Ethno-racial identity (politics) by law: “Fraud” and “choice”

Following an introduction to the changes in how ethno-racial identity is conceptualized in the social sciences and humanities by the destabilization of categorical frameworks, the author looks at how law reacts to these discussions and paradigm shifts, and argues that legal and administrative approaches face severe linguistic and conceptual limitations by operating within a “choice” and “fraud” binary. The article then questions if the free choice of identity exists as a principle of international minority protection law, a legal field that arguably represents a global political and ethical consensus. The author makes two claims. First, according to the basic tenet of legal logic, a proper right to free choice of identity allowing people to opt out of racial, ethnic, or national (minority) communities would necessitate the freedom to opt in to the majority or to any chosen group. The second claim, however, is that international law would not actually construct an approach to opting in. Thus, the right to free choice of identity is not an autonomous, sui generis right under international law.     

我国社区矫正制度面临的困境及路径选择

开展社区矫正工作,是我国行刑方式的重大改革,符合国际刑罚执行的发展趋势,有利于维护社会稳定,推进和谐社会的构建。目前,我国社区矫正工作碰到许多现实难题,存在矛盾困境。我们应借鉴吸收发达国家社区矫正的先进理念和管理制度,完善我国社区矫正法律法规,加强专业队伍建设,建立健全管理制度,强化执法监督,积极探索中国特色社区矫正制度的新出路。     

继承法热点问题探析

长期囿于计划经济和简单生活资料生产束缚的中国家庭正经历着前所未有的变革。与之相适应,人们的财产继承观念也有了新的变化,这给当前我国的继承法带来了许多新的问题。立足于现实,从文化、经济的视角观察和评价当前一些继承关系中的热点问题,诸如洁手原则、自由选择权原则、遗嘱自由原则、文化对继承者资格的阻滞以及尊重习惯法原则,以期对继承制度的完善有所裨益。     

孟子论舜所涉道德判断与选择问题初探——以“不告而娶”为中心

孟子对舜的诸多论述体现出独特的观念：首先,孝作为一种道德原则源于人的本性之善。其次,孝是具有最高价值的道德原则,它不仅能够实现于血亲关系和家庭中,也可推及于社会群体及天地万物,具有强大的示范与感化作用。再次,在具体的实践方式上,为人子者应顺乎父母、得乎父母,对父母时时保持发诸本心的诚与敬。最后,在不同的道德原则发生冲突时,应根据具体情境选择具有更高价值的道德原则作为判断与选择的标准,做到原则性与灵活性的统一。     

Not just ‘friends and neighbours’: Canvassing,geographic proximity and voter choice

The impact of local campaigning on voter choice has been studied within the theme of mobilisation. Grassroots effort can attract votes efficiently, but campaign contact is (potentially) endogenous, so results showing positive effects could be flawed. Experimental solutions to this problem are possible, but could also have low external validity. Drawing on the electoral geography literature, this article suggests that endogeneity concerns can be addressed through so‐called ‘friends and neighbours voting’. One source of endogeneity is that that candidates may tend to canvass those living close to their own homes, and those canvassed would be expected in any case to be prone to support local candidates. The problem of endogeneity is reframed and treated as an omitted variable bias. Using unique Irish data on the geographic location of the homes of candidates, as well as data on the location of the voters, the analysis confirms that canvassing has a positive impact on candidate choice independent of the effect of geographic distance. More importantly, these two variables interact. The results point to the relevance of the geographic dimension of electoral politics in driving the endogeneity bias in local campaigning studies.