Russia as a ‘virtual great power’: Implications for its declining role in European and Eurasian security

Instead of analyzing just some recent developments of Russia's domestic, foreign and security policies, this article focuses in particular on mid‐ and long‐term strategic trends and the consequences of Russia's decline for European and Eurasian Security. It argues that Russia is still in a long‐term socio‐economic decline and it is unrealistic to expect that Moscow will regain its former status as a Great Power or even Superpower in the mid‐term future even of its economy and military power improve rapidly and substantially. Against this background, two other powers of the Eurasian landmass, the EU and China will surpass Russia in international standing and secure great power status in the coming decades with far‐reaching consequences for the international system and Russia's security as well as for its role in Europe and Central as well a East Asia. In this light, the article analyzes strategic trends in domestic, foreign and security policies, including the impact of often overlooked factors such as demographic trends and the health crisis, of decentralization, regionalization and fragmentation within the Russian Federation, the future of Russia's military reform policies (including Russia's draft military doctrine of October 1999 and its nuclear illusions) and their implications for Russia's future foreign and security policies.     

Administrative leaders as institutional entrepreneurs in developing countries: A study of the development and institutionalization of performance management in Ghana's public service

Performance management (PM) has become one of the most important reforms in the public sector in both developed and developing countries. Unfortunately, institutionalizing PM in the sector continues to be a major problem. Although a number of scholars continue to study the PM in the public sector from different theoretical perspectives, there has been paucity of research concerning the process of institutionalization. The few studies that have attempted to look at the process have done so from a “coercive isomorphism” perspective, especially through legislation. The lack of studies to examine the process of institutionalization has therefore created a gap, which needs to be filled. We therefore attempt to contribute to this discussion by exploring the role of institutional entrepreneurs and their impact on the development and institutionalization of PM in developing countries, with a particular focus on Ghana, a country obsessed with PM but was only able to institutionalize one in 2013 under the leadership of its Public Services Commission. How was the leadership of the PSC able to succeed where previous leaders could not? What characteristics did they display, and what strategies did they use to get things done? The research is a qualitative one.     

Political competition and legislative shirking in roll-call votes: Evidence from Germany for 1953–2017

Public Choice - We analyze the impact of elected competitors from the same constituency on legislative shirking in the German Bundestag from 1953 to 2017. The German electoral system ensures at...     

Closed Proceedings in Havana

By analysing three works of fiction set in Havana, Fresa y Chocolate by Tomas Gutiérrez Alea and Juan Carlos Tabi (Cuba/Mex./Spain/USA, 1993), Retour à Ithaque by Laurent Cantet (France/Belg., 2014) and Viva by Paddy Breathnach (Irl., 2015), we propose to study the Cuban capital as a sick body, as an architecturally, economically, politically and socially dilapidated organism. Its citizens struggle to survive, lacking basic necessities and trapped under a claustrophobic political and social surveillance, which the film directors convey through the use of a variety of aesthetic devices. There is a form of symbiosis between Havana and its inhabitants. The characters are confined in a labyrinth of alleys, stairs and narrow corridors, enveloped in a nocturnal atmosphere. The constricted arteries through which they move show that the body of Havana lacks oxygen. Its inhabitants need to find spaces to breathe and to express their authentic selves, to regenerate. This space is to be found behind Havana’s façades, behind its closed doors (an apartment, a cabaret) and even on a roof-top terrace. These private spaces reveal the dual nature of the city and its people, and constitute pockets of liberty as well as places of catharsis. The external façade presents a socially acceptable figure while covering and protecting the authentic self. The private spaces provide the physical and mental oxygen that the soul of Havana needs to survive. It is here that individual liberties flourish, allowing rights to be asserted, and art to be both preserved and created. The premise of a spiritual transformation begins to take form.

     

Relative Advantages of Person- and Variable-Based Approaches for Predicting Problem Behaviors from Kindergarten Assessments

Kindergarten teacher ratings of physical aggression, hyperactivity,inattention, anxiety, and prosocial behavior were used to predictself-reported delinquency, peer-rated social withdrawal, and schoolplacement in preadolescence (ages 10 to 12 years) in a large longitudinalsample of boys from low socio-economic neighborhoods. Two analyticstrategies were used: person-oriented and variable-oriented approaches. Inthe person approach, eight clusters, based on the kindergarten behaviors,were used to predict delinquency, social withdrawal, and schoolplacement. In the variable approach, the kindergarten behaviors were used asdimensions in logistic regressions. Family adversity was used as the firstpredictor in both approaches; it significantly predicted all the outcomes inpreadolescence. The results obtained using the two approaches were partly inaccordance. In both sets of results, kindergarten teacher-ratedexternalizing behavior problems were most related to later self-reporteddelinquency, and internalizing problems to peer-rated socialwithdrawal. However, the person approach showed that all patterns ofkindergarten behavior problems increased the risk for placement out of anage-appropriate regular classroom, while only inattention and lack ofprosocial behavior were the significant dimensional predictors of thisnegative outcome according to the variable approach. Also, the personapproach showed that the Multiproblem kindergarten boys had the highestpercentage of comorbidity of preadolescent problems. The ROC curvesindicated that prediction of delinquency, social withdrawal, and schoolplacement were equally accurate using the cluster and variableapproaches. Advantages and limits of both approaches are discussed withreference to their usefulness for clinicians.     

Balancing alternatives and avoiding false dichotomies to make informed U.S. electricity policy

Recent events highlight the importance of electric energy policy and how to meet growing electricity demand. Price spikes, global climate change and other environmental concerns, national security threats, an aging infrastructure, and a restructured industry with mixed results are challenges that policy makers and the industry must address. Given the capital-intensive nature of the industry, investment decisions will determine in large part how successfully these challenges are met. One paper that favors energy efficiency, renewable energy, and small-scale distributed generation is examined in detail to test the proposition that fossil fuel and nuclear power should be part of the mix of new investments. To determine the future electricity resource mix requires having a complete and informed picture of the relative costs and benefits of various technologies. The levels of energy efficiency, renewable resources, and distributed generation can and should be increased, but coal and nuclear generation investments are also likely to be needed.