Book reviews

The Sources of Democratic Consolidation by Gerard Alexander, reviewer: Eddie Hyland; Towards Holistic Governance by Perri 6, Diana Leach, Kimberly Selzer and Gerry Stoker, reviewer: Peter J. Laugharne; Democracy and War: The End of an Illusion? by Errol A. Henderson, reviewer: Adam Jones; Referendum Democracy: Citizens, Elites and Deliberation in Referendum Campaigns edited by Matthew Mendelsohn and Andrew Parkin, reviewer: Fiachra Kennedy; Mapping the Present: Heidegger, Foucault and the Project of a Spatial History by Stuart Elden, reviewer: Steve Buckler; Citizenship, Labour Markets and Democratization by Louise Haagh, reviewer: Jennifer Holmes; Economic Policy Reform: The Second Stage edited by Anne O. Krueger, reviewer: Carlos Santiso; The Press in Transition: A Comparative Study of Nicaragua, South Africa, Jordan and Russia by Adam Jones, reviewer: Mark Wheeler; Democracy and the Public Space in Latin America by Leonardo Avritzer, reviewer: George Philip; Democratic Control of the Military in Postcommunist Europe: Guarding the Guards edited by Andrew Cottey, Timothy Edmunds and Anthony Forster, reviewer: Bill Mikhail; Regional Russia in Transition: Studies from Yaroslavl edited by Jeffrey W. Hahn, reviewer: Bill Mikhail; Out of the Red. Building Capitalism and Democracy in Postcommunist Europe by Mitchell A. Orenstein, reviewer: Henri Vogt; Explaining Irish Democracy by Bill Kissane, reviewer: Niamh Hardiman; Indira Gandhi, the 'Emergency' and Indian Democracy by P.N. Dhar, reviewer: Vernon Hewitt; Government and Politics in Southeast Asia edited by John Funston, reviewer: Mark R. Thompson; Democratization and Welfare State Development in Taiwan by Christian Aspalter, reviewer: James D. Seymour; Religion and Politics in the Developing World: Explosive Interactions edited by Rolin G. Mainuddin Transforming East Asian Domestic and International Politics. The Impact of Economy and Globalization edited by Robert W. Compton, Jr, reviewer: Jeff Haynes; Beyond State Crisis? Post-Colonial Africa and Post-Soviet Eurasia in Comparative Perspective edited by Mark Beissinger and Crawford Young, reviewer: Ian Taylor; The National Question in Nigeria: Comparative Perspectives edited by Abubakar Momoh and Said Adejumobi, reviewer: Rotimi T. Suberu; A Strategic Vision for Africa: The Kampala Movement by Francis M. Deng and I. William Zartman     

Disruptive democracy: analysing legislative protest

This introductory article outlines the conceptual approach of this special issue on legislative protest and suggests that this form of protest alerts us to the negotiated institutional politics of parliaments. Together with many contributors to this issue, this article briefly puts forward a performative approach to studying legislative protest that brings into focus the spaces in which performances take place, the speech and rhetoric through which is performed as well as the bodies that convey the somatic norms of institutions as well as to alert us to issues of representation and representativeness of legislative institutions. Legislative protest then is viewed not simply as disruptive and inefficient, bringing into disrepute the reputations of legislative bodies; rather the performance of protest is regarded as yet another register through which we can productively map the changing cultural and historical development of representative politics.     

关于吉林省政府绩效管理创新对策的思考

政府缋效管理是创新政府管理方式和加强政府自身建设的重要手段,在提升政府公信力、提高政府管理效能、增强干部执行力、改进工作作风和提高公共服务质量等方面发挥了积极作用.因此,分析吉林省政府缋效管理存在的问题,探索改善绩效管理的对策,坚持以绩效为导向,以群众满意为目标,以科学评估为依据,提高政府管理效能,推进执政能力建设,具有重要意义.     

浅析服务型政府绩效评估制度的构建

政府绩效评估作为一项重要的战略管理工具,对于提高政府效能和服务质量意义重大.本文以服务型政府建设为背景,剖析了当前我国政府绩效评估过程中存在的问题,并就如何完善服务型政府绩效评估制度提出了相关建议.     

