Smart and secure borders through automated border control systems in the EU? The views of political stakeholders in the Member States

The European Commission launched the “Smart Borders” policy process in 2011 to enhance border security in the European Union (EU) using technologisation and harmonisation. This includes the use of automated border control (ABC) systems. The Member States crucially shape the process, weighing security technologies and costs, privacy and rights, and further institutional choices. We examine the views of political stakeholders in four Member States by conducting a systematic empirical and comparative study unprecedented in the existing, political-theory-inspired research. In our Q methodological experiments, political stakeholders in Finland, Romania, Spain and the UK rank-ordered a sample of statements on Smart Borders, ABC and harmonisation. The factor analysis of the results yielded three main views: the first criticising ABC as a security technology, the second welcoming the security gains of automation and the third opposing harmonised border control. While impeding harmonisation, the results offer a consensus facilitating common policy.     

抗战时期陕甘宁边区的干部学校教育述评

研究和总结抗战时期陕甘宁边区的干部学校教育及其特点,对于新时期加强干部学校建设,培养和造就高素质的干部队伍具有重要的意义。     

两岸跨境犯罪新情势、新问题分析

2010年的"1011"与"0810"项目,以及2011年的"0310"项目行动,让人们见识到跨境电话诈骗之猖獗。事实上,打击跨境犯罪的困境,体现在"跨境"的字义上。从犯罪人的角度而言,跨境犯罪的实施,便意味着增加了执法机关追诉的困难并降低了犯罪人被捕的风险。另外,在此信息社会下,两岸跨境犯罪呈现组织化、科技化、隐蔽化、严重化及被害普及化之新趋势,传统跨境治理体系已无法处理日益复杂化的全球跨境犯罪问题。如何避免全球治理缺口,即"管辖权的缺口"、"参与性的缺口"、"诱因性的缺口"及"功能性的缺口",成为当前防治跨境犯罪急需注意的课题。所以,未来两岸为了有效防治跨境犯罪,应以全球化治理的观点来检视两岸跨境犯罪问题,以强调"网络"、"互赖"及"规制"的特质(低政治、高功能),建立一个永续合作的发展模式,共创两岸人民双赢的局面。     

前建都期北京文学的地域特征

不同时期的文学所呈现的成果形态不同,所表现出的地域文化特征亦不同.北京作为一个特定的文化区域,其文学的发展有着独特的线索和规律.边荒色彩成为前建都期北京文学的地域特征.     

对公安边防派出所人性化执法的思考

人性化执法是人本理念和服务精神在公安边防执法实践中的必然要求和体现,是蕴涵了价值尊重和人文关怀为表征的社会主义新型法治精神。公安边防派出所人性化执法的提出有利于实现法律工具理性与价值理性双重价值目标的统一,有利于实现公安边防行政执法合法性与合理性双重原则的统一,有利于实现公安边防派出所管理者和服务者双重角色的统一。因此,要积极树立公安边防干警人性化执法意识,不断提高公安边防干警人性化执法艺术,不断加强公安边防干警人性化执法监督。同时,必须明确公安边防派出所实施人性化执法需要注意的几个问题。     

The maquiladora electronics industry on Mexico’s northern border and the environment

The electronic sector, in particular, the computing industry, has become an increasing concern because of the environmental impact of its products throughout their life cycle. The United States, Europe and Japan as the greatest consumers of electronic goods have given special attention to this issue. The fast computer obsolescence and its difficult confinement, because of the hazardous substances contained, have required a special effort of technical innovation. Nevertheless, this effort seems to respond mainly to the standards required by the countries in which these goods are produced, consumed and confined, which are radically different in developed and developing countries. Though an important part of the production process (assembling) is done in developing countries, little attention has been paid to the environmental quality at this production stage. This study examines the environmental problems and strategy of the electronic assembly industry in the three northern border cities of Mexico. Almost half of 200 electronic maquiladora enterprises surveyed had not undertaken any active environmental policy and there was a limited environmental standards enforcement. Evidence was found that the firms that had operated for a longer period of time had better chances of taking better care of the environment. Environmental firm policies became weaker as one descended from the head office to the subsidiaries and then to their suppliers. It is also found that some transnational corporations operate with double standards in Mexico and thus strong national policies on environmental standards in Mexico are required to change this practice.

Mexican American Attitudes Towards Crime

Abstract

The study seeks to determine (1) whether the crime seriousness ranking hierarchy identified by Rossi et al. in 1974 persists and (2) whether intra-group agreement on the relative ordering of crimes exists within a Mexican American sample stratified by age and sex. A self-administered survey questionnaire surveyed a sample of 525 college students and 426 parents. Respondents were asked to rank 20 crime offenses according to perceived seriousness. The analyses indicate that the older cohort of respondents is more conservative than the college students and that female students have lower tolerance for crime than their male counterparts. Among Mexican Americans, significant generational and sex differences exist in how serious certain behaviors are perceived.     

Chinese—Indian relations and the process of building confidence: Implications for the Asia‐Pacific

China's traditional approach to security questions appears to be antithetical to the cooperative security approach that has been adopted by ASEAN and by embryonic multilateral organizations such as the ASEAN Regional Forum. Yet, in the course of normalizing relations with India, China has shown itself willing to explore the kind of confidence‐ and security‐building measures associated with this approach. Although it was a change in interests that prompted China to explore the worth of such measures, nevertheless cooperative security ideas have proved helpful in defusing tensions between New Delhi and Beijing. Possibly as a result of its experience with India, there are indications that China has become more receptive to the use of a cooperative security framework elsewhere in the Asia‐Pacific, most notably in dealing with the ASEAN Regional Forum. Its involvement in this process has increased the diplomatic and economic costs that would be incurred should it decide to use force to make good its irredentist claims in the South China Sea.