Social Policy by Other Means: Theorizing Unconventional Forms of Welfare Production

Abstract

The goal of this special issue is to highlight the importance of unconventional social policies, theorize their development in comparison with traditional welfare state accounts and outline a new research agenda. In this introduction to the special issue, the editors present the concept of social policy by other means as encompassing two kinds of unconventional social policy (from the point of view of mainstream comparative research): First, functional equivalents to formal systems of social protection and, second, non-state provision of benefits. The concept builds upon a sizeable, but fragmented literature in comparative welfare state research. While numerous examples demonstrate that social policy by other means is more pervasive in both OECD and non-OECD countries than often acknowledged, a brief survey of the top 20 articles in the field reveals that this fact is not sufficiently reflected in the academic literature. With reference to both existing studies and the contributions to this special issue, the editors go on to explore (1) the different forms of social policy by other means, (2) explanatory theories and (3) their effectiveness in terms of social outcomes. They close by outlining a research agenda.     

‘Without Education You Can Never Become President’: Teenage Pregnancy and Pseudo-empowerment in Post-Ebola Sierra Leone

ABSTRACT

This article analyses the emergence of ‘teenage pregnancy’ as a new policy focus in post-Ebola Sierra Leone and explores how Sierra Leoneans interpret the problem of ‘teenage pregnancy’. I argue that the new policy focus is not indicative of changing or new problems. Rather, ‘teenage pregnancy’ has created opportunities for donors and the Government of Sierra Leone to continue cooperation in gender politics. At the same time, Sierra Leoneans are clearly concerned about ‘teenage pregnancy’, and many agree with sensitization campaigns that responsibilize young women and girls while downplaying structural factors that render them vulnerable to arrangements involving transactional sex.     

Bricks in the wall: the politics of housing in Europe

Abstract

Housing has important economic, political, and social ramifications for Western Europe and beyond. Despite its importance in shaping economic and political outcomes, however, housing remains in the peripheral vision of major comparative political economy debates. This introduction to the special issue accomplishes four objectives. First it demonstrates how housing defies current political economy typologies by failing to conform to their theoretical and empirical predictions. Second it summarises the current state of housing research within political science, which still remains in its infancy. Third it highlights how the contributions in this special issue expand our understanding of how housing causes and is shaped by political and economic outcomes in Europe. Finally, this introduction concludes by outlining how the special issue contributions demonstrate housing’s importance for the welfare state, political preferences and electoral shifts, regulatory and redistributive policies, and financialisation and household indebtedness in Europe.     

国家赔偿责任的民法基础

历史上盛行国家无不法行为能力理论,据此国家不对其公务员履行职务时的侵权行为承担责任,公务员要自己承担赔偿责任。随着法治国家观念的确立,国家开始代替其公务员向受害人承担赔偿责任,即所谓的代位责任。也有国家确立了国家的直接赔偿责任,即自己责任。但无一例外,国家的赔偿义务均建立在民法基础上,以全额赔偿为原则。我国国家赔偿制度确立了独一无二的"个人不赔,国家不全赔"的赔偿模式,偏离了赔偿法所固有的民法属性,无法良好保护受害人。而其根源则在于欠缺对国家赔偿责任的历史与本质的全面理解。有鉴于此,应尽快修订《国家赔偿法》,确立国家的全额赔偿责任,更好地服务法治国家的建设。     

试析斯考契波的“国家自主性”理论

“国家自主性”是20世纪70年代以来兴起的概念，它表明国家重新进入政治研究的核心视野中。西达?斯考契波（Theda Skocpol）的国家自主性理论是在对非马克思主义国家观、马克思主义国家观以及新马克思主义国家观批判的基础上来进行构建的。其以现实主义、结构主义和历史主义的视角，在宏观层面剖析出国家的强制性特征、国家利益以及国家能力等要素，从而证明国家具有“潜在自主性”。斯考契波打破了传统国家研究的社会中心主义视角，将国家作为自主实体的研究推向了新的高度。     

论国有船舶的有限管辖豁免

国有船舶管辖豁免经历了从绝对豁免到限制豁免的发展历程。20世纪初以来,国际社会开始通过国内立法、司法判例、国际条约等实践将用于商业目的的国有船舶排除在管辖豁免的范围之外。但在对国有船舶豁免范围予以限制的同时,应当注意明晰以下三个问题:用于商业目的的国有船舶应当依据船舶的用途来界定;国有企业对于所经营的国有船舶不得主张管辖豁免;国有企业具有独立的法人资格,一国法院不得任意扣押与当事船舶无关的其他国有企业的船舶。     

Of Distributive Politics and Pork Barrel System: Why Not Epistemic Governance Approach?

The paper attempts to situate distributive politics in the context of epistemic governance. The paper also seeks to analyze the various structures and systems, actors, agents and stakeholders, and norms and behaviors involved within the realm of theory and praxis in distributive politics. It borrows from the epistemic work targets espoused by Alasuutari and Qadir (2014), namely the environment, actors and virtues. Finally, the paper proposes an epistemic governance as policy approach in distributive politics as it tries to argue the shift of power from the hands of the political elites to the hands of the politically astute epistemes.     

空间法中的国籍联系

“国籍联系”在《外空条约》、《责任公约》、《登记公约》和《营救协定》中具有重要的意义，是界定“本国活动”、“有关国家”、“发射国”、“登记国”的重要标准，是判断“私人行为的归责性”的重要导向，是私人、空间物体的国籍国承担相应损害赔偿责任的重要依据，是划分空间活动责任、风险的重要标准，是空间责任制度的重要组成部分。     

东兴国家重点沿边开发开放试验区先行先试政策体系研究

设立东兴国家重点开发开放试验区,提升沿边开放开发水平,是服务国家"睦邻安邻富邻"的外交战略需要;是实现兴边富民,全面建设小康社会的战略选择;是打造广西北部湾经济区增长新高地的重大举措。构建东兴试验区先行先试的政策支撑体系,增强其自我发展能力,保障和改善民生,是加快建设东兴开发开放试验区的题中之义。     

试论儒家德治思想基础、特征及其局限

儒家政治思想是中国传统意识形态的基石,儒家的德治思想又是这个基石的内核,由此形成了独特的德治思维.儒家思想家们把从事政治活动的每个人都想象成为在道德方面完善的主体,这也是中国传统政治中的主流意识形态.本文在分析儒家德治思想的基础和特征的同时,从政治思维、政治理性、方法论等方面又进一步分析了儒家德治思想的局限.