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The article argues that Aristotelian virtue ethics & deliberative democratic theory can beneficially be considered to have a shared normative structure. The review is conducted as a comparative idea analysis, through which the respective perspectives are reconstructed. The first reconstruction, that of the Aristotelian virtue ethics, is led by three dimensions of relevance to ethical theory. These dimensions are, although indirectly, also guiding the reconstruction of the second theory, i.e. the deliberative democratic theory. The conclusion we reach is that the theories, be it with different emphasis, generally share a common view in relation to all three of the aforementioned dimensions, as well as regarding the value of deliberation. They both have a dialectical or structured approach regarding ontological basics. Both of them also motivate their main values with intrinsic as well as instrumental reasons. In addition, they share a mainly particularistic conviction, as they believe that the values are determined through a deliberative process. The concluding remarks stress the need for further & ongoing discussions on the relationship between theories of ethics & theories of democracy. 33 References. Adapted from the source document.

Traditionally a distinction has been made between political theory, which concerns itself with relations within a nation-state, and international politics, which focuses on relations between nation-states. Yet these two areas can often overlap. The result is a cross-discipline commonly known as international political theory. This subject area is the focus of a new journal. Adapted from the source document.

This thesis investigates the role of ideas in policy processes. It does so using three theories as a starting point, selected for being alike yet unique in their description of how ideas may "get stuck" in the organization's production and reproduction of policy. The theories are Discourse Coalition Framework, Advocacy Coalition Framework, and Punctuated Equilibrium Theory. These theories have very different emphases but share constructivist traits and an interest in how social processes of meaning making take form in a rather "traditional" organizational setting, thus paying attention to, if not reducing the study to, the institutions of representative democracy. Two theoretical problems are identified within these theories. They concern 1) the mechanism and 2) the object of analysis. The theoretical question addressed in part I is: How are we to understand the proposition that ideas may cause stability in policy processes? What is the underlying mechanism? It is argued that the cognitive mechanism which the theories use should be substituted with a social psychological one. The assumption that stability is created when political actors conform to the ideas of others when they are confronted with apparent unanimity among policy makers, rather than that they internalize these ideas, makes both greater stability and instability in policy processes more plausible. Part II poses the question; if we are to investigate policy stability and instability using the discussed theoretical perspective, what unit of analysis should we use? In other words, what is a policy? It is argued that if ideological stability is seen as an effect of how policy formulation is organized (as is argued in part I), then close attention must be paid to processual factors when it is decided what unit of policy, on what level, might be explained. It is furthermore argued that although we may theoretically form an idea about substantially coherent patterns of policy recognizable as a policy, which should result from stable organizational patterns of communication in the policy process, it remains an empirical question if and where these patterns can actually be found. An analysis of Swedish environmental policy is performed to allow for observations of the degree to which empirical evidence is consistent with the policy patterns predicted by the theoretical assumptions outlined in part one.

Wong Lai Fong Yvonne. ; Thesis submitted in: July 2005. ; Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2006. ; Includes bibliographical references. ; Abstracts in English and Chinese. ; ABSTRACT --- p.ii ; ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.iv ; TABLE OF CONTENT --- p.v ; Chapter CHAPTER 1 --- INTRODUCTION ; Chapter 1.1 --- Motivation --- p.1 ; Chapter 1.2 --- Common explanations of economic success --- p.2 ; Chapter i) --- Explanation from Neoclassical Economic Perspectives --- p.3 ; Chapter ii) --- Explanation from the Statist Perspective --- p.5 ; Chapter iii) --- Limitations of Neoclassical and Statist Perspectives --- p.7 ; Chapter iv) --- Importance of the interorganizational relationships perspective --- p.10 ; Chapter 1.3 --- The Research --- p.11 ; Chapter i) --- The choice of studying the software industry --- p.11 ; Chapter ii) --- Research questions and significance --- p.12 ; Chapter 1.4 --- Thesis Layout --- p.13 ; Chapter CHAPTER 2 --- LITERATURE REVIEW: THE STUDY OF INTERORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS AND THEIR IMPORTANCE TO THE IT INDUSTRY ; Chapter 2.1 --- Importance of Social Networks --- p.15 ; Chapter 2.2 --- Theories in the Network Approach I - Social Embeddedness: The Fundamental Building Block of the Network Approach --- p.17 ; Chapter 2.3 --- Theories in the Network Approach II - The Social Network Approach --- p.20 ; Chapter 2.4 --- Theories in Network Approach III - Factors affecting the formation of networks --- p.22 ; Chapter i) --- Prior ties or pre-existing network --- p.22 ; Chapter ii) --- Expectations from social networks --- p.23 ; Chapter iii) --- Incentive schemes by government - industry promotion schemes nurturing public-private or private-private partnership --- p.26 ; Chapter iv) --- IT clusters --- p.29 ; Chapter 2.5 --- Theories in Network Approach IV ´ؤ Interorganizational Alliances and Social Capital --- p.31 ; Chapter i) --- Interorganizational alliances and organizational outcomes --- p.31 ; Chapter ii) --- Enhanced performance through social capital --- p.33 ; Chapter 2.6 ...

