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"Independent Russia is approaching the start of its third decade of post-Soviet existence. After the economic chaos of the Boris Yeltsin decade and the recovery and stabilization of the Vladimir Putin decade, Russia's leaders have high ambitions for a return to great power status in the years ahead. Their aspirations are tempered, however, by the realities of Russia's social, economic, and military shortcomings and vulnerabilities, laid painfully bare by the stress test of the recent global financial crisis. Looking ahead, some also calculate that Russia will be increasingly challenged in the Far East by a rising China and in the Middle East by an Iran that aspires to regional hegemony. As a result, Moscow is already seeking to strengthen Russia's ties with Europe and the United States. The West is seen as crucial to Russia's modernization as well as a hedge against what may develop to Russia's east and south in coming decades. This process of Russia's anchoring itself more firmly in the West will proceed with lots of tactical hiccups and sporadic crises. Nevertheless, it will bring consequences and opportunities for U.S. diplomacy and strategic development, some of which the Barack Obama administration's policy of 'reset' is already reaping. But Russian policy toward the United States is conditional on a U.S. approach that engages Russia in positive ways. If that policy were to change, it could push Russia and China closer together on some issues in an effort to constrain the United States."--P. 1 ; Format not distributed to depository libraries. ; "January 2011." ; Includes bibliographical references (p. 30-39). ; Executive summary -- Introduction -- Putin's record -- Medvedev's challenge -- Demographic determinism -- Price paradox -- Corruption complex -- Military malaise -- The 'Near Abroad' -- China -- Iran -- Implications for the United States -- Notes -- About the author. ; "Independent Russia is approaching the start of its third decade of post-Soviet existence. After the economic chaos of the Boris Yeltsin decade and the recovery and stabilization of the Vladimir Putin decade, Russia's leaders have high ambitions for a return to great power status in the years ahead. Their aspirations are tempered, however, by the realities of Russia's social, economic, and military shortcomings and vulnerabilities, laid painfully bare by the stress test of the recent global financial crisis. Looking ahead, some also calculate that Russia will be increasingly challenged in the Far East by a rising China and in the Middle East by an Iran that aspires to regional hegemony. As a result, Moscow is already seeking to strengthen Russia's ties with Europe and the United States. The West is seen as crucial to Russia's modernization as well as a hedge against what may develop to Russia's east and south in coming decades. This process of Russia's anchoring itself more firmly in the West will proceed with lots of tactical hiccups and sporadic crises. Nevertheless, it will bring consequences and opportunities for U.S. diplomacy and strategic development, some of which the Barack Obama administration's policy of 'reset' is already reaping. But Russian policy toward the United States is conditional on a U.S. approach that engages Russia in positive ways. If that policy were to change, it could push Russia and China closer together on some issues in an effort to constrain the United States."--P. 1 ; Mode of access: Internet.

Place is characteristically imbued with a multiplicity of meanings contingent on the specificities of the society, time and space in which place is perceived. It is essentially subjective, relational and differential. As such, virtual multiplicity is the main characteristic of place where the virtual is understood as the sum of the real, a subjective mental act, and a motive or confusion. Space, conversely, is that which has no virtuality in it; it is objective. Accordingly, at least in theory, it is hard to distinguish between virtual and actual places. Outside of theory, virtual place typically suggests a system of representations that aims to convey through the senses an imagined or illusionary reality. Virtual place is mostly associated with places constructed using computational technology; most popular among them are massive multiuser online games (MMOGs). Lately, scholars are increasingly using such MMOGs to virtually construct or reconstruct historic places. The interpretation of such historic places depends on the affordances of the medium through which place is perceived and the ways in which such a medium is socially deployed and interpreted. This dissertation explores (1) the ways in which MMOGs are perceived and (2) the formative effect virtual reconstructions of historic places using gaming technology exercise on the interpretation of such places.Using two popular MMOGs as a case study, this dissertation shows that the perception of such places is conditioned by the suggestive technical affordances of the medium in addition to complex socio-historical forces. These conditions predispose expert users of MMOGs to perceive these virtual places in ways different than new users. New users perceive virtual environments in ways similar to the ways they perceive the actual environment: They assume an isomorphic relationship between the virtual reconstruction of a given place and its actuality. They value the formal and multi-sensory aspects of the environment. Expert users, on the other hand, perceive the virtual environment from a structural and functional perspective and pay less attention to its formal and sensory qualities. They seek novel and interesting social activities, increased technical knowledge and improved social status.This dissertation also uses the ancient settlement of Sirkap, located in modern-day Pakistan, as a case study, to demonstrate that the use of gaming technology to virtually reconstruct a historical place may entail a change in the interpretation of archaeological records. Most conventional historical accounts of Sirkap use two-dimensional site maps and city plans as the primary media to represent the urban fabric of the ancient settlement. The medium lends itself to interpret the Block D Apsidal Temple complex as the dominant socio-religious structure in the affluent northern parts of the settlement. When the author developed an interactive three-dimensional reconstruction of Sirkap using gaming technology--a medium that allows users, through their avatars, to explore the settlement from the standpoint of a pedestrian--it was immediately obvious that the aforementioned Block D Apsidal Temple complex did not demand such an interpretation. Instead, this study argues that, at least in the affluent northern parts of the settlement, the northern gate, its adjacent fortifications, and the Block A stupa court were the dominant structures. Such an interpretation leads the authors to question the canonical understanding of the role of the state and its military apparatus in the socio-religious life of Sirkap.

