Suchergebnisse

This thesis deals on integration of ASEAN. The primary objective of this thesis is to find out the potential of ASEAN to be politically and economically integrated like EU, and the kind of difficulties it may face in a mid way. Since EU is a pioneer and benchmark for any integration and ASEAN takes EU as a reference, I choose EU as a base to compare the progress of ASEAN. As for the theoretical aspect, integration theory and its importance in global scenario is discussed. The research sought after the way ahead for ASEAN. This study is based on a comparative analysis of the development of both EU and ASEAN. The information and literature needed for the thesis will be collected from open source, which is easily accessible to all. After analyzing the historical background, present development and future prospect, I think ASEAN is turning out to be the successful regional cooperation. Even though ASEAN took reference from EU in its development, It don´t need to be like EU. Being the cooperation from different group of differently diversified nations, It can pave its own way forward and can lay good precedent for other upcoming regional co-operations. ; M-IR

This thesis studies three major reforms in the public sector of Norway. The sectors studied are the police, higher education, and primary schools. The main motive for studying these reforms are of a theoretical nature, the reason to study them is to produce general knowledge about reforms. The study aims to answer two main questions. One is about the possibilities and limitations contained in using reforms to change organizations. The second is about how organizations can promote the ideals of representative democracy. In its efforts to attain answers to these questions the thesis blends empirically-oriented research with aspects of organization theory and political theory. The thesis is divided into four different parts. First, there is a descriptive presentation of the three reforms. Secondly, there is a discussion of various theories of reforms and organizations. The primary aim of this analysis is to illuminate and explain the empirical data, but this discussion should also provide its own answers to the main questions asked in the thesis. Thirdly, these theories are applied to analyze data from the three reforms. And finally, the study concludes with a summary of what general insights about the reforms we are left with after studying the Quality Reform, The Police Reform 2000, and the Knowledge Reform. The study shows that reforms have both policy and content aspects, and that it is important to distinguish between the two in order to analyse and understand them. The policy aspect is that reforms are a strategy for change - they are tools for implementing change in organizations. The content aspect is that reforms have a specific content - they have certain objectives that they want to realize. The study concludes that in order to understand this complex and fascinating phenomenon, we need to understand reforms both as instrumental tools, institutional adaptations and symbols.

A discussion of the book by Marin Saeter, Det politiske Europa -- Europeisk integrasjon: Teori, ide og praksis ([Political Europe -- European Integration: Theory, Ideas, and Praxis] Oslo: Universitetsforlaget 1971), as an illustration of the importance of Norsk Utenrikpolitisk Institutt (Norwegian Institute of International Affairs [NUPI]) to political sciences. Adapted from the source document.

This article examines whether the thesis of classical realism that political states are primarily motivated by the desire for military and economic power applies to the British Empire (1815-1914). The article questions to what extent the emergence of the British Empire (1815-1914) was driven by Britain's foreign policy to alter existing power structures in international relations. The article offers an overview of pre-imperial, imperial, and post-imperial strategies within the theory classical realism, and then applies these strategies to analyze the pre-imperial (1600-1815), imperial (1815-1914) period of the British Empire. A discussion of the post-imperial period focuses on Britain's maintenance of status quo and its alliance with the U.S. The article concludes that the theory of classical realism in international relations is useful to the discussion of the emergence, use, and maintenance of political power of the British Empire (1814-1915). This article is one in a series of articles on the topic of empires. References. E. Sundby

