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All governments regardless of their form rely ultimately on the legitimacy given by the people. After the rapid economic growth of 21st century China, millions of people have been lifted out of poverty that are eventually going to demand other things from their government as well, such as a better environment and reduced corruption. Legitimacy in China comes from slightly different sources than in the West. Among them are a quasi-religious heavenly mandate and the traditional view of the party as a provider of welfare and safety. However the economic success has not come without a cost. Protests take place throughout the country as the gap between rich and poor has widened, the welfare state has been reduced and farmers lack a basic right to their land. L. Pitkaniemi

Jorgen Elklit critiques Nils O. Erlandsson's (2005) essay on mandate distribution methods & the general election process in Sweden, comparing Erlandsson's work with other existing material on the subject to conclude that Erlandsson has not sufficiently familiarized himself with these materials. Erlandsson replies to Elklit, reiterating his line of reasoning. Elklit responds to Erlandsson's reply. References. C. Brunski

Throughout the course of the last decade, international events have pushed the development of the Danish foreign affairs department in previously unseen ways. As a result, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has undertaken an extensive re-structuring & revitalization of the department. While these changes were first influenced by external conditions, demand to have full control over its operations has led the department to carry on this evolution internally. Encouraging a merit-driven culture within the department reflects Denmark's growing focus on expanding its reach as a global actor. With emphasis on new developments in information management, transparency, globalization, & commerce, this article reviews some of the adaptive measures taken by the department & the relative degrees of success that have resulted. References. C. Brunski

The article presents an outline of Syrian domestic & foreign policy after the ascendancy of Bashar al-Assad to power last summer, following the death of his father, Hafiz al-Assad. It emphasizes the continuity that has marked Syrian politics despite expectations that Bashar al-Assad's presidency would lead to a more reform-oriented & moderate Syrian regime. The article focuses on the challenges facing Bashar al-Assad at home & abroad. It discusses Bashar al-Assad's consolidation of power & the half-hearted reform process in Syria. A larger emphasis, however, is put on the challenges stemming from abroad, notably the growing challenge to Syria's presence in Lebanon & the tensions with Israel. 28 References. Adapted from the source document.

Challenges James Godbolt's article titled 'the Vietnam War in Norway' by claiming that there were in fact two different Norwegian perspectives - one was found in the anti-war movement, the other in the political elite. A closer inspection of the Labor Party dominated journals, which lead the government, reveals that in the 1960's the Norwegian government, as a NATO member, was supporting America's efforts, whereas a shift occurred after 1967 when the anti-war minority opinion started to gain traction. L. Pitkaniemi

The Iraq War in 2003 represented a conflict of interest for the Norwegian government, as the situation called for them to choose between the relationship with the United States & international law. Being a small nation, it was in Norway's interest to protect both these interests. In the end, the government decided not to support the American-led invasion, with reference to international law. This decision has by some been interpreted as a shift away from Norway's traditional Atlanticist policy. This article illustrates how the second Bondevik Government succeeded in balancing different national interests in the decision-making process. On the one hand, it supported the UN & met the demands of the Norwegian public opinion. On the other hand, it managed to uphold its relationship with the United States. This balancing act illustrates that small states have limited room for manoeuvre in international politics, & will most likely continue to have so in the future. References. Adapted from the source document.

Explains that the late-2000 recession was mainly due to the fact that politicians, businessmen and economists had forgotten the lessons of the great depression resulting in a moral hazard of overleveraging as big corporations knew that the government would bail them out. The seeds for this economic crisis were already sawn by the stock market bubble in the 1990's that eventually spread into more important sectors due to bad government policies based on neoliberalism. It is important that policy makers see the economic crisis as a possibility and aim at full employment while redesigning the credit system in order to avoid future crises. L. Pitkaniemi

A little over a month before election day, victory in the race between George W. Bush & John Kerry appeared to depend on closely divided opinion among voters in a few battleground states, whose blocks of votes in the Electoral College could well decide the outcome. The essay interprets polls, interviews, & news reports with registered voters in four of these states: two so-called small states, one leaning toward Bush (MO) & one leaning toward Kerry (WA); & two large states, both highly contested, but one leaning toward Bush in some recent polls (OH), & another where opinion is too close to call the likely result (PA). The analysis focuses on the issues that voters considered most important in these states & nationally, policy regarding the economic problems, especially job losses, & approaches to dealing with terrorism & the war in Iraq. 28 References. Adapted from the source document.