Jennifer Milioto Matsue's ethnographic account of Tokyo hardcore in the late 1990s situates the scene both within the context ofJapanese society and underground music scenes in urban centers around the world. The author characterizes this enclave of hardcore music making as both distinctively Japanese and simultaneously comparable to other music scenes outside Japan. Matsue's research spans from 1996 to 1999 and revolves around the band Jug and the club or "livehouse" they frequent, 20,000volt. Other bands and participants on the periphery of this particular group are discussed, although the ethnographer is most intimately involved with Jug, and eventually joins them during a few live performances as a guest vocalist. Crucial to Matsue's narrative is a concept of performance that includes both acts onstage and (inter)personal contributions within the scene. Making Music in Japan's Underground: The Tokyo Hardcore Scene is divided into four chapters that progressively delve into the tightly-knit world of Tokyo hardcore. The first chapter gives context for the ethnography, providing an overview of Tokyo at the end of the century and establishing the dominant traits of American and Japanese hardcore music. While not attempting the dubious task of defining a genre, Matsue begins by outlining the basics of American hardcore, briefly touching on the genre's birth out of the punk rock movement, and its subsequent connection to both grunge and alternative rock in the 1990s. Taking punk tempos and speeding them up, hardcore is described by the All Music Guide (cited by Matsue) as incorporating guitars with a "monochrome" timbre and "half-shouted lyrics venting the most inflammatory sentiments the singers and songwriters could devise". Leftist politics are central to the early strain of hardcore in the United States and, as Matsue writes, citing Roy Shuker, the music created in the hardcore scene was "initially distinct from mainstream production systems".While Matsue fails to explain how and when hardcore made its way to Japan, her cursory overview of American hardcore allows her to compare and contrast the Japanese scene with its Western antecedent. Stylistically, the hardcore scene in Japan that she analyzes is "a range of musics loosely connected under the umbrella style of hard core . [incorporating] a guitar rock or kitschy punk aesthetic, with quite a lot of screaming . or intensive mumbling". Although independent modes of musical production remain important, radical politics are far less prevalent, and the performative aggression is more about momentary release than attempting to effect permanent political or social change. Matsue writes, "Performance in the scene allows participants a space to negotiate distinct individual and collective identities that can at times be further characterized by a sense of resistance, but this resistance is often temporary, even playful". This description is in keeping with Matsue's understanding of play. In her usage, play denotes a temporary leisure activity outside of work. Play also encompasses her definition of performance, which is specifically the creation of music onstage and the methods of production and distribution offstage (such as creating promotional flyers or starting independent record labels) that perpetuate the scene and facilitate live performances. Play can also include shifting aspects of one's identity and persona that may result in resistance against conventional societal roles, although in a fashion that is not permanent.

Análisis evaluativo de diversos enfoques geográficos sobre el espacio, su revelación con el Estado, entendido en su binomio poder y dominación. Se revisa la concepción de un poder unidimensional y la producción de espacio; así como las versiones del poder multidimensional, consumo del espacio y territorialidad. La concepción del espacio como producto-reflejo de la sociedad, se critica a la luz de concepción materialista del espacio. A nivel histórico, se estudian las estrategias y conflictos resultantes de la conformación de nuevos territorios y las limitaciones de acción del Estado frente a las decisiones locacionales de las grandes corporaciones multinacionales. Se fortalecen segmentos del Estado nacional, pero, a la vez, este pierde poder de decisiones ante las fuerzas internacionales y, principalmente frente a los problemas y tenciones internas. La autora sugiere diversos temas de investigación necesarios de cubrir urgentemente, tales como la relación territorio y espacio; naturaleza de los movimientos sociales de la base territorial; naturaleza del Estado contemporáneo y las relaciones ante los planes económicos y políticos y, finalmente, los limites de intervención del Estado y los problemas de legitimidad del poder. SUMMARY This is evaluative analysis of different geographic focuses concerning space-state relationships, taking into account a power and domination binomial. The concept of a unidimensional power and space production is revised; as well as versions of multidimensional power, space consumption, and territorial relationships. The space concept is taken into account as a product-reflection of society and criticized from the viewpoint of a materialistic viewpoint, strategies and conflicts are studied as the results of the confirmation of the new territories the large multinational corporations. Segments of the national state are stringency but, at the same time, the state loses its decision making powers in reference to international forces and principally in reference to problems and internal tensions. The author suggests several necessary and urgent investigative themes, such as territorial and space relationships, the nature of the social movements encountered in the territorial base, the nature of the contemporary state and of the its relationships in accordance with economic and political plants and finally, the intervention limits of the state and the problems of power legitimacy RESUME A partir d'une vision géographique, on présente et analyse les thèmes suivants: l'espace, la relation celui-ci avec l'Etat, entendu comme un bionome pouvoir et domination. On revise les concepts de pouvoir unidimensionnel et de production d'espace; de pouvoir multidimensionnel, consommation et territoriale. Le concept d'espace comme produit-réflexe de la société, est critiqué en se basant sur la conception matérialiste de l'espace. Au niveau historique, on étudie les stratégies et les conflicts qui résultent de la conformation de nouveaux territoires. On étudie aussi les limitations de l'action de l'Etat en face des décisions d'ubiquation des grandes corporations multinationales. En même temps que se fortifié certaines parties de l'Etat national, il y a une diminution de son pouvoir de décision devant des forces internationales et surtout en face de problèmes et de tensions internes.L'auteur suggère plusieurs thèmes d'investigation urgents, comme : la relation entre territoire et espace; nature des mouvements sociaux à base territoriale; nature de l'Etat contemporain et ses relations avec les plan économiques et politiques et enfin : les limites de l'intervention de l'Etat et les problèmes de légitimité du pouvoir.

