The Resurrection of Group Selection as a Theory of Human Cooperation

Two books edited by members of the MacArthur Norms and Preferences Network (an interdisciplinary group, mainly anthropologists and economists) are reviewed here. These books in large part reflect a renewed interest in group selection that has occurred among these researchers: they promote the theory that human cooperative behavior evolved via selective processes which favored biological and/or cultural group-level adaptations as opposed to individual-level adaptations. In support of this theory, an impressive collection of cross-cultural data are presented which suggest that participants in experimental economic games often do not behave as self-interested income maximizers; this lack of self-interest is regarded as evidence of group selection. In this review, problems with these data and with the theory are discussed. On the data side, it is argued that even if a behavior seems individually-maladaptive in a game context, there is no reason to believe that it would have been that way in ancestral contexts, since the environments of experimental games do not at all resemble those in which ancestral humans would have interacted cooperatively. And on the theory side, it is argued that it is premature to invoke group selection in order to explain human cooperation, because more parsimonious individual-level theories have not yet been exhausted. In summary, these books represent ambitious interdisciplinary contributions on an important topic, and they include unique and useful data; however, they do not make a convincing case that the evolution of human cooperation required group selection.     

检审配合的价值基础研究

在中国，审计机关是最高行政机关国务院的下属部门，其实质上是政府的内审部门，行使的是内部监督权，而检察机关是国家的法律监督机关，其行使的更多是一种外部监督权。探讨检审合作的根本价值就在于如何实现两者的内外配合，双剑合壁在反腐败方面发挥两家监督机关的最大效力，实现双方履行职务的双赢。     

转型时期国家权威与政党政治——以当代中国政党制度为例探讨之

国家权威是衡量国家能力强弱的尺度，它为政府有效行使职能提供了重要的基础和保障。转型国家面临的内外环境和处于转型过程中的政府所固有的脆弱性使这些国家的政府能力和国家权威遭遇考验，甚至出现“国家权威碎裂化”的危险。作为联接政府与社会的桥梁，政党和政党政治在化解转型带来的矛盾冲突、维护国家权威方面发挥着重要作用，我国合作性的政党制度融合了一党制与多党制优势又克服了二者的不足，以其独特的结构和功能有效地维护了转型时期的国家权威。     

宪政与有限政府

政府职能的增加 ,政府“行政疆域”的扩展 ,部分解决了现代社会发生的复杂问题 ,但是它的副作用也越来越明显 ,需要“行政国家”向“有限政府”的过渡。“有限政府”的建立 ,离不开民主与法治的发展 ,而民主与法治正是宪政的构成要素。宪政的精髓就是限制、规范和制约政府权力 ,保障个人的基本人权。建立“有限政府” ,首要任务是建立宪政     

So far away from me? The effect of geographical distance on representation

Legislators face numerous trade-offs with regard to how to spend their time. One factor is, however, beyond their control: the distance between their constituency and the legislature. A more distant constituency implies increased travel, which decreases the time available for activities within the legislature itself, while also raising the possibility of centre–periphery dynamics in representation. Previous work has found that as distance between constituency and legislature increases, so does constituency focus, but it has not established why this is. This article explores the impact of geographical remoteness on representational activity, analysing a dataset of parliamentary activity in the British House of Commons (2005–2015), showing that the more remote an MP’s constituency, the less likely that MP is to attend votes, while being more likely to sign Early Day Motions. The article further shows that this is most likely driven by a centre–periphery dynamic rather than simply being a response to longer travel time.     

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.     

城乡一体化进程中国家法与民间法的冲突及协调

民间法是经过长期的历史积淀所形成的道德习俗、社会规范被逐渐制度化且相对稳定的一种通行做法。民间法仍然被很多农村群众所认可,农民更多的愿意在自身的生活空间中寻求一种秩序,因而国家的法律法令就很难真正地深入到农民的生活中去。国家需要一套协调机制来解决国家法律政策与民间法所存在的冲突与对峙,以对地方传统风俗的有益部分进行法律变通,以促进国家法与民间法的融合。     

海峡西岸经济区区域三螺旋合作深化发展路径探讨

区域正日益转变为由政府、科研院所和企业组成的三螺旋创新空间。本文首先对区域三螺旋创新空间的形成及运行特点进行了理论探讨;在此基础上,针对海峡西岸经济区正日益成为实现两岸要素资源优化整合的先行先试区域,对海峡西岸经济区区域三螺旋合作的现状和存在的问题进行了分析;最后,对推动海峡西岸经济区依托对台合作深化区域三螺旋合作提出了一些政策建议。     

Simple and simultaneous quantification of cyanide,ethanol, and 1-propanol in blood by headspace GC–MS/NPD with Deans switch dual detector system

Cyanide is a powerful and rapidly acting poison. In Japan, cyanide poisoning is rare, and regular cyanide testing can be costly and time consuming. In contrast, alcohol analysis is routinely performed in most forensic laboratories. In this study, we attempted to develop a method for the simultaneous quantification of cyanide and alcohols in blood using headspace gas chromatography (HS–GC). As nitrogen-phosphorus detection (NPD) is more sensitive to hydrogen cyanide than mass spectrometry (MS), a Deans switch was used to switch the detectors during a single run. The separation provided by three analytical columns, PoraBOND Q, CP-Sil 5 CB, and HP-INNOWax, was investigated, and PoraBOND Q was selected. The use of HS–GC–MS/NPD with a Deans switch enabled the simple and simultaneous quantification of cyanide, ethanol, and 1-propanol. Eighteen other volatile compounds were detected in the SIM/scan mode of the MS.     

The regulatory state in developing countries: Redistribution and regulatory failure in Brazil

Following the traditional doctrine of the “regulatory state”, regulatory agencies should be given very focused mandates and stay away from the politicized realm of distributive policies and decisions. An opposing perspective would state that if regulatory agencies can contribute to economic redistribution, positive results such as network expansion, economies of scale, and fiscal efficiency will ultimately lead to lower levels of regulatory failure. This article tests whether, in countries of high socio-economic inequality, such as Brazil, the active incorporation of distributive considerations by regulatory agencies leads to lower levels of failure. Through the analysis of the activities of seven Brazilian network regulatory agencies, the article develops theory-driven expectations and tests these expectations using crisp set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (csQCA). It concludes that not prioritizing redistribution is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for regulatory agencies' failure. In most types of failure, a lack of priority to redistribution leads to failure when combined with low regulatory capacity and low levels of competence.