New forms of environmental governance? A case study of Costa Rican environmental NGOs

Increasingly development theorists and practitioners view NGOs as catalysts of sustainable development. NGOs have been regarded as champions of democratisation and promoters of new ways of engaging in politics, with considerable influence on the development of civil society and new partnerships in environmental and social advocacy. This article analyses the ways in which Costa Rican environmental NGOs (ENGOs) engage in politics, by focusing on their perceptions of their roles in environmental governance and in representation of civil society. The results of this study suggest that the ENGOs' ways of engaging in politics differ little from traditional forms of governance, while their conceptions of engaging in politics without being political are novel. While most ENGOs had no clear conception of the stakeholders whom they were supposed to be representing, the notion of representativeness is complex and should be revisited.     

Civil Service Reform in Latin America: External Referents Versus Own Capacities

In the context of state reform and democratisation in Latin America, reinforcing public institutions becomes critical to sustaining and consolidating realised gains. In this area, civil service reforms are critical. But civil service reform initiatives in Latin American countries were designed with different degrees of compatibility with countries’ administrative traditions and with the role played by the civil service within the political system. The results of different initiatives are described in a brief review of six key features of nine Latin American civil services. Discussion of these results allows us to draw conclusions about the capacity to generate learning dynamics. A new conception of the civil service and its role in the political system appears more evident, unless the required political consensus for implementing and consolidating the new reform strategy for most Latin American public administrations is not confirmed.     

Negotiating universalism in India and Latin America: Fiscal decentralization,subnational politics and social outcomes

ABSTRACT

This is the introductory paper for a special issue which focuses on an exploration of how vertical inter-governmental political and fiscal bargains and horizontal variation in political, social and economic conditions across regions contribute to or undermine the provision of inclusive and sustainable social policies at the subnational level in Latin America and India. The papers incorporate both federal, as well as decentralized unitary states, pointing to common political tensions across unitary and federal settings despite the typically greater institutionalization of regional autonomy in federal countries. Jointly, the papers examine the territorial dimension of universalism and explore, in greater and empirical detail, the causal links between fiscal transfers, social policies and outcomes, highlighting the political dynamics that shape fiscal decentralization reforms and the welfare state. This introductory essay reviews existing scholarship, and highlights the contribution of the special issue to understanding these issues beyond OECD contexts.     

内幕交易犯罪客观要件的认定——以美国对证券内幕交易罪的相关规定为视角

伴随着中国民众投资理财观念的不断增强,证券交易已经成为我国国民经济中不可或缺的一种交易形式。其中,内幕交易、泄露内幕信息的行为日益频繁,且呈现出行为方式多样化、主体多元化的特征。最高人民法院、最高人民检察院于2012年5月出台了第一部专门针对内幕交易犯罪的司法解释。由此,结合美国关于证券内幕交易的相关理论、法规和案例,对《关于办理内幕交易、泄露内幕信息刑事案件应用法律若干规定的解释》中所涉及的关于内幕交易罪客观行为规定所存在的问题,提出相应的修改和完善建议。     

美国外交思维特点初探

美国外交思维具有四个特点：绝对安全的目标追求,反对革命的保守心态,技术本位的解决模式以及强烈的主动性和攻击性。这些特点源于美国独特的国情。美国的霸权心态既是这些特征的高度概括,也是其后果。     

冷战结束后北美的马克思主义研究

冷战结束后,北美马克思主义研究领域涌现出许多新学派.在总结苏东剧变教训的基础上,这些学派大多认为马克思主义和社会主义没有"死亡",资本主义并不是历史的终结,并对马克思主义的未来发展方向和社会主义的未来发展道路进行了积极的探索,其中以分析的马克思主义、生态主义的马克思主义和市场社会主义的相关观点最具代表性.     

Food distribution's socio-economic relationships and public policy: Mexico City's municipal public markets

Traditional food supply systems, like municipal public markets (MPM), are in crisis. Nevertheless, MPMs continue to demonstrate importance in the lives of the cities. In this article we discuss the case of Mexico City and the importance of the public markets for its neighbourhoods. We present the results of two research projects, completed in Mexico City at two different historical times and interpreted longitudinally. The results demonstrate the importance of socio-economic relationships for MPM's survival and potential. The article concludes with public policy recommendations to permit conservation, given the MPM's importance for the city's social cohesion.     

第三人同意的无证搜查：美国联邦最高法院伦道夫案评析

美国的刑事诉讼无时无刻不体现着"控辩双方平等武装、平等对抗,法院居中裁断"的精神.犯罪嫌疑人与他人分事住宅的事实意味着该特定空间内的所有权益均可由任意一方处分;第三人同意警方搜查有罪证据是犯罪嫌疑人必须承担的风险.犯罪嫌疑人的反对不具有实质意义,共同权利人的同意足以满足宪法的标准;与他人共享住宅的事实限定了犯罪嫌疑人主张个人隐私的实际范围.     

美日现代农地制度的比较与借鉴

土地制度是农村、农民、农业问题的关键。我国现行以家庭联产承包责任制为特征的土地制度在取得巨大成功的同时也日益暴露出其不足 ,这就使得农村土地制度改革具有了紧迫性。而借鉴国外一些国家农地制度的先进经验为我所用就显得十分必要。对美国、日本的现代农地制度进行分析 ,从而可以得出家庭经营、农民有保障的土地使用权以及国家的法制化管理等对我国农村土地制度改革的有益启示