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55101. Who’s Afraid of Big Bad Brazil?

Author:
Mark Falcoff
Publication Date:
11-1997
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research
Abstract:
On his trip to South America last month, President Clinton made quite a splash in Brazil. After starting off badly–dodging a torrent of manure thrown at his motorcade–he ended the week with the local media singing his praises. The secret of his success? The president (a quick study if there ever was one) immediately grasped that the best way to get along with Brazilians was to repeat back to them–with redoubled enthusiasm–what they told him about themselves. Thus, by the time Clinton had been in the country for thirty-six hours, he was expressing his conviction that Brazil, together with the United States, would lead the hemisphere in the twenty-first century. He also went out of his way to insist on his support for Mercosur, a subregional trade agreement-cum-political alliance of whose existence Clinton was probably only peripherally aware before his trip. In so doing, he seemed to be writing off an entire continent to the Brazilian sphere of influence.
Topic:
Foreign Policy, Defense Policy, Economics, Politics, and Reform
Political Geography:
Brazil, South America, and United States of America

55102. Elite Circulation & Consolidation of Democracy in Poland

Author:
Jacek Wasilewski
Publication Date:
01-1997
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies, Harvard University
Abstract:
The paper examines two aspects of democratic consolidation-institution building and value consensus through analysis of the old and new elites in Poland. It argues that although Polish democracy is established and working, it has not been fully consolidated. Poland represents the case of a ·shallow consolidation," i.e., all elements constituting a consolidated democratic regime are in place, but relations among them do not form a coherent structure typical of mature democracies.
Topic:
Democratization, Elites, Consolidation, and Democratic Transitions
Political Geography:
Europe, Eastern Europe, and Poland

55103. Unionists Against Unions: Towards Hierarchical Management in Postcommunist Poland

Author:
David Ost and Marc Weinstein
Publication Date:
01-1997
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies, Harvard University
Abstract:
Contrary to standard assumptions about union opposition to economic reform, our survey of firm-level deci sion makers in ninety-five manufacturing enterprises shows that Polish trade union leaders have strong pro-market leanings, and are profoundly skeptical of the utility of institutionalized employee influence in a market economy. This skepticism towards unions is shared by rank-and-file workers, as reported in other surveys. Industrial relations institutions in Poland are becoming less participatory and increasingly hierar chical according to a number of indicators, and this is due not just to coercion from above but acquies cence from below. At the same time, unionists in practice maintain a strong presence in non-private firms. This lingering employee influence stems, paradoxically, from a belief in property rights: unionists believe that private owners should be able to manage their assets as they choose, for this will allegedly benefit workers; but where private owners are lacking, unionists feel employees must act as temporary watchdogs. Long-term prospects for unions thus appear weak, and the weakness of institutions articulating labor inter ests can lead toward the delegitimation of democratic institutions in general. Finally, rational choice and historical institutionalist approaches are seen as unable to explain our findings. An ideational explanation appears to be the most plausible.
Topic:
Reform, Unions, Hierarchy, and Post-Communism
Political Geography:
Europe, Eastern Europe, and Poland

55104. America's New Deal with Europe: NATO Primacy and Double Expansion

Author:
Carl Conetta
Publication Date:
10-1997
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Project on Defense Alternatives
Abstract:
Including analysis relevant to the 2022 Ukraine crisis, this article addresses NATO expansion, burdensharing, the Balkans crisis, and relations with Russia and Germany. The American debate and public opinion regarding NATO enlargement is reviewed as well.
Topic:
Defense Policy, NATO, Conflict, and Regional Power
Political Geography:
Russia, Europe, Ukraine, Germany, Balkans, North America, and United States of America

55105. Teenage Childbearing and Personal Responsibility: An Alternative View

Author:
Arline T. Geronimus
Publication Date:
09-1997
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Political Science Quarterly
Institution:
Academy of Political Science
Abstract:
ARLINE T. GERONIMUS examines widely-shared assumptions about teen childbearing that informed the welfare reform debate. She argues that the scientific basis for these assumptions is equivocal and questions the belief that teen childbearing always represents irrationality and the abdication of personal responsibility.
Topic:
Reform, Youth, Welfare, Social Responsibility, and Parenthood
Political Geography:
North America and United States of America

