Scholarship in international law aims at addressing global forest governance comprehensively. This article reviews the recent contribution Global Forest Governance - Legal Concepts and Policy Trends by Rowena Maguire and puts it into the perspective of recent political and policy science research on global forests. While finding Maguire's volume being a very timely and valuable contribution to the interdisciplinary discussions on international forest governance, we identify some weaknesses which are mostly rooted in methodological critique and a lack of a systematic framework for analysis.
Welfare, and the role of social democracy in defining its content and meaning, is often described as one of Sweden's distinguishing features. However, in the quest for liberalization and marketization, reforms in past decades have substantially changed the political landscape. These developments have led many to question the viability of describing the main political actors and their attitudes towards the welfare state in terms of left or right. This dissertation contributes to the understanding of ideological convergence and past and current political cleavages by analysing the welfare debate on freedom of choice between the two main political opponents in Swedish politics over three decades. Using a morphological approach, where ideologies are viewed as distinctive configurations of political concepts creating specific conceptual patterns depending on how they are combined, the analysis focuses on the content of the concept of choice by examining the conceptual relationships between political concepts such as choice, the public and the private, equality, equity and need. The analysis reveals a convergence suggesting that the parties have united around a narrower concept of freedom of choice that relates to how it is implemented in welfare services, that is, the choice between different providers of welfare services. However, important differences remain, which are expressed in the parties' differing conceptions of the power resources citizens need to become truly free individuals. These findings suggest that, while freedom of choice has become a central concept in the political debate, it is not central to the parties' ideologies. Instead, the core of the parties' ideologies appears to be articulated in e.g. the political cleavages that remain, which can be described as differing views on the role of politics and competing conceptions of need and equality. It is how these cleavages are translated into policies that will determine possible welfare choices in the future.
Ting-Yat Chui. ; Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1998. ; Includes bibliographical references (leaves 93-95). ; Abstract also in Chinese. ; INTRODUCTION --- p.1 ; Chapter (I) --- JOHN RAWLS´ة POLITICAL LIBERALISM --- p.4 ; Chapter 1. --- Why political liberalism? --- p.4 ; Chapter A. --- Reasonable Pluralism --- p.4 ; Chapter B. --- Stable for the Right Reasons --- p.7 ; Chapter 2. --- What is political liberalism? --- p.9 ; Chapter A. --- The aim of PL --- p.9 ; Chapter B. --- Two stages of the exposition --- p.11 ; Chapter a. --- The first stage of the exposition --- p.11 ; Chapter i. --- The political conception of justice --- p.11 ; Chapter ii. --- Political constructivism --- p.14 ; Chapter b. --- The second stage of the exposition --- p.15 ; Chapter i. --- The reasonable overlapping consensus --- p.15 ; Chapter ii. --- Public reason --- p.20 ; Chapter C. --- Liberal Principle of Legitimacy --- p.21 ; Chapter (II) --- WHY NOT POLITICAL LIBERALISM --- p.24 ; Chapter 1. --- The reasonable overlapping consensus? --- p.24 ; Chapter 2. --- Why should the citizens endorse the political conception of justice? --- p.28 ; Chapter A. --- Being reasonable? --- p.29 ; Chapter B. --- Prevailing ideas? --- p.34 ; Chapter 3. --- Why can the citizens endorse the political conception of justice? --- p.40 ; Chapter A. --- Why can't the burdens of judgment cause the disagreement on the political conception of justice? --- p.41 ; Chapter B. --- Is political conception of justice really political? --- p.47 ; Chapter a. --- The affirmation of the burdens of judgment --- p.47 ; Chapter b. --- The fundamental liberal idea of person --- p.49 ; Chapter C. --- Political virtue? --- p.59 ; Chapter a. --- The reasons for the stableness of a well-ordered society --- p.59 ; Chapter b. --- It is impossible for all reasonable citizens to respect political virtues in the political aspect --- p.61 ; Chapter i. --- The aim of social cooperation --- p.61 ; Chapter ii. --- It is impossible to privatize the good --- p.65 ...
