On the dynamics of legal convergence

In this paper, we study the dynamics of legal rules in a model with two nation-states playing a non cooperative game. For each country, changing the legal system is a costly process. At the same time, the existence of different legal systems is also costly for all nation-states. We show that despite the non cooperative behavior of countries, a process of legal convergence is achieved in the long run through small step by step changes. This result depends neither on the number of players in the game, nor on the time horizon of policy makers. Complete legal convergence can be obtained in a finite time. Coordinated efforts to achieve legal convergence are then unnecessary. We show that they might even be counterproductive, in the sense that the welfare of nation-states is higher under legal competition, compared to cooperative legal unification.     

The Programme de recherche en démographie historique: past,present and future developments in family reconstitution

The Programme de recherche en démographie historique (Historical Demography Research Programme) (PRDH), founded in 1966 and based at the Département de Démographie of the Université de Montréal, has since its inception featured a central project, a family reconstitution database of Quebec’s Catholic population from 1621 to 1799 named the Registre de la population du Québec ancien (Population Register of Historic Quebec) (RPQA). This article, which marks the fiftieth anniversary of the project, explores the development of the RPQA over the five decades in the context of similar international databases, explains the current state of the database as well as our record linkage methodology, describes an important collaboration now underway to build a larger Quebec historical data infrastructure, outlines new and renewed international collaborations, and summarizes research conducted using these data as well as future research possibilities. The particular geographic context, historical development and manageable colonial population size of Quebec favoured family reconstitution of the whole colony from the beginning of the project. Today, the RPQA comprises 438,193 individual biographies and 74,000 family files encompassing up to nine generations. To reconstitute families, we must identify and incorporate into the database all demographic events, including those whose existence can only be inferred through other sources. Future efforts to link nineteenth-century parish acts will need to deal with large case counts, mixed Catholic–Protestant marriages, and increased geographic and social mobility. The integration of complementary data will provide information on household co-residence, occupations, help track the destinies of mixed-religion persons and persons outside nuclear families and provide additional points of observation.     

Roulement des professionnels au Centre Hospitalier Restigouche

Sommaire: Le Centre Hospitalier Restigouche (CHR) connait depuis plusieurs années un taux de roulement élevé chez ses professionnels. Il a done autorisé cette étude afin d'identifier les différents facteurs qui influencent le départ de ses professionnels. Cette recherche a vérifié trois hypothèse susceptibles, d'influencer le taux de roulement des employés. La première hypothèse suggère que le taux de roulement est relativement élevé chez les jeunes à leur premier emploi. Le CHR embauche plusieurs jeunes professionels et les résultats de cette recherche tendent à confirmer cette hypothèse. La deuxième hypothèse suggère un lien possible entre la province d'origine et le taux de roulement des professionels. Le CHR, pour combler ses postes, fait souvent appel au recrutement hors province. Les résultats tendent à infirmer cette hypothèse. La troisième hypothèse tente de vérifier le degré de satisfaction des employés. Un questionnaire de satisfaction fut distribuéà tous les professionnels en cause. Les résultats de ce questionnaire ont démontré la satisfaction des professionels à l'égard de certains, facteurs comme les salaires, les avantages sociaux, l'intégration sociale, etc. Toutefois, certains commentaires receuillis ont semblé vouloir démontrer une insatisfaction envers des facteurs comme l'accomplissement, le travail bien fait, la reconnaissance, etc. Le but de cette recherche n'était pas de répondre à toutes les questions concernant le roulement des employés au CHR. Espérons qu'elle réussira à répondre à quelque-unes. Abstract: The Centre Hospitalier Restigouche (CHR) has been experiencing for the past several years a high turnover rate among its professional employees. It has therefore authorized this study in order to identify the different factors which may have a bearing on the resignations among its employees. In this inquiry, three theories were examined which may have been factors influencing the employee turnover rate. The first suggested that the turnover rate is relatively high among the young employees in their first job. The CHR hires a number of young professionals and the results of this study tend to confirm this theory. The second theory suggested a possible link between the province of origin and the turnover rate among the professional employees. In order to fill its vacant positions, the CHR frequently resorts to recruitment outside the province. The results of the study seem to invalidate this theory. In dealing with the third theory, an attempt was made to examine the employees' degree of satisfaction. A questionnaire was distributed among all the professionals concerned. The results of this survey indicated satisfaction among the professionals with respect to certain factors such as remuneration, fringe benefits, social integration, and so on. At the same time, certain comments garnered from the questionnaires seemed to indicate that the respondents wanted to show dissatisfaction in such areas as accomplishment, a job well done, and recognition. The study was not aimed at answering all the questions surrounding employee turnover at the CHR. We hope, however, that it was successful in answering some of them.     

