The Politics of the Human Rights Act

The Human Rights Act is the result of post-war changes in Europe. It is the consequence less of the campaigning of dedicated individuals and more of the change in the position of the United Kingdom in Europe and the world. Objections to incorporation of the Convention have given way to the desire to be like the rest of Europe. Traditional views of the judicial role have given way to a perception of the judiciary as the last bastion against an over-powerful executive, unchecked by Parliament.     

Restructuring the Ontario Government

Abstract. A new style of averment reappraisal is described in this two-part paper. The first part deals with the way in which the Ontario Government structured this reapraisal using a combination of government and non-government people to establish an effective change agent. The second part details the key elements of the new structure at both the cabinet and ministry levels, including the new Policy and Priorities Board of Cabinet, the three policy field committees of cabinet, a new kind of minister with no administrative responsibilities, their respective support staffs, and the role of the treasurer. The paper then outlines the progress made to date to implement the recommendations and some observations for those who might be contemplating a similar study of government management. Interim reports, regular meetings with cabinet, a leadership convention, and a provincial election all aided in achieving what Premier William G. Davis has referred to as ‘the most comprehensive restructuring of Government in this country.’ Sommaire. Dans cette communication en deux parties, l'auteur décrit un nouveau mode de réévaluation gouvernementale. Dans la première partie, il explique comment son government a structurté cette réévaluation en se servant d'une combination de personnel governmental et de gens de l'extérieur pour créer un agent de hangmen efficace. Dans la deuxième partie, il expose en détail les éléments clés de la nouvelle structure au niveau du cabinet et des ministères, y compris le nouveau conseil de cabinet sur les politiques et les priorités, les trois comités des secteurs de politiques, un nouveau genre de ministre sans responsabilités administratives, leur personnel respectd et le rôle du trésorier. Il rapporte ensuite les progrès réalisés jursqu'ici dans Papplication des recommandations et fait quelques observations à I'intention de ceux qui envisageraient une étude semblable de leur gestion gouvernementale. Des rapports intérimaires, des réunions régulières du cabinet, un congrès de chefferie et une élection provinciale, tout cela a contribuéà ce que le premier ministre William G. Davis a appelé“la restructuration gouvernementale la plus complète jamais effectuée dans ce pays”.     

Support for Le Pen in France: Two Elections in Trompe l'œil

There is a comforting consensus among political commentators that the 2007 presidential election marked the end of Jean-Marie Le Pen as a force in French politics. The shock election of the Front National leader to the presidential run-off in 2002, by contrast, is explained as a surge in the Le Pen vote specific to the prevailing electoral conditions. This article challenges that interpretation of both elections. It shows that, despite Le Pen's unforeseen success in 2002, there was no surge of support for him, and that despite Le Pen's supposed collapse in 2007, he won close to 4 million votes while popular agreement with his ideas rose to its highest recorded level. The article concludes that Le Pen remains a powerful presence in French politics and that his supporters continue to constitute a large and highly influential constituency.     

Is the Russian federation becoming more democratic? Moscow‐regional relations and the development of the post‐Soviet Russian State

This article addresses the condition of Russian democracy by focusing on the developing political relations between the central government and regional governments. A situation of profound ambivalence and ambiguity has evolved since ratification of the Russian Federation Constitution in December 1993. Regional governments have found it possible to gain a degree of political autonomy uncharacteristic of Russia's long historical experience, yet increasingly in line with global trends toward decentralization of governmental authority. Two political patterns in the current Russian Federation are explored, both of them promising broad and enduring significance. First, the political ambiguity of relations between the national government and regional authorities may provide the context in which divided government serves to enable democracy, despite the appearance of authoritarian rule in many regions themselves. Second, the nature of the interaction between the centre and regional authorities may be breaking new ground, in terms of flexible solutions to intra‐state relations among different levels of government. Because certain aspects of centre‐regional relations in the Russian Federation replicate comparable issues elsewhere (particularly regarding the ethnic‐territorial dimension of politics), the Federation's approaches and solutions to this aspect of state‐formation could suggest useful lessons for other parts of the world.