De-idealizing the democratic civil peace: on the political economy of democratic stabilization and pacification in Argentina and Ecuador

In the liberal concept of a ‘democratic civil peace’, an idealistic understanding of democratic stabilization and pacification prevails: democracy is seen to guarantee political stability and social peace by offering comprehensive representation and participation in political decisions while producing outcomes broadly in accordance with the common interest of society. This contrasts with the procedural quality and the material achievements of most, if not all, really existing democracies. South America is paradigmatic. Here, the legitimation of liberal democracy through both procedure and performance is weak and yet ‘third wave democracies’ have managed to survive even harsh economic and political crises. The article presents a conceptual framework to analyse historically specific patterns of democratic stabilization and pacification. Analyses of the processes of socio-political destabilization and re-stabilization in Argentina and Ecuador since the late 1990s show how a ‘de-idealized’ perspective on the democratic civil peace helps explain the viability of democratic regimes that systematically deviate from the ideal-type conditions for democratic survival that have been proposed in the literature.     

Rethinking the ‘presidentialism debate’: conceptualizing coalitional politics in cross-regional perspective

The democratization literature has increased our understanding of the role of institutional variables in the study of democratic sustainability. Debates about the dangers of presidentialism have been central to this body of research. In more recent times the presidentialism literature has focused on the capacity of presidents to overcome the conflict-inducing nature of the separation of powers through successful coalition formation. This review article moves this research agenda forward by examining how presidents build legislative coalitions in different regional contexts. Based on the extant analysis of presidential systems in Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa and the former Soviet Union, the article develops the idea that presidents use a toolbox of five key tools when constructing legislative coalitions: agenda power, budgetary authority, cabinet management, partisan powers, and informal institutions. We find that presidents typically utilize more than one tool when they act; that the combinations of tools they employ affects the usage and strength of other parts of the presidential toolkit; and that the choice of tools can create negative consequences for the wider political system. Our findings reveal the limitations of the univariate bias of much of the early presidentialism literature and the need for greater cross-regional research into the effects of presidential rule.     

中美政府人事管理价值的历史演进与比较分析

价值的进路是深入到政府人事管理内核的必由之路。美国政府人事管理价值的历史演进体现了政治回应、道德主义、效率、个人权利、专业的职业化、社会公平等价值,其发展趋势是维护传统理念、加强管理弹性和以结果为本。中国政府人事管理价值的历史演进体现了宗族主义、政治回应、道德主义、公平竞争、分权等价值,其发展趋势主要是法治主义、效率和分权。美国和中国在政府人事管理价值历史演进和发展趋势上呈现了许多共同点和差异。     

中国第二次继受大陆法系与罗马法教学的转型简

清末中国第一次继受大陆法系,实际上继受的是这一法系中的德国法族,中国对于拉丁法族的继受开始于1989年意大利和中国订立法学交流协议后,从此,有70多名学者受教于意大利大学以及拉丁关洲国家的大学,把拉丁法族的精髓带入中国,形成中国德国学派和拉丁学派争鸣的格局,完成了对大陆法系的全面继受。第一次继受是被迫的;第二次继受是自愿的、和平的。由于第二次继受,中国的罗马法教学完成了转型,表现为更多地通过罗马法原始文献学习罗马法,优士丁尼《法学阶梯》开始被作为罗马私法课的教材使用。     

汉语字母词存在的合理性

《现代汉语字典》收录西文字母词在学界引起激烈争论。正方的观点是服务性是字典的一个主要功能,通过借形译法字母词已成为汉字的一部分。反方的观点是字典收录西文字母词将严重影响汉字的纯洁性和民族性。本文从概念、范畴、范围、层次、等级、程度和动态等维度以及它们之间的密切关系着眼,从《现代汉语字典》收录字母词的合理性、语言经济原则、汉字的纯洁性和民族性等方面,论证汉语字母词存在的合理性。     

The 2011 presidential election in Peru: a thorny moral and political dilemma

The 2011 presidential elections in Peru was the third one held in the post-Fujimori era. A perusal of the campaign's political dynamics reveals pervasive anti-democratic behaviours, attitudes and rhetoric on the part of key political actors, showcasing the degree to which Peru remains an unconsolidated, precarious democracy. The second round presented a moral and political dilemma insofar as two unsavoury candidates of highly dubious democratic credentials vied for the presidency: Ollanta Humala, a former army lieutenant burdened by accusations of human rights violations who, additionally, led or supported two military uprisings; and Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of a convicted and jailed dictator who unabashedly touted the legacy of her father's authoritarian regime and surrounded herself with tainted fujimoristas. The paradox of this undesirable electoral outcome, which can be read as a popular rebuke of the status quo, is that it took place in the Latin American country posting the fastest economic growth over the past decade.     

Nobody Is a Prophet in their Own Land? Evaluations of Pope Francis in Latin America

Using data drawn from surveys of Latin American elites and citizens, this article aims to analyse the determinants of evaluations of Pope Francis, with a special focus on ideology and religious denomination, religiosity, and trustworthiness of the Catholic Church. Results show that the Pope remains linked to opinions on the Church, but not to religiosity, and that differences in personal religious affiliations (or lack thereof) among respondents are sharper among citizens than among elites. Furthermore, Pope Francis is found to be not closely associated to the left–right axis in Latin America, except in the case of Argentine MPs, where the right-leaning members express lower opinions of the Pope.     

数字经济战略下的个人信息保护立法选择

数字经济给全球带来机遇和挑战。为抢占发展先机,谋求竞争优势,世界各国基于各自数字技术和数字经济发展情况,制定了各自的数字经济发展战略。国家战略引领立法价值和目标,导致各国立法选择不一。比较欧美数字经济战略对其个人信息保护立法的影响,对于完善我国个人信息保护立法和参与国际规则制定具有重要意义。中国基于网络强国战略和网络空间国际合作战略,应将同步推进个人信息安全和数字经济发展作为立法指导思想,对内尽快出台适合本国实际的个人信息保护专门立法,对外积极参与引领国际立法合作,坚持在WTO现有协定和框架基础上谈判,建立和完善数据治理规则,构建国内国际双重立法保护。     

美国市政体制改革:背景、过程与发展趋势

在 1 9世纪末 2 0世纪初的城市化浪潮中 ,美国市政体制由单一的弱市长制逐渐演进为强市长制、委员会制和经理制。这一变化的根本原因在于经济基础的变动。三种新型体制的出现揭开了 2 0世纪初美国市政体制一系列重大调整的序幕 ,从而促进了城市问题的解决 ,同时探寻到一条现代化条件下推进民主政治的道路     

9·11恐怖事件中的美国华人

震惊世界的“9·11”事件对美国华人社会而言,不仅是一次灾难,也是一次团结起来让美国人重新认识华人社会的机会。