The impact of candidate selection rules and electoral vulnerability on legislative behaviour in comparative perspective

Legislators are political actors whose main goal is to get re-elected. They use their legislative repertoire to help them cater to the interests of their principals. It is argued in this article that we need to move beyond treating electoral systems as monolithic entities, as if all legislators operating under the same set of macro-rules shared the same set of incentives. Rather, we need to account for within-system variation – namely, candidate selection rules and individual electoral vulnerability. Using a most different systems design, Germany, Ireland and Portugal are leveraged with both cross-system and within-system variation. An original dataset of 345,000 parliamentary questions is used. Findings show that candidate selection rules blur canonical electoral system boundaries. Electoral vulnerability has a similar effect in closed-list and mixed systems, but not in preferential voting settings.     

检察理论研究之反思

检察理论研究在取得一定成果的同时,也存在着不少问题,如较强的部门化倾向、意识形态化话语较多、研究范式以证成性为主等。表面繁荣的背后暴露出学术评价量化机制的某些弊端。应以开放的姿态建构独立自主的检察理论研究体系,把握好历史与逻辑的辩证统一。     

Methods used in microbial forensics and epidemiological investigations for stronger health systems

This review discusses microbial forensics as an emerging science that finds application in protecting human health. It is important to distinguish naturally acquired infections from those caused by the intentional release of microorganisms to the environment. This information is crucial in formulating procedures against the spread of infectious diseases and prosecuting persons who may be involved in acts of biocrime, bioterrorism, or biowarfare. A comparison between epidemiological investigations and microbial forensic investigations is provided. In addition, a discussion on how microbial forensics strengthens health systems is included in this review. Microbial forensic investigations and epidemiologic examinations employ similar concepts and involve identifying and characterising the microbe of interest. Both fields require formulating an appropriate case definition, determining a pathogen’s mode of transmission, and identifying the source(s) of infection. However, the two subdisciplines differ in their objectives. An epidemiological investigation aims to identify the pathogen’s source to prevent the spread of the disease. Microbial forensics focuses on source-tracking to facilitate the prosecution of persons responsible for the spread of a pathogen. Both fields use molecular techniques in analysing and comparing DNA, gene products, and biomolecules to identify and characterise the microorganisms of interest. We included case studies to show methods used in microbial forensic investigations, a brief discussion of the public significance of microbial forensic systems, and a roadmap for establishing a system at a national level. This system is expected to strengthen a country’s capacity to respond to public health emergencies. Several factors must be considered in establishing national microbial forensic systems. First is the inherent ubiquity, diversity, and adaptability of microorganisms that warrants the use of robust and accurate molecular typing systems. Second, the availability of facilities and scientists who have been trained in epidemiology, molecular biology, bioinformatics, and data analytics. Human resources and infrastructure are critical requirements because formulating strategies and allocating resources in times of infectious disease outbreaks must be data-driven. Establishing and maintaining a national microbial forensic system to strengthen capacities in conducting forensic and epidemiological investigations should be prioritised by all countries, accompanied by a national policy that sets the legislative framework and provides for the system’s financial requirements.     

西原借款与曹汝霖、陆宗舆、章宗祥“卖国贼”身份再考

在近代日本推行大陆政策的过程中,"二十一条"是日本"北守南进"侵华图谋的重要实践。大隈内阁的武力侵华失败之后,寺内内阁转换策略,以西原借款为中心极力推行经济侵华,网罗了大量"二十一条"都不曾获得的新利权,在此过程中,曹汝霖、陆宗舆、章宗祥三人与有力焉。五四前后,反日派指证曹、陆、章"卖国"的证据既有符合事实者,亦有以讹传讹者,而曹、陆、章自辩"无回扣""收回山东利权"之言辞,既经不住事实的检验,亦经不起逻辑的推敲。故而,西原借款既是坐实曹、陆、章"卖国贼"身份的主要证据,也是上承"二十一条"、下启五四运动的关键环节。     

公共政策绩效损失的实证分析--以G省农业水价综合改革政策为例

绩效管理的核心目的是改进绩效,而绩效损失这一分析视角业已成为审视绩效生产与绩效提升的一个重要维度。以G省农业水价综合改革政策为例,对“治理缺陷型”和“价值偏离型”两类绩效损失的生成机理与影响因素进行分析。研究发现:两类绩效损失是在公共政策组织管理系统和公共价值建构系统中交互形成的,其公共价值因素与组织管理因素相互影响,共同作用于整体绩效损失的生成;其中,社会价值建构缺失构成了整体绩效损失生成的逻辑起点。此外,在绩效损失的生成过程中,经济发展水平和自然区位要素与其他影响因素耦合互动,并对绩效损失产生“放大效应”。未来应进一步开展相关的定量研究以探索绩效损失形成的关键区域,并提出具有针对性与可行性的矫正策略和治理路径。     

