The Effects of Political Risk on Different Entry Modes of Foreign Direct Investment

Although numerous studies document the effect of political institutions on foreign direct investment (FDI), few works in the political economy literature have investigated the link between political institutions and the mode of entry chosen by investors, be it mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, or greenfield investments. Using panel data for 111 developing countries covering 1980–2006, we find that countries with political institutions that uphold good governance tend to attract higher levels of mergers and acquisitions, as opposed to joint ventures and greenfield investments, because such institutions help to mitigate the special risks faced by merger and acquisition investors. Our findings provide a nuance for understanding the different effects of political institutions based on the particular mode of entry.     

LEGAL AND REGULATORY MODEL FOR THE AUDIT PROFESSION： THE UK AND CHINESE MODELS COMPARED

The article discusses whether the UK＇s liberal regulatory model for the audit profession could benefit China as it continues its reform towards a western-inspired liberal market economy. China has already carried out substantial reforms.＂ the disaffiliation programme, audit industry consolidation, and the diffusion of international audit norms. However, substantial deficiencies in the Chinese audit profession remain, and corporate audit continues to lack credibility. Adopting a system modelled on that used in the UK could resolve these issues. However, if China chose to adopt the UK＇s liberal regulatory model, it would not only require economic reform, but also structural reform to its political system. This would include removing conflicts of interest between the audit profession and companies controlled by public authorities; the development of an independent self-regulatory system accountable to the judiciary; corporate democratisation; the development of private enforcement and the introduction of an independent judicial system.     

American Politics Today: An Interview with Frances Fox Piven

Readers of New Political Science know Frances Fox Piven as the author or co-author of a series of path-breaking articles and books on the development of American social policies, political mobilization and voter turnout, and the attack on the welfare state. She is also a supporter of long standing of this journal and its sponsor, the Caucus for a New Political Science. In the last year Piven has come under attack by FOX News host Glenn Beck and other right-wing activists for ideas she developed in the 1960s with the late Richard Cloward. Beck and others have been keen to link Piven and Cloward's analysis in far-fetched ways to the economic policies of the Obama administration. In this interview Piven interprets the meaning of the right-wing attacks and discusses the state of contemporary American politics more broadly. She comments on the Obama administration's major policies and the prospects for political mobilization and offers advice for progressive scholars in the early stages of their careers.     

Personality traits of municipal politicians and staff

Abstract: Conflict between elected officials and civil servants is not an uncommon occurrence at the city level and it may at times paralyze the organization. The purpose of this article is to determine whether certain basic personality traits among municipal politicians and public servants could explain why the two groups have differing perspectives and why they may at times have difficulty working together. While they can be a source of considerable tension, these differing traits can also be seen as complementary, in which case they might enhance the organization's performance. Sommaire: Les conflits entre les responsables élus et les fonctionnaires ne sont pas quelque chose de rare à l'échelle des villes et ils peuvent parfois paralyser l'organisme. L'objet du présent article est de déterminer si certains traits de personnalité chez les responsables politiques municipaux et les fonctionnaires pourraient expliquer pourquoi les deux groupes ont des perspectives différentes et pourquoi ils peuvent parfois avoir des difficultés à collaborer. Alors qu'ils peuvent être une source de tension considérable, ces différents traits de personnalité peuvent aussi être considérés comme complémentaires et, dans ce cas, ils pourraient renforcer la performance de l'organisme.     

Intergovernmental Lobbying for the Passage of TEA-21

This article explains the role of the IGR lobby in the passageof TEA-21 and the nature of the coalitions and partnershipsformed by groups within the IGR lobby to accomplish their policygoals. The data for the study are divided into three realms.The first identifies the priorities of groups within the IGRlobby and the types of coalitions that groups entered into.These data were gathered through examinations of IGR lobby testimonybefore congressional committees, interviews with organizationaland congressional staff members, and from secondary sourcessuch as the official publications and websites of IGR lobbyorganizations. The second part seeks to gain a more preciseunderstanding of how state and local officials use non-PIG coalitionsand groups to press for their policy objectives by surveyingselected state and local government officials. Finally, thesurvey assesses the impact that IGR lobbying had on TEA-21.     

Promise and Performance: An Evaluation of Journals in International Relations

What kind of international relations research gets published in the field's most recognized journals? Who are its authors? This study investigates the subject matter, methodology, and origin of recent research published in top international relations journals, building on earlier work that has investigated the contents of journals. This study investigates the contents of three international relations journals— International Studies Quarterly , International Organization , and World Politics — which have been consistently ranked as the top three journals in international relations. Data are for the ten most recent completed volume years, 1995–2004. This study finds that international relations scholarship in these three journals focuses on a relatively narrow range of subjects and is produced by a rather homogeneous group of scholars.