Suchergebnisse

The Union nationale des associations familiales (UNAF) -- national union of family associations -- makes families interests be represented near the French government. With its special status & large means, UNAF confederate ideologically diverse family associations. Although its representativeness has been sometimes subject of controversy, UNAF has been a permanent stakeholder of family policies governance. Major systemic transformations can be noticed during seventies & nineties. The comparison between the two periods of time shows that intensity variation of the relation between the State & UNAF was due to government initiative, that forced UNAF to adapt itself to be perennial. Appendixes. Adapted from the source document.

This article presents a long-term view on the incursion of businessmen in Mexican politics, emphasizing two aspects that have been relevant in the last decade. First, it explores the performance of entrepreneurs in public offices; then, it discusses the new strategy & specific actions that businessmen organized in chambers & associations -& some large companies- were forced to implement in order to advance & defend their interests, since following the 1997 actual division between the Executive & the Legislative, the privileged links & negotiations they had with the President became insufficient. They now need to lobby the Congress, a branch they were unaware of until very recently & has now become essential to them. Adapted from the source document.

Discusses the efforts of the US National Rifle Association (NRA) efforts to spread its pro-gun message around the world. The NRA's methods are demonstrated through a look at its work in Brazil, Australia, and Canada, as well as its presence at the United Nations. It is argued that the NRA's message strikes a chord across countries with different backgrounds, experiences, and cultures. Although it is stated that its most important target ought to remain the US, the NRA appears to win with its global message whether or not it defeats every public referendum on banning guns.

Provides details of the 'pro-Israel' Political Action Committee contributions issued by the lobbyist American Israel Public Affairs Committee; a table reveals the recent contributions and career total received by individual representatives and candidates on a state-by-state basis.

Addresses the ascendant political power of European Muslims. This rising influence is attributed to demographics of the last 50 years & new citizenship laws & is evident in the Muslim swing vote in Germany & emerging organizational capacity in France. The impact of the September 11 (2001) terrorist attacks on the emergent European Muslim street is noted, & the relationship between European Muslims & Europe's growing anti-Semitism (ie, anti-Israeli sentiment) is cited. The outcome -- a multicultural Europe -- is seen as worth the strain that such ethnic-lobby political developments will bring to bear on transatlantic relations. J. Zendejas

This paper proposes a simultaneous-equation approach to the estimation of the contribution of transport infrastructure accumulation to regional growth. We model explicitly the political-economy process driving infrastructure investments; in doing so, we eliminate a potential source of bias in production-function estimates and generate testable hypotheses on the forces that shape infrastructure policy. Our empirical findings on a panel of France's regions over 1985-92 suggest that electoral concerns and influence activities were, indeed, significant determinants of the crossregional allocation of transportation infrastructure investments. By contrast,we find little evidence of concern for the maximization of economic returns to infrastructure spending, even after controlling for pork-barrel. ; In dieser Untersuchung wird ein simultanes Gleichungssystem zur Schätzung des Beitrags von Verkehrsinfrastrukturinvestitionen zu regionalem Wachstum verwendet. Es wird explizit der politische Prozeß modelliert, der Infrastrukturinvestitionen determiniert; dadurch wird eine mögliche Ursache einer verzerrten Parameterschätzung vermieden, die eintreten kann, wenn Produktionsfunktionen einzeln geschätzt werden. Gleichzeitig fließen in das Modell weitere empirisch überprüfbare Hypothesen über die Determinanten von Infrastrukturpolitik ein. Die empirischen Ergebnisse für einen Paneldatensatz mit 21 französischen Regionen im Zeitraum 1985-1991 zeigen, daß unterstützende Aktivitäten in der Tat einen signifikanten Einfluß auf die regionale Allokation von Verkehrsinfrastrukturinvestitionen haben. Darüber hinaus werden nur wenig empirische Hinweise dafür gefunden, daß auch erwartete Produktivitätseffekte von Infrastruktur bei der regionalen Allokation in Frankreich von Bedeutung sind.

A between-groups experimental design tests the hypothesis that PACs have an advantage over constituents in gaining access to members of the US House of Representatives. Sixty-nine congressional staffers participated in an exercise designed to simulate the process by which scheduling decisions are made. The study was conducted in Washington, DC, in the fall of 1996. Analysis of variance reveals a significant constituency main effect, but no significant PAC main effect. That is, requests associated with a PAC are not significantly more likely to be granted access than those not associated with a PAC, whereas requests from constituents do have a significant advantage in gaining access. 3 Tables, 1 Figure, 2 Appendixes, 29 References. Adapted from the source document.

Through research, interviews, & participant observation methods, this study examines eight national-level feminist organizations within the US women's movement to try to identify particular characteristics of success & survival over time, while at the same time redefining traditional notions of organizational success. Success, which may include policy impact, public education, placing pools of activists into the movement for further mobilization, & achievement of policy goals, may not necessarily mean survival or organizational maintenance, but is often determined by an organization's ability to respond internally to external pressures. The organizations that have been best able to construct conflict as a strengthening rather than divisive component of discursive input & have chosen to renegotiate decision-making structures & expand their notions of feminism have been the most successful in the areas of mobilization & cultural success. 5 Tables, 40 References. Adapted from the source document.

Examines possible courses of action for the Federal Election Committee (FEC) following the Dec. 6, 1996 ruling that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) has functioned as a political action committee and is required to disclose its budget.