企業對他們所處的環境以致更大社會環境的影響越來越引人注目,然而這一問題在學術界的研究依然有限。本論文研究企業政治活動,並嘗試豐富對企業政治活動決策及其影響的理解。 ; 在第一個研究當中,應用制度理論,我提出企業的創新會對企業的政治活動有增強作用。制度不僅是降低不確定性的系統,同樣也是被行為人權力所決定的結構,反映著行為人的利益。創新改變了利益及權力:創新者的利益被改變而權力得到增強。過去的制度不一定能反映了現在的利益和權力,所以創新帶來的改變可能會刺激企業嘗試對制度實施影響(在本文的研究中即企業政治活動),從而創立新的制度來加強或鞏固企業自身的利益。在另一方面,向新制度的轉變意味著放棄在舊制度下的既得利益。所以,我也提出假設:企業在技術網路中的地位會負面調節創新和企業政治活動之間的關係。 ; 第二個研究考察外國企業的政治活動。企業政治活動可能降低"外國劣勢"和外企遇到的制度矛盾。而且企業處於不同國家商務網路連接的節點上。這樣的位置使他們擁有更多的關於制度的瞭解,更少地被約束於本地制度,使他們更有能力進行制度創新。我提出這兩方面的影響會刺激外企在企業政治活動方面比本地企業更積極。 ; 企業選擇進行政治活動,一個自然而然的問題就是:這樣的活動對企業有沒有作用?第三個研究關於這一話題。關於企業政治活動對企業績效的影響,已有文獻中有著不同的解讀和發現。本文將企業政治活動看作是一個在非市場環境中的戰略:它的影響目標是沒有市場交易不產生收益的非市場環境,所以它並不能直接帶來利潤。然而企業政治活動可能為企業的市場行為創造優良環境,使企業能從市場戰略中獲得更多的利潤。所以,本文從交互作用的方面考察企業政治活動對於企業績效的影響,提出企業政治活動將加強創新和合併對企業績效的正面影響。 ; The influence that firms exert on their environment is relatively under-researched. In this thesis, I study a typical and perhaps the most recognized effort of firms to influence the environment – corporate political activity (CPA), trying to provide insights on the knowledge of CPA choice and its effectiveness. ; In the first essay, applying institutional perspective, I suggest that a firm's innovation is positively related to its engagement in CPA. Institutions are not only the systems that prevent uncertainty, but also the structures decided by the bargaining power of actors and which reflect the interests of the actors. Innovation changes interest and power - the foundations behind institutions, therefore, may encourage institutional work for new institutions - in this study CPA for public policies. On the other hand, changing to new institutions would imply dropping the vested interest in old institutions. So, the greater the vested interest of a firm in old institutions, the less likely it is that it will engage in CPA after innovation. Thus, I also hypothesize that a firm's centrality in the technology network will negatively moderate the relationship between its innovation and involvement in political activities. ; The second essay investigates how being foreign may ...
Chan Chi Yuen. ; Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2005. ; Includes bibliographical references (leaves 246-265). ; Abstracts in English and Chinese. ; Acknowledgements --- p.i ; Table of Contents --- p.iii ; Abstract --- p.vii ; Chapter Chapter 1: --- Politics of Political Accountability in Hong Kong 一 The Research Puzzle and Questions --- p.1 ; Chapter 1.1 --- "Research Puzzle: Different Conception of ""Political Accountability""?" --- p.1 ; Chapter 1.2 --- Research Questions and Design --- p.4 ; Chapter 1.3 --- Significance of the Study --- p.6 ; Chapter Chapter 2: --- The Concept of Accountability - the Normative and Theoretical Issues --- p.8 ; Chapter 2.1 --- Accountability - Ideals and Actualities --- p.8 ; Chapter 2.2 --- Why Political Accountability? The Ideal of Rendering Account --- p.10 ; Chapter 2.2.1 --- The need of limited government --- p.10 ; Chapter 2.2.2 --- Concept of Accountability - a Kind of Political Control --- p.15 ; Chapter 2.2.3 --- "Rendering Account - Information, Reason and Sanctions" --- p.16 ; Chapter 2.3 --- Representation and Accountable Government: a Comparative Approach --- p.20 ; Chapter 2.4 --- The Desirability of Accountability - the Tactful Balance --- p.25 ; Chapter 2.5 --- The Limitation of Accountability - Informational Barrier --- p.34 ; Chapter Chapter 3: --- The Concept of Accountability 一 the Organizational Issues --- p.37 ; Chapter 3.1 --- Structural Components of Accountability --- p.37 ; Chapter 3.2 --- The Formal Organizational Components of Democratic Accountability --- p.40 ; Chapter 3.3 --- Vertical and Horizontal Accountability --- p.43 ; Chapter 3.4 --- Typology of Accountability --- p.46 ; Chapter 3.4.1 --- Classical dichotomy of political and administrative accountability --- p.46 ; Chapter 3.4.2 --- Political Accountability ´ؤ Vertical Accountability Agents --- p.49 ; Chapter 3.4.2.1 --- Elections/ Electoral sanctions --- p.51 ; Chapter 3.4.2.2 --- Other Popular Mechanisms --- p.57 ; Chapter 3.4.2.2.1 --- Pressure groups --- p.57 ...
