Democracy, Voting, and Disenfranchisement in the United States: A Social Psychological Perspective

Autonomy, engagement, and equality are defining features of democracy. Each of these features illuminates the challenge or incompleteness of our democratic aspirations: Autonomy or self-governance is too easily surrendered, disengagement is evident when roughly half of eligible adults choose not to vote, and the inequality of our political voices is manifest in many ways, including a self-perpetuating relationship between socioeconomic status and political participation. In addition to introducing the present collection of articles on the social psychology of voting, I argue that several concepts drawn from psychological measurement may contribute to making elections more fair. A signal detection framework may be used to assess the soundness of election reforms, with fraud and disenfranchisement conceptualized as two forms of error. The replacement of the Electoral College by a single aggregate national popular vote would not only be more democratic but would substantially reduce the likelihood of controversial outcomes in future presidential elections.     

西部地区农村居民消费行为分析

西部地区农村居民无论在消费总量上,还是在消费结构上都低于东部地区,本文分析了西部地区农村居民的消费现状以及影响消费的主要原因,提出了促进西部地区农村居民消费的对策。     

When Do First-Year College Students Drink Most During the Academic Year? An Internet-Based Study of Daily and Weekly Drinking

Abstract

Objective: The authors investigated the alcohol consumption trajectories among first-year university students. Participants: A sample of 415 students attending a large university in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, was recruited. Methods: Students completed a baseline questionnaire and 26 weekly brief Internet surveys assessing alcohol consumption from September 2006 to April 2007. Results: Findings indicated that alcohol consumption varies considerably as a function of time of the academic year. Overall trends indicate that students drink more heavily at the beginning of each semester and less during exam periods. Daily patterns indicate that most drinking occurs on weekends. The highest drinking days in the first academic year included Halloween, New Year's Eve, and St. Patrick's Day. Conclusions: The present study provides evidence that periods of high and low alcohol consumption are contingent upon specific events and the time of the year.     

Development and Initial Validation of the Symptoms and Assets Screening Scale

Abstract

Objective: To develop and test a screening measure of mental health symptoms and well-being in college students, the Symptoms and Assets Screening Scale (SASS). Participants: Participants were 758 college students at 2 universities in the Northwest sampled between October 2009 and April 2011. Methods: Participants completed the SASS, as well as measures of depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, substance problems, and eating problems in 1 session. A subset of participants (n = 259) completed the SASS 1 to 2 weeks later to allow an examination of test–retest stability. Results: The SASS demonstrated good reliability and validity and appears to assess similar constructs as well-established measures in college students. Fifty-nine percent of the sample reported having problems with their thoughts, behaviors, or emotions, whereas only 9.7% reported currently receiving treatment. Conclusions: The SASS is a brief instrument that has the potential to effectively screen for the most prevalent mental health problems in college students.     

Elder Abuse Detection and Intervention: A Collaborative Approach by B. Brandl,C. B. Dyer,C. J. Heisler,M. J. Otto,L. A. Stiegel,and R. W. Thomas

Mediation has recently been developed in America to help seniors deal with their disputes. Some Long Term Care Ombudsmen and their volunteers have also been trained in mediation for use in institutional conflicts. This paper suggests that elder mediation, through its voluntary, non-coercive process, has the potential for enhancing elder rights, providing an acceptable form of minimal social intervention, and contributing to the prevention of elder abuse at early stages of relational conflicts between elders and their carers.     

论建国前后毛泽东对中国廉政文化 传统的改造

建国前后,毛泽东把马克思主义廉政理论与中国历史、中国文化实际相结合,在反腐败斗争实践中,着手改造中国廉政文化传统,通过改造中国古代的廉政教育传统、清官崇尚传统、垂直监察传统、重典治贪传统,构建了新型的廉政体系和与之相适应的廉政文化,开创了建国初期风清气正的政治局面,赢得了人民的信赖,巩固了党的执政基础与地位,为新中国切实推进反腐倡廉工作奠定了良好基础,为当下的廉政建设提供了宝贵的借鉴。     

论“超WTO义务”对贸易争端解决机制的影响——以“美欧墨诉中国原材料出口限制争端案”为样本

历时两年半的"美欧墨诉中国原材料出口限制争端案"以中国失利告终。WTO争端解决机构裁定中国对铝土、焦炭等9种原材料采取的出口限制措施不符合WTO规则,同时不能援引GATT第20条的相关条款豁免。在此次争端中,中国"入世"时在《议定书》和《工作组报告书》中做出的特殊承诺,以及GATT第20条对中国"入世"文件的可适用性成为案件的焦点。与此前中国涉及"超WTO义务"的争端相比,"原材料案"不仅首次涉及出口税问题,而且涉及的产品范围更广,"超WTO义务"的解释问题在整个争端中处于更核心的地位。     

多元目标体系导向的西北民族地区旅游产业发展模式

我国是一个多民族国家,民族旅游是我国旅游业发展中的一个非常重要的区域旅游现象和重要的旅游业态,是民族地区实现产业结构优化、经济增长和发展的重要的产业支撑.检讨了学术界对我国西北民族地区旅游业发展的研究,对单一经济价值导向民族地区旅游产业发展研究和产业运行模式进行了反思,以我国西北民族地区为例提出了构建以多元价值为基础的西北民族地区旅游产业发展模式的基本思路和框架,研究了多元目标价值导向的西北民族地区旅游产业发展的理论意义与产业价值.