Valence,Policy Ideas,and the Rise of Sustainability

This article introduces to policy studies the concept of valence, which we define as the emotional quality of an idea that makes it more or less attractive. We argue that valence explains why some ideas are more successful than others, sometimes gaining paradigmatic status. A policy idea is attractive when its valence matches the mood of a target population. Skilled policy entrepreneurs use ideas with high valence to frame policy issues and generate support for their policy proposals. The usefulness of the concept of valence is illustrated with the case of sustainability, an idea that has expanded from the realm of environmental policy to dominate discussions in such diverse policy areas as pension reform, public finance, labor markets, and energy security. As the valence of sustainability has increased, policy entrepreneurs have used the idea to reframe problems in these various policy areas and promote reforms.     

Zur Abgrenzung von Verwaltung und Verf��gung �C eine dogmatische Frage von eminenter praktischer Bedeutung

Dass Verwaltungshandlungen von Verfügungsma?nahmen deutlich abzugrenzen sind, entspricht dem Grundverst?ndnis von Mit- und Wohnungseigentum. Dass sich die Notwendigkeit einer klaren Grenzziehung zwischen diesen Bereichen nicht zuletzt aus den gesetzlichen Vorgaben, wie insb den unterschiedlichen Konsenserfordernissen, ableitet, erscheint ebenso unzweifelhaft. Umso augenf?lliger sind Bemühungen in Rechtsprechung, Lehre und auch Gesetzgebung, den Bereich der Verwaltungsagenden zu Lasten der Verfügungen best?ndig zu erweitern. Der vorliegende Beitrag soll derartige Tendenzen vor dem Hintergrund der lex lata hinterfragen. Es sollen typische Fallkonstellationen an der Grenze zwischen Verwaltung und Verfügung n?her beleuchtet und der Versuch unternommen werden, die Grenzlinien pr?ziser abzustecken. Wo die geltende Rechtslage zu unbefriedigenden Ergebnissen führen muss, sollen zudem m?gliche Auswege aufgezeigt werden.     

19世纪末西方在华传教士的朝鲜观——以《教务杂志》为中心的考察

19世纪中叶以前的朝鲜，从未进入西方世俗世界的视野中。这种状况在19世纪60年代以后逐步改变。实际上，在整个19世纪后半叶，西方列强和崛起的日本都将侵略的矛头对准了朝鲜。伴随着列强侵略的进程，“隐士之国”朝鲜被揭开了神秘面纱。在向世人揭开朝鲜面纱时，西方传教士在中国创办的《教务杂志》（TheChineseRecorder）发挥了重要作用。由于西方传教士长久生活于朝鲜社会中，更少有功利性，因而反映的朝鲜面目更具有真实性和全面性。     

Printmedia poll reporting in Poland: Poll as news in Polish parliamentary campaigns, 1991–2007

Information about the support given by the public opinion to political actors has become a constant element of the public debate in Poland after the fall of Communism. Very soon polls became an argument in debates, a premise, or a way to justify decisions. At the same time they were criticized both by politicians and journalists convinced that polls can significantly influence the election results. But the fact was not noticed in Poland that all debates about the influence of polls on election outcomes should be preceded by a discussion of the way they are presented in the media. The present article joins this debate by subjecting to analysis the polls published in the Polish press during parliamentary campaigns in the dimensions of the role they played during the recent several years, the quality of methodological information, and of the way the polls were used in the media.As opposed to European and American analyses, no improvement in the conformity to standards of minimal disclosure in newspapers’ reporting of public opinion polls was noticed, although—like in other countries—a dramatic increase in the number of polls reported was observed.