The deliverable D6.1 of the LIFT project explores what types of discourses are used in six European Union (EU) member states' Rural Development Programs (RDP) and other agricultural policy documents and how they incorporate ecological approaches acrossthree Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) periods. This multiple case study highlights similarities and differences in the dominant discourses as emerging from national policy documents in the following selected EU member states: France, Germany (Bavaria), Hungary, Poland, Romania and Sweden. It also demonstrates how discourse analysis can be used to gain understanding about the dominant discourses expressed in these documents in relation to how ecological approaches are defined, the policy rationale for encouraging ecological approaches and the expected consequences of doing so. Conceptually, we focused on two types of discourses identified from the literature: 1) the three CAP discourses: i) neomercantilism; ii) neoliberalism and iii) multifunctionality, and 2) the five socio-political discourses of Rural Development (RD): iv) agri-ruralist, v) hedonist, vi) utilitarian, vii) nature conservation and viii) community sustainability. These types of discourses were together integrated in a model, where each policy discourse depicts agriculture as accomplishing a specific function. The theoretical framework is grounded within a political economy perspective. This means that policy develops because of confrontation between different concerned agents with different interest, pushing for different objectives. The state acts as an intermediary between these agents and aims at ensuring consensus and maintenance of agreement. Policy documents are therefore often the result of competing discourses and contradicting policy objectives. Across EU member states, the results show that ecological approaches are mainly depicted with the multifunctionality discourse with two dominating sub-discourses of nature conservation and agri-ruralism. Nevertheless, we observe an increase in the use of the neomercantilist discourse in the last CAP period. This parallels what the previous literature finds in Commissioners' speeches: a reappearance of the traditional neomercantilist discourse in the CAP agenda 2014-2020. Farming systems (with farming practices) related to agroecology, biodiversity-based and organic farming are among the most commonly mentioned farming systems.
Ip Po Na. ; Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1999. ; Includes bibliographical references (leaves 63-72). ; Abstracts in English and Chinese.
Law, Wai Hin. ; Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2007. ; Includes bibliographical references (leaves 98-109). ; Abstracts in English and Chinese. ; Abstract ; Table of Content ; List of Abbreviation ; Preface ; Chapter Chapter One --- Introduction ; Chapter 1.1 --- Aim of Study ; Chapter 1.2 --- Theoretical approach ; Chapter 1.3 --- Methodology ; Chapter 1.4 --- Significance ; Chapter Chapter Two --- Theory ; Chapter 2.1 --- International Political Economy (IPE) ; Chapter 2.1.1 --- Mainstream IPE ; Chapter 2.1.2 --- New IPE ; Chapter 2.2 --- About theorizing change of the Greater Pearl River Delta ; Chapter 2.3 --- Region ; Chapter 2.3.1 --- Globalization ; Chapter 2.3.2 --- Regional integration ; Chapter 2.3.3 --- Regional integration in East Asia ; Chapter 2.3.4 --- Sub-regional integration in East Asia ; Chapter 2.4 --- National and sub-national Politics and centre-local relation: China ; Chapter 2.5 --- Summary ; Chapter Chapter Three --- Substantive Focus: the integration of the GPRD from the early 1980s to2004 ; Chapter 3.1 --- The integration of Hong Kong/Macau and the Pearl River Delta before ; Chapter 3.2 --- A period of break between 1997-2001 ; Chapter 3.3 --- A new phase of development starting from 2002 ; Chapter Chapter Four --- Evaluation of New International Political Economy ; Chapter Chapter Five --- Conclusion