"The health sector is a complex and dynamic conglomerate of services at local, regional and national levels. How to balance different considerations between new medical-professional knowledge, controlling expenses and local interests are among the permanent challenges facing political bodies when planning and structuring the services. The book is based upon institutionalist organisation theories, referring back to classic texts as well as present-day analyses. By taking a long-term perspective, and analysing one Norwegian county as a case study, the author addresses questions about how conflicts on hospital structure seemingly have been solved, and how the introduction of new management forms have changed the sector.
One of the issues is how, in a 40 years' perspective, different interest groups have seen their influence over health services and management forms have changed. In contrast to hypotheses that medical doctors would see their influence becoming reduced, the analyses show how medical actors, in an alliance with management consultants, have become more influential when innovations in health work and eventually organisation models are introduced. Regional political bodies and local community interests have lost much of their former role in restructuring processes. At the end of the book, the author makes some hypotheses about how health services will develop in the interface between ideas of a centralised, modern, high tech hospital model on one hand, and local and home based services on the other. These developments will in a nearby future most likely restructure the health sector once more.
" - "Helsesektoren er i stadig endring. Utfordringene sektoren står overfor, dreier seg blant annet om å finne balansen mellom medisinsk-faglig utvikling, økonomiske rammer og geografiske hensyn. Organisasjons-, styrings- og ledelsesformer påvirker forholdet mellom disse hensynene, som ofte trekker tjenestene i ulike retninger.

Et av de mest kontroversielle spørsmålene er hvilken sykehusstruktur som er mest hensiktsmessig. De siste årene har en på ny opplevd at protestene mot sentralisering av sykehussektoren er blitt sterkere. I debatten er det igjen blitt søkelys på de helsepolitiske spill og strategier som kjennetegner sektoren. Samtidig påvirkes tjenestene hele tiden av medisinsk-teknologiske innovasjoner, nye økonomistyringssystemer og innføring av «moderne» styrings- og ledelsesformer.

I denne boken diskuteres hvordan en i Østfold håndterte utfordringene knyttet til sykehusstruktur, og hvordan det er skapt tilsynelatende ro om dette tidligere så betente spørsmålet. Forfatteren analyserer først de strategiene som førte til at sykehusdriften i fylket ble sentralisert og et nytt «supersykehus» på Kalnes ble bygget. Deretter blir noen kjennetegn ved organisasjons- og ledelsesformer i det nye sykehuset drøftet.

Avslutningsvis diskuteres de underliggende utviklingstendenser som kan peke mot fremtidens sykehustjenester innenfor et mer helhetlig «helsesystem», som også omfatter lokale helsetjenester. Analysen er basert på moderne organisasjons- og ledelsesteorier. Et sentralt spørsmål her er hvordan institusjonelle særtrekk ved sektoren har betydning for de endringene som har skjedd de siste 40 -50 årene.

Målgruppen for boken er forskere, universitets- og høgskoleansatte og studenter i samfunnsvitenskapelige fag relatert til helsesektoren. Boken vil også gi ny kunnskap til ansatte i sektoren, og andre som er opptatt av helse- og velferdspolitiske spørsmål."

The article discusses the African state, using Michael Mann's theory of state formation as a starting point. Mann describes state formation as a process through which society is gradually "caged in" by the state, establishing the state as the highest political authority & the final arbiter of conflict within its territory. I argue that African states have been unable to "cage in" their societies. On the one hand, this means that politics does not only consist in struggles about control over the state or the content of state politics. Instead, the state's right to formulate laws & policies that are binding for society as a whole is challenged. On the other hand, since the state is unable to control its borders, interstate relations also take a different form. Conflicts that start as civil wars tend to spread across borders, without any of the affected states being able to prevent it. As a result, the distinction between the internal & the external becomes blurred. 28 References. Adapted from the source document.

This article question what are the causes of inaccuracies in opinion polls, and what is the political impact of opinion polls and their inherent risk of inaccuracies. Examples are provided of opinion polls that failed to predict the outcome of the 2008 Democratic primary elections. The author considers the strong US traditions of polling and ties to the academic community, and examines special issues present in American politics and the nomination process for the 2008 election to explain low polling accuracy. Statistical and methodological premises of opinion polls are discussed. It is suggested that the issue of race had an impact on respondents' willingness to answer truthfully questions about their candidate of choice in primary election opinion polls. A discussion of media presentation of polling results is included and it is argued that media organizations are increasingly ordering exclusive polls as opposed to reporting aggregate results from multiple polls conducted by independent sources. The bandwagon theory of the effect polling influencing results is discussed. The article refers to the American Association for Public Opinion Research special panel to shed light on pre-election polling. It is concluded that opinion polls will continue to have an important role in election reporting. References. E. Sundby