In recent years, tourism has experienced increasing interest from researchers in various areas, a fact that has resulted not only in a diversity of approaches from which this theme can be treated, but also in the uncovering of the interconnections that exist between tourism and the development of the economy of transport and of society. Thus, tourist growth in each country has been the subject of several studies, ranging from economics to the political and cultural aspects associated with publicizing the country as well as to the links between tourism and transport developments. Research on the institutions promoting tourism and the magazines in which it is advertised has led to an understanding of the role that professionals such as engineers have played in promoting the activity and how they have long regarded it as a form of development for the economy and for transport. The study of travel guides is another possible approach to understanding the links between tourism and transport. Utilitarian in their nature, travel guides are a reflection of the economic, social, cultural and technological changes that, over time, have been introduced into travel for cultural purposes or for summer vacations, and which gradually have come to be participated in by increasingly larger social groups. The analysis of various tourist guides allows for an approach to various themes, particularly the different forms of transport and the new industries that technological and industrial development have made available for travelers/tourists. Analyzing the 20th century tourism phenomenon thereby implies understanding all the economic, social, political and technological changes that were initiated in the second half of the 18th century and which eventually brought about today's phenomenon of 'mass tourism'. Access to tourist travel – for improving knowledge, for leisure or even for therapeutic reasons – at the beginning of the 18th century, a privilege of the aristocracy, was gradually extended to include the rich bourgeoisie. Throughout the 19th century, it embraced even wider social strata through the development of transport and communications. However, in the 20th century its high level of growth allowed tourism to become, for many regions and even for some countries, one of the main sources of income and an important support for the economy. Throughout the 20th century, new achievements were established in the world of work, such as the right to paid holidays, which contributed largely to increase the numbers of those who could spend their leisure time getting to know other places and other cultures. Many of the changes that occurred in tourism were determined by the technological and industrial innovations that generated an increase in and a broadening of new means of transport. As Catherine Bertho Lavenir observes, "les voyages changent comme changent les techniques" (Lavenir 1999: 9). According to this author, today's characteristics of tourism are the result of an evolution marked by three distinct moments, separated by technological changes. The first period was the age of coaches and railways. The article seeks to examine the links that, from the late 19th century into the early decades of the 20th, were established in Portugal between tourism and transport, connecting them with the strategies followed by railway companies, cycling associations, the Automobile Club of Portugal (1903) and Sociedade de Propaganda de Portugal (1906) in the promotion of tourism travel within Portugal and abroad.

Полития Борны, существование которой на территории бывшей римской провинции Далмации в первой четверти IX в. фиксируется франкскими источниками, традиционно считается колыбелью раннесредневековой хорватской государственности. Между тем, характер данной политии и то, каким образом она была связана с хорватами как раннесредневековой gens, остается во многих отношениях неясным. Автор доказывает, что дукат Борны состоял только из двух политических единиц: собственно хорватской политии с центром в районе Книна и небольшого гудусканского вождества в Гацке. Борна был вождем хорватов, группы людей, которая постепенно развилась в этническую единицу под руководством христианизированной военной элиты, противопоставившей себя сначала аварской, а затем и франкской верховной власти. Гудусканы составляли отдельную natio, чья идентичность никак не была связана с хорватами. Известия источников, касающиеся важных институтов дуката Борны, таких как praetoriani и castella, указывает на существование всех необходимых условий для трансформации этой политии в раннее государство «дружинного» типа. Между тем, быстрое усиление пост-аварской книнской элиты, происходившее около 800 г. и приведшее к формированию дуката Борны, следует объяснять не столько внутренними социально-политическими факторами, сколько внешними импульсами, связанными с существенным изменением политической ситуации на западе Балкан вследствие франкской экспансии. При этом процесс стабилизации хорватской групповой идентичности и превращения ее в базовую идентичность этнополитической общности был весьма длительным, заметно уступая в своих темпах процессу становления на территории, где к середине IX в. оформится «страна хорватов» (Regnum Chroatorum), надлокальной политической организации. ; Borna's polity attested by Frankish sources in the territory of the former Roman province of Dalmatia in the first quarter of the 9th century is traditionally considered by many to be the cradle of the early medieval Croatian statehood. Meanwhile, the exact character of this polity and the way it was linked with the Croats as an early medieval gens remain obscure in many respects. It is argued by the author that Borna's ducatus consisted of only two political entities, the Croat polity proper, with its centre in the region of Knin, and a small chiefdom of the Guduscani in the region of Gacka. Borna was the chief of the Croats, a group of people that gradually developed into an ethnic unit under the leadership of a christianized military elite opposed first to the supreme power of the Avars and then to that of the Franks. The Guduscani as a single whole constituted a separate natio whose identity was in no way connected with that of the Croats. The evidence concerning the important institutions of Borna's ducatus such as praetoriani and castella points to the existence of all the necessary conditions for transforming the polity into an early state the administrative apparatus of which would be based on the ruler's retinue of warriors. Meanwhile, the rapid reinforcement of the post-Avar Knin elite that took place c. 800 and led to the formation of Borna's ducatus should be explained by external impulses connected with a considerable change of political conditions in the Western Balkans following the expansion of the Franks rather than by any internal social factors. For all that, the process of the stabilization of the Croats' group identity and its transformation into basic identity of an ethnopolitical community was very durable, the rate of the process being considerably inferior to that of the formation of a supralocal political organization in the territory of the future «land of the Croats» (Regnum Chroatorum).

