Suchergebnisse

A review of prominent Russian polling institutes' research, 1990-2001, on popular attitudes toward democracy reveals a paradox. When asked what they believe, most Russians were strongly positive about fundamental democratic values; but they were strangely ambivalent about undemocratic phenomena, even actual lawlessness, at all levels of government. This chapter seeks reasons for Russians' acceptance of violations of human rights, restriction of access to information, etc. One is that they have been offered only a bipolar choice of dictatorship or democracy. Research exploring a larger range of political options revealed less commitment to democratic values. It is concluded that the Russian people's opinions count for very little. They might express sentiments of support or disappointment for a government policy, but they are easily manipulated politically, as in the case of the Chechen war. Some hope is seen in the fact that Russians seem to want the regime to strive for democracy. Tables. J. Stanton

The article describes the disillusionment & cynicism that presently dominate the attitudes of UK citizens regarding the political process. Various reasons for declining political participation are discussed, including the changing role of political parties & the increasing powerlessness of governments faced with globalization. Survey data from the Citizen Audit show that people's organizational commitments remain extensive despite the fact that 1 in 3 respondents expressed dissatisfaction with democracy. J. R. Callahan

Explores the role of public opinion in foreign policy making in the new contexts of international relations in the post-Cold War period. The studies in this volume apply comparative research to the US & Europe to bring a diversity of perspectives covering a range of questions engaged by public opinion analysts. They explore the linkages between public opinion & policymakers, the role of the media in foreign policy, & the structure & sources of attitudes among the public & opinion leaders. The author examines their research around three themes: stability & change in public opinion, the impact of public opinion, & sources of public attitudes. It is questioned whether US foreign policy since the Cold War has drifted to a spirit of isolationionism & unilaterialism. Implications of public opinion for democratic governance when policymakers attend to public opinion, but fail to accurately perceive its attitudes & preferences, is explored. It is questioned if it is undemocratic for policymakers to turn from public opinion when it proves contrary to human values. L. A. Hoffman

"Stabilität in Asien liegt sowohl im europäischen als auch im amerikanischen Interesse, aber nur die USA ist militärisch präsent. Zur Wahrung der Sicherheitsinteressen benötigt die USA eine starke NATO und ist abhängig von der politischen und materiellen Unterstützung seiner Alliierten." (Autorenreferat)

Argues that while the economic & political integration of European communities is advancing, the cultural & ethnic integration of these nation-states is more difficult to achieve. Interviews were conducted with 7 representatives of European Union (EU) nations regarding their attitudes toward political & economic questions, European & national identity, nationalism, Europeanism, pluralism, assimilation, & tradition. Respondents were reluctant to conceive of a European identity separate from their national identities, but they saw the EU as a method for solving economic problems related to costs & efficiency. Moreover, they indicated reluctance toward a uniform educational system that stressed European culture rather than the core values & history of the individual member states, & they were also against the creation of a common EU language. A comparison of Europe with the US suggests that Europeans think of themselves much more strongly as distinct nationalities than do Americans. Thus, it is asserted that a United States of Europe constructed on the model of the US cultural experience is unlikely to be successful. 24 References. D. M. Smith

This examination of the association between nationalist orientations & exclusionist reactions among the Russian & titular populations of five former Soviet republics -- Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, & Kazakhstan -- distinguishes between patriotic & chauvinistic nationalism & between social-distance & negative-stereotype exclusionism. The attitudes of both the Russian & titular populations are examined, based on analysis of survey data collected in the mid-1990s. The results confirm two hypotheses: that chauvinism, more than patriotism, was related to negative stereotypes & social distance; but that both types of nationalism were related to more negative stereotypes than to more social distance. Also, it was found that the association between nationalism & exclusionism was greater among the titular than the Russian population. Tables, Figures. J. Stanton

This chapter considers whether strong positive attitudes toward the ethnic ingroup of a given nation are related to strong exclusionist reactions to ethnic outgroups, a phenomenon defined as ethnocentrism or chauvinistic nationalism. The presence of this relation is comparatively examined among 22 countries, based on 1990s survey data. The primary aim is to discern whether the extent to which various dimensions of nationalist attitudes were related to various dimensions of exclusionist reactions differed systematically by socioeconomic population group & country, or whether these interrelations were universal & invariant, both within & across countries. The findings indicate a relatively strong relation between chauvinistic nationalism & resistance to immigrants, & this relation appears to be universal. Tables. J. Stanton