Role models in politicians will disappoint you: Cautionary notes on Aids leadership in post-apartheid South Africa

Abstract

In the face of HIV/Aids the call for political leadership is often made. Invariably, one form that this call takes involves leaders being called upon to act as role models. But time after time scandalous revelations arise. These scandals appear to have the potential to damage efforts to address HIV/Aids. This article assumes that it is not appropriate to attempt to limit public expression concerning the sex-related behaviours of politicians. The author further notices, with reference to post-apartheid leadership in South Africa, that the actions, behaviours and motivations of political leaders cannot be readily assumed to result in desired behaviours in relation to HIV/ Aids. It is proposed that rather than cynically saying we are waiting for ideal leaders to arise, we can embrace the challenge of our time by first allowing ourselves to question the status quo. The aim is to recover questions of the possible roles of politicians as questions of how human relations can be achieved. In other words, the aim is to argue for an approach that humanises both politicians and those who would (be given to) follow them.     

村官职务犯罪的预防和控制

村官职务犯罪是指村官利用其职务的便利从事的渎职犯罪行为。村官职务犯罪在新农村建设中越来越多,涉及的金额越来越大,采用的手法日趋多样化。村官职务犯罪有诸多原因,为预防和控制村官职务犯罪,应强化法制教育,坚持村务公开制度,规范村财务制度,建立有效的监督制约机制,完善相应的法律条文内容。     

论现代领导者的战略思维

战略思维就是全局性思维。随着经济全球化浪潮的风起云涌以及科技的迅猛发展，要求各级领导干部必须学会用战略思维的方法去认识和思考我们在发展过程中所面临的一系列长远性、全局性问题。本从空间结构、时间维度、选择理念以及生存和发展方式等方面，具体论述了现代领导所应具有的系统思维、审视历史与面向未来的思维、自组织思维和协同竞争的思维等战略思维的内容。     

三代领导人与党的思想路线的与时俱进

在长期的革命和建设实践中,毛泽东为全党确立了"实事求是"的思想路线;在改革开放和现代化建设的新时期,邓小平领导全党恢复并发展了"实事求是"的思想路线,他在"实事求是"之前增添了"解放思想"四个字的要求。在面向新世纪全面建设小康社会的新阶段,江泽民在"解放思想、实事求是"之后,又增添了"与时俱进"四个字,进一步丰富和发展了党的思想路线。     

公安机关领导要重视公文工作

公文工作是公安工作的一个重要组成部分 ,当前公安机关的公文工作中存在着各种问题 ,应该引起公安机关领导的重视。领导重视公文工作 ,提高公文工作质量和时效 ,要从六个方面来抓 :注重提高文秘人员素质 ,严把公文写作质量关 ,提高公文工作时效 ,加强公文工作质量管理 ,提高公文工作指挥艺术 ,不断提高自身的公文工作素养。     

村民自治条件下农村干群关系的整体透视

村民自治是中国农村民主政治建设的伟大实践,对农村的经济生活和政治生活产生了重大而又深远的影响。本文扫描了村民自治条件下农村干群关系的状况、特征和态势,挖掘透视了村民自治条件下农村干群关系紧张、扭曲的深层根源,并对如何矫正农村的干群关系提出了对策思路和政策建议。     

试论第三代领导集体对邓小平民族问题理论的丰富和发展

从党的十四大到十六大,以江泽民为核心的党的第三代领导集体,与时俱进,进一步丰富和发展了邓小平的民族问题理论,科学地回答了新时期我国民族问题、民族工作的一系列重要问题。     

党的领导集体现代化模式演变的历史哲学审视

党的领导集体以马克思主义历史哲学为指导,在积极推进中国社会主义现代化建设的实践过程中,在积极借鉴其它国家现代化建设成功与失败的历史经验并结合本国实际的基础上,实现了中国现代化模式的重大转变,为中国现代化的未来发展打下了坚实的基础。因而,从历史哲学的理论视野出发来审视党的领导集体现代化模式的历史演变,这在中国加速社会转型和全面建设小康社会新的历史时期,具有重大的理论价值和深远的现实意义。     

公安基层领导干部和一线民警优秀素质的问卷调查及统计分析

以公安民警和社区居民为调查对象,设计了一套《公安人员优秀素质调查问卷》,将调查的统计结果反馈给公安基层领导干部群体、公安基层一线民警群体。使"群体"了解"群体"的看法,就会使大家明确目标;通过多次反馈,便能普遍地提高公安人员素质和有效地改进公安工作。     

Do we need warm leaders? Exploratory study of the role of voter evaluations of leaders’ traits on turnout in seven European countries

Previous research on leader effects has focused exclusively on the impact of voters’ evaluations of leaders on vote choice, disregarding possible effects on the prior step of deciding whether or not to turn out to vote. In line with the personalisation of politics thesis, leaders have a higher impact among dealigned voters. Previous studies have demonstrated that leader effects are stronger among voters who voice their dealignment – namely party switchers. However, the potential impact of leaders among those who exited (i.e., who have abstained) is still unstudied. Could leaders have a mobilisation effect and therefore trigger turnout decisions? What characteristics of party leaders are more relevant in this regard? This article is the first comparative study to examine how the evaluation of party leaders’ traits influences voter turnout in general elections. The work incorporates data from election studies across seven countries with different social contexts (Portugal, Spain, Ireland, Germany, United Kingdom, Italy and Hungary). Characteristics of leaders were grouped into two dimensions – competence and warmth – in accordance with the stereotype content model and relevant studies on leaders’ traits evaluation. Multiple binary logistic regression models were performed to analyse the predictive power of competence and warmth on turnout, controlling for sociodemographic, political ideology variables and voters’ past political behaviour. Results reinforce the personalisation of politics theory, showing the utmost relevance of warmth personality traits of leaders in voter turnout decisions. Competence personality traits were found to be relevant only in some situations. Interaction effects were also demonstrated between warmth evaluations and identifying with a right-wing party as well as past political behaviour with both warmth and competence.