Анализируются известия независимого и официального русского летописания второй половины XV в. о династических войнах между представителями московского княжеского дома. Основное внимание уделено наиболее известным представителям так называемой галицкой ветви московских князей, их личным характеристикам и военно-политической деятельности. В результате обращает на себя внимание неоднозначность информации, даже содержащейся в официальных летописях. Сделаны выводы о необходимости пересмотра устоявшихся в науке оценок данных событий и предположения относительно их возможных трактовок. ; In the Russian historical science there has developed a tradition of perception of the opponents of Prince Vasily II Vasilyevich in the fight for the grand throne. Galician princes are seen either as an unconditionally progressive power, but in any case they are confronted with the Moscow Prince. Accordingly, there is a tradition to evaluate their moral qualities. It is typical that both models are based on similar, though not absolutely identical sources. At present, it is necessary to dwell on the activities and personalities of the princes of Zvenigorod and Galicia on the basis of all available sources of the chronicles, both the official ones dated back to the end of the 15th century and independent ones (North-Russian chronicles and those written in the principalities neighboring to Moscow). Discrepancies or repeated news allow seeing the main parties of the conflict and their actions with the eyes of contemporaries and immediate descendants, at least partly. Using both types of Russian chronicles makes it possible to consider different interpretations of events chroniclers, from neutral to promotional ones. Particular attention is paid to the three Galician princes who openly opposed to Vasily II. The analysis of their actions, motives (often presumable) and the results led to the conclusion that these princes did not act as a unified opposition except for the brief period of 1433-1434. But at that time the reasons and goals of their struggle against Vasily II were not identical. Basically, that family sought to compliance with the principle of family seniority when inheriting the Grand Prince's throne, with the exception of Prince Vasily the Kosoy (Squint-eyed). But judging by the fact that the fight between Vasily Vasilyevich and Vasily Yuryevich ended by blinding of the loser the case was not typical because blindness was not a norm in the political struggle in Russia. Perhaps, this conflict was the cause of public insult of Vasily the Kosoy at the wedding of Vasily II. The author pays attention to the lack of available research sources enabling discussion about the personal characteristics and moral qualities of the princes. In particular, it is doubtful to speak of exceptional ferocity of Vasily Yuryevich and perfidy or duplicity of Dmitry Shemyaka. In this context, for example, it seems to be unreasonable to discuss the assertion that Shemyaka cheated Bishop Iona of Ryazan in 1446. In conclusion we can say that in the chronicle sources of the second half of the 15th century there is a lack of reasons to demonstrate the struggle between the two principles of succession. Moreover, the grand code of 1472 suggests that the only legitimate way to transfer the grand power was the observance of seniority, regardless of the double violation of that order by that time.

