Far from Home: Conservative Leadership Selection from Heath to Cameron

The Conservative Party is the oldest of the 'mainstream' British parties, but has only elected its leader since 1965. In this article, I explain the variety of methods used by the Party to select its leader and assess the impact of 'democratisation' over time. I begin by examining the informal 'system', known as the 'magic circle', which existed until 1965, and explain how and why it came to be abandoned. I then discuss the six elections between 1965 and 1997, when the Tory leader was chosen exclusively by the Party's MPs. Finally, I assess the impact of the 'Hague rules', according to which Party members have the final say, between their adoption in 1998 and the election of David Cameron in 2005.     

The quest for inclusion and citizenship in Ghana: challenges and prospects

Ghana's tortuous journey to democracy received a major boost in the year 2006 with the enactments of two human-rights-related pieces of legislation. In this article the author contends, on the one hand, that the recent enactments of an amendment to the law on representation of the people and the persons with disability law in Ghana constituted a noteworthy landmark in the search for inclusive citizenship. On the other hand, the relation between society and the political authority during the processes of the enactments highlighted characteristics of a post-colonial African state. The author explores the antagonisms that surrounded the enactments of these laws. The article concludes that although the Ghanaian experience represents a new wave of re-thinking of rights in Africa, it also underscores the deep-seated issues of contestation and negotiations that unavoidably accompany the expansion of democracy and extension of rights to the excluded and the marginalized.     

对高校学生党建工作的一点思考

在新形势下,作为高校党建工作重要组成部分的学生党建工作在取得成绩的同时,也面l临着一些新的变化和情况。针对新时期高校学生党建工作中存在的问题,从开展理想信念教育、入党积极分子培养方式、严把党员入口关、加大预备期考察力度、增强党支部凝聚力、党支部书记加强学习等方面进行了深入地分析,提出完善和规范高校学生党建工作的对策。     

The Electoral Cycle and Multi-Level Voting in Germany

The aim of this contribution is to analyse whether Land elections may (have) become uncoupled from the federal electoral process, and, if they have, to explore the implications for party competition in Germany. Initially, an overview is presented of the relevant theoretical models that can help unpack the relationship between different electoral arenas. Secondly, how these ideas have been applied to national and sub-national electoral competition in Germany is outlined, before an examination of the 'fit' of the data in both the pre- and post-unification periods. We conclude with reflections on two key features that have regularly surfaced in Gordon Smith's writings: party system change and political stability.     

建党90年来中国共产党形象建设的经验与思考

建党90年来，中国共产党始终重视加强自身形象建设，坚持把代表广大人民利益作为形象建设的灵魂，把不断推动经济社会发展作为形象建设的根本，把与时俱进加强党的建设作为形象建设的主线，树立了我党在各个时期的光辉形象。在继承和发扬我党形象建设优良传统的基础上，还应适应形势任务发展变化，借鉴公共关系学理论，强化政党公关意识，发挥现代传媒作用，不断探索创新我党形象建设的形式和方法，全面提高党的执政能力、巩固党的执政地位。     

坚持实事求是 推进理论创新

党的十八大政治报告指出：“实践发展永无止境，认识真理永无止境，理论创新永无止境。”这给广大党员干部加强实践、抓好理论武装指明了方向。党员干部要不断强化理论武装，坚持实事求是，勇于实践，积极推进党的理论创新。     

从理想主义到现实主义——论日本民主党上台后对华外交政策的转变

自2009年鸠山政权执政以来,日本开启了民主党执政的新时代。鸠山内阁大幅调整日本对外政策,奉行＂友爱＂外交理念,推动中日关系一度回暖。但是其继任者菅直人首相上任后,由于国际国内各方面的因素,中日关系急转直下,尤其是在中日钓鱼岛撞船风波以后,日本现实主义的外交政策导致中日关系跌到历史低点。日本对华外交态度的转变不仅对中日两国,更对整个东北亚安全局势造成了不可估量的负面影响。     

去学科化——党校学报发展的一种思路

在出版体制改革深人的大背景下，党校学报的发展面临着严峻的形势，迫切需要调整发展思路。当前，一个可行的思路就是在栏目设置上以问题化代替学科化，以此作为党校学报特色化发展的方向。     

论加强党员领导干部党性修养——以印江自治县为例

党性修养和政治觉悟,是一个人成熟与进步的重要标志,也是检验一个党员是否合格的重要依据,也是领导干部的要求。在新形势下加强党性修养,对于党员领导干部增强党性、提高素质、更好地发挥表率作用。     

高校学生党员教育“主体参与”机制建设研究

网络时代大学生党员的主体参与意识明显增强,对居高临下的说教式教育容易产生抵触,而主体参与性不强正是当前高校学生党员教育工作中存在的普遍问题。所以,必须完善主体参与机制,建立多种学生党员参与的实践平台及信息反馈评价机制,形成良性反馈机制,以提高教育的有效性。