A majorization comparison of apportionment methods in proportional representation

From the inception of the proportional representation movement it has been an issue whether larger parties are favored at the expense of smaller parties in one apportionment of seats as compared to another apportionment. A number of methods have been proposed and are used in countries with a proportional representation system. These apportionment methods exhibit a regularity of order, as discussed in the present paper, that captures the preferential treatment of larger versus smaller parties. This order, namely majorization, permits the comparison of seat allocations in two apportionments. For divisor methods, we show that one method is majorized by another method if and only if their signpost ratios are increasing. This criterion is satisfied for the divisor methods with power-mean rounding, and for the divisor methods with stationary rounding. Majorization places the five traditional apportionment methods in the order as they are known to favor larger parties over smaller parties: Adams, Dean, Hill, Webster, and Jefferson. Received: 5 August 2000/Accepted: 24 October 2001     

Worlds come apart: Systems theory versus critical theory. Drama in the history of sociology in the twentieth century

This article places an episode in the history of sociological theory into intellectual history in the twentieth century. The perspective is chronological as well as contextual. The themes are two theoretical approaches, both embedded in both American and German history, Parsonian Systems Theory and “Frankfurt School” Critical Theory. The chronology shown spanned mainly from the 1940s to the 1960s. The context of the two theories is a period that is crucial in twentieth century history. The protagonists of the two approaches were, in the 1940s, Americans and Germans exiled in the United States. In the 1950s, both approaches were affected by McCarthyism in different ways. The 1960s, however, were the culmination. The dynamics of the two approaches led into a schism which came into the open on the occasion of the 1964 German Sociology Conference in Heidelberg celebrating Max Weber. The article shows the stages in the evolution of the schism, emulating three acts in a drama. The final split was over whether Weber or Marx should be the classic whose oeuvre was to influence sociological thinking today. My aim is to exemplify how these two authoritative approaches in sociological theory, far from escaping the vagaries and vicissitudes of their times, were embedded in twentieth-century history.     

Partial strikes under the railway labor act: The need for a doctrine of unprotected concerted activity

In light of use by airline unions of partial-strike tactics, such as concerted refusals to bid for overtime work and so-called ” CHAOS” tactics involving unannounced refusals to fly after passengers have been ticketed and are ready to board, the authors examine whether the Railway Labor Act (RLA) should be interpreted to permit employers to discipline employees for engaging in such tactics, or whether these are a protected form of economic pressure. Although in many respects bargaining duties and economic weapons under the RLA are read consonant with precedents under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) (which governs all industries other than rail and air transport), there are a few decisions suggesting that during the period when self-help may be resorted to, employees can engage in partial strike activities as long as they violate no court order but are subject to permanent replacement in limited circumstances. These decisions, the authors submit, fail to take account of Supreme Court decsions since the 1930s that some economic pressures by unions, such as slowdowns and sitins, may not violate the labor laws but nor are they protected by those laws so as to immunize partial strikers from employer discipline. These decisions are not based on unique features of the NLRA. Rather, they give recognition to the background assumptions of Congress that employers may act to protect their property interests as long as they do not run afoul of NLRA or RLA protections and that employees who engage in partial-strike activities are subject to employer discipline even where not strictly necessary to maintain operations. Moreover, these tactics skew the bargaining process by giving employees an essentially risk-free gambit to pressure their economic position through planned disruption of carrier operations. Professor Estreicher is also labor and employment counsel to O’Melveny & Myers, LLP. The views expressed herein are the authors’ and should not be attributed to any organization. Hannah Breshin and Tom Jerman of O’Melveny & Myers, assisted the authors with this article. We also thank Professor Herbert Northrup for his helpful comments.     

对林业税费的经济学分析

该文运用经济学的基本工具———供给和需求曲线 ,以商品林为研究对象 ,探讨了林业税费的作用机理和内涵。该文认为商品林生产具有正的外部性 ,市场失灵使生产者将不能提供社会真正所需要的商品林数量。在封闭的市场条件下 ,林业税费会直接成为价格的一部分 ,商品林生产者应当能够获得正常利润 ,与税费高低无关 ,但会使一部分林地退出生产。林业补贴是一种负的林业税收。在开放市场经济条件下 ,国内商品林供应量低于没有林业税收时的商品林供应量 ,更低于考虑社会生态需求时的商品林供应量 ,造成巨大的社会福利损失 ,应减免林业税费、增加林业扶持、取消价格管制。该文进一步研究了与林业税费密切相关的森林采伐限额政策 ,认为对商品林应该完全取消采伐限额政策     

论校长及行政系统为主实施--一种新的德育管理体制实施主体论

党委统一部署 ,校长及行政系统为主实施的高校德育管理体制 ,应当说是一项重大改革。其中对“校长及行政系统为主实施”的新概括 ,是新中国学校德育管理体制改革的重要组成部分。本文从多方面对这一新的德育管理体制实施主体进行了阐释。     

Netzwerken: Reflexionen und Erfahrungen am Beispiel eines TrainerInnen und BeraterInnen-Netzwerkes

How are social networks organized and how much structure and openess do they have? The ambiguity of networking and the grade of organization are discussed and described theoretically and with an authentic example.     

水资源污染与水资源的减少

工业的发展在带给人类福音的同时 ,也给江河湖泊、地下水源及海洋造成了污染 ,并对人类的生存与发展构成了严重威胁     

恩施自治州行政执法状况调查与分析

依法行政是依法治国的主要任务和关键所在。通过对恩施自治州的行政执法状况进行调查,结果表明:恩施自治州的行政执法在总体上是好的,但也存在诸多问题。     

人力资源管理理论整体性缺陷与对策

当前人力资源管理理论缺陷引起多方面的重视 ,这些缺陷可以归结为理论的整体性缺陷。对人力资源管理的定义、历史和研究方法的分析表明 ,人力资源管理概念上的不完整和冲突 ,研究对象、范围和方法的不全面 ,以及核心原理的缺失是造成人力资源管理理论整体性缺陷的根源 ,由此能够找到克服整体性缺陷的对策     

萧红与20世纪中国女性文学

萧红是20世纪中国女性文学最杰出的代表性作家之一,与冰心、丁玲、张爱玲等作家相比,其独特性和不可替代性主要表现为三点第一,没有局限于知识女性的狭窄视野,避免陷入女性文学的精英主义误区,自觉为中国最广大下层女性代言,执著关注中国下层妇女的生存状态和人生悲剧;第二,始终如一地坚持以女性视角和女性生命体验来描绘普通女性生存真相并对她们寄寓着深切悲悯,体现出独立、清醒、深刻的现代女性意识;第三,拓展、丰富、深化了20世纪中国女性文学的表现内涵,提高了其审美品格.