政府绩效管理中的“第三方评估”模式及其完善

第三方评估作为一种必要而有效的外部制衡机制,弥补了传统的政府自我评估的缺陷,在促进服务型政府建设方面发挥了不可替代的促进作用。十余年来,各地创新出高校专家评估模式、专业公司评估模式、社会代表评估模式、民众参与评估模式这四种第三方评估模式。高校专家评估模式和专业公司评估模式中,第三方具备适用理性,独立性、专业性、权威性等特征鲜明,评估结果公正、客观,但普及实施中制约因素多。社会代表评估模式和民众参与评估模式中,第三方虽不能完全具备适用理性,但有党政权力的推动,已经实现广泛的制度化实施。完善各种第三方评估模式,基本思路是提高第三方的专业性和权威性,同时积极创建有利于第三方独立发展的行政和社会环境。     

商品房买卖预约合同强制履行的适用研究

对于商品房买卖预约合同强制履行的问题,理论界在争议过程中基本形成了"强制缔结本约-强制履行本约"的通说。但是该通说无法避免自身的缺陷,而且司法实务中肯定或否定商品房买卖预约合同强制履行的裁判立场并存,该争议并无真正的定论。通过选取样本,统计分析商品房买卖预约合同实务案例中体现出的违约方、违约原因、卖方和卖方的违约比例等,根据利益平衡和保护购房者一方的理念,应仅支持商品房买受人关于商品房买卖预约合同强制履行的主张,而房地产开发企业作为出卖人的情形,不支持其关于强制履行的请求。     

Patterns of democracy reconsidered: The ambiguous relationship between corporatism and consensualism

Arend Lijphart's Patterns of Democracy, similar to most of his work, elicited fierce scientific debate. This article replicates some of the analyses proposed in its second edition (published in 2012) in the light of the critiques received by the first edition (published in 2009). It primarily examines the relationship between institutional setup and interest group representation, disentangling the effect of consensualism from that of corporatism on issues such as macroeconomic performance and governance capabilities. The article further deepens our understanding of the complex causal mechanisms connecting these variables, proposing a more sophisticated empirical investigation that emphasises selection effects and conjunctural causation.     

Can a machine be used to replicate the biomechanics of human stabbing performance?

A human performance trial was conducted where the stabbing actions of 40 participants were investigated. A range of factors were assessed such as the action used when the blade shape and familiarity of the knife changed. A qualitative evaluation of these factors was presented in an earlier paper to precede the analysis of quantitative kinematic data in this paper. The data from participants was then compared to that obtained from a stabbing machine.A motion analysis system was used to measure parameters such as the joint angular displacement and absolute linear velocity at impact. Motion data was collected using a 12-camera Vicon MX motion analysis system. Results indicated that the mean absolute linear velocity of overarm stabbing actions was consistently higher than the underarm actions.Forensic textile damage examinations often involve testing of edged weapons by manually performing stabbing actions. An underlying fundamental limitation of manual simulation experiments is the natural variation inherent in human performance. Sufficient control measures can be implemented to successfully use manual simulation experiments in forensic testing and therefore this is the accepted practice. However, performance can be improved using a stabbing machine. A custom-built instrumental stabbing device has been shown to operate within the same parameters of the human participants and is therefore suitable for use in casework.     

论《著作权法》对“网播”的规制

“网播”不是“网络传播”的缩略语,也不包括“网络转播”,而是指通过网络实施的初始非交互式传播。修改前的《著作权法》对广播权的定义移植自《伯尔尼公约》的规定,不能规制“网播”,当时只能对“网播”适用“兜底权利”。《著作权法》修改后,广播权被改造为涵盖以任何技术手段进行非交互式传播的专有权利,可以规制“网播”。其规制范围不限于传播作品创作完成时的原始形态,还包括传播作品的表演和表演的录制品。     

审判管理何以可能——以“大日子”涉诉信访为例

当前审判管理工作的重点是要对审判质效和审判绩效进行科学考评,以确保司法公正、廉洁、高效。"大日子"涉诉信访现实地存在于我们的司法体制中,其所涉的许多案件都与政策和立法关联很深,并常常打破司法规律,对审判管理产生着很大的影响。无视这种影响,审判质量管理所要求的立案率、上诉率、申诉率等指标便难以达成,审判效率所要求的收结案动态平衡会很难实现,依托于审判质效管理的审判绩效管理也无法运作,反而有被刻意迎合和被架空的危险。应该淡化"大日子"的影响,择机废除涉诉信访,及时修正审判质效评估体系和审判绩效考评指标,使我们的司法能够稳定地、循序渐进地发展。