Статья посвящена критическому анализу проекта изменений ГК РФ в части проблемы активной исковой легитимации и инициативы суда в признании ничтожности сделок одной из наименее тщательно проработанных при подготовке Концепции совершенствования ГК и Проекта. Исследование выполнено на средства гранта Президента РФ для государственной поддержки молодых российских ученых докторов наук (МД-714.2010.6). ; The RF Civil Code does not mention such kind of remedy as declaration of the juristic act as and void, does not define the circle of plaintiffs in such suits, and does not provide an opportunity to declare the ity of a juristic act at the court initiative. At the same time the parties of a juristic act or a third party can be interested in elimination of legal uncertainty created by such an act. And this interest needs protection by judicial declaration of ity of a juristic act. The proposals on this issue, contained in the Draft Amendments to the Russian Federation Civil Code (Draft further on), are not consistent and free from contradictions. 1) Systemic discordance between the Draft's rules about juristic acts and general contract provisions is obvious. Such a double regulation is excessive and contradicts the principle of legislative economy. In addition, this mismatch can produce considerable difficulties in legal practice. 2) According to Para 2 Part 3 Art. 166 of the Draft "bringing of a suit for declaration of invalidity of a and void juristic act regardless of the application of consequences of its invalidity is allowed if the plaintiff has the law protected interest in declaring such a juristic act as invalid". But the plaintiff's subjective right or law-protected interest is a necessary precondition for satisfaction of any claim. However, the proposed rule is not only excessive but, moreover, objectionable because it can cause wrong interpretations. 3) The Draft's general provisions about contracts are supplemented by Art. 4311 "Invalidity of Contract". However, it is not clear what specific feature of contract requires the necessity of these special provisions and why they were not included into the general juristic act's provisions. 4) According to Para 1 Part 3 Art. 4311 "suit about declaration of ity of the juristic act … can be brought by any concerned person on condition that this person will provide the evidences of infringement by this contract of his/her rights or law-protected interests". Besides the lack of terminological unity between this rule and the similar provision of Para 2 Part 3 Art. 166, that will cause a lot of collisions during the application process, this rule ignores universally recognized postulates of civil law and civil procedure: (a) the necessity of the right or law-protected interest evidences adducing is a general procedural requirement called "burden of evidence"; (b) the proof of the circumstances referred to by the plaintiff is a condition for claim satisfaction, but not a condition of "bringing" of a suit; (c) the conclusion of the contract itself does not violate subjective rights or law-protected interests; and, therefore, the provision of Para 1 Part 3 Art. 4311 would be impracticable under a strict formal legal approach, and would exclude even a possibility to bring the suit for declaring a juristic act as and void. De lege ferenda the author offers his own version of relevant rules.

Рассматриваются причины кризиса бельгийского федерализма. Отсутствие компромисса между различными региональными партиями из-за электорального округа Брюссель-Хал-Вилворде стало причиной политического кризиса и камнем преткновения в бельгийской политике. Бельгийский федерализм не интегрировал языковые сообщества на основе единого национального союза. Ряд индикаторов свидетельствует о кризисе государства-нации и о том, что данная проблема заслуживает внимания со стороны исследователей для анализа перспектив развития европейского федерализма. ; In this article the effects of Belgian federalism on its linguistic minorities, specifically the French, Flemish and Flanders, are examined. Since the time of formation of the electoral district of Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde, it became a stumbling block in the Belgian policy. The author begins by posing a question on whether Belgian federalism has resolved the cohabitation of its different linguistic groups and ensured their proportional representation in federal government. The analysis of the historical background of the difficulties between the groups, as well as a description of the federal structures that have been adopted to improve these difficulties, is provided. An important aspect of the article is its analysis of the outcome of these political structures on the interactions between the minorities. Within the limits of modern Belgian federalism where all depends on struggling for repartition of the power and influence of regional parties, the constructive decision on electoral district has not been found yet. And it leads all Belgian federalism to nowhere. Belgium is one of the EU founding countries. Its active participation in Euro integration processes is based on ideology of federalism and national consensus, adherence to which has never been questioned publicly. In the opinion of many observers Belgium is in the phase of crisis of federalism. The status quo preservation can lead to a breakdown of a nation-state in the heart of Europe. Therefore, Belgium has become a political laboratory of European federalism having realised in practice a model of a decentralised and regionalized state based on the principle of ethnic and linguistic pluralism. The Belgian experience of territorial reforming looked attractive and prospective enough, until the idea of regionalism supported by the ideology of nationalism has not questioned the existence of the national state Belgium. At present Belgium is at historical and political crossroads. Belgium has always personified the European idea and the breakdown of the nation-state will be the collapse of the federal Europe, the Europe of regions and all other Europes except the Europe of the national states. The experience of search of the compromise in the ethnic variety of Belgium and dialogue construction in the federative state is a lesson for modern multinational states. The specificity of evolution of ethno-regional parties in the view of national contradictions in Belgium leaves the question unanswered of the future of the national states in the system of the European political institutes when solving problems of internal policy. Within modern Belgian federal mechanism where all depends on the struggling for repartition of the power and influence of regional parties, the constructive decision on election district of Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde will not be found. Federalism in Belgium has failed to integrate different communities, as it has not fostered national unity. Some indicators predict that there is a threat of the collapse of the nation, and that this is a serious cause for attention.