立法后评估中的公众参与“虚置”及治理路径

作为检验立法实效、提升立法质量、促进法律体系完善的立法后评估制度已逐渐在全国范围内展开实践。然而,在这种多方主体的博弈中,公众当前只是一种被动型或者功能型的“虚置”参与,无法发挥其积极性、主体性的作用。公众参与立法后评估的实践困境具体表现为:参与主体的构成失衡、参与内容的模糊、参与方式的“指令化”及参与效果的抑制。要突破这一困境,须正确认识公众参与评估的价值,从意识、制度、参与的指向及参与效果等方面构建参与路径,实现立法后评估中公众参与的有效性和制度化。     

How domestic contexts shape international private governance: The case of the European Accord and American Alliance in Bangladesh

The international nature of supply chains has led to the rise of private authority in regulating the environmental and social impacts of production, which companies frequently address through corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the form of private governance (PG). Despite its claim to establish “global” rules, PG usually has national origins, and multiple efforts to address the same issue from different national perspectives frequently coexist. Numerous studies have explored the impact of national business systems on companies' domestic CSR practices, yet little is known about what factors shape CSR practices like PG internationally. Therefore, this study seeks to understand how differing domestic contexts shape approaches to CSR in the form of PG in host countries. I explore this empirically through the comparative case study of competing PG initiatives in the post-Rana Plaza Bangladesh garment industry, uniquely conceived to govern companies' practices rather than certify products. It combines empirical findings with the comparative CSR literature to hypothesize about ideal types of PG organizing in US and European contexts. It extends the analysis to also account for other influential factors, such as stakeholder pressure, thus demonstrating how institutional and agentic factors amalgamate to shape firms' choices. By explicating linkages between international PG and its domestic context, as well as between the comparative CSR and PG literature studies, this study extends our understanding of how and why international PG practices and preferences vary for firms originating from different environments.     

中国与“一带一路”沿线国家跨国科学研究合作何以可能?——一项定性比较分析

【问题】中国与“一带一路”沿线国家之间的跨国科学研究合作是承载“一带一路”建设科技交流与创新发展使命的重要议题,然而由于许多“一带一路”沿线国家的制度和法律环境尚不健全,甚至部分国家还存在较强的政治风险和文化冲突,这种合作并非易事。在此背景下,中国与“一带一路”沿线国家之间的跨国科学研究合作何以成为可能?【方法】本研究从宏观分析视角提出了中国与“一带一路”沿线国家之间跨国科学研究合作影响因素的分析框架,并采用模糊集定性比较分析方法识别了36个沿线国家案例中的跨国科学研究合作影响因素及其条件组合。【发现】资源投入与制度环境是影响跨国科学研究合作的重要因素,两者相互耦合共同构成跨国科学研究合作的实现路径。进一步地,本研究依据资源投入与制度环境不同耦合程度,识别出强强联合型、资源主导型、经贸带动型与政治兜底型四种跨国科学研究合作类型。【贡献】论文提出的分析框架弥补了以往研究聚焦于中观和微观层面跨国科学研究合作影响因素分析的局限性,区分了不同伙伴国家与中国开展跨国科学研究合作的各种途径,可以更为准确地解释全球治理背景下的跨国科学研究合作机制,对于中国进一步深入推进与沿线国家之间的跨国科学研究合作、提升合作效果具有积极意义。     

新形势下检察机关加强群众工作问题探析

检察机关做好新形势下群众工作与宪法法律赋予的执法办案职能具有内在的本质联系．但是不少地方检察机关的群众工作还存在诸多问题。需要通过狠抓职务犯罪查处工作,着力维护公平正义。着力化解社会矛盾,高度重视民生民利工作等途径,探索总结一些行之有效的载体和抓手,提升检察机关执法办案和群众工作的融合度。     

自然价值的疏离与回归——论生态现象学“生活世界化的自然”

人类要想实现与自然的真正和解,就必须解决一个前提性问题,即如何看待和理解"自然"。对于这个问题的回答也是将不同生态哲学流派区分开来的根本标志。生态现象学作为一种反传统知识论哲学的现代哲学,它试图通过建构一种自然意义、社会意义和文化意义相统一的"自然"概念——"生活世界化的自然",将自然原初的被隐匿了的价值意义重新凸显出来,以引导人类走上通往与自然和解的道路。生态现象学的自然观念既不同于生态中心主义所主张的脱离人的生活世界来谈生态保护,也区别于人类中心主义所主张的将自然仅仅看作是工具价值层面"为我而生"的对象性存在。"生活世界化的自然"在"此在"的意义上来理解自然,是在日常生活中与"我"照面的,承载着各种价值意义,能够为人类的生命活动中所真切体验到的活生生的自然。生态现象学试图借助"生活世界化的自然"的"基底样式",推动人类在"遭遇自然"—"体验自然"—"审美自然"的交往过程中,赋予自然以人性的同时,重新唤醒人性的生态化一面,进而引导饱受工具理性摧残的现代人类实现与自然的真正和解。