Institutional shrinkage: The deviant case of Swiss banking secrecy

Using the Mahoney–Thelen causal model one would expect “layering” to be the dominant kind of institutional change affecting Swiss banking secrecy. Our research into governance in Swiss banking shows that it does not fit this theoretical model. Applying deviant case analysis we have refined our understanding of institutional change. We argue that the removal of rules and the momentum of pressure should be acknowledged when explaining variations of institutional change and we suggest that the processes of shrinkage should not be ignored.     

农村金融体制改革中的利率市场化研究

农村利率市场化改革是金融体制改革的一部分。以制度系统演化理论为基础,系统性地考察农村金融体制改革背景下利率市场化进程可分为三个阶段,各个阶段的改革内容及其特征各有差异。研究发现,农村金融机构对利率市场化的适应能力较差。进一步推进农村利率市场化改革既需要利率市场化改革的一般性条件,还需要结合农村金融市场特征,积极创造相关内外部条件。     

Institutional exclusion as a destabilizing factor: the mass unrest of 1 July 2008 in Mongolia

The paper discusses the 1 July 2008 mass protest in Mongolia. This event has no precedent in Mongolian history and represents a challenge for the social sciences as neither scholars nor political leaders predicted or even admitted its eventuality. Several forms of exclusion – economic, social and institutional – are considered as its potential source. It is argued that the theory of institutional exclusion allows making better sense of the situation. Institutional exclusion means the alienation of ordinary people from government and their inability to rely on the law and official procedures when being engaged in everyday activities. Two sources of primary data inform the analysis: a series of structured interviews with the protesters (N?=?20) and a collection of visual records made during the unrest (N?=?244). The data were processed using methods of both qualitative and quantitative content analysis.     

Automated Texture Recognition of Quartz Sand Grains for Forensic Applications*

Quartz sand surface texture analysis has been automated for the first time for forensic application. The derived Basic Image Features (BIFs) provide computer-generated texture recognition from preexisting data sets. The technique was applied to two distinct classification problems; first, the ability of the system to discriminate between (quartz) sand grains with upturned plate features (indicative of eolian, global sand sea environments) and grains that do not exhibit these features. A success rate of grain classification of 98.8% was achieved. Second, to test the ability of the computer recognition system to identify specific energy levels of formation of the upturned plate surface texture features. Such recognition ability has to date been beyond manual geological interpretation. The discrimination performance was enhanced to an exact classification success rate of 81%. The enhanced potential for routine forensic investigation of the provenance of common quartz sand is indicated.     

MORALITY,MARKETS, AND THE ASC: 2011 PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS TO THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CRIMINOLOGY*

This Presidential Address explores the possibilities for fruitful multilevel theorizing in criminology by proposing an integration of insights from situational action theory (SAT), a distinctively micro‐level perspective, with insights from institutional anomie theory (IAT), a distinctively macro‐level perspective. These perspectives are strategic candidates for integration because morality plays a central role in both. IAT can enrich SAT by identifying indirect causes of crime that operate at the institutional level and by highlighting the impact of the institutional context on the perception‐choice process that underlies crime. Such multilevel theorizing can also promote the development of IAT by revealing the “micro‐instantiations” of macro‐level processes and by simulating further inquiry into the social preconditions for institutional configurations that are conducive to low levels of crime. Finally, drawing on Durkheim's classic work on occupational associations, I point to the potential role of professional associations such as the American Society of Criminology in promoting and sustaining a viable moral order in the advanced capitalist societies.     

公司治理一体化走向的制度发生学解释——以结构融资为中心展开

从制度发生学的角度观察,公司治理一体化走向的出现是结构融资等制度要素合力作用的必然结果,属于进化理性主义而不是建构理性主义的产物。我国应在加强金融监管的前提下鼓励、培育和引导结构融资,而不是因噎废食地抑制、阻却甚至扼杀结构融资。公司法应当积极回应结构融资的制度诉求,进行规则的调适与变革,进而强化其时代适应性品格。     

习惯如何成为习惯法及其方法论意蕴——两种认可说的比较分析

习惯如何成为习惯法的问题必须从界定"习惯"、"习惯法"这对概念入手,而不同的定义将在很大程度上决定人们对该问题的态度或立场。社会认可说与国家认可说是人们在回答上述问题上的两种立场或学说,它们背后各自隐藏着一幅研究者据以解释经验事实的理想图景。其中国家认可说与文化研究中的"大传统"模式、制度研究中的"现代化"范式相互支持,极大地阻碍了习惯法研究。上述讨论启示我们,在习惯法研究中必须确立正确的方法论立场,才能比较客观地还原习惯法的本质和拓展习惯法研究的深度。     

Driving Under the Influence of Synthetic Cannabinoid Receptor Agonist XLR‐11

The case of a 22‐year‐old male Caucasian driver is presented. He was involved in a traffic collision. At the roadside, he displayed blank stare and mellow speech with a barely audible voice. A DRE found low body temperature, rigid muscle tone, normal pulse, lack of horizontal and vertical gaze nystagmus, nonconvergence of the eyes, dilated pupil size, and normal Pupillary reaction to light. A standard toxicology DUID protocol was performed on the driver's whole blood including ELISA and GC‐MS drug screens with negative results. Additional drug screening was undertaken for bath salts and synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists by LC‐MS/MS by a commercial laboratory and identified the synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonist XLR‐11 in the driver's blood. XLR‐11 was subsequently quantified at 1.34 ng/mL. This is the first documented case involving a driver operating a motor vehicle under the influence of the synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonist XLR‐11.     

论法治政府建设公众认同视野下公众参加人的代表性——以公共行政决策听证为例

法治政府建设意义下的公众认同就是指公众对法治政府建设和自身利益、需求的一致性作出肯定性评价。而公众参与法治政府建设是形成公众认同的重要路径。在公共行政决策听证中,由于公众参加人代表性的缺失,严重影响了法治政府建设的公众认同。因此,应当明确公众参加人代表性的判断标准不仅有职业、社会角色等形式标准,更应当有诉求利益代表特定群体利益的价值标准、本质标准。并应当建立严格的程序,公开公众参加人的信息及陈述的观点,以利于社会监督,从而体现其代表性,确保实现法治政府建设中的公众认同。