Suchergebnisse

Research on democratic party competition in the formal spatial tradition of Downs & the comparative-historical tradition of Lipset & Rokkan assumes that linkages of accountability & responsiveness between voters & political elites work through politicians' programmatic appeals & policy achievements. This ignores, however, alternative voter-elite linkages through the personal charisma of political leaders &, more important, selective material incentives in networks of direct exchange (clientelism). In light of the diversity of linkage mechanisms appearing in new democracies & changing linkages in established democracies, this article explores theories of linkage choice. It first develops conceptual definitions of charismatic, clientelist, & programmatic linkages between politicians & electoral constituencies. It then asks whether politicians face a tradeoff or mutual reinforcement in employing linkage mechanisms. The core section of the article details developmentalist, statist, institutional, political-economic, & cultural-ideological theories of citizen-elite linkage formation in democracies, showing that none of the theories is fully encompassing. The final section considers empirical measurement problems in comparative research on linkage. 1 Table, 1 Figure, 109 References. Adapted from the source document.

Empirical studies of voters (e.g. Berelson et al. 1956, Campbell et al. 1960) have argued that party identification shapes if not determines political attitudes & voting preferences. Works by McGrath & McGrath (1962), Sigel (1964), Lodge & Hamill (1986), Conover & Feldman (1989), & Doherty & Gimpel (1997) all reveal that partisanship affects how citizens understand & process information about politics. This paper attempts to explore the degree to which partisanship drives one's ability to forgive or absolve politicians who have committed what are widely considered to be criminal or immoral acts. Does forgiveness toward officeholders who are alleged criminals depend on the ideology or partisanship of the forgiver? By analyzing poll data about a number of elected officials over time, & by conducting an experiment, I show that partisanship is indeed a driving force behind one's views toward those who have committed wrongdoing. I conclude by suggesting avenues for future research. 2 Tables, 29 References. Adapted from the source document.

Violence-related deaths & serious injuries are reported daily in Kenya's refugee camps. The situation in Kenya's most heavily populated refugee camps, Dadaab (in northeast Kenya) & Kakuma (in the northwest of the country), is extremely serious. Armed robbery, rape, & physical violence are rampant. Though the UNHCR has made a concerted effort to improve the situation in the Kenyan refugee camps, much work remains to be done. One of the reasons for the deplorable situation is that both camps are located in remote areas populated by poverty-stricken nomads whose living conditions are often even worse than that of the refugees. In addition, the rule of law in these areas of Kenya is extremely weak. Finally, the refugees who have been forced to live together within these camps are, in many cases, traditional enemies: Tutsis & Hutus; Sudanese Christians & Somali Muslims; Amharas, Eritreans, & Oromos. These deep-seated problems seem impossible to solve. The UN High Commission on Refugees & nongovernmental organizations can only hope that their efforts will prevent the situation from becoming even worse. K. A. Larsen

How is a small island developing state, such as Dominica, able to implement the multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) to which it becomes a signatory? The purpose of my research was to examine the activities of the Government of Dominica's newly established Environmental Coordinating Unit of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment to implement the multilateral environmental agreements (MEA). The first objective involved analyzing how Dominica attempts to fulfill the mandates of becoming a signatory to the growing number of multilateral environmental agreements. In particular, three MEA case studies were selected: (1) Climate Change, (2) Ozone Depletion, and (3) Biodiversity Conservation. My research involved performing work with Dominica's Environmental Unit in order to meet the mandates of each of these international treaties. The second objective of my research entai ed juxtaposing the experiences, opportunities and impacts from the three seemingly disparate MEA case studies, and providing commentary upon improved MEA implementation from a sustainable development perspective in Dominica, and more generally in other less developed nations. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

After experiencing the "Flood of the Century" in 1997, government leaders, policy makers and resource managers were reminded of the importance of reliable water management. In order to develop a comprehensive, straight-forward water management plan, many factors needed to be taken into consideration. This thesis reviews important research undertaken in the field of water resource management, and applies it to a practical study area: the Turtle River Watershed Conservation District east of Riding Mountain National Park. After documenting some of the approaches others have tried, the author develops a water management plan that is sensitive to all of the groups in the District and adheres to a watershed model based on the geographic method. The thesis discusses issues such as jurisdictional confusion, the mechanics and causes of erosion and sedimentation within the District, the importance of alluvial fans for conservation, the legacy of Wilson Creek Experimental Watershed, and methods by which various groupswithin the District could work together to solve the many challenges this study area faces.

