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THE CONSOLIDATION OF NATIONAL PARLIAMENTS WITHIN AN ENLARGING EU |
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Muiris MacCarthaigh
Abstract
As national parliaments emerged in the context of national states rather than international organisations, fulfilling functions demanded by virtue of European Union membership challenges their traditional modus operandi, especially in the field of legislative oversight. Considerable attention has been given as to how best national parliaments might adapt and expand their oversight capacity in order to examine EU legislation and policy, thus underwriting the legitimacy of the expanding Union’s work. This debate raises fundamental questions concerning the responsibilities not only of national parliaments, but also of the various other institutions employed by the Union. As well as considering this issue, this article also interrogates how best we can conceptualise the role of national parliaments within the new modes of governance inspired by the demands of EU membership. To begin, the paper considers how the contemporary analysis of European legislatures has developed.
Keywords: Parliaments, EU, Accountability, Committees, Legislation
PhD. Muiris MacCarthaigh is a Research Officer at the Institute of Public Administration in
Dublin, Ireland. An earlier version of this paper appeared in Administration Vol. 54 (3),
2006, pp. 69-94
Cite this article:
MacCarthaigh Muiris. The consolidation of national parliaments within an enlarging EU. Innovative Issues and Approaches in Social Sciences, vol.1, no.1:5-31, DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.12959/issn.1855-0541.IIASS-2008-no1-art01
Digital Object Identifier(DOI): http://dx.doi.org/10.12959/issn.1855-0541.IIASS-2008-no1-art01
View full text in pdf: http://www.iiass.com/pdf/IIASS-2008-no1-art01.pdf |
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PROPERTY RIGHTS AS A “CONSEQUENCE” OF ECONOMIC SYSTEM: THE CASE OF JOHN LOCKE AND CANADIAN ABORIGINALS |
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Mitja Durnik
Abstract
According to Locke, an aboriginal land was unoccupied before the settlement of the Americas by Europeans and people who lived there were in the “state of nature” – in a kind of a pre-political society where did not recognize property as the European nations did. Locke saw private property as an important determinant of economic development where the Aboriginal people were underdeveloped and living in simple-organized societies based on self-sufficient economy which could not produce any extra profit. In other words, in Locke’s view existed two economic worlds – one European who had a potential for making a profit, and one aboriginal, mainly connected with barter economy. The main argument is then the economic system in the large manner dictated the variety of property rights in colonial and aboriginal economy.
Key words: Colonialism, Aboriginal People, Property Rights, John Locke, Political Thought.
Mitja Durnik holds BA diplomas in political science and management and he is PhD candidate at Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana.
Cite this article:
Durnik Mitja. Property Rights as a “Consequence” of Economic System: The
Case of John Locke and Canadian Aboriginals. Innovative Issues and Approaches in Social Sciences, vol.1, no.1:53-90, DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.12959/issn.1855-0541.IIASS-2008-no1-art03
Digital Object Identifier(DOI): http://dx.doi.org/10.12959/issn.1855-0541.IIASS-2008-no1-art03
View full text in pdf: http://www.iiass.com/pdf/IIASS-2008-no1-art03.pdf |
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CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND THE ROLE OF THE STATE |
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Dolores Modic
Abstract
The term social responsibility is generaly used in connection with private entities, whereas the role of the state and public organizations is often forgotten. We usually see the state and public organizations as regulators in the context of social responsibility, whose goal is to achieve socially responsible actions of the private sector. However, we can see the role of the state and public organizations as threefold: 1) as regulators and promotors, 2) as »leading by example« and 3) as supervisors. In the paper we explore all three roles, with special emphasis on the identified problematic areas. Some practical implications are shown on the example of Slovenia.
Key words: social responsibility, CSR, the state, public sector, Slovenia
The author is an assistant at the School of Business and Management Novo mesto, Slovenia and holds a BA in Law.
Cite this article:
Modic Dolores. Corporate social responsibility and the role of the State. Innovative Issues and Approaches in Social Sciences, vol.1, no.3:7-42, DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.12959/issn.1855-0541.IIASS-2008-no3-art01
Digital Object Identifier(DOI): http://dx.doi.org/10.12959/issn.1855-0541.IIASS-2008-no3-art01
View full text in pdf: http://www.iiass.com/pdf/IIASS-2008-no3-art01.pdf |
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PATTERNS OF POLITICAL PARTICIPATION IN EUROPE. |
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Matej Makarovič
Abstract
It is questionable to which extend one can generalise the trends in participation such as the decline of the classical forms of political participation and/or the rise of the new ones, since there may be significant differences between various participation patterns in European democracies, not only between the old and the new ones but also within both categories. Application of the hierarchical cluster analysis – using the voting turnouts and other statistics, the survey data on the relevant behaviour and attitudes - enables one to distinguish between the following patterns of participation
in Europe:
1) The western pattern characterised by medium levels of all types of socio-political participation
2) The northern active democracies characterised by intensive social and political participation of all types 3) The passive democracies with relative lack of all types of active
participation. Though some common European trends may be identified, especially in the long run, the extends to which these trends have taken place, vary considerably. Significant differences remain even in the long run and under the seemingly similar European/global conditions. Consequently the convergence hypothesis may only be confirmed to a very limited extend and with great caution.
