The differential impact of state finance on the Romanian party system

This article explores the influence that state finance has had on the Romanian party system by examining the entry and exit of parties throughout the period of 1990 – 2004 and focusing on the number of parties that gained representation in the parliament as well as the party incumbency rate. I find that state finance has had a limited influence on the party system as a whole but has been influential for specific parties. I argue that the influence of state finance partly depends on when the system was introduced. In developing party systems, the influence of state finance on individual parties is more differential.     

The Economics of the “Final Solution”*

The economics of the Holocaust is a many‐facetted subject that is an integral part of the Holocaust's history. This paper describes some of the results of the new research since 1990 and discusses the economic rationalities employed by the perpetrators in despoiling the Jews. Economic considerations accompanied the timing and pace of the expropriation of Jewish assets and their “Aryanization.” The new research also shows that there was widespread collaboration in the expropriation of the Jews by private interests both inside Germany and in German‐controlled Europe and that networks of bureaucrats and private interests joined to achieve Nazi goals. The combination of expropriation and mass murder was one of the aspects of the Holocaust that made it unique.     

RACIAL–ETHNIC INTOLERANCE AND SUPPORT FOR CAPITAL PUNISHMENT: A CROSS-NATIONAL COMPARISON*

This article tests cross-nationally the minority group threat thesis that public sentiments toward repressive crime-control policies reflect conflicted racial and ethnic relations. Using multiple data sets representing France, Belgium, the Netherlands, East and West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Denmark, Great Britain, Greece, Spain, Finland, Sweden, Austria, Canada, Ireland, and Portugal, we examine whether racial and ethnic intolerance—animus, resentments, or negative sentiments toward minorities—predicts greater support for the death penalty. Our results reveal that the respondents were significantly more likely to express support for capital punishment if they were racially or ethnically intolerant while controlling for other covariates of public opinion. These findings indicate that the link between support for capital punishment and racial and ethnic animus may occur universally in countries with conflicted racial and ethnic relations.     

论“圈地”现象背后地方政府的利益追求

本文从近期的“圈地”热潮开始谈起,分析了土地与土地权,国家与政府,中央政府与地方政府三组关系,讨论了其对征地的影响,并将重点落到地方政府上面。然后,用经济学的有关理论论证地方政府“圈地”追求的并不是一般意义上的垄断利润,而是其他一些利益。文章提出了建立一套利益制衡机制以遏制地方政府利益追求,试图以此来规范征地行为。     

律师职业拒证特权的风险和界限——以刑诉法再修改专家意见稿为蓝本

广义上的律师职业拒证特权是律师在诉讼业务和非讼业务中所知悉的公司、个人和非法人团体的秘密拒绝向国家、社会和第三人泄露,狭义上的律师特权是指在刑事诉讼活动中从当事人口述或书面交流中获知的与正在侦查或追诉的案件有关的、不利于当事人的证据信息或信息线索,拒绝向司法机关报告或作证。律师拒证特权使律师处于二难风险:可能受到国家的职业否定,亦可能遭受当事人利益反悔的贬损。律师必须正确、恰当理解职业拒证特权的界限,即不帮助犯罪嫌疑人、被告人隐匿、毁灭、伪造证据或串供,不威胁、诱骗证人作伪证,消极履行真实义务,根据证据,不做违背事实真相的辩护。     

THE BEHAVIOUR OF LEGISLATORS AND BUREAUCRATS AND POLICING EXPENDITURES: A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK AND SOME EMPIRICAL RESULTS*

Abstract: This paper is concerned with an analysis of legislation, public administration and government expenditure decisions on policing activities. These three dimensions of government can be used as mechanisms of social control. Whether they are or not is an empirical question that has to be determined in each case. It is shown that there are no strict relationships between the three dimensions of government activity: separate decision-making is undertaken for each of the three dimensions. It is indicated that there are eight possible combinations of the three dimensions, assuming that the three dimensions of government activity are bivariate and discrete. The empirical analysis relates to the state of Queensland and it is concluded that Queensland can be described as a case consisting of authoritarian legislation, public administration contrary to the rule of law, and low policing expenditures.