How legislatures work – and should work – as public space

In a democracy, legislatures are not only stages for performances by elected representatives; they are also stages for performances by other players in the public sphere. This article argues that while many legislatures are designed and built as spaces for the public to engage with politics, and while democratic norms require some degree of access, increasingly what are termed “purposive publics” are being superseded by groups who are only publics in an aggregative, accidental sense. The article begins with a conceptual analysis of the ways in which legislatures can be thought of as public spaces, and the in-principle access requirements that follow from them. It then draws on interviews and observational fieldwork in eleven capital cities to discover whether the theoretical requirements are met in practice, revealing further tensions. The conclusions are that accessibility is important; is being downgraded in important ways; but also that access norms stand in tension with the requirement that legislatures function as working buildings if they are to retain their symbolic value. The article ends with two “modest proposals”, one concerning the design of the plazas in front of legislatures, the other concerning a role for the wider public in legislative procedure.     

Critical terrorism studies: an activist scholar perspective

This thematic analysis examines the applicability of Gustavo Correa's constructs of horizontal and vertical honour with regard to prestige as reflected in 21 statements by Osama Bin Laden (OBL) between 2002 and 2008. The relevance of Correa's theory pivots upon whether the individual is considered as the primary locus of honour, as Correa seemed to imply. There was limited support and substantial disconfirming evidence under this condition. Correa's theory appears more applicable to honour when the Ummah rather than OBL's person is considered as the primary locus of honour, with the individual's prestige a derivative of group membership. Under this condition, supported hypotheses derived from the theory include honour being rooted in divinity; vertical and horizontal aspects of honour being mutually constitutive; vertical honour being established with the creation of the Ummah through rank (insofar as the Ummah is presumed precedent above all non-Muslims), competition (including warfare) and functioning as an ideology hierarchically differentiating Muslims from non-Muslims; horizontal honour being gendered (with domination by non-Muslims situating the Ummah in a feminised position). A notable limitation of the theory is that it does not predict or account for the geospatial reification of group honour, whereby the establishment, defence, violation and exoneration of Islamic honour is discussed in terms of establishment, defence, invasion and forceful expulsion of non-Muslims from Islamic territory. Implications of honour are discussed with regard to the Islamist geospatial dichotomy of Islamic versus non-Islamic territories, efforts to encourage disengagement from terrorism and de-radicalisation within non-Islamic settings, legitimisation of complex phenomena such as jihad or suicide bombing according to frameworks of martyrdom and realistic efforts to win hearts and minds within the Islamic world.     

Privacy by design and anonymisation techniques in action: Case study of Match technology

Privacy by Design is now enjoying widespread acceptance. The EU has recently expressly included it as one of the key principles in the revised data protection legal framework. But how does Privacy by design and data anonymisation work in practise? In this article the authors address this question from a practical point of view by analysing a case study on EU Financial Intelligence Units (“FIUs”) using the Ma³tch technology as additional feature to the existing exchange of information via FIU.NET decentralised computer network. They present, analyse, and evaluate Ma³tch technology from the perspective of personal data protection. The authors conclude that Ma³tch technology can be seen as a valuable example of Privacy by Design. It achieves data anonymisation and enhances data minimisation and data security, which are the fundamental elements of Privacy by Design. Therefore, it may not only improve the exchange of information among FIUs and allow for the data processing to be in line with applicable data protection requirements, but it may also substantially contribute to the protection of privacy of related data subjects. At the same time, the case study clearly shows that Privacy by Design needs to be supported and complemented by appropriate organisational and technical procedures to assure that the technology solutions devised to protect privacy would in fact do so.     

