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.     

文言文的英译技巧--林语堂译《浮生六记》与马丁·路德翻译细则之碰撞

从分析林译《浮生六记》与马丁·路德的翻译细则的碰撞入手 ,指出了新世纪的中国译学应是求同性与存异性的统一 ,既要广泛地批判吸收世界各国的译学传统 ,同时又要积极保持并展示自己文化的独立性与深度     

构建现代远程开放教育考试体系初探

现代远程开放教育是基于以学习者为中心的开放学习和个别化学习。我们应从素质教育的培养目标出发 ,依据现代考试测量理论 ,利用现代科技手段 ,建立现代远程开放教育考试体系 ,客观、准确地评价学习者的进步状况以及在学识、能力等方面达到的水平 ,使学习者在学习过程中不断自我完善 ,培养他们积极进取的精神     

经络黑箱方法研究及意义

经络的特异实质结构至今尚未探明 ,但已初步研究掌握了经络现象的规律性。古代和现代对于经络的研究常有黑箱方法的一些最基本特征。现代系统科学的黑箱方法 ,不是直接考察经络的内部结构 ,而是利用外部观察和试验来考察经络系统的输入输出及其动态过程 ,研究经络的功能和特性 ,探索其结构和机理的科学方法。现代经络黑箱方法的研究 ,也为经络诊断和治疗提高了精确性和有效性 ,并为经络的实质结构研究奠定理论和技术基础     

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.     

用科学发展观指导医学教育改革和创新

科学发展观为高等医学教育的改革和发展提供了全新的思路。以科学发展观为指导,根据医学教育事业的发展,按照国际医学教育标准,全方位推进医学教育的改革和创新,强化素质教育,构建新的教学体系、管理监控体系以及教学保障体系,对于提高医学教学质量,培养高层次医学人才,实现国际标准本土化,具有重要的意义。     

论汉画中的妇女形象

汉代画像石 (砖 )有大量的表现汉代妇女生活的画像 ,主要有神话传说中的妇女形象、贵族妇女形象、劳动妇女形象、历史故事中的妇女形象、侍女形象、乐舞百戏中的艺伎形象六种类型 ,在不同程度上反映了汉代妇女在社会生活、生产中的地位。     

诗歌翻译"三美"之探索--评王佐良译《西风颂》

本文试图根据许渊冲的“三美论”,分析王佐良译的《西风颂》在传达原文的意美、音美、形美三方面的得与失,探索如何更好地实现诗歌翻译的“三美”,以期对诗歌翻译能有所启发。