Conflict Assessment in Energy Infrastructure Siting: Prospects for Consensus Building in the Northern Pass Transmission Line Project

As energy demand grows rapidly worldwide, power line infrastructure will continue to be a major development planning challenge. This study considers the environmental conflict that has arisen over a transnational transmission line project between Canada and the United States. A qualitative conflict assessment is presented to define the parameters for consensus that could prevent protracted litigation between stakeholders. Proactively designing a process to encourage consensus building during the early development phase remains the most critical determinant of compromise. In this article, we argue that in this case a consensus‐building effort could be feasible if certain design requirements were met, including gaining the participation of key stakeholders, paying attention to trust, and focusing on the issues specific to this transmission line rather than to a larger energy discussion. The research shows that despite potential pitfalls, reaching more widely accepted and ecologically sensitive solutions to environmental conflicts through participatory and collaborative approaches is possible and worth the effort.     

论WTO决策机制

WTO的决策机制是指WTO对有关事项诸如条文的解释、修改、义务的豁免以及接受新成员、贸易争端的解决等作出决定的机制。WTO的决策机制十分重要,因为它直接涉及到与这些事项相关的各成员的权利与义务。从WTO决策机制与国家主权、协商一致机制和投票表决机制三个方面进行了分析,并指出了WTO决策机制的缺陷与不足,旨在为WTO决策机制的改进与完善作出努力。     

Institutional dynamics and party think tank development: Britain and Germany compared

Official party think tanks have been a fixture in a number of Western European democracies for many decades but not so in the Anglo-American democratic sphere even though think tanks aligned to parties have flourished. This article explores the reasons that party and think tank ties have evolved differently in these two settings through an examination of the party think tank scene in Germany and Britain. It is suggested that the predominant form of democracy operating in each of these settings helps to explain this critical difference. While the adversarial tendencies of the British political system militate against parties taking much of an interest in establishing official party think tanks, the consensual institutional dynamics associated with Germany’s political system has encouraged parties to sponsor their formation, and reinforced the perceived importance of the party think tank vehicle as agents of democratic linkage.     

民主与共识：陪审制度的理论基础刍议

陪审是现代民主社会非常重要的一项司法制度,其早期的理论基础在于同类人审判,其后在制度发展中获取了新的功能——保护刑事被告人,在步入现代民主社会后,陪审制度更拥有矫正审判异化症,调和法官精英化与民主化之矛盾,建立司法与民意理性的交往协商机制的重大功能。这其中,实现审判民主和达成关于审判公正的共识是支撑陪审制度的核心理论。     

新修辞学理论的基本立场——以佩雷尔曼的“普泛听众”概念为中心

佩雷尔曼的新修辞学理论对法律论证理论的发展影响深远。其核心概念，即作为言说者之主观思维构造的“普泛听众”，具有一种固有而不可化解的内在紧张关系。因为它所指涉的理性概念取决于言说者所内化了的社会、语言和文化视角下的世界观要素以及所涉及的生活领域内的特殊知识兴趣。一方面，“普泛听众”的概念暗含了法律论证的不确定性和开放性，因此位于各种版本的明证和非理性立场之间；另一方面。它坚持的是一种实用主义导向的真理共识论。     

以商谈求共识:行政决策听证中公共意愿的形成

在当前利益主体多元化、利益矛盾加剧的背景下,推进和完善行政决策听证需要解决的一个关键性问题,在于如何协调差异和矛盾,聚集民意,以便为政府决策提供价值前提。协商共识理论为深化行政决策听证的研究提供了新的指向;行政决策听证的功能在于为理性论辩提供建制化空间以集结民意,制约行政决策;在听证议题的形成、听证代表的遴选、话语规范的确立及其制度保障等主要环节中,通过制度程序的建构,排除权力和金钱的侵入,在平等协商对话中整合利益,集结公共意愿。     

用社会主义核心价值体系凝聚共识

一个社会的核心价值体系之所以能凝聚共识,必有其内在的动力因素以及各因素之间的影响机理。个体或群体有着不同的价值实现的需求,推动着社会实践不断发展,形成了无数个单个实践"意志"所汇合而成的历史"合力",为核心价值观凝聚共识提供强大的驱动力。核心价值观的认同度、可信度和推广度与社会主义核心价值体系的整体结构和内在联系形成正相关效应。弘扬价值共识,需要对利益格局进行调整,实现发展成果共享,满足社会大众共同的本质追求,化解社会精神危机,整合社会资源,调控和统摄非主流价值,帮助人们树立正确的价值观,为践行社会主义核心价值观提供共同的思想基础。     

Rethinking global governance: a China model in the making?

This paper examines Chinese perspectives on global governance, an area in which China has increased substantially the depth and breadth of its participation. The paper attempts to draw a mainstream perspective to inform our understanding of some key aspects of China's foreign policy. It demonstrates that while China's statist preference appeals to some Third World countries, such a preference leads the country to clash with the West over how to tackle global issues collectively, particularly over humanitarian intervention. While the Chinese perspective is in the process of evolving and far from reaching maturity, it is questionable whether the global community led by the West would find the Westphalian practice that China embraces admirable.     

社会主义核心价值观刍议

社会主义核心价值观是我们党和政府以及全体人民共同为之努力奋斗的价值取向,也将成为中华民族走向民族复兴过程中不可或缺的一种伟大的精神向心力。社会主义核心价值观是"凝聚共识"的价值观,是打上了"国情烙印"的价值观,是体现社会主义社会"基本精神"的价值观,是能够形成"百姓气场"的价值观。     

Is Scotland a Westminster-style Majoritarian Democracy or a Scandinavian-style Consensus Democracy? A Comparison of Scotland,the UK and Sweden

The idea of ‘new politics' in Scotland, in the 1990s, was based on a rejection of the ‘majoritarian’ politics of ‘old Westminster’ in favour of a ‘consensus democracy’ associated with Scandinavian countries. Yet, the nascent literature suggests that Scottish and UK policy-making practices are similar. UK policy making does not live up to its majoritarian reputation and Scotland was designed with key ‘old Westminster’ features. We extend the comparison to Sweden, as one of several, distinctive, Nordic reference points in Scotland. We examine critically its consensual image and identify the ways in which Scotland has similar features. The study helps clarify the practical meaning of majoritarian and consensus and encourages scholars to focus on actual behaviour rather than policy-making reputations. It also informs current debates on Scotland's future, using long-term evidence to inform recent attempts to revive this focus on the Nordic ideal.