民主与环境治理关系研究

我国的一系列政治报告，都非常重视民主建设和生态文明建设。民主建设与环境治理之间具有密切的联系，民主对环境治理的作用取决于许多因素。民主通过选举、审议和参与，表达了公众对政府和企业环境行为的意见，从而影响到环境治理的效果。要研究民主在环境治理过程中的作用，需要重视公众的环境意识、民主制度真实效果和民主制度的运行机制对环境的作用，同时，也需要重视司法制度环境治理中的作用。     

Preliminary Study on the Effect of Heated Surfaces Upon Bloodstain Pattern Analysis

Bloodstain pattern analysis (BPA) involves the interpretation of distinct blood patterns found at crime scenes following a violent act. In this paper, we explored for the first time the effects of surface temperatures upon blood impacting a horizontal surface (steel) with its implications in BPA explored. Specific surface temperatures were explored over the range 24–250°C which relate to the four major boiling regimes of liquid media; natural convection, nucleate boiling, transition boiling, and film boiling, where a series of blood drops tests were performed at varying impact velocities. Blood was found to separate into its components at temperatures of 50°C+, displayed as temperature induced blood rings, where a single secondary and a series of further inner rings are exhibited. This consequently led to the development of a new constant expressing the decrease in spread factor (D_s/D_o) at the secondary ring.     

The Death Penalty: Response to Ron Paul

Dr. Ron Paul, leader of the libertarian movement and former Congressman, favors the elimination of the death penalty. He argues from both a moral and economic, or pragmatic, perspective against executions. The present article takes issue with his stance and defends the killing of convicted murderers, with some caveats.     

Predictors of Death Sentencing for Minority,Equal, and Majority Female Juries in Capital Murder Trials

The relatively small body of prior research investigating whether the sex composition of juries impacts sentencing decisions has produced equivocal results. Exploring this topic further, the current study used a large sample of capital cases from North Carolina (n = 675) to examine (a) whether jury sex composition predicted jury capital punishment sentencing decisions; and (b) whether there were different models of sentencing for male-majority, equal male-female, and female-majority juries. When we controlled for a number of legal and extralegal factors, our findings indicated that jury sex composition was independently related to sentencing outcomes. Specifically, equal male-female juries were significantly more likely and female-majority juries were significantly less likely to choose the death penalty versus a sentence of life in prison. In addition, different models (predictors) of sentencing were revealed for each of the jury sex compositions. Implications for future research and policy are discussed.     

隐性双轨制：刑法中保安处分的教义学阐释

我国现行法律中虽无保安处分的概念,但在刑法中已实质性地存在保安处分,其与刑罚共同构成刑法所规定的法律后果,由此形成“隐性双轨制”的格局。对保安处分规范的识别,首先应从与罪责的关系上、目的与功能的差异上明晰刑罚与保安处分的基本界分,进而从法律特征上区分刑罚规范与保安处分规范,最终将现行刑法中的保安处分措施“挖掘”出来。澄清现行刑法中保安处分措施的性质和法律地位,有利于确保这类措施的正当适用,同时也有利于保障个人的基本权利免受不当干涉。     

论死刑案件的量刑

死刑是一种最严厉的刑罚方法,死刑制度是一项极其重要的刑事司法制度。把握好死刑案件的量刑,对于实现罪责刑均衡进而实现刑事法治至关重要。死刑案件的量刑应秉持责任主义观念,以责任刑制约预防刑,综合考虑量刑的法律效果、政治效果和社会效果,追求个案量刑的综合平衡,并辅之以隔离式相对独立的量刑程序,改善当前死刑案件的审理现状和量刑情况,严格控制和审慎适用死刑,以实现司法的公平公正。     

论当前行业协会应对贸易摩擦的不足及其完善

自我国加入WTO十余年来,我国的对外贸易额飞速增长,现已成为世界第二大经济体。但是这一辉煌的进程却同时伴随着我国遭遇了众多的贸易摩擦并损失惨重的历史教训。中国制造在占据世界重要一席之地的同时也一直饱受诟病。其他国家相继实行各种类型的贸易摩擦给中国企业和商品贴上各种“标签”,使我国企业出口背上了沉重的包袱。因此,如何积极应对贸易摩擦,给出口企业营造良好的发展环境和公平竞争空间,就需要我国政府、企业和行业协会的共同努力。本文着重从行业协会的角度来探讨应对贸易摩擦的方式和方法。     

How to induce resistance to the misinformation effect? Characteristics of positive feedback in the reinforced self-affirmation procedure

ABSTRACT

The memory misinformation effect consists in the inclusion in witness testimonies of information from sources other than the given event. In the present article, research which aims to make people resistant to misinformation is presented. It is based on reinforced self-affirmation (RSA), a method designed to enhance participants’ self-confidence and therefore make them more willing to rely on their own memories instead of external sources. RSA includes self-affirmation and positive feedback. In the present research, the efficacy of various kinds of positive feedback was explored. The results of Experiment 1 suggested that positive feedback relating to memory (MemRSA) is effective in reducing the misinformation effect, while positive feedback relating to general cognitive ability is not. In Experiment 2, the superiority of MemRSA over inefficient feedback relating to attention was demonstrated. In Experiment 3, MemRSA was again effective, and more effective than inducing convictions about the independence of judgements, but this also reduced the misinformation effect. The results are discussed from the perspective of witnesses who remember the correct information yet rely on external sources due to a lack of confidence in t aforementioned heir memories.     

Fixers as Shadow “Public Servants”: A Case Study of Israel

Fixers can thrive in any level of political, bureaucratic, or institutional development. Paradoxically the academic research of the phenomenon of fixers is in its infancy. There exists no accepted definition of fixers; the boundaries between fixers and lobbyists remain murky, in terms of comparative administration only limited knowledge about the forces that breed different types of fixers in different political settings is available; and no deductive theory was articulated that might determine when and how fixing might become dysfunctional and corruptive. In an attempt to better understand the phenomenon of fixers more theoretically; this study analyzes fixers in view of three theories of bureaucratic corruption, and in view of the emerging theory of alternative politics. Using Israel as a case in point, the study shows that within certain national and local branches of government fixers not only create a shadow copy of official institutions, but also foster institutional corruption.     

Do the Media Influence Foreign Aid Because or in Spite of the Bureaucracy? A Case Study of Belgian Aid Determinants

Bureaucrats are considered to play a determining role in how much media signals influence the allocation of foreign aid. As foreign aid decision-making is assumed to be a predominantly bureaucratic matter, bureaucratic responsiveness to media has often been concluded from the observation that foreign aid responds to media attention. Yet, studying this bureaucratic responsiveness directly has proven to be a challenging task due to the difficulties in quantitatively measuring bureaucratic activities. This study examines the different determinants of foreign aid in Belgium from 1995–2008 and addresses the question of bureaucratic responsiveness to media directly by isolating aid that is exclusively decided by the bureaucracy.