府、妇联与女性公务员自身共同努力的心理健康体系。     

Determinant Factors of Satisfaction with Public Services in Spain

The concept of marketing has evolved significantly, as have its applications in various sectors, including services. Diverse opinions have been expressed for and against the use of marketing techniques in public administration. In this paper, we present a conceptual and methodological review of the main contributions made by marketing to the public sector, measuring variables and related concepts that determine public satisfaction with public services. These elements, termed key drivers of opinion, were measured by reference to the information provided by the Spanish Sociological Research Centre (CIS), and provide an alternative way to display and analyse the data of interest, through perception models and figures using multivariate factor analysis. In this study, the components or factors containing the main drivers of opinion were found to be, on the one hand, commitment to efficient service, and on the other, user convenience.     

U.S. Consolidates Its Position in Northeast Asia

Many believe that China and the U.S. have been struggling against each other to gain the upper hand in the East Asian region - and the area beyond China’s coastline - in recent years.