Federalism and the politics of fiscal responsibility laws: Argentina and Brazil in comparative perspective

This article advances an institutionalist perspective to address a subset of issues that led to the relative success of Brazil and the absolute failure of Argentina in confronting the financial crisis of the late 1990s. It adds to the literature on the politics of fiscal federalism, documenting that fiscal crises prompt policy responses whose effects are mediated by institutional choice and the broader political dynamics and the incentives both generate. By analysing the adoption of fiscal responsibility laws in two federal polities that had been challenged by similar financial and territorially induced constraints, it tentatively shows that success in containing subnational fiscal profligacy, which has been causally related to the national overall financial weakness to confront the late 1990s crises, is contingent upon the internalisation of the value of fiscal responsibility by subnational administrations. These findings suggest that prevailing views on subnational actors as debt-ridden and passive spectators of fiscal policies for which national governments had taken full responsibility should be reconsidered. Given favourable institutional incentives, subnational interests are not necessarily incompatible with national programmes of fiscal adjustment and stability.     

The impact of minimum age and child access prevention laws on firearm-related youth suicides and unintentional deaths

The aim of the present study is to quantify the association between child access prevention (CAP) and minimum age laws and state-level youth firearm-related suicide and unintentional death rates. This paper differs from prior research in several ways. First, this is one of the few studies to focus exclusively on youth death rates. Second, this study looks at those laws with the most impact on youth suicides and unintentional deaths. Finally, this study uses one of the largest and most recent data sets of any study on this topic. In order to estimate the determinants of youth firearm deaths, a fixed effects regression model, controlling for both state-level and year-specific effects, is used. Results indicate that state-level minimum age laws have no significant effects on either youth suicides or unintentional deaths and that state-level CAP laws have no significant effects on unintentional deaths. States with CAP laws, however, have lower rates of youth suicide, and, after the enactment of the Federal minimum age requirement, both youth suicide and unintentional death rates fell. Given the mixed results regarding state-level juvenile firearm laws, national restrictions on juvenile handgun possession may be more effective in reducing both youth suicides and unintentional deaths than state-level regulations.     

气候变化适应性问题对我国环境法律的挑战

以温室气体减排为主要立足点的气候变化问题在国内外已经引起了广泛而热烈的关注,相比之下,气候变化对环境的影响还未被给予足够的关注,更不用谈气候变化适应性对环境法律的影响和挑战。我国气候变化的相关法律政策是以减缓为导向的,有关适应气候变化的法律法规还很少。气候变化的不确定性、不可避免性、不可逆转性和空间时间上的广泛性,对环境政策与法律的假定基础、环境法律目的和现行环境管理体制等都带来了全新的挑战。当务之急在于弄清气候变化与传统环境问题的本质区别,气候变化问题纳入现行环境法律的可行性等。     

论封建社会的基本经济规律

在封建社会里,领主、地主的需求是靠农民提供的各种形式的地租来满足的。地租经历了三种形态的变化,即劳役地租、实物地租和货币地租。其中最能代表封建社会本质特征的是实物地租,即农民所创造的剩余产品。因此,封建社会的基本经济规律就是以使用价值规律为基础的剩余产品使用价值规律。     

汉语语言现象与对外汉语教学

语言是门神奇的艺术,对外汉语教学要注重词的古今词义分析,文化义的阐微,实词虚化的剖析,语用的诠释,揭示汉语语言现象的所以然,不仅要教会学生正确地使用语言,而且还要教会学生得体地使用语言。     

天道·人道·修道——感悟《中庸》的教育智慧

《中庸》是中国儒家文化经典,蕴含了丰富的教育思想,在我国教育史上有重要地位。＂天命之谓性、率性之谓道、修道之谓教＂,《中庸》从天道、人道和修道三个角度阐述了教育的前提、内容和方法。在构建社会主义和谐社会的今天,《中庸》对道德教育仍有深远影响,有利于培养和谐人格和促进教育公平。     

吉林省体育社团发展过程中存在的问题

分别对吉林省三种类型体育社团的典型代表进行访问调查,分析了吉林省体育社团发展的现状和存在的主要问题。     

莫话语音研究

列述莫话五个调查点音系,综述莫话语音结构,研究莫话语音变化,展示莫话语音概貌.     

美国专利联营反垄断规制路径的演变及启示

专利联营作为一种重要的产业组织形式,曾对美国经济的发展产生了重大的促进作用。由于涉嫌垄断,专利联营曾一度受到美国反托拉斯法的严格控制。在美国,专利联营的发展经历了繁荣——衰落——复兴的曲折历程,分别体现了反托拉斯法对专利联营控制的宽严程度及其政策的演进路径,这种规制路径的演变对我国具有重要的启迪意义。     

关于网络隐私权法律保护的几个问题

网络技术的迅猛发展使得公民网络隐私权的法律保护意义重大。近年来,侵犯网络隐私权已成为一个突出的社会问题并受到国际社会的关注。强化对公民网络隐私权的法律保护,构建我国网络隐私权的法律保护体系已成为保护公民人格权的当务之急。