国家综合配套改革试验区的实践探索与发展趋势

近几年,为适应改革开放新形势的需要,国家推动了综合配套改革试验区建设,赋予其落实科学发展观、体制创新、探索新发展模式、提升区域竞争力以及建设和谐社会的历史使命。从目前已经推行综合配套改革的几个试点城市来看,改革方案的内容及举措均体现出鲜明的时代和区域特色,尤其是与以往经济特区模式相比具有较大的差异。在当前区域竞争日益激烈的情况下,能否利用自己的特色和优势,推进体制创新,掌握改革主动权,将决定一个城市或地区在未来竞争格局中的位置。获准设立国家综合配套改革试验区,对于一个城市或地区来说,无疑相当于获得一次体制创新、再创业和腾飞的机会。这也正是各地在申报建立国家综合配套改革试验区上竞争激烈的原因所在。     

高校廉政建设的深层思考与对策

高校廉政建设是一项多方位、多层次、多途径的艰巨而长期的系统工程。本文基于高校廉政建设的主要特点进行实证研究,在剖析造成高校腐败的深层次原因的基础上,提出在加大查处惩治力度的同时,应加强在源头上的预防和综合治理,合理配置教育资源,减少寻租机会,完善内部治理结构,逐步去行政化,保证有力的制约监督与惩治,建立反腐倡廉综合治理长效机制等对策,以推动高校廉政建设的发展,不断提高监督力度和效果,从根本上遏制高校腐败滋生蔓延,保证高等教育事业的健康发展。     

基于过程管理的城市灾害应急管理综合能力评价体系研究

城市灾害应急管理综合能力是衡量该地区城市灾害管理水平的重要指标,建立科学合理的城市灾害应急管理能力综合评价体系是城市灾害管理的重要课题。本文借鉴了国内外城市灾害应急管理能力的研究成果,建立了基于过程管理的城市灾害应急管理综合能力评价体系,该系统包括灾前预警能力评价、灾中应急能力评价和灾后恢复能力评价等三个分系统以及12个子系统,并用综合评价表对政府部门的应急反应能力进行了实证分析。     

论公安机关应对网络流行语的舆情引导策略

网络流行语往往与社会重大公共事件相伴相生,折射出深刻的社会背景,一定程度地反映了我国社会转型期人们的心理状况,对网络舆论的走向起着推波助澜的作用。网络流行语具有触发性、速成性、反讽性、易煽动性和短暂性等特征,具有正负两方面的社会效应。公安机关作为代表国家行使公安职权和履行公安职责的国家机关,应积极关注网络流行语的动态,把握网络流行语的形成特点及产生发展规律,切实转变工作方式,畅通公众沟通渠道,坚持公平、公正、公开原则,正确引导网络舆论。     

香港警察执法规范化对内地公安机关的启示

加强公安机关执法规范化建设是践行"三项建设"的重要环节。目前我国公安机关在执法工作中仍存在着执法理念不正确、执法程序不规范、执法素质不高、执法监督不到位等问题。从比较法的视角,从执法理念、规章制度、警队管理、执法监督四个方面介绍我国香港地区警察规范化执法的基本状况,通过比较分析,为我国内地公安机关执法规范化建设的未来发展提供宝贵的经验借鉴。     

网络信息安全与社会主义核心价值观

社会主义核心价值观明确了国家、社会、公民三个层面的价值目标、价值取向、价值准则,培育和弘扬社会主义核心价值观,关系国家长治久安和社会和谐稳定。网络信息时代,社会主义核心价值观与网络信息安全密切相关,从国家层面来看,网络信息安全是维护国家意识形态的技术保障,有助于巩固社会主义核心价值观的主导地位。从社会层面来看,网络信息安全是维护社会和谐稳定的有效路径,有助于发挥社会主义核心价值观的引领作用。从个体层面来看,网络信息安全是保障公民网络信息权利的基本前提,有助于扩大社会主义核心价值观的认同空间。     

毗邻朝韩海域越界捕捞活动的特点及对策研究

近年来,我国渔船在毗邻朝韩海域进行越界捕捞活动成为了影响中朝、中韩海域安全稳定的焦点问题,也是困扰我边境管理工作的重难点问题。公安边防部门作为渔船民管理的主管部门,为有效地预防和制止越界捕捞活动,应针对边防管理工作中存在的问题,结合部队的实际情况,从根本上预防和制止越界捕捞行为,有力地维护毗邻朝韩海域的安全与稳定,促进毗邻朝韩海域海洋经济可持续发展。