Quadratic election law

The standard form of electoral system in the United States—plurality voting with one person, one vote—suffers from countless defects, many of which stem from its failure to enable people to register the intensity of their preferences for political outcomes when they vote. Quadratic voting, an elegant alternative system proposed by Glen Weyl, provides a theoretically attractive solution to this problem but is an awkward fit with America’s legal and political traditions. We identify the legal barriers to the adoption of quadratic voting, discuss modified versions that could pass muster, and show how even a modified version would address many of the pathologies of the existing system.     

Zur Anwendung zwingenden Gemeinschaftsrechts in der aktuellen Rechtsprechung des BVerwG zum Artenschutz nach der “Kleinen Novelle” des Bundesnaturschutzgesetzes

Zusammenfassung  Nachdem die “Kleine Novelle” des Bundesnaturschutzgesetzes für Unsicherheit bei der Anwendung der neuen Reglungen gesorgt hat, enthalten die ersten Entscheidungen der h?chstrichterlichen Rechtsprechung eine hohe aktuelle Brisanz. Der Beitrag geht auf die aktuelle Rechtsprechung des BVerwG zum Artenschutz bei Infrastrukturvorhaben unter dem Aspekt des Gemeinschaftsrechts ein. Behandelt werden die Einschr?nkung des St?rungsverbots, “vorgezogene Ausgleichsma?nahmen”, die Prüfung des Ausnahmetatbestands nach vollendeten Tatsachen, die Zulassung von Ausnahmen bei ungünstigem Erhaltungszustand der Art, das Auseinanderfallen von Entscheidungs- und Beurteilungszeitpunkt sowie die Berücksichtigung von Kosten bei Alternativen.     

Manifestos and elections in Ghana's Fourth Republic

Debate continues over the factors that influence electoral outcomes or voter behaviour and alignment in elections all over the world. Several factors have been noted, including the manifestos of political parties. In spite of the potential influence of the party manifesto, several comparative and empirical studies on elections in Ghana have paid little or no attention to manifestos in determining the electoral outcomes of political parties in the Fourth Republic.This paper makes a contribution to the debate by examining how manifestos have influenced the electoral chances of the two main political parties which have been in and out of government in Ghana since the inception of the Fourth Republic, namely, the National Democratic Congress and the New Patriotic Party. Analysis covers the five elections held in 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008. Specifically, it discusses not only the ability of the manifestos to shape policy debate but also to some extent, influence electoral outcomes. The paper concludes with some lessons learned.     

Local Democracy and the Transformation of Popular Participation in Chile

Structural reforms, institutional arrangements, and the dominant mode of political party-base linkage all militate against effective popular participation in Chilean local democracy. Structural reforms have constrained local leaders' resources as well as their policymaking prerogatives; institutional arrangements limit public officials' accountability to their constituents and citizens' opportunities for input in decisionmaking. The parties of the center-left Concertación have reinforced this vicious cycle by pursuing a mode of linkage with civil society designed to promote their electoral success with only minimal organization and participation by their grassroots constituents. Such conditions fit well with the desire of elites of the Concertación and the right to depoliticize civil society in order to preserve macroeconomic and political stability. Yet they leave in doubt the efficacy of popular participation and the strength of local democracy in Chile.     

Unfunded Mandates Reform Act: 1996 and Beyond

The first year of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act was greetedwith great expectations in much of the intergovernmental community.State and local governments did, in fact, realize some importantvictories in the Congress, both in softening the impact of newmandates and in reversing some existing ones. Viewed historically,these achievements certainly break with established trends.Yet, 1996 did not prove to be a watershed year. Significantnew mandates and preemptions were passed, while state and localvictories were largely achieved in modifying how new mandateswere to be implemented, not in determining whether new mandateswould be enacted.