Suchergebnisse

Any discussion of US alliances in East Asia & the Pacific should include an understanding of the role that the People's Republic of China plays in regional security in general, & the influence of such a role on the alliance system in particular. The 'China factor' in the contemporary US alliance system can be understood by asking the following questions: (1) What are China's perceptions of & concerns regarding the US alliance system as a whole & regarding specific bilateral military alliances of the US? (2) Where does China figure in the American post-Cold War worldview, & what role does the US itself see its alliances playing in relation to China? (3) To what extent are the current bilateral alliances of the US directed against China, in the view of US allies? (4) How might the reshaping of the international security environment following the September 11 (2001) terrorist attacks in the US affect China's perceptions & attitudes toward future alliance developments? 22 References. Adapted from the source document.

A review essay on books by (1) Richard Franklin Bensel, The Political Economy of American Industrialization, 1877-1900 (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge U Press, 2000); (2) Scott C. James, Presidents, Parties, and the State: A Party System Perspective on Democratic Regulatory Choice, 1884-1936 (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge U Press, 2000); & (3) David R. Mayhew, Electoral Realignments: A Critique of an American Genre (New Haven, CT: Yale U Press, 2002).

This paper explores the effect of electoral competition on state & local expenditures in the US during the political environment following the tax revolt of the late 1970s. It utilizes a theoretical model in which both electoral competition & tax & expenditure limits impact spending. Empirical results indicate the tax revolt's primary impact was transmitted through political candidate competition, not through the adoption of tax or expenditure limitations, as is commonly believed. However, tax & expenditure limits do affect public education expenditures. 1 Table, 1 Appendix, 26 References. Adapted from the source document.

Argues that the currently debated options of a future European foreign policy toward the US -- either providing an anti-hegemonic alternative (balancing) or being Washington's junior partner (bandwagoning) -- lack both theoretical foundation & practical feasibility. Instead, in order to be acknowledged as a major player in world politics, the EU should adopt a strategy that -- in accordance with the principal-agent model -- promotes Europe's "speaking with one voice," based on the ongoing agreement of the principals on the EU's role as a civilian power. However, the Draft Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, which has recently been presented by the European Convention, falls significantly short of the institutional reforms necessary to pursue such a strategy. Adapted from the source document.

The US-British attack on Iraq was contrary to international law: self-defense could not be invoked, & the Security Council had not authorized the invasion either. The operation has brought into jeopardy the principle of sovereign equality of States. Notwithstanding their violation of a central rule of international law, the occupation forces are obligated to ensure law & order in Iraq. It appears necessary to improve the workings of the Security Council, basing such a reform on the concept of institutional responsibility of all its members, as well as of all other conventional mechanisms for the maintenance of international peace & security. The US, too, will reach its legitimate political objectives much more effectively within the framework of cooperative mechanisms. Adapted from the source document.