55106. Turkey-The Return of the Reluctant Generals?

Author:
Ben Lombardi
Publication Date:
07-1997
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Political Science Quarterly
Institution:
Academy of Political Science
Abstract:
BEN LOMBARDI reviews developments currently affecting Turkish politics. He compares current trends with events in Turkey that preceded the three military coups in 1960, 1971, and 1980, and suggests that intervention in that country's domestic politics by the armed forces is a distinct possibility.
Topic:
History, Armed Forces, Domestic Politics, and Coup
Political Geography:
Turkey and Middle East

55107. Full Faith and Credit for Same-Sex Marriages?

Author:
Ken I. Kersch
Publication Date:
03-1997
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Political Science Quarterly
Institution:
Academy of Political Science
Abstract:
KEN I. KERSCH addresses federalism questions involving the obligations of states to recognize same-sex marriages under the full faith and credit clause. He argues that a consideration of traditional norms of comity among states along with the nation's experience with analogous disputes concerning slavery and antimiscegnation statutes would be useful to policy makers grappling with the issue.
Topic:
Domestic Politics, LGBT+, Federalism, and Marriage
Political Geography:
North America and United States of America

55108. Controversies on the Universality of Human Rights and the Conditionality of Aid

Author:
Franz Nuscheler
Publication Date:
12-1997
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Institute for Development and Peace
Abstract:
What is the reaction of human rights groups and academic scholars from Asia, who cannot be suspected of engaging in Western "cultural imperialism," to the challenge of "Asian values"? This INEF-Report includes the following papers: two papers presented by Sri Lankan scholars to an international conference in Colombo organized by the Goethe-Institute and the Sri Lanka Foundation; a paper by a political scientist from the Philippines read at the University of Druisburg in summer 1997; a paper on the conditionality of foreign aid presented by the editor of this INEF-Report to the above-mentioned international conference in Colombo, which was a fine example of an intercultural dialogue.
Topic:
Human Rights, Foreign Aid, Authoritarianism, Conditionality, and Universality
Political Geography:
South Asia, Philippines, and Sri Lanka

55109. Patent Protection, Biotechnology and Globalisation: The TRIPS Agreement and its Implications for the Developing Countries

Author:
Tanja Brühl and Margareta Kulessa
Publication Date:
12-1997
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Institute for Development and Peace
Abstract:
Globalisation is often seen as one of the dominant trends of our times. Besides technological innovations, one of its driving forcds is the liberalisation of the world economy. The founding of the GATT's successor "World Trade Organisation" (WTO) in 1995 can be viewed as an important step towards worldwide economic integration. The "Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights" (TRIPs) is one of the WTO's components. The TRIPs Agreement aims at harmonising the level of intellectual property protection in all WTO member states at a fairly high level.
Topic:
Globalization, Treaties and Agreements, World Trade Organization, Intellectual Property/Copyright, Patents, and Biotechnology
Political Geography:
Global Focus

55110. Party Discipline in the Brazilian Constitutional Congress

Author:
Scott Mainwaring and Aníbal Pérez-Liñán
Publication Date:
03-1997
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Kellogg Institute for International Studies
Abstract:
This paper analyzes party discipline in the Brazilian constitutional congress of 1987-88, focusing on roll call votes in 1988. Because of the large number (1,021) of roll call votes during the constitutional congress and the availability of an excellent data base, the Brazilian constitutional congress offers an opportunity for one of the most detailed studies that has been conducted of party discipline in a Third World legislature. We begin with a discussion of how we have calculated discipline scores, given some distinctive features of the Brazilian party system and the constitutional congress. We show that the biggest Brazilian parties of this period were comparatively undisciplined, and we also show that the leftist parties were a powerful exception to this general tendency. We demonstrate that legislators who switched parties during the constitutional congress were more likely than others to be undisciplined before switching and that their discipline increased markedly after their move to new parties. Finally, we attempt to explain why discipline was low in all but the leftist parties.
Topic:
Democratization, Governance, Democracy, Constitution, and Political Parties
Political Geography:
Brazil and South America