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.     

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.     

Führung durch Selbstführung

This paper outlines the conceptual bases, strategies, and psychological attributes of leadership by self-leadership. In addition, relations to other theories of leadership are drawn. Dimensions and correlates of self-leadership competence are described and discussed. Various approaches for developing self-leadership competence are discussed as well.     

东汉庄园的兴起及其文化意蕴

西汉以自耕农为主体的经济结构到东汉以庄园为主体经济结构的转变 ,客观上形成了汉晋之际社会思潮变迁的重要依托。作为新兴的相对独立的社会经济单位 ,东汉庄园对士大夫的精神世界产生了重要影响。不仅使一部分士人从原有的大一统思想和依附地位中剥离出来 ,而且发展出了较为独立的群体性格、个体人格、思维方式和兴趣取向     

论工程训练与创新人才培养

工程训练是重要的实践性教学环节 ,必须把工作重点转移到培养学生创新能力上来 ,创造有利于培养创新人才的环境 ,传授给学生丰富的创新知识基础 ,改革教学内容、教学方法、教学手段和考核办法 ,以保证培养创新人才的需要 ,并注意培养学生各种创新素质 ,鼓励学生创新 ,促进其创新能力的发展     

论电子证据的法律地位

随着科学技术的进步和计算机的广泛运用 ,电子证据在刑事诉讼活动和证明过程中占有日益显著的地位。作为对新生事物的关注 ,我国法学理论界对电子证据的法律地位、种类归属及证据力等问题的研究在近年内也缓慢起步。因此 ,当前有必要从电子证据的收集与提取、资格与归属、认证与证明力各环节出发 ,对电子证据进行更加深入的理论分析和探讨 ,从而作出新的立法构想与安排 ,以弥补旧有制度的缺陷 ,并适应社会进步和国际发展趋势。     

中共三代领导集体国防教育思想的历史探索

研究表明，中国共产党的三代领导集体对国防教育都很重 视，特别是在和平建设年代，中共领导人能随着国际国内形势的变化而适时调整其国防教育 思想的主要内容，从而使党的国防教育思想更趋成熟，向科学化、系统化、制度化迈进。     

我校医学影像专业实施素质教育的实践与探索

三峡大学医学院开办医学影像专业有 16年历史 ,经历了从专科向本科转型过度。在素质教育和创新意识培养方面经过了多年的探索实践。大专层次的教育为社会培养了一批临床应用型专业人才 ,缓解了市场需求的压力 ,但部分学生客观上存在着知识面较窄小 ,缺乏后劲的问题。实施本科教育全面提高学生的综合素质需要在多方面下工夫 :转变教育思想 ,更新教育观念 ;转变培养模式 ;优化组合构建新的课程体系 ;强化科研 ,以科研促教学 ;通才教育与专才教育并举。探索本科生素质教育 6年 ,取得了可喜成绩 ,积累了一些经验