One context for the papers arising from INTECOL VII in this special issue is the debate over the social construction of science. Some fear that advocates for the social or cultural construction of ecology will undermine attempts to defend nature. But resources are made available in a mediating position of social 'construal', particularly alerting ecologists to the social and ethical dimensions of the conducting of their work. When speaking, ecologists will use living and dead metaphors and these carry connotations which in turn raise ethical questions. Different political interest groups may use a word like biodiversity for different ethical purposes. The position of any one speaker is limited, and so greater knowledge is achieved if scientists listen to the situated knowledges of other, diverse people. Even Nature herself, or creatures, may have aspects of personhood. The good ecologist will listen with empathy as a naturalist to what is being said, giving Nature the respect she deserves. These are some of the ethical implications in the very doing of ecology.

This study surveys the development of the East German labor market after the unification of Germany. We explain that in the last decade, East Germans were faced with very high levels of joblessness that considering labor market exits and active labor market policy, are only partly reported as unemployment. A review of the evidence on the effectiveness of labor market policies suggests that job creation and training programs did not substantially promote reemployment, though they may have alleviated social burdens from unemployment. Discussing what causes the high unemployment in the east, we claim that effects of wage policy have been overrated. Differences in unemployment rates are also the result of more ample labor supply. We show that employment levels in the east have almost converged on western standards. The structure of employment, however, differs. Shortage of part-time work, service jobs and independent employment indicates that East Germany has failed to develop a service economy. We argue that unqualified adaptation to western procedures aggravated the investment and employment problem in the east.

Argues that the emergence of the female voice in medieval bhakti represents a transformation of patriarchal power in early India. Examples from dramatic & devotional works, particularly courtly literature, are used to illustrate a discourse shift called a "new deployment of femininity," & to suggest that theistic bhakti traditions were responsible. Special attention is given to concepts of pleasure & its association with women, noting that sensual enjoyment was treated heroically, with sentimentality added to the lord-subject relationship by orders of bhakti. The new model of joyful service to a lord replaced early paradigms that stressed labor & duty & placed the feminine voice in the political arena. Contrary to the opinion that female voices in medieval bhakti texts were a reaction against patriarchal power, the emphasis on pleasure between lord & servant promoted a more careful articulation of feminine subjectivity into the public discourse. Although the altered relationship did not challenge the dominant patriarchal structure, it provided greater audibility to the feminine voice, & signaled a "whole new formulation of gender.". 27 References. J. Lindroth

ADB is committed to helping governments and other institutions within its developing member countries to improve financial management and governance. To be able to effectively provide this assistance, ADB needs to understand the accounting and auditing arrangements that currently exist in each country. To get this understanding, Regional Technical Assistance – Strengthening Financial Management and Governance in Selected Developing Member Countries – was approved by the Management to carry out diagnostic work in seven developing member countries: Cambodia, People's Republic of China, Mongolia, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Uzbekistan, and Viet Nam. These seven countries represented a cross-section of developing member countries.The study, which this report summarizes, was conducted between April and November 2000 in consultation with other donor agencies, governments, accounting and auditing professions. The study identified gaps and weaknesses in the current accounting and auditing infrastructure of the seven countries and came up with recommendations and an action plan to remedy the identified weaknesses. To assess the requirements for all ADB developing member countries will take time. This regional study was the first step towards this end.