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This essay was written for Can Democracy Take Root in Post-Soviet Russia? Edited by Harry Eckstein, Frederic J. Fleron, Erik P. Hoffmann, and William M. Reisinger (Lanham, Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield, 1998). It discusses cultural congruence theory and how this might be applied to post-communist Russia.

Recent research argues that European integration has led to an ideological convergence of member state party systems, which is purported to have significant consequences for democratic representation. We argue that convergence of party positions is less problematic if congruence between governed and governing is maintained. We therefore turn to test whether integration has had an effect on congruence between the public and their governing elites. Using five measures of integration, two sources of public opinion data, and expert surveys on political parties, we find little evidence that integration into the European Union reduces congruence between the public and the national party system, government or legislature either ideologically or across five issue areas. These results should assuage concerns about integration's effect on domestic political representation.

Abstract: Nonprofit organizations need loyal donors to accomplish their mission and goals. However, organizations lose up to 60% of their first-time donors. Therefore, a deeper understanding of the determinants of donor loyalty is necessary. This study tests whether actual self-congruence, ideal self-congruence, and functional congruence strengthen the tie between nonprofit organizations and donors. In addition, and as an extension of the self-congruence theory, issue involvement is added as a moderator variable. The study results show that ideal self-congruence and functional congruence have a positive effect on donor loyalty, while actual self-congruence does not affect donor loyalty. Moreover, the study results show that issue involvement strengthens (mitigates) the effect of actual self-congruence (ideal self-congruence) on donor loyalty. Regarding the relationship between functional congruence and donor loyalty, issue involvement has no moderating effect. Based on the empirical findings, this study discusses academic implications and presents managerial implications for fundraisers and nonprofit organizations

Détermination des congruences W de droites dont l'image sur l'hyperquadrique de Klein satisfait à une équation de Laplace réduite à son premier terme.

In this article, I explore how the fragmented and specialized character of sociology has resulted in the search for overly simplistic causal processes or "congruence." The core argument focuses less on the structure of the discipline, per se, and more on some of the problems that have arisen as a consequence of it. To these ends, I identify three problems endemic to an increasing portion of sociological work: (1) a disjuncture between theory and evidence, (2) critical versus creative interpretations, and (3) methodological overspecialization. I go further and conclude by suggesting viable intellectual and analytic pathways that allow for and encourage recognition of complexity in the social world.