Анализируются проблемы доказывания мотива и цели преступления в контексте судебно-следственных действий. Предлагается системное установление мотивации преступного поведения путем определения взаимосвязей между мотивом и целью преступного деяния с учетом явлений полимотивации и множественности целей. ; The problems of proving the motive and purpose of a crime in the context of forensic investigation are analysed in the article. From the critical point of view the practical approach for criminal motives determination is considered on the basis of the model self-interest − personal hostility − disruptive behaviour. The author draws the line at non-mixing of the motive, purpose and emotional background of a crime. It is proposed to establish comprehensive motivation of criminal behaviour by identifying interrelation between the motive and purpose of a criminal act taking into account phenomena of polymotivation and multiple purposes. The necessity of revealing not only nearby but distant goals of a criminal is proved. As a methodological ground to establish motivation of criminal behaviour an active approach is used, which states that one should carry out a detailed pre-criminal, criminal and post-criminal behaviour investigation of a person who committed a crime. The article gives a brief review of procedural means of proofs good for establishing motivation of criminal behaviour with reference to a broad range of opportunities applied by forensic psychological examination. The recommendations for working up final procedural documents regarding fixation of the motive and the criminal act are set in the article. The existing simplified approach to the determination of criminal behaviour motivation leads to a considerable number of investigative mistakes, incorrect classification of crimes, disregard of true motives of a crime, intended decrease of the purposes range of a crime, determination of unfair punishment, wrong application of some civil legislation institutions. The motive and purpose of a criminal act are to be investigated along with other circumstances of a case using criminal procedure means stipulated by law. Determination and investigation of the criminal behaviour motivation must be carried out by a complex of the following investigation actions: examination of the scene of action; interrogation of the suspect, accused of a crime, the defendant; interrogation of the crime victim; interrogation of witnesses; legal search; forensic psychological examination. The algorithm of criminal behaviour motive determination by means of the scene of action inspection can be presented as follows: apparent consequences of a crime ground for committing a crime immediate aim of a crime. While interrogating the suspected and the accused person by asking proper questions one should lead the interrogated person out to the general background of his/her personal interests thus understanding his/her distant goals and sense of existence. Interrogation of persons who were acquainted with the subject of a crime before he had committed a crime in their joint operation, study, place of residence, leisure time, participation in the activity of social organizations, sports clubs (neighbours, acquaintances, colleagues, etc.) can be useful. While carrying out the legal search special attention should be paid to the criminals products of intellectual activity (diaries, note-books, autobiographies, nota benes, letters, telegrams, e-mail messages), as well as his living conditions at the place of residence.

Построение «сервисной» модели государства предусматривает ориентацию на потребителя государственных и муниципальных услуг. Это предопределяет проведение социологических исследований с целью выявления степени удовлетворенности населения указанными услугами. Показано, как неоднозначное толкование понятия «муниципальные услуги» порождает проблемные аспекты методики оценки удовлетворенности. ; Innovative processes in public administration and municipal management are largely oriented at building a service state model, when the state is an institution offering services to the public. The key measure of power efficiency is the quality of public services, and the quality means the degree of public needs satisfaction. Such a model is meant to identify the evaluation of public services. In the Russian Federation according to regulations, sociological surveys of urban districts (metropolitan regions) must be carried out to find out the degree of satisfaction with municipal services since 2008. Determination of the subject for sociological study needs an accurate definition of the term municipal services. The paper links the concept content with a number of local problems to be solved by the local government bodies (LGB). To solve the problems, the LGB are to develop and realize a complex of legal and technical-organizational measures. It is hard for a citizen to evaluate adequately the work of the local authorities within this aspect. Therefore, the population should be given the right to assess the final result along with the procedure of receiving the service. And the local authorities should be obliged to draw conclusions and take measures connected with planning, realization, coordination and control. The identification of the public service content, proceeding from the social functions of the relevant area, also arrives at a conclusion that the consumers are not experts in these fields, so it is necessary to focus on the choice of general criteria. Since the municipal services are hierarchical in one and the same field, the author suggests that the assessment of the National Health Service, education, etc. should be excluded from the analysis. When forming the methods of evaluation it should be determined which services to take into consideration: those secured by the budgetary financing or others as well. Besides, it is important to know which mechanism of the managerial decision is taken by sociological information. In keeping with this it can be either only quantitative or both quantitative and qualitative. On the whole, when giving the sociological evaluation of the quality of public services, it is necessary to take into account the ambiguity of the following approaches: a citizen is treated either as a customer getting a service or as a representative of the population at large a citizen evaluates the LGB performance in accordance with the accomplishment of measures leading to providing services or the final result analysing the final result, a citizen assesses either the performance of the authority or of the institution which provided the service a citizen evaluates the services offered 1) free of charge or 2) at prices regulated by authorities or 3)on market terms catering for citizens opinion results in either taking financial decisions or adjustment of service content. The choice of this or that service affects the method of satisfaction evaluation.