Teen pregnancy in New Orleans: Factors that differentiate teens who deliver,abort, and successfully contracept

This study reports findings from interviews with three groups of black teenagers: child bearers (n=136), terminators (n=92), and contraceptors (never been pregnant,n=151). The focus of this research is to describe the differences between these three groups of teenagers in an attempt to identify factors that may best differentiate the groups. The findings suggest that, among the teens who became pregnant, motivation to use contraceptives may be the key factor. More than 86% of these teens knew about contraceptives at the time they became pregnant and nearly three-quarters knew where to obtain contraceptives. However, only 16% of teens who became pregnant reported to be using a contraceptive at the time they became pregnant. Education about the availability and mode of contraceptive use is essential.Funding was provided by the Research Council, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana.Received her MPH from Tulane School of Public Health. Major interest is evaluation research of population programs.She received her Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Chicago. Her major interest is evaluation of family planning programs.Received her M.D. and MPH from Tulane University. Current research interests are nutritional status of adolescent mothers and their children; growth and development of children and sex education.Received her Ph.D. from Purdue University. Her research interests are categorical data analysis and research design.     

STANDING TOGETHER

Olivier Guyonvarch,Consul General of France in Wuhan,Hubei Province in central China,was on vacation back in France when the city was put under lockdown due to the coronavirus disease(COVID-19)outbreak at the end of January."I was heartbroken when I knew that so many people were confirmed with COVID-19 and the city was not as bustling as it was normally,"Guyonvarch told Beijing Review.     

Violent Monks in Myanmar: Scapegoating and the Contest for Power

This article seeks to understand why monks played a central role in anti-Muslim violence in transitional Myanmar (2013–2014). We argue that scapegoating is one of many strategies used by monks to gain visibility, to strengthen their autonomous networks, and to increase their social credentials. By analyzing two episodes of monks' participation in religious violence (1930s and 2013–2014), we identify two factors that make scapegoating strategies more likely: (a) decentralized religions foster a multiplicity of organizations and provide incentives for leaders to be entrepreneurial and compete for followers; while (b) the rapid pluralization of the public sphere explains the timing, because it intensifies competition among religious leaders and between religious and secular leaders for social ascendency and power.     

Anticorruption Commissions: The “Hong Kong Model” Revisited

The international donor community has, in the last few years, discouraged the use of specialised anticorruption bodies as the spearhead of the attack on corruption, for reasons that have never been sufficiently explained or critically examined.

The academic objections to replicating the Hong Kong solution in other countries are first, that the context in which corruption occurs in Hong Kong is unique and for that reason the solution cannot be exported; second, that the remedy is too strong, too dangerous to be applied elsewhere. The risk of an anticorruption body like the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) becoming an instrument of political oppression is simply too great to warrant its use; third, establishing and maintaining an anticorruption body at the strength required to deal with corruption is said to be inordinately costly. The fourth objection is a frontal assault on the very concept of an anticorruption body as a means of tackling corruption. The answer, according to this view, lies in governance and policy reform.

These objections have been adopted by the international donor institutions, apparently for reasons that have little to do with any in-depth analysis of the effectiveness of successful anticorruption bodies.

Over the past decade numerous alternative methods of tackling corruption have been proposed and attempted. The results have been disappointing.

By contrast, Hong Kong remains firmly on top of its corruption problem, the ICAC continues to enjoy a public support of 98–99% and this special administrative region of China continues to improve its standing in Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), one of the few places in the world to do so. In Botswana where the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) was modelled on the ICAC with modifications, the country is rated the least corrupt in Africa by a considerable margin and is in the top 25% of countries worldwide. Madagascar which modelled its Bureau Indépendant Anti-Corruption (BIANCO) even more closely on the HK ICAC has made good progress in the short time it has been operational.

Is it not time to reconsider the rejection by the donor community of the “Hong Kong model?” Should we not be examining more profoundly than previously how Hong Kong managed to get and stay on top of corruption? Should the donor community not be helping those countries that have decided they want a separate anticorruption body get the design and the operational policies and practices right?