Local Government Capital Spending During and After Recessions: A Cause for Concern?

This article combines literature on cutback management with the results of a survey of county commissioners. Specifically, it focuses on the use of capital spending reductions in county government to cope with fiscal stress and the potential long-term impact of such reductions in response to the limited amount of research on this form of local government. In light of the literature and survey results, it recommends that county governments change their behavior and avoid cuts to their capital budgets due to the long-term costs of delayed maintenance and the opportunity costs incurred by stifling economic development. It also presents policy choices available to many counties that enable them to maintain capital investments, including public–private partnerships and earmarked local option sales taxes. The study concludes with a call for quantitative research on the long-term effects of capital reductions during economic downturns.     

The organisation of London's street gangs

This article examines a grossly neglected area of the street gang literature: the nature and extent of gang organisation. Based upon fieldwork with gangs in London, UK, this article illustrates how recreation, crime, and enterprise are not specific gang ‘types’, but rather represent sequential stages in the evolutionary cycle of gangs. This article demonstrates not only how gangs typically begin life as neighbourhood-based peer groups, but also how, in response to external threats and financial commitments, gangs grow to incorporate street-level drug distribution businesses that very much resemble the multi-level marketing structure of direct-selling companies. Gang organisation, in turn, becomes a function of gang business. Gang organisation is conceptualised here on three levels: internal, external, and symbolic. This article examines, respectively, the presence of subgroups, hierarchy and leadership, incentives, rules, responsibilities, and punishments within gangs; how gangs interact with the local and larger community; and how gangs associate with symbolic elements of popular culture in order to convey reputation and achieve intimidation.     

无意思联络数人侵权的责任。承担——基于对《侵权责任法》第11、12条的分析

虽然《侵权责任法》第11、12条对无意思联络数人侵权作了规定,但仍未明确其责任的承担问题。《侵权责任法》第11、12条对无意思联络数人侵权行为的划分是以因果关系为标准的,任何一种侵权行为都是同一损害后果的必要条件而非充分条件,单独有其中任何一方的侵权都不会导致损害结果的发生,当且仅当两者结合时损害结果才会产生,反过来,损害结果的发生必须是两个人以上侵权行为的共同结合。在无意思联络数人侵权中,不论每个行为人的行为是否足以造成全部损害,只要在损害结果与每一个侵权行为都不可分的情况下,就应认定为连带责任,在损害结果可分的情况下,应认定为按份责任。     

美国民众对军售台湾支持率的影响因素研究——基于美国人对华态度实证调研

美国对外政策的制定通常需要有民意基础,然而现有研究鲜有从美国民众的视角探究美国对台军售。本文基于美国人对华态度实证调研的数据,利用单因子试验法测试美国民众在“中美关系”和“对台军售”间的权衡,并采用logistic模型来检查影响美国民众对台军售支持率的主要因素。结果表明即使对台军售会严重恶化或危害中美关系,58％的美国民众依然支持美国对台军售。政治倾向（温和派）、媒体和信息渠道（收听广播和浏览网络频率）、个人因素（性别、年龄）等是影响美国民众对台军售支持率的主要因素。终止美国对台军售,我国一方面需要有更加强有力的反制措施,另一方面可以尝试通过长期规划的网络传播手段来扭转美国民众对对台军售的支持。     

我国银行业税制改革

伴随着我国银行业融入金融全球化,在2007年3月16日,通过了新的《中华人民共和国企业所得税法》,内外资企业所得税合并终于尘埃落定。中资银行与外资银行在同一个平台上展开激烈竞争。作为影响市场竞争力的一个重要因素,现行的金融税制逐渐暴露出诸多问题,制约了我国商业银行市场竞争力的进一步提升,影响了我国银行业的健康发展。尤其是在金融危机发生后,银行业的税制改革显得尤为重要。     

共同侵权之“共同”标准：反思与重构

我国《侵权责任法》以意思联络作为确定共同侵权的“共同”标准。该法选择的进路并无充分的价值依据且悖于侵权法的发展方向。其他现有的替代标准未能弥补该缺陷。妥当的进路是附条件的损害共同说。在受害人无辜的场合,只要数人致同一或不可分的损害。各加害人均应负连带责任。在受害人具有过错的场合,只要某加害人责任份额比受害人责任份额大,该加害人即应负连带责任。过错程度和风险比例规则是确定当事人责任份额的妥当标准。     

关于城市化进程中集体土地上房屋买卖纠纷法律适用问题的分析简

与城镇房屋交易相比,集体土地上房屋流转整体活跃程度低,历来不是人们关注的重点.但农户之间买卖、互换房屋或以房抵债等流转情况由来已久,只是交易行为往往发生于本村成员间,纷争较少,因此鲜有关注.近年来,由于城市化进程的逐渐加快,集体土地上房屋价值水涨船高,以往内部成员间被亲缘、地缘关系掩盖的利益平衡被拆迁补偿等客观因素所打破,矛盾纠纷凸显,成为目前房地产案件中群体性最强、矛盾也较为突出的一类纠纷.集体土地上房屋流转是否存在各种限制,审理中如何平衡各种利益,成为了当前审判实践中亟待解决的问题.     

欧洲民法典草案消费者买卖合同风险移转研究

风险移转制度是货物买卖核心制度之一,也是立法者最需要严肃对待的问题之一。基于交付主义的优越性,欧洲民法典草案明确采纳了该理论。然而,随着消费者概念的出现及消费者保护主义理念的兴起,传统的交付主义及其具体规则在适用于消费者买卖合同时,不可避免地产生问题。为此,有必要在消费者买卖合同中确立风险移转的特别规定。     

侵权行为中的连带责任反思

共同侵权行为产生连带责任 ,其基础在于共同过错和共同行为的结合。有共同过错但无共同行为的情况不承担连带责任。连带责任和既无共同过错又无共同行为的垫付责任、补充责任、转承责任也不相同。在判决加害人承担连带责任时 ,在判决中确定各加害人的份额是合理而实际的做法     

A Review of: “Devin R. Springer,James L. Regens,and David N. Edger. Islamic Radicalism and Global Jihad. Stephen Vertigans (with contributions from Donncha Marron and Philip W. Sutton). Militant Islam: A Sociology of Characteristics,Causes, and Consequences. David Aaron. In Their Own Words: Voices of Jihad.”

Chinese arms sales to Africa have increased in recent years. In a region beset by conflict and unstable regimes, and where arms sales are a significant and positive predictor of an increased probability of political violence, this is inherently problematic. The sale of weaponry to a regime in Khartoum caught up in an alleged “genocide” in Darfur, the awkward appearance in 2008 of a Chinese ship loaded with weapons bound for Mugabe's Zimbabwe off the coast of eastern Africa, and the recent exposure in 2011 that Chinese arms companies offered to sell around $200 million worth of arms to Muammar Gaddafi's regime are emblematic of an issue in Africa's political violence that needs analysis. This article seeks to discuss the rationale behind China's arms sales to Africa and the effect that they have had on political violence in recipient countries. It also provides an analysis of the supply-and-demand circumstances of Chinese arms transfers to Africa, Beijing's attempts to control such transfers, and evidence that Chinese policies on proliferation are (slowly) evolving.