The Design and Execution of Performance Management Systems at State Level: A Comparative Analysis of Italy and Malaysia

This comparative study analyses the experience of Italy and Malaysia in the design and execution of performance management systems at the state level. The article investigates how performance management systems have changed over the past decades, the motivations behind their metamorphoses, their common elements across the two countries, and what accounts for the respective progress. It also investigates the role that the institutional framework plays in making performance management systems robust. The study presents policy recommendations on how governments can create more robust performance management systems for enhanced accountability and transparency in an age of resource constraint.     

Direct Democracy and Political Trust: Enhancing Trust,Initiating Distrust–or Both?

This study investigates the relationship between direct democracy and political trust. We suggest a solution to the controversy in research centering on positive versus negative effects of direct democracy by analytically differentiating between the availability of direct democratic rights and the actual use of those rights. Theoretically, greater availability of direct democratic rights may enhance political trust by increasing citizens' perception that political authorities can be controlled as well as by incentivizing political authorities to act trustworthily. In contrast, the actual use of the corresponding direct democratic instruments may initiate distrust as it signals to citizens that political authorities do not act in the public's interest. We test both hypotheses for the very first time with sub‐national data of Switzerland. The empirical results seem to support our theoretical arguments.     

The transition from limited access orders to open access orders in the post-communist Europe

This paper attempts to explain the process of institutional transition of post-communist countries applying conceptual framework proposed by D.C. North, J. J. Wallis, and B. R. Weingast. The first part of the article is devoted to outline the theory of North, Weingast, and Wallis. The second part the theory is used to analyze transformation processes in post-communist countries. An important conclusion of this paper is that cultural, religious and historical factors have crucial impact on formation of new coalitions of elites in the transitions countries. In the countries where Western values were present the transfer of the market and democratic formal institutions was easier. Also, the process of transformation was strongly influenced by external factors, especially the prospect of integration with the European Union, which encouraged elites to take action that benefited the opening of both political and economic markets. These observations suggest that, in general, the success of transformation in transition countries did not depend on the intentional actions of ruling elites.     

能动司法的实现条件——一个中美比较的视角

近年来,司法能动作为一种与司法克制相对的司法意识形态,引起国内法学界和实务界的关注,很多学者和法官倡导在司法实践中应该充分发挥法官的自由裁量权,实行＂能动的司法＂。但是,能动司法的实现需要多方面条件和因素来支持,否则实行能动司法于法治是不利的。通过比较中美两国在法律文化、法律制度等方面的差异,分析美国能动司法的实现条件,发现中国的不足,有利于推动中国实行有限的＂能动司法＂,构建和谐的法治社会。     

Mixing Habermas with Bayes: Methodological and Theoretical Advances in the Study of Deliberation

Two challenges stand out in the study of deliberation: the development of appropriate methodological tools and the development of more unified analytical frameworks. On the one hand, analysing deliberative processes is demanding and time‐consuming; hence we tend to have only few and non‐randomly selected cases at the group or context level. In addition, the real world of deliberation presents us with a complex matrix of nested, cross‐classified, and repeated speakers. This article shows that Bayesian multi‐level modelling provides an elegant way to tackle these methodological problems. On the other hand, we attempt to enrich comparative institutionalism with individual characteristics and psychologically relevant variables (such as group composition). Focusing on Swiss and German parliamentary debates we show that institutional factors ‐ in particular, consensus systems ‐, the gender composition of committees and plenary sessions, and age matter for the quality of deliberation. Furthermore, we also show that partisan affiliation ‐ government or opposition status of MPs ‐ affects deliberative quality and can refine institutional arguments. We conclude that a multi‐level approach to deliberation focusing on contextual and actor‐related characteristics and using Bayesian hierarchical modelling paves the way toward a more advanced understanding ‐ and methodological handling ‐ of deliberative processes.     

论计算机犯罪的侦查机构建设

反思我国现存计算机犯罪侦查机构存在的诸多问题,我们不难发现我国与国外计算机犯罪侦查工作开展的比较好的国家还存在着很大差距,这些国家的计算机犯罪侦查机构为我国计算机犯罪侦查机构的建设提供了借鉴和参考。就我国计算机犯罪侦查机构建设的改革方向而言,我们应先着力修正一些外在性的制度的缺陷并着意完善之。     

Malaysia 13th General Election: A short note on Malaysia's continuing battle with ethnic politics

Malaysia's Barisan Nasional (a coalition of mainly ethnic-based parties) secured a narrow win in the country's recent election. Reacting to the dismal result, Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak blamed his party's losses on the “Chinese Tsunami”, which he described as the overwhelming support of Chinese voters for the opposition party – the Pakatan Rakyat (PR). This note believes that the debates on “Chinese Tsunami” highlight a larger imperative; Malaysians' constant struggle with race relations and what constitutes the character of Malaysia's political economy. Improving Malaysia's ethnic relations in the next five years remains daunting. The BN's weaker mandate and the PR's eagerness to assume leadership threatens to recycle more populist policies that can do more damage to Malaysia's ethnic relations.     

新形势下高等院校党建工作研究

高等院校党的建设工作是整个学校工作的重点和龙头，新形势下高等院校党的建设工作应该走出旧体制下形成的模式，实事求是地面对新形势，以创新的精神开展党建工作，逐步探索出一奈适应社会主义市场经济发展建设的可持续发展的新路子，使学校党建工作真正得到落实。     

新时期大学生社会实践活动问题分析与对策建议

社会实践是大学生思想政治教育的重要环节,社会的发展对大学生社会实践提出了更高要求。要不断提高对大学生社会实践的认识;要建立相对稳定的社会实践基地;逐步实现组织模式从精英实践向大众实践转化;同时要建立健全服务保障体系,加大社会协同力度;不断健全大学生社会实践工作运行机制和科学管理体系。     

论布雷顿森林机构表决权集中制度的改革

布雷顿森林机构的表决权集中制度可以弥补投票权分配制度的不足。但现行的表决权集中制度问题不少,改革时可以适当增加要求全体通过的事项;降低特定多数通过的比例要求,有效地运用和发展双重多数通过制;明确协商一致的内涵和外延,限制它的保留和解释,明确和提高它的法律地位,并作为表决权集中制度的常规和先导;引入公司治理中关于保护中小股东利益的做法,如实行累积投票制等。