The objective is to analyze if religious orientation affects Swedish political opinion. To test for possible spurious correlation, demographic factors & ideological position are also included in the study. The study also tests the validity of functional theory & substantive theories regarding the correlation between religious orientation & political opinion. Data consists of a national mail survey (conducted by the SOM Institute at Goteborg University in 1999) to 5260 persons representing inhabitants in Sweden of age 15-80 years, of which a total of 67 percent (3503 persons) responded. The main conclusion is that religious orientations affect Swedish political opinion. Demographic factors & ideological position only explain a small amount of the significant correlation between religious orientation & political opinion. Functional theory is not supported by the empirical data, while substantive theories get strong support. Tables, References. Adapted from the source document.

Is it really meaningful to talk about "good" science? We hesitate. We desire good (state) science stumbling near a positivist scientific view. We wish for political science theory -- and practice as much as possible to emulate natural science theory and methodology -- to be objective, to look for hard facts, causal relationships, universal laws, and by using the "right" methods to reach the "right" or "true" knowledge and thus make us the "real" knowledge producers. At the same time we believe it is important to keep the discussion on good science not only alive but also always ongoing. Perhaps this is an ongoing discussion about our research efforts and research ideals of what constitutes good science? It is our guiding principle when we formulated the following manifesto for the good of science. Adapted from the source document.

Power is the key concept within political science. The majority of political scientists argue that power should be defined in behavioral terms as a relation of coercion between human agents. The traditional view confines power to human behavior & directly observable actions & reactions. Drawing on modern sociological, structuration theory, it is possible to generate a concept of structural power that goes beyond the behavioral perspective. Power is coercion, but the concept of power also refers to agents' structural capabilities. In a fundamental sense the concept of structural power directs attention to the unequal resource agents derive from their structural positions within the societal system. Moreover, structural power is intimately linked to other key notions, such as anticipated reactions & enduring relations of control. Finally, the structuralist perspective on power is highly illuminating of permanent barriers to full democratization in modern society. Unequal resources & social inequality represent major obstacles to the realization of the principles of political equality. 3 Figures, 1 Skema, 31 References. Adapted from the source document.

Albert O. Hirschman has observed a specific pattern of reactions against any attempt to change society. According to Hirschman, the rhetoric of reaction is limited to three alternatives -- perversity, futility, or jeopardy -- that will be the unintended & unavoidable effects of attempts to make changes in society. Therefore, say the so-called reactionaries, changes should not be realized. The objective of this study is to test the validity of the theory of Albert O. Hirschman. This is made by a case study of the media reaction of the call of the Attac movement for a currency transaction tax, the so-called Tobin tax. The study comprises an argument analysis of the editorial pages of five Swedish newspapers during the first three months of 2001, selected to represent main political & geographical dimensions: Aftonbladet, Dala-Demokraten, Dagens Nyheter, Svenska Dagbladet, & Vasterbottens-Kuriren. The result of the study is that all of the arguments are against the Tobin tax & that most of them follow the pattern of perversity, futility, or jeopardy. Arguments that do not follow either of these patterns are irrelevant or marginal. The study gives no support to questioning the reaction theory of Albert O. Hirschman. 3 Tables, 3 Figures, 2 Appendixes, 105 References. Adapted from the source document.