中國作為國際證監會組織的成員國,有責任落實國際証監會組織發佈的《金融市場基礎設施原則》。儘管國際貨幣基金組織發表的評分報告肯定中國落實了國際証監會組織提倡的金融規管原則,但事實上該等原則於納入法規後未獲執行。以上的分歧現象引起了對「中國金融規管制度會趨向國際原則」說法的質疑。 ; 本研究的討論重點在於中國金融法規會否跟國際原則趨向相同。本研究以系統化綜述分析國際貨幣基金組織對各國落實《金融市場基礎設施原則》情況的評分報告,並以內容分析法分析傳媒在中國二零一五年「股災」發生前後發表關於金融市場的報導。目的在於顯示中國政府以及金融監管機構在「股災」發生前後,在監管事宜上取態有明顯分別。 ; 本研究根據目的決定論提出中國金融監管趨向於與國際原則分歧。目的決定論、趨同理論以及有限度趨同理論的分別含意及對分歧現象的解釋在本研究中獲審視。根據目的決定論,由於中國金融市場有獨特社會目標,加上中國金融市場需要兼顧中國獨特社會背景,因此中國金融監管制度應該趨向獨特。換而言之,中國金融監管制度不應引入國際原則。目的決定論的論據在於中國政府領導層與金融業監管員在共產黨內有從屬關係。該從屬關係導致監管機構的監管行為被政府俘虜。 ; 根據規制俘虜理論,金融監管機構本來的職能被政府的提出議程取締。根據經濟目標合法性,中國政府的合法性源於其維持經濟發展的能力。因此,中國政府在金融市場的利益在於鞏固其執政合法性,而中國政府要達到以上目的,則需要令金融監管機構配合其經濟政策,修改監管方法及監管重點。最終,監管機構成為推動救市,並且宣揚政府權威形象的主力。 ; 綜觀以上提到中國的獨特金融監管制度,本研究旨在指出制度安排如何影響監管機構對金融業的監管。該等影響關連到中國金融監管制度是否趨向與國際間通用的監管原則同化。 ; Evaluations by International Monetary Fund (IMF) have shown increased implementation of International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) regulatory principles in China. However, findings show that international regulatory principles have not been practiced in China. Enforcement efforts of the principles remained low in China, and this casts doubts on the claim that Chinese financial regulation would develop towards the convergence of international regulatory principles due to the globalization of regulations. ; This research discusses on whether Chinese financial regulation has adopted international regulatory practices. Systematic review of IMF reports on implementation of IOSCO principles in different countries and content analysis of media reports issued around the happening of the 2015 stock market selloff crisis in China are employed to discover and examine findings. The selloff crisis is selected as a case for studying Chinese financial regulation because government interference in financial market made China's development away from international regulatory principles apparent, and arguments of this research are built on changes in financial regulatory patterns in China. ; This research supports the view of teleological determinism applied by Wilbert ...
Tian Xiaoli. ; Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2003. ; Includes bibliographical references (leaves 134-147). ; Abstracts in English and Chinese. ; Contents ; Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction ; Chapter 1. --- Introduction ; Chapter 2. --- Social Background ; Social Structure Change After Mid-1990s ; Free Resources and Free Opportunities ; Chapter 3. --- Research Question ; Chapter Chapter 2 --- History of Chinese Private Entrepreneurs ; Chapter 1. --- First Period (1978-1992): Out of the System ; Chapter 2. --- Second Period (1992-1997): Intertwine with the System ; Chapter 2. --- Third Period (1997-now): New System in Form ; Chapter Chapter 3 --- Literature Review ; Chapter 1. --- Market Transition Debate ; Market Transition Thesis ; Political Economy ; Political Market ; Summary ; Chapter 2. --- New Class Theory ; Dominating Cultural Capital ; Dominating Political Capital ; Dominating Teleological Knowledge ; Reunification of Cultural Capital and Political Capital ; Chapter 3. --- Clientelism ; Dependent Clientelism ; Symbiotic Clientelism ; Organizational Clientelism ; Chapter 4. --- Summary ; Chapter Chapter 4 --- Principled Clientelism-Preliminary Evidence from In-depth Interviews ; Chapter 1. --- Local Government as Agent ; Incentives ; Resources and Services ; Who Are Chosen? ; Chapter 2. --- Private Entrepreneurs as Client ; Personal Background ; Strategy ; General Attitude ; Agent-client Relationship ; Chapter 3. --- Principled Clientelism ; Chapter 4. --- From Symbiotic Clientelism to Principled Clientelism ; Transformation in Clientelism Spectrum ; Transformation in Clientelism Exchange ; Transformation in Clientelism Network ; Comparison of Different Clientelism ; Chapter 5. --- Principled Clientelism Hypothesis ; Chapter Chapter 5 --- "Data, Measurement and Methods" ; Chapter 1. --- Method ; Chapter 2. --- Data ; Chapter 3. --- Measurement ; Chapter 4. --- Statistical Model ; Chapter Chapter 6 --- Empirical Analysis ; Chapter 1. --- The Changing Profiles of Private Entrepreneurs ...