八国峰会中的世界能源问题

能源问题一直是八国集团(G7/G8)关注的重心.在一定程度上甚至可以说,八国集团成立的一个主因就是能源危机.20世纪七八十年代,面对两次石油危机,西方国家采取了多种应对措施,如成立国际能源机构、成立七国非正式合作机制等.第一次七国峰会就是在这样的背景下召开的,而能源问题在此后的几乎历次峰会中均有涉及.     

Asian values revisited

  With Asia's economy still booming in the second half of the 1990's “Asian values” were announced by some politicians (Lee Kuan Yew, Mahatir, Ishihara, Mahbubani etc.) and contrasted with “Western values”. Soon a controversial debate within Asia ensued (Kim, Fidel Ramos ea..), into which also the western democracies joined. The “West” however reacted rather defensively to the new assertiveness of some Asian statesmen, inspite of the fact that the authors of this debate put into question the western dominance in global value setting which has been in existence since the French revolution. But has this debate withstood the test of time, the challenges posed by the recession in Asia and by the ever increasing globalization? Hardly. The crisis has destroyed the notion that “Asian values” had been the main cause and guarantor of Asia's exorbitant growth rates. While in the West Christianity forms the essential basics of culture, in Asia there is a multitude of coexisting - and frequently confronting world religions. There is no other continent which in cultural and political terms is so contradictory and potentially conflict ridden like Asia. “Asianism” as a concept was surely also intended as an instrument to integrate multiethnic Asian societies with weak internal cohesion. At the same time it served to neutralize the human rights issue. In the meantime the debate has become quieter and more dispassionate. In the developed West the notion gained acceptance to abandon “Eurocentrism”. At the same time there is recognition that “Asian values” are not exclusive. Also in Europe the family plays a special role. A debate on values is needed for societal integration – also in the “West” which should become more aware of the need to reassert the origins of its own spiritual foundations. Following September 11th the west is well advised to continue the dialogue on values with Asia. Update and expanded version of an article first published in: Au?enpolitik IV/1996, p. 326 “Beginnt das pazifische Jahrhundert?” I would like to thank Julia Prati for the translation of the updated and expanded version of this article     

美国法律援助制度简介

在美国,刑事法律援助与民事法律援助分属两个不同的系统。刑事法律援助是联邦宪法明确赋予公民的一项重要权利。因此,在联邦法院系统和绝大多数州的法院系统审理刑事案件中,犯罪嫌疑人和被告人都能够得到由政府财政保障的法律援助。美国的民事法律援助远不如英国有充分的资金保     

Race as a factor in university admissions

In two recent cases, Grutter v. Bollinger, 539 U.S. 306. (2003) and Gratz v. Bollinger, 539 U.S. 244. (2003), the Supreme Court held that the Equal Protection Clause permitted state schools to use race-sensitive admissions in order to obtain the educational benefits that flow from a diverse student body. The diversity-based argument for race-sensitive admissions, scholarships, awards, and other opportunities at universities should have been rejected because it does not consider the full range of costs and benefits and because the more narrow educational effects probably weigh against such programs. However, this does not suggest that applicants’ race, ethnicity, and gender should be ignored. Rather the same consideration that led to the defeat of the diversity argument, i.e., reasoning capacity, supports the consideration of demographic factors. However, attention to such factors further undermines the consequentialist case for affirmative action.     

中国公证制度的完善

世界两大公证体系的差别 ,实质上是不同国家对于公证制度功能预期的差异。学习、借鉴国外的经验 ,必须从我国的政治、经济社会制度和公证制度的现实基础出发 ,革除现行以大陆法系的独立、专职的强势公证组织形式与英美法系的弱势公证职能相搭配的体制弊端 ,通过公证立法 ,强化公证职能与法律效力 ,以实现其与强势公证组织形式的内在机制平衡和功能协调 ,赋予并完善我国公证制度在经济与社会生活中的适度干预功能。     

努力提高党构建社会主义和谐社会的能力

不断提高构建社会主义和谐社会的能力是当前和今后一个时期加强党的执政能力建设的主要任务之一。在我国当前经济和社会发展面临诸多新情况新问题下,迫切要求我们党努力提高构建和谐社会的能力,在激发社会创造活力、管理社会事务、协调利益关系、处理人民内部矛盾、开展群众工作、维护社会稳定等方面不断创新,努力形成全体人民各尽所能、各得其所而又和谐相处的社会发展局面。     

Randomized experiments in criminology: What have we learned in the last two decades?

This paper aims to review randomized experiments in criminology with offending outcomes and reasonably large numbers that were published between 1982 and 2004. A total of 83 experiments are summarized, compared with only 35 published between 1957 and 1981: 12 on policing, 13 on prevention, 14 on corrections, 22 on courts, and 22 on community interventions. Randomized experiments are still relatively uncommon, but there have been more large-scale multi-site experiments and replication programs. There have also been several experiments in which 100 or more places were randomly assigned. Relatively few experiments (only 10 out of 83) were conducted outside the United States. Meta-analyses suggest that prevention methods, correctional therapy, batterer programs, drug courts, juvenile restitution and deterrent policing were effective in reducing offending, while Scared Straight and boot camp programs caused a significant increase in offending.