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This article traces the paths of intolerance as a result of new discoveries in science & technology. The process of globalization is breaking traditional identities created by the modern state. The author presents the new scientific branches to open a discussion on the consequences of globalization & also to introduce the link of this research with a new identity, a planetary group, called "extropians" or "transhumanists," who are using multimedia to spread their beliefs. Discussion focuses on their points of view on the present & future of humanity, what they reject & why, & the need to consider the scope of tolerance. 9 References. Adapted from the source document.

In an international comparison, Scherpe identifies three possibilities for the regulation of homosexual couples: marriage for homosexuals; cohabitation with juridical rights & responsibilities; or a new status in its own right. The opening of marriage for homosexual couples in Germany would require a change in the constitution. Regulations for living together seem problematic, not only with respect to the law. Therefore, the author prefers a new status, in its own right, in which homosexual couples have a level of commitment similar to that of marriage, but perhaps with less binding force. This status could be open for heterosexual as well as homosexual couples. 8 References. Adapted from the source document.

The author replies to Eric C. Browne & Dennis Patterson's (1999) critique of his "Structure and Behavior: Extending Duverger's Law to the Japanese Case" (1990). He argues that Browne & Patterson's analysis fails to address his learning hypothesis for three reasons: (1) They omit the first five elections from their analysis & actually begin their diagnosis after most of the learning had occurred. (2) Their analysis is static, but learning cannot be evaluated without analyzing change over time. (3) Browne & Patterson's analysis is retrospective, based on information that the actors could not have possessed when they made their decisions. A. Funderburg

Most newly formed governments in the US are special districts. This article examines & tests factors that spur their creation. Using Poisson analysis, the author finds that state institutions, public entrepreneurs, & service-demand explanations influenced the likelihood of district formation among the states from 1977 through 1992. Among other things, the findings suggest that vertical intergovernmental relations (that is, state authorizations & restrictions of their general-purpose local governments) set the tone for horizontal intergovernmental relations among cities, counties, & special districts within the state, creating either fertile or barren ground for the formation of special districts. 3 Tables, 37 References. Adapted from the source document.

The article examines the claim that the Kosovo war was just. Those who oppose such a war deny that mass killings took place & say that the Albanians never really wanted bombing in the first place. The author through personal experience denies both. He has interviewed many Albanians, all of whom supported the bombings. He points out that the International War Crimes Tribunal has identified over 2,000 bodies to date & these were in only one-third of the suspected grave sites. He has eyewitness accounts of the mass slaughters of men taken from refugee camps. All this evidence points to the conclusion that yes, the war was just. R. Larsen

There have been changes in the international scene that demand a review of central topics & current theories in international relations. The article tackles this situation & refers to actors & analysis levels in world politics. Even though there is a variety of actors in this field, the author argues that the state is still the leading one in explaining relationships beyond borderlines. In addition, he refers to the confrontation between international & transnational relationships, mentioning that the first one proposes the state as the fundamental element in theoretical structure & the second one considers nonstate actors. However, he accepts that a theory of transnational relationships surpasses current disciplines. Adapted from the source document.

The author notes that Jurgen Habermas has offered few specifics about how society can make the transition from an unjust to a just social order. In fact, Habermas's theory implies a transcendent moral barrier that prevents citizens from exercising their power to change the basic structure of their society, despite his belief in the ethic of intersubjective rational action. Ultimately, citizens must be content either symbolically to storm the administrative fortress or to generate messages from the sidelines that will eventually be received, interpreted, & legitimated by the administrative center. In either case, the citizens' capacity for genuine collective action is very limited. 36 References. A. Funderburg

Con base en evidencias empíricas el autor se opone a la hipótesis de que fue el compromiso y el consenso de las elites lo que llevo a la consolidación de la democracia en Costa Rica y muestra que aun en la década de 1950 los políticos estaban dispuestos a utilizar la fuerza para derribar a sus enemigos. ; Using empirical evidence the author rejects the hypothesis that it was compromise and consensus among Costa Rican Elites which lead to the consolidation of democracy in Costa Rican, and shows that even in the 1950´s politicians were willing to used force in order to bring down their opponents

The author notes that Jurgen Habermas has offered few specifics about how society can make the transition from an unjust to a just social order. In fact, Habermas's theory implies a transcendent moral barrier that prevents citizens from exercising their power to change the basic structure of their society, despite his belief in the ethic of intersubjective rational action. Ultimately, citizens must be content either symbolically to storm the administrative fortress or to generate messages from the sidelines that will eventually be received, interpreted, & legitimated by the administrative center. In either case, the citizens' capacity for genuine collective action is very limited. 36 References. A. Funderburg

During the apartheid era, the South African state committed systematic violence against the institution of the family among Africans. Consequently, many South Africans have experienced a dramatic gap between the ideals & the reality of family life. The author discusses individual experiences of South African family life in the context of political upheaval, state oppression, & economic manipulation. She focuses on the experiences of youthful political activists who participated in the revolt against the apartheid regime. She finds that apartheid seriously disrupted their family ties & undermined their security during the first 20 years of their lives. 1 Table, 27 References. A. Funderburg

The essay reconstructs Robert A. Dahl's democratic theory as a combination of empirical research of democratic regimes & the theoretical reinterpretation of democratic tradition. The elements of this theory are analyzed, the continuity & the phases in the evolution of Dahl's concept of democracy are highlighted (pluralist theory, neopluralist approach, & the theory of democratic pluralism). The author concludes that a sort of dualism in Dahl's theory of democracy is not only a consequence of his methodical approach, but also of the tension among the central tenets of liberal democracy, which Dahl critically elucidated & tried to reconcile. 23 References. Adapted from the source document.

SUMMARY:
The article by Viktor Avksent'ev and Igor' Babkin is an in-depth research into the history and recent developments of religious forms of mobilization in the North Caucasian region. The article follows the emergence and advance of religious orders, in particular among Chechens and Daghestani's thus providing rich empirical material for the understanding of the challenges faced by Russian imperial policies in the region. The author challenges many recent prejudices and old theoretical postulates about the dynamics of North Caucasian national(ist) movements. The contemporary situation and its implications in the social, economic and political spheres is also described with the precision and knowledge of the scholar from the region.