Citizens’ perceptions of the courts: The impact of race, gender, and recent experience

This study examined the influences of race, gender, and recent court experience on citizens’ perceptions of the courts in their communities. Using national survey data collected in 2000, this research assessed variation in perceptions of the courts along four dimensions: differential treatment, fair procedure and outcome, concern and respect, and overall evaluation. The results showed that racial minorities, including Blacks and Latinos, were more likely than Whites to have negative attitudes toward the courts. While race is generally a better predictor than gender, the interaction between gender and race is important in understanding citizen’s perceptions of the courts. Citizens who have recent personal contact with the courts tend to rate the courts less favorable than those who have no recent contact. Citizens’ opinions of the police and equal opportunity are also significantly related to their perceptions of the courts. Implications for policy and future research are discussed.     

公用事业特许与政府规制——中国水务民营化实践的初步观察

水务民营化,某种意义上是基础设施领域“公私伙伴关系”的重构,由于水务行业在特定地区内的规模经济效应和自然垄断特征,因此有必要通过招标投标的形式展开缔约前的竞争,并对公用事业特许协议的延展、终止与变更,也适用特别的规则。而出于公共性确保的需要,政府还要对特许后的公用事业予以后续规制,这主要包括价格规制、质量规制、对普遍服务义务和公众参与及知情权保障的要求等四个方面。     

浅析《治安管理处罚法（草案）》的主要特点

由于实施17年的《治安管理处罚条例》已不适应新形势发展的要求,《治安管理处罚法(草案)》对其作了较大的修改,扩大了治安管理处罚的范围和领域,规定单位违反治安管理也将受到处罚等;新增没收违法所得、没收非法财物,责令停产停业、吊销许可证照,限期出境等三种处罚,加大了处罚的力度;规范了执法程序,注重尊重和保障人权,注重与相关法律法规的协调。对加强新形势下的社会治安管理将产生积极作用。     

《治安管理处罚法》的基本内容和主要特点

同《治安管理处罚条例》相比,《治安管理处罚法》新增执法监督一章,其总则,处罚的种类和适用、违反治安管理的行为和处罚、处罚程序等部分的内容均有重大变化。《治安管理处罚法》的突出特点,一是在形式上,表现出实体与程序合一的特点;二是在内容上,具有宽严适度、程序严格、处罚规范的特点;三是在功能上,既保证了违反治安管理行为受到必要惩处,又充分体现了尊重和保障人权的原则精神。     

Power Politics, Diplomacy and Role Playing: Simulating the UN Security Council's Response to Terrorism

In the International Organizations classroom, students learn a lot about the nuts and bolts of international organizations in theory, but do not always have the opportunity to understand how international organizations work in practice. Understanding negotiations, diplomacy and interstate relations is essential in understanding the strengths of weaknesses of international organizations. To this end, the use of in-class simulations, where each student represents a different country, can be an effective tool in teaching students about international organizations and global governance. This article describes a simulation run in an International Organizations class in the Fall 2002 semester. It involved a fictitious serious terrorist attack in Singapore during a performance of "Kiddush for Naomi" performed by the Israel Habima Theatre Company. The article describes the goals of the simulation, the preparation the students undertook throughout the semester, the implementation of the simulation itself, and the post-simulation debriefing and assessment of the students and lessons learned for future in-class simulations.     

Violence in development: the logic of forced displacement on Colombia's Pacific coast

A progressive piece of legislation in 1993 granted collective land rights to Colombia's black communities living in the rural areas of the Pacific coast region. This measure aimed partly to support sustainable development strategies in the region through territorial empowering of local communities. Yet 14 years later, the escalation of the country's internal conflict into the Pacific region has created unprecedented levels of forced displacement among rural black communities. Once referred to as a ‘peace haven’, the Colombian Pacific coast is now characterised by new spaces of violence and terror, imposed by warring guerrilla and paramilitary groups, as well as the armed forces. This article examines the nature of the externally induced violence in the region and shows how specific economic interests, in particular in the African Palm sector, are colluding with illegal groups that are used to spread fear and terror among local residents, to make them comply with the requirements of these economic actors.     

西方公共决策程序比较

从西方政府的职能来看 ,西方公共决策可以分为常规决策和危机决策两大类 ,其中常规决策又可以分为行政决策和参与立法的决策两种。比较分析西方各国公共决策程序的特点 ,有两个方面的做法值得我们借鉴 :其一 ,注意发挥咨询机构的作用 ;其二 ,注意对政策方案的合法性审查     

论民法对税收撤销权的限制

在税法与民法关系的宏观视野之下,基于对税收撤销权引起的价值冲突的合理判断,应当对税收撤销权进行极为严格的限制,以维护私法自治、保障交易安全、保护善意第三人的利益。这种限制体现在税收撤销权的解释、要件和效力等方面。     

对21世纪初中国国家安全战略的几点思考

21世纪初,中国国家安全问题的基本特点是国家安全的综合性、动态性及内部安全与外部安全相互渗透、相互作用、相互融合;中国对外安全战略面临为实现国家的发展利益、主权利益和国际利益需求提供安全保障的三大任务;中国的国家安全战略应适应国际环境变化,从观念、体制、器物三大层面努力,确保实现国家的发展目标、确保实现国家的主权和统一目标、确保实现国家的国际目标。     

罚没收入使用制度研究

我国在罚没收入的使用方面缺乏统一的规定,这与我们对罚没收入的性质缺乏准确的把握有直接关系。罚没收入是基于他人违法而给财政增加的收入,它不宜用于公权力机关的经费和福利;它作为公权力主体制止违法而带来的副产品,还应该用于制止违法和预防违法,以及用于对因他人违法而得不到充分救济的公民;它作为解决因社会深层矛盾而产生的违法问题的措施的副产品,还应该使用于对产生违法现象的根源治理上。