Differentiating winners: How elections affect satisfaction with democracy

Previous research indicates that supporting a winning party in an election boosts satisfaction with democracy, but does not fully or adequately test the mechanisms behind this relationship. Using original survey data, we make a contribution on three fronts. First, we inquire what winning (or losing) an election really means in terms of the performance of one’s preferred party. Second, we employ panel data, which helps to determine whether an election outcome truly impacts satisfaction levels. Third, we examine the breadth of electoral victory, testing whether the satisfaction boost from a regional victory extends to the national and supranational levels. Findings indicate that the inclusion of one’s selected party in government is the most important factor for satisfaction with democracy, which attests to the importance of policy considerations in engendering satisfaction. In addition, winning a regional election strengthens satisfaction beyond the regional level, which indicates that the mere experience of being a “winner” also works to increase satisfaction.     

Citizens' perceptions of data protection and privacy in Europe

Data protection and privacy gain social importance as technology and data flows play an ever greater role in shaping social structure. Despite this, understanding of public opinion on these issues is conspicuously lacking. This article is a meta-analysis of public opinion surveys on data protection and privacy focussed on EU citizens. The article firstly considers the understanding and awareness of the legal framework for protection as a solid manifestation of the complex concepts of data protection and privacy. This is followed by a consideration of perceptions of privacy and data protection in relation to other social goals, focussing on the most visible of these contexts–the debate surrounding privacy, data protection and security. The article then considers how citizens perceive the ‘real world’ environment in which data processing takes place, before finally considering the public's perception and evaluation of the operation of framework against environment.     

Crime Volume and Law and Order Culture

The literature on public opinion about crime and justice has neglected the exploration of macro‐ or community‐level influences on individual‐level attitudes. A key macrofactor that may be related to individual level attitudes is the volume of violent crime. High crime rates can facilitate the development of a culture of “law and order,” a response that may be a practical or instrumental attempt to control crime. The present paper tests the hypothesis that persons residing in nations marked by a high volume of crime will be more likely to adhere to elements of a law and order culture. It employs data from the International Social Science Program (N = 15,024). Controls are taken from major theoretical perspectives on public opinion about crime as well as demographic factors. The results from a hierarchical linear model support the hypothesis that individuals residing in nations with high crime rates are more likely than others to support law and order ideologies. The findings extend the support for this relationship from research based on the US alone to other industrialized societies.     

中产阶层社会态度流变、异化与历史作用——以西方学者视野的考量

社会态度的社会性、价值性决定了中产阶层的社会态度不是一成不变的,而是流变的、多样的,甚至同一时空中产阶层不同群体的社会态度也不一样。当代西方中产阶层的社会态度是一种自我人格异化,其典型的论述当数米尔斯的"渴望中间过程论"、福塞尔的"驼鸟心态论"和贝尔的"人格分裂论"。西方中产阶层社会态度影响着西方社会的发展,中产阶层早期的革命性态度是现代转型的思想引擎;工业化时期的批判性态度是阻扼工业社会腐败的精神力量;而后工业时期的异化态度则是西方社会精神衰变的心理因素。     

欧盟食品安全风险评估制度的基本原则之评析

以欧盟《统一食品安全法》和专门负责食品安全风险评估的欧盟食品安全管理局的相关指引以及其他与欧盟食品安全风险监管有关的政策为主要考察对象,可以发现欧盟食品安全风险评估制度的基本原则有四项,即科学上的卓越性原则、独立性原则、透明性原则和公众协商性原则。通过评析这些基本原则的主要含义、之所以成为基本原则的原因以及这些基本原则得以实现的具体机制,可以发现它们已经不是停留在纸面上的原则,这对我国食品安全风险评估制度的完善具有重要启发。     

The Role of Experts in the European Union's Research Policy

This research analyzes the role of experts in the European Union's policy‐making process. Focusing on the field of research policy, this study seeks to probe how expert participation in the Open Method of Coordination informs policy decisions. The paper reports on an analysis of the expert group in the European Internationalization Strategy in Science and Technology. Our analysis reveals the dynamics of expert participation at the micro level, as it identifies who these experts are, how they are appointed, and in what ways expert knowledge gets used in policy making.     

Intergroup Prejudice in Multiethnic Settings

This article examines how out-group perceptions among Asian Americans, blacks, Latinos, and whites vary with the racial composition of their surroundings. Previous research on the contextual determinants of racial attitudes offers mixed expectations: some studies indicate that larger percentages of proximate out-groups generate intergroup conflict and hostility while others suggest that such environments promote interracial contact and understanding. As most of this research has been directed at black-white relations, the applicability of these theories to a multiethnic context remains unclear. Using data that merge the 1992–1994 Multi-City Study of Urban Inequality and 1990 Census, we find that in neighborhood contexts, interethnic propinquity corresponds with lower levels of out-group prejudice and competition, although intergroup hostility is higher in metropolitan areas with greater minority populations. Further tests suggest that these results do not occur from individual self-selection; rather ethnic spatial and social isolation bolster negative out-group perceptions. These findings suggest the value of residential integration for alleviating ethnic antagonism .     

中国对欧盟政策文件初析

《中国对欧盟政策文件》的出台经历了一个长期酝酿和精心准备的过程。它既是中国对欧盟对华政策的一个积极回应,同时更体现了中国对欧盟重视程度的提高。欧洲一体化不仅增加了欧盟的实力,也增强了欧洲在世界范围内发挥更大作用的战略自信心。中国对欧盟的重视程度与欧盟一体化的程度是成正比的。共同的经济、政治及战略利益,加上双方加强更高层次合作的政治意愿将为中欧今后建立战略伙伴关系提供坚实的基础。     

Political Consequences of Welfare Regimes: Social Assistance and Support for Presidentialism in Turkey

ABSTRACT

Tackling redistributive expansion in developing countries, this paper explores broader political consequences of social assistance programmes. Drawing from the Turkish case, where social welfare expanded since the 2000s, it examines attitudes of social assistance beneficiaries towards transition to presidentialism, which was approved in a referendum in 2017, and took effect in 2018. Using the results of an original survey, it indicates that social assistance benefits played a significant role in increasing support for presidentialism, by garnering votes from opposition voters, especially those with high-risk perceptions, in return for benefits. Given the character of Turkish presidentialism, devoid of vital checks and balances, the findings reveal that incumbents can mobilise support by using redistributive instruments in the context of democratic backsliding.     

论欧盟温室气体控制法律和政策的方法论意义

欧盟关于温室气体排放削减的法律和政策为我国有关温室气体减排的法律和政策的完善提供了很多可资借鉴的东西。从方法论的角度看,值得借鉴的东西主要有:对各种温室气体的统一控制;温室气体减排同经济社会发展相结合;政府管制、市场手段、企业自愿协议和技术开发等方法的互补应用和温室气体排放控制政策制定程序的民主性。