Judging politicians: The role of political attentiveness in shaping how people evaluate the ethical behaviour of their leaders

Political theorists have developed well‐defined normative understandings of what constitutes ethical political conduct. Based on democratic theory as well as the demands of practical politics, these understandings prescribe certain types of behaviour and proscribe other types. However, it is unclear to what extent this normative framework has resonance for ordinary citizens. This article demonstrates that attention to politics tends to increase the resonance of this normative framework. The analysis identifies three norms about the holding of public office that are expected to structure citizens' ethical judgments: the avoidance of conflicts of interest; conformity with the law or institutional rules; and the maximisation of the public good. The article assesses the importance of these norms in structuring judgments by means of an experiment embedded in a population survey conducted in Great Britain. The analysis finds that informational cues pertaining to conflict‐of‐interest avoidance only condition responses among the attentive, while information pertaining to law conformity has far wider resonance. This finding has implications for approaches to political ethics focusing on normative considerations that appear to have low salience for much of the general public.     

Japan and identity change: why it matters in International Relations

Abstract

Two approaches to identity have been employed to explore issues in Japan's international relations. One views identity as constituted by domestic norms and culture, and as constitutive of interests, which in turn cause behaviour. Proponents view Japan's ‘pacifist’ and ‘antimilitarist’ identity as inherently stable and likely to change only as a result of material factors. In the other approach, ‘Japan’ emerges and changes through processes of differentiation vis-à-vis ‘Others’. Neither ‘domestic’ nor ‘material’ factors can exist outside of such identity constructions. We argue that the second, relational, approach is more theoretically sound, but begs three questions. First, how can different identity constructions in relation to numerous Others be synthesised and understood comprehensively? Second, how can continuity and change be handled in the same relational framework? Third, what is the point of analysing identity in relational terms? This article addresses the first two questions by introducing an analytical framework consisting of three mutually interacting layers of identity construction. Based on the articles in this special issue, we argue that identity entrepreneurs and emotions are particularly likely to contribute to change within this model. We address the third question by stressing common ground with the first approach: identity enables and constrains behaviour. In the case of Japan, changes in identity construction highlighted by the articles in this special issue forebode a political agenda centred on strengthening Japan militarily.     

国家治理现代化视阈下的法律、道德与组织规范关系

国家治理现代化须以系统完备、科学规范、运行有效的规范体系为基础。而法律、道德和"组织规范"共同构成现代社会的规范体系。因而,高度重视"组织规范"并正确处理好它与法律道德的关系,就显得十分重要。"组织规范"具有民间性、自主和自治性,有权制定并实施"组织规范",约束组织本身及其成员的相关行为。这些"组织规范"上承法律下接道德,但又不是照抄照搬,而是依"法无禁止即可为"原则独立存在。在中国继续深化改革和努力实现国家治理现代化的背景下,有必要重新认识三大基础规范的关系,从而有效发挥"组织规范"的作用,构建良好社会秩序。     

Norms,Behavioral Compliance,and Status Attribution in International Politics

Extant work on status attribution has largely focused on major powers or state capabilities as key explanatory factors driving these social processes and suggests that status considerations increase conflicts between states. We argue for a more comprehensive approach to status attribution that considers international norms as another major factor that is weighed in the attribution process. We contend that states (policymakers) evaluate one another not only on the basis of economic and military capabilities but also on the extent to which there is behavioral conformance with normative expectations and reward one another dependent upon whether these expectations are met. However, this attribution of status is dependent upon the level of contestation pertaining to that norm. Using a data set that assesses consistency with six different norms (resource transference, multilateralism, economic liberalism, democratic governance, respect for human rights, and peaceful dispute resolution), we find that status attribution is associated with norm-consistent behavior but only when these norms are uncontested at the global level.     

现代诉讼的本质:全面理性的规范沟通

纠纷的成因是交往失败,而诉讼是重新交往解决纠纷的一种方式。将诉讼置于交往视野下,诉讼的沟通性便得以显现。无论是民事、行政还是刑事诉讼,均渗透着立足言语、实现主体间沟通的理念。诉讼通过外在规范特性保证主体间的沟通顺利进行,没有建制化程序的外在保障,沟通难以成效。诉讼的内在规范性是对诉讼规范性内涵的丰富,是一种内在的交往预设程序。经过对规范价值的内在化,诉讼交往主体形成自我约束,对诉讼规则、交往预设自愿主动承受,促进共识的实现和纠纷的解决。可以说,现代诉讼克服了传统职权主义模式或者当事人主义模式的片面理性,追求客观世界、主观世界和规范世界相融通的全面理性,保障司法公正、令人信服司法,达到司法真正权威。因此,诉讼区别于其他纠纷解决机制的最大不同,在于诉讼的本质是全面理性的规范沟通。     

应着力加强领导干部的诚信建设——基于微博时代

微博时代信息传播的便捷性和巨大影响力对领导干部的诚信建设提出了新的挑战。一些领导干部诚信不高,表现为形式主义、以权谋私、言而无信等,其原因是受官场潜规则、管理欠公正、监督不顺畅等因素的影响,它将削弱社会信任度的增进,降低政治合法．胜的培育,阻碍公共治理质量的提升,影响公民个人权益的维护。微博时代加强领导干部诚信建设,必须依法行政,公正行政;健全制度,加大监督;顺应潮流,做好回应;加强学习,提高修养;明辨是非,慎重交友。     

社会制度中的良善生活——马克思和杜威的伦理学构架

马克思和杜威的伦理学都强调道德是具体社会制度中的生活形式,这一观点既摆脱为伦理学寻求形而上学根源的困境,又指明了良善生活可能具有的内容。同时,社会制度包容不同的良善生活形式,认可了伦理价值的多元性;社会制度也排斥那些不道德的生活形式,它限定着良善生活的评价标准。     

中国传统社会基层治理的法律机制与经验

基层社会治理对于整体社会治理起着重要的基础和支撑作用。在中国传统社会的基层治理中,形成了一套圆融自洽、顺利运行的法律机制,其中蕴含了我国在基层社会治理方面的宝贵经验。传统儒家法与道德相混成,一直将道德教化作为重要的社会治理手段,德治与法治相结合;而基层的自治制度,不论在立法还是司法上,都为国家法律体系的有机组成部分。中国传统社会基层治理的法律机制与经验,与我们今天所提的"自治、法治、德治相结合"有着不谋而合之处,在我们面对当代基层社会治理的重大挑战时,也具有不容忽视的价值。     

劳动人权与法律规范下的劳动自治

劳动人权是人权的重要内容之一,每个人都享有与生俱来的劳动权利。应当平等保障所有劳动者的劳动人权,以体现劳动价值。在此法律规范下,劳动自治作为意思自治在劳动关系领域的反映,体现了劳动权的契约自由。应允许符合劳动伦理的劳动力自由交易行为。国家应在国际劳工标准基础上,建立与社会物质生活条件相适应的劳动年龄制度,顾及未成年人和退休人员的劳动需求。法律对劳动权利应当保护性限制,而非限制性保护。     

“90后”大学生道德实践能力提升初探

近年来,大学生道德实践能力弱、认知和行为脱节的现状令人担忧。如何切实提高大学生的道德实践能力,实现"知行统一",成为高校德育工作创新的重点。为此,高校应该针对当前大学生道德能力低下的问题,着力探寻提升道德实践能力的新路径,使学生在实践的过程中熏陶思想情感,充实精神生活,升华道德境界,实现德育工作效益的最大化。