Защита банковских вкладов физических лиц является важнейшим элементом стабилизации банковской системы. Страхование вкладов призвано защитить интересы вкладчиков банков, предупредить панику и не допустить её распространения на всю банковскую систему. Защита вкладчиков коммерческих банков является не просто защитой потребителя, это неотъемлемый элемент банковского регулирования, который создаёт необходимые условия для поддержания стабильности банковской системы. ; Development of the banking system recently occurs in the conditions of the world financial system crisis. This circumstance was reflected in methods of regulation of banking activities and, first of all, in methods of legal regulation. The taken measures were directed at easing the process of overcoming the crisis, at creation of the mode allowing providing preservation of solvency and liquidity of commercial banks at a necessary level to maintain the stability of the banking system. In this connection, the governments of many countries activated the works on creation or modernization of mechanisms of national banking systems promoting maintenance and effective protection of interests of bank investors who start to experience difficulties or go bankrupt. When the system of deposit insurance appeared, the cases of mass simultaneous deposits withdrawals in banks because of the fear of banks bankruptcy were rare. However, the situation which has developed in the world during the recession when many banks were at the edge of bankruptcy showed in all countries that worldwide deposit insurance systems have no accurate internationally recognized reference points, which would help estimate their efficiency. In the article the author's position consisting in the necessity of definition of functions and powers concerning the actions of banks-participants, deposit insurance agencies and the Bank of Russia is presented and given reason at carrying out of reorganisation and financial improvement of banks. The aims set before the deposit insurance system define functions and powers of the body controlling the system the deposit insurer. The system of deposit insurance can deal with a limited number of simultaneous bank bankruptcies, but cannot independently resolve the system bank crisis. For this purpose active intervention of supervising and regulating bodies is necessary. The success of the insurer of deposits at settlement of bankrupt establishments with the least costs depends on its powers and the problem nature. Transfer of the turnaround manager function to the deposit insurance agency is an important constructive element of the deposit insurance system in Russia. That has in turn revealed a number of problems connected with, first, mutual relations between the agency and the regulation and supervision body the Central Bank, second, performing the supervising function over the activities of banks, third, timely informing the agency on the financial condition of banks, regulation of information streams. On the basis of the conducted research, the author has come to a conclusion that at the given stage to take away the Central Bank's supervision function and to assign it to the deposit insurance agency completely is impossible, since it is the mechanism which has long been settled and it can lead to a collapse in the banking system. Transfer of a part of the corresponding powers by the Bank of Russia downwards will definitely not add stability to the banking system. Therefore the de posit insurance agency is gradually becoming the most active and effective participant of the supervision mechanism over the commercial banks activities.

Whilst Edward Gibbon's Memoirs of My Life comprise a notoriously complex document of autobiographical artifice, there is no reason to question the honesty of its revelation of his attitudes to geography and its relationship to the historian's craft. Writing of his boyhood before going up to Oxford, Gibbon commented that his
vague and multifarious reading could not teach me to think, to write, or to act; and the only principle, that darted a ray of light into the indigested chaos, was an early and rational application of the order of time and place. The maps of Cellarius and Wells imprinted in my mind the picture of ancient geography: from Stranchius I imbibed the elements of chronology: the Tables of Helvicus and Anderson, the Annals of Usher [sic] and Prideaux, distinguished the connection of events . . .
This seems a fairly direct comment on Gibbon's attitude to geography as a historian in that it is confirmed by various of his working documents and commonplace book comments not aimed at posterity and by the practice embodied in his great work that was thus targeted, the Decline and Fall. Taking Gibbon's private documents, the first manuscript we have in his English Essays, for example, is a tabulated chronology from circa 1751 when Gibbon was fourteen years old, which begins with the creation of the world in 6000 BC and runs up to 1590 BC, this being exactly the sort of material which could be commonplaced from the likes of Ussher and Prideaux. Matching this attention to chronology is a concern with geography, and indeed the two are coupled together as in his comment in the Memoirs. Thus in his Index Expurgatoris (1768–9), Gibbon berates Sallust as "no very correct historian" on the grounds that his chronology is not credible and that "notwithstanding his laboured description of Africa, nothing can be more confused than his Geography without either division of provinces or fixing of towns". In this regard, Gibbon the author of the Decline and Fall was a "correct" historian, in that he was careful to frame each arena in which historical events were narrated in the light of a prefatory description of the geography of the location under discussion. This is most readily apparent in the second half of the opening chapter of the work, where Gibbon proceeds on what his "Table of Contents" calls a "View of the Provinces of the Roman Empire", starting in the West with Spain and then proceeding clockwise to reach Africa on the other side of the Pillars of Hercules, a pattern of geographical description directly mirroring ancient practice in Strabo's Geography and Pomponius Mela's De Situ Orbis. But this practice of prefacing a historical account with geographical description repeats itself at various points in the work, as when, approaching the end of his grand narrative, Gibbon reaches the impact of "Mahomet, with sword in one hand and the Koran in the other" on "the causes of the decline and fall of the Eastern empire". Before discussing the birth of Islam, Gibbon treats his readers to a discussion of the geography of Arabia, beginning with its size and shape before moving on to its soils, climate and physical–geographic subdivisions.

The following document, previously unpublished, was written in March 2010 by a recently retired ( June 2009) U.S. Army colonel with thirty years experience in the Middle East, including tours of duty and advisory roles (in both military/security and civilian domains) from North Africa to the Persian Gulf. The subject of the informal report is the author's first two trips as a "civilian" to Israel and the West Bank, where he had served two tours of duty, most recently as U.S. military attachéé in Tel Aviv during Israel's 2005 unilateral disengagement from Gaza and the formation of the U.S. Security Coordinator's (USSC) mission to reform Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces.
Written as an internal document for military colleagues and government circles, the report has been circulating widely——as did the author's earlier briefings on travel or missions in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, and especially Iraq——among White House senior staff, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Defense Intelligence Agency, CENTCOM (U.S. Central Command), EUCOM (U.S. European Command), and the USSC team.
