'The birth of bio-politics': Michel Foucault's lecture at the Collège de France on neo-liberal governmentality

This paper focuses on Foucault's analysis of two forms of neo-liberalism in his lecture of 1979 at the Collège de France: German post-War liberalism and the liberalism of the Chicago School. Since the course is available only on audio-tapes at the Foucault archive in Paris, the larger part of the text presents a comprehensive reconstruction of the main line of argumentation, citing previously unpublished source material. The final section offers a short discussion of the methodological and theoretical principles underlying the concept of governmentality and the critical political angle it provides for an analysis of contemporary neo-liberalism.     

Can State Review of Local Planning Increase Housing Production?

Abstract

To increase housing production and make the distribution of affordable housing more equitable, several states subject local land use planning to review by state agencies or courts. Focusing an empirical analysis on California, this article considers the potential efficacy of these reviews in contributing to the overall supply of housing. Past studies of other intergovernmental mandates suggest that their institutional design helps determine their success.

A comparison of four states indicates that approaches differ considerably in how they determine local housing needs, evaluate local efforts prospectively or retrospectively, and penalize noncompliance. California's housing element law, which mandates prospective local planning for quantifiable housing goals, gives state staff the power to review local plans for compliance with statutory requirements. However, multivariate analysis indicates that the compliance status of California municipalities in 1994 did not predict the number of single‐family or multifamily housing permits issued from 1994 to 2000.     

The Public Sphere and the Rise of South Korean Civil Society

This article examines how civil society in South Korea emerged as a social force and developed a distinctive relationship with the state. It is argued that political, institutional and cultural factors are no less important than economic relations in accounting for the distinctive nature of South Korean civil society. The article explores the dialectical relationship between the state and Korean civil society and its political and social consequences. For example, the dynamic interplay between the formal and informal structures of political power and the role of various civic organisations in political and other processes of social transformation are discussed. It is argued that the complex relationship between the state and civil society should be theorised in terms of mutual empowerment and synergy in the sense that civic organisations and groups have contended for, or negotiated, power. Hence, observers should bear in mind an alternative hypothesis that different historical conditions may well determine structural changes that have diverse outcomes in the political and cultural arenas, especially in an era of globalisation.     

The contribution of Archie Mafeje to the debate on land reform in Africa

ABSTRACT

This article situates the election of Barack Hussein Obama as President of the United States of America within the current global political economy. It examines the major tenets of neo-liberalism, the founding ideology of this economy, and the policies by which neo-liberal ideology targeted and achieved a diminution of global state authority concomitant with a rise of market sovereignty. The consequences have been disastrous for the evolution of constitutional democracy and are at the root of the current economic crisis. As a critical factor that propelled Barack Obama's election, this article argues that Obama's presidency may offer a turning point away from a neo-liberal ideology and towards a strengthened commitment to constitutional democracy.     

比例原则的中国宪法依据新释

比例原则已被全球法治实践反复证明属于人权保障的利剑,必将成为中国合宪性审查的基本标准。为了更好地推进合宪性审查,并消除对比例原则适用范围与功能的误解,有必要探寻比例原则在中国的宪法依据。通过解释我国《宪法》中“权利义务一致性”“基本权利”“人格尊严”“法治国”“征收征用”等条款的尝试,均不能很好或完全地推导出比例原则。比例原则的本质在于调整权力与权利、权利与权利之间的关系,其功能在于合理确定国家权力与公民权利的界限。比例原则内置于权利和权力之中。通过解释我国《宪法》第51条的“权利的限度”条款和第33条第3款的“国家尊重和保障人权”条款,可以得出比例原则在中国具有宪法依据,属于宪法基本原则。     

国家主权、思想自立与发展权利——试论当代非洲国家建构的障碍及前景

由松散分割的传统部族社会,向统一聚合的现代主权国家过渡,是当代非洲国家政治发展的核心主题与基本目标。在此发展阶段上,非洲国家需要形成有效能的中央政府,且致力于国家的经济发展、政治稳定和民族融合,以国家力量来集中资源,动员民众,培植国家情感,追求发展目标。迄今,国家成长与民族融合这两大任务在许多非洲国家都没有真正完成。为此,非洲需要一种新的思想变革运动,从自身的现实需要来追求理解政治的意义,从经济的角度来把握政治的本质,以经济发展为中心来建设国家,维护国家主权,追求思想自立,方能最终实现国泰民安,富强稳定。在维护非洲国家主权、推进非洲国家成长方面,中国可以发挥更多建设性的作用。     

论变革观在《行政诉讼法》修改中的运用

从我国行政诉讼制度诞生、嬗变的历史进程和当下所面临的社会背景上看,需要在《行政诉讼法》的修改中明确贯彻变革观。就内容而言,新《行政诉讼法》在行政诉讼争议解决功能的修复、行政审判权运作空间的拓展及运作环境的优化上已经初现了变革观的内在要求。为了使新《行政诉讼法》的实施能够促进国家治理体系和能力的现代化,人民法院还应充分利用修法所预留的空间,在行政审判体制的灵活塑造、行政诉讼类型的有限改造、行政公益诉讼的适度开放等方面迈开步伐。     

Sectarianism and the prevalence of ‘othering’ in Islamic thought

The current sectarian conflicts in the Middle East did not arise solely from renewed geopolitical rivalries between regional powers. They are also rooted in a solid, theological articulation proposed by classic Islamic political theology. The exclusivist approach, which is a decisive part of the political, social and religious reality of today’s Middle East, benefits from a formidable theological legacy. Coining the notion of ‘othering theology’, this paper not only explores the ideas of leading classical theologians who have articulated a puritanical understanding of faith, but also explicates the politico-historical context in which these theologians rationalised their quarrels. Given the pervasive presence of these theologies in the contemporary sectarian polemics, the study of classical othering theology is highly relevant and, indeed, crucial to any attempt to overcome sectarianism in the region.     

国家豁免对国际投资仲裁裁决有效执行的影响及其克服

在国际社会对国家豁免问题逐渐由绝对豁免主义向限制豁免主义转向的趋势下,执行豁免依然具有较强的绝对性。这对国际投资仲裁案件的承认与执行产生了较大的阻力。在限制执行豁免的途径选择上,有些国家主要采用设置类型化的豁免例外条款、保留行政权适度参与和有效利用对等原则等,有些国家通过判例实践来实现执行豁免认定标准的确立。这些方法的背后,暗含着对维护国家利益与促进经贸发展两方面的利益权衡。面对参与国际交往与竞争过程中可能出现的仲裁风险,中国宜改变长期坚持的绝对豁免立场,在加强限制豁免立法的同时坚持互惠原则,灵活地维护国家与国民的利益。面对执行豁免于短时间内难以突破的现实,我国投资者亦应当充分做好投资前的防范准备,并在裁决执行遇阻后积极寻求多样化的补救措施。     

当代反战和平运动浅析

反战和平运动是一种以反对战争、实现和平作为其价值诉求的社会运动形态 ,其思想与历史源远流长。第二次世界大战以后反战和平运动进入了成熟期和高涨期 ,经历了三次高潮。冷战后的反战和平运动表现出高度的跨国性、对科学研究的劝说性权力的倚重进一步增强、各种新闻媒体的加入并扮演着一种无可替代的信息传播者和信息扩散者的角色等新特征 ,这使其行动能力和议题影响力大大增强。由于国际无政府状态的刚性特征以及民主政治过程的内生属性 ,其实际效用也不可避免地受到了极大的限制。这就决定了这场以反战和平运动为斗争主体的和平的革命仅仅是一场作用有限的革命 ,它难以将永久实现世界和平的终极目标推向深入