When are Students Ready for Research Methods? A Curriculum Mapping Argument for the Political Science Major

For many political science programs, research methods courses are a fundamental component of the recommended undergraduate curriculum. However, instructors and students often see these courses as the most challenging. This study explores when it is most appropriate for political science majors to enroll and pass a research methods course. The hypothesis posits that the number of prior introductory-level political science courses can be a strong precursor to research methods success, even for those who are upper-class students and majors. This hypothesis is tested by analyzing data from six sections of an undergraduate research course offered at a midsized public university. The results demonstrate that students are most likely to succeed in their research methods course if they are majors with at least five previous political sciences courses completed. Recommendations for course prerequisites and specific curriculum mapping are offered in light of these findings.     

International Recognition and Religion: A Quantitative Analysis of Kosovo’s Contested Status

Recognition from other recognized states is the key to becoming a fully fledged member state of the international system. Although many new states are quickly and universally recognized, the recognition of other aspiring states remains highly contested. In these cases of contested sovereignty, some countries but not others extend recognition. However, research on what shapes a country’s decision to recognize a claim to sovereign statehood remains relatively sparse. This article focuses on how religion shapes the incentives of states to extend or withhold recognition to aspiring states in cases of contested sovereignty. It posits two mechanisms, one at the domestic level through religious institutions and one at the international level through transnational religious affinities. The article uses new data on all state decisions regarding the international recognition of Kosovo to test these propositions. The results provide strong support for these two pathways through which religion shapes state decisions regarding international recognition.     

Formal versus traditional institutions: evidence from Ghana

Citizens in Ghana have a host of options when it comes to local governance provision as a result of the government’s decentralization policies. We undertake to explore and understand how Ghanaians navigate the constellation of local institutions, both formal and traditional, to solve an array of common problems. A four-constituency survey was administered during the summer of 2009 and asked respondents about their experiences interacting with four formal institutions and one traditional institution. We find that formal institutions are by and large working effectively and are enhanced by the presence of a traditional institution. We consider the implications of our results with respect to both democratization and decentralization.     

Justice institutions in autocracies: a framework for analysis

What role do justice institutions play in autocracies? We bring together the literatures on authoritarian political institutions and on judicial politics to create a framework to answer this question. We start from the premise that autocrats use justice institutions to deal with the fundamental problems of control and power-sharing. Unpacking “justice institutions” we argue that prosecutors and ordinary courts can serve, respectively, as “top-down” and “bottom-up” monitoring and information-gathering mechanisms helping the dictator in the choice between repression and cooptation. We also argue that representation in the Supreme Court and special jurisdictions enables the dictator and his ruling coalition to solve intra-elite conflicts facilitating coordination. We provide several examples from Mexico under the hegemonic system of the PRI and of Spain under Francisco Franco, as well as punctual illustrations from other countries around the world. We conclude by reflecting on some of the potential consequences of this usage of justice institutions under autocracy for democratization.     

高校本科生教育国际化模式探索

全球经济一体化,使得高等教育国际化成为教育发展的必然趋势。我国高等学校目前的国际化办学形式主要分为与国外高水平大学合作,本硕连读、联合办学等9种不同的形式。中国矿业大学在本科生教育国际化的进程中,基本形成了交互融合模式、“三明治”模式、链式对接模式、本硕连读模式、教学与学术渗透五种模式。在本科生教育国际化的实践过程中,总结出选择国外高水平大学进行合作,开展各种教育国际化模式等多种办学经验,对促进我国高校开展本科生教育国际化合作具有借鉴作用。     

深化事业单位改革必须注意运行机制的健全

加快事业单位改革步伐,必须建立科学合理、灵活多样、运转协调、监督有力的运行机制。具体说来,要建立科学的分类管理机制、高效的公平竞争机制、有力的监督约束机制、健全的激励保障机制。     

新建本科院校学风建设的突破口与切入点

摘要：学风建设是校风建设的重中之重,树立良好的学风是大学生成才的关键.文章通过对新建本科院校学风中存在主要问题的分析，进而提出了新建本科院校加强学风建设工作的突破口与切入点。     

土地出让过程中的政府角色冲突和转变

由于城市土地所有权属于国家，具体的土地出让行为由地方政府及其职能部门来执行。在这种体制下政府及其职能部门具有土地经营者和管理者的双重身份，不同的身份有不同的价值趋向，这本身就是个矛盾，更何况权利与利益联系在一起就可能导致权力扭曲，文章主要对这种身份冲突所引起的问题和解决机制进行浅显的研究。     

古代行政中枢机构的嬗变及其走势

宰相在中国古代作为“百官之长”，所谓“一人之下，万人之上”，是辅佐君主处理国家大政的最高行政长官。宰相制度是君主制度的调节机制和必要补充。本介绍了与宰相制度相适应的行政中枢机构的萌发、形成、发展和转换过程，力图在动态描述中把握中央辅政体制的演变规律和发展态势，从中获得有益的启示。     

努力探索高校研究生党建工作新模式

研究生党建工作是高校党建工作的重要内容。当前我国高校研究生党建工作中存在着党组织建设不规范、针对性和实效性不足、支部生活的内容和形式缺乏创新等问题。要想使高校研究生党建工作得到有效开展，一方面要进一步完善研究生党员质量保障体系，包括多维度教育培训体系和素质动态评价体系；另一方面要构建研究生党建工作创新长效机制，使研究生党建工作与学校发展中心工作、校园文化建设、人格培育体系、专业化管理相结合。