The document's focus is the state of the "peace process" and the current situation in the West Bank, with particular attention to the PA security forces and the changes on the ground since the author's last tour there ended in mid-2007. But the real interest of the paper lies in the message directed at its intended audience of military and government policy officials——that is, its frank assessment of the deficiencies of the U.S. peace effort and the wider U.S. policy-making system in the Israel-Palestine arena, with particular emphasis on the disconnect between the situation on the ground and the process led by Washington. The critique has special resonance in light of the emerging new thinking in the administration fueled by the military high command's unhappiness (expressed by CENTCOM commander General David Petraeus and Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Admiral Michael Mullen) with the State Department's handling of Middle East diplomacy, especially with regard to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, on the grounds that diplomatic failures are having a negative impact on U.S. operations elsewhere in the region.
For most JPS readers, the report has additional interest as an insider's view of the U.S. security presence in the Israel-Palestine arena. It also reflects a military approach that is often referenced but largely absent in public discourse and academic writings.
The author, in addition to his tours of duty and peacekeeping missions in various Middle Eastern countries, has served as advisor to two U.S. special Middle East envoys, the U.S. negotiating team with Syria, General Petraeus, Lieutenant General Keith Dayton, Vice President Dick Cheney, and, more generally, to CENTCOM, the Department of Defense, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, among others. In retirement, he has worked with CENTCOM as a key primary subject matter expert in the development of analyses and solutions for its area of responsibility, leads predeployment briefings for army units heading to Iraq, and travels frequently to Iraq and elsewhere in the region as an independent consultant. He is currently in Afghanistan with the CENTCOM commander's Afghanistan-Pakistan Center of Excellence.
The report, made available to JPS, is being published with the author's permission.

Maģistra darba tēmas "Pierādīšanas mērķis kriminālprocesā" izvēle ir noteikta ar tēmas aktualitāti, kā arī ar iztirzājamā jautājuma svarīgumu. Tēmas aktualitāti apstiprina gan pastāvošas diskusijas juristu vidu sakarā ar tiesību normām, kas regulē pierādīšanas procesu, kā arī tas, ka pierādīšana ir jebkura procesa neatņemam sastāvdaļa. Pierādīšanas mērķa sasniegšana kriminālprocesā ir atkarīga no dažādām niansēm, kuri sava pamatā ir virzīti lai noteiktu patiesību lietā un nodrošinātu taisnīgu tiesvedību. Maģistra darba uzdevums – noskaidrot pierādīšanas mērķi un ar kādiem līdzekļiem iespējams to sasniegt, kādi ir pierādījumu veidi un to klasifikācija. Maģistra darbs sastāv no ievada, sešām nodaļām un kopsavilkuma, kā arī no darba izstrādē izmantotas literatūras un normatīvo aktu saraksta. Darba ievaddaļā autore uzsver tēmas aktualitāti, kā arī pamato tēmas izvēli, norāda uz darba pamatuzdevumiem, kuri tika noteikti izstrādājot darbu. Darba pirmā nodaļā ir skatīti pierādīšanas mērķa dažādi formulējumi, kuri ir sastopami Latvijas un ārvalstu autoru monogrāfijās, kā arī Latvijas likumdevēja sniegtā definīcija. Darba otrajā daļā tiek apskatīts pierādīšanas standarta jēdziens, kā arī pierādīšanas mērķa un standarta saistība. Darba trešajā daļā tiek sniegta pastāvošās pierādījumu klasifikācijas analīze, savukārt ceturtajā daļā tiek skatīti pierādīšanas subjekti un pierādīšanas nasta. Piektā daļa raksturo pierādīšanas robežas. Sestā daļā – pierādījumu veidi. Maģistra darba tēma tika izstrādāta kopsakarā ar LR pastāvošo tiesu praksi. Darba kopsavilkumā tiek piedāvāti secinājumi, kuri ir radušies tēmas iztirzāšanas rezultātā. ; The choice of master's work subject "The purpose of the evidence in the criminal process " was made due to relevance and importance of the subject. Relevance of the subject is confirmed with the existing discussions among lawyers regarding the legal standards that rules the process of evidence and that evidence is an integral part of any process. The purpose of the evidence in the criminal process is determined by the mass of the procedure the subtleties and nuances, but all of them in their original conception are aimed at establishing the truth as a precondition of fair justice in criminal cases. The aim of master's work - to find out what the purpose of the evidence and by what means it is possible to achieve, what are the types and classification of evidence. Graduate work consists of an introduction, six chapters, conclusion, as well as a bibliography and a list of regulatory frameworks that were used to develop this work. Introduction to the work, the author stresses the relevance of the topic, and also explains why the choice of topics, points to the main tasks that put forward in the study of the question posed. In the first section examined the various formulations of the proof goal, which may be found in monographs by Latvian and foreign authors, and the definition offered by the Latvian legislator. In the second chapter examines the definition of the standard of proof, as well as the relationship between the target and the standard of proof. In the third part, provided an analysis of existing classification of evidence, and the fourth part - the subjects discussed and the burden of proof. The fifth part describes the boundaries of evidence. The sixth part deals with the characteristics of evidence. The topic under consideration was examined in conjunction with the judicial practice in the Republic of Latvia. Conclusion of this study were the findings in the development of the topic.