Key words: political participation, democracy, Europe, convergence
Matej Makarovič is assistant professor of sociology at the Faculty of Applied Social Studies, Nova Gorica, Slovenia.
He can be reached at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
.
Cite this article:
Makarovič Matej. Patterns of Political Participation in Europe. Innovative Issues and Approaches in Social Sciences, vol.1, no.3:43-62, DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.12959/issn.1855-0541.IIASS-2008-no3-art02
Digital Object Identifier(DOI): http://dx.doi.org/10.12959/issn.1855-0541.IIASS-2008-no3-art02
View full text in pdf: http://www.iiass.com/pdf/IIASS-2008-no3-art02.pdf |
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A MULTIDIMENSIONAL APPROACH TO CONFLICT ANALYSIS: THE RUSSO-CHECHEN CONFLICT |
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Ali Askerov
Abstract
This paper describes the ethnopolitical conflict between Russia and Chechnya, and explores the causes of the war and violence between these two nations that started in the early 1800s and continues today. The accurate analysis of conflict is important for a number of reasons, but above all, because without its accurate diagnosis, suggestions for successful resolution would practically be impossible. The Russo-Chechen conflict is one of the most long-lasting ethnopolitical conflicts in the world. Its over two hundred years of history is replete with violence and atrocities that escalated and deescalated this conflict from time to time. Many books and articles are written about this conflict to explain its origins and causes relating to one or more of the factors of nationalism, religion, interests, and geopolitics. This paper, however, employs a multidimensional approach to its analysis by employing a number of theories of conflict and violence without specifying priority to any causal factors as it is impossible to weigh the causative factors to identify the hierarchical interrelationship among them. This paper argues that a multidimensional and multilevel approach to conflict analysis is needed to understand root causes of complex conflict correctly that is important for making effective policies of conflict resolution.
Key words: conflict, theory, analysis, Russia, Chechnya
Ali Askerov teaches conflict resolution at University of Winnipeg.
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PERSPECTIVES ON THE POLITICAL-ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION OF SLOVENIA |
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Paul Phillips
Abstract
Since Slovenia’ entry into the EU there have been a number of books published evaluating the political and the economic results and the issues raised in the transition process. These analyses come from widely different perspectives, both political and economic, and with highly differentiated foci ranging from the transformation of political institutions and cultural values, to the impact of transition on managerial practice and economic competitiveness. Two of these books are restricted to political, philosophical and value issues; two to essentially microeconomic institutional and organizational issues.
In reading and comparing these volumes, I am reminded of the proverbial parable of the five blind men and the elephant. Each man in turn approaches the elephant, feels around the animal and describes what he found. The first runs into the animal’s trunk and describes the elephant as like a huge snake. The second walks to the other end of the animal and grabs its tail and describes the elephant as like a rope. The third runs into its leg and describes the animal as like the trunk of a tree. The fourth runs into the elephant’s body and describes it as a huge, rough, elevated pipe while the final blind man runs into its tusk and describes it as a long curved smooth metal bar, sharpened at one end.
PhD. Paul Phillpis is professor emeritus at University of Manitoba, Manitoba, Canada.
Cite this article:
Phillips Paul. Perspectives on the Political-Economic Transformation of
Slovenia: A Review Article. Innovative Issues and Approaches in Social Sciences, vol.1, no.2:95-116, DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.12959/issn.1855-0541.IIASS-2008-no2-art05
Digital Object Identifier(DOI): http://dx.doi.org/10.12959/issn.1855-0541.IIASS-2008-no2-art05
View full text in pdf: http://www.iiass.com/pdf/IIASS-2008-no2-art05.pdf |
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ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF PORTFOLIO THROUGH A PRISM OF INDEXED CHARACTERISTICS OF EVALUATION |
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Urša Šinkovec
Abstract
When using classical method of evaluation, achieving and consideration of characteristics of measurement is pursued, more strictly than it is possible when evaluating using portfolio. The purpose of this article is to reflect on portfolios measurements characteristics through which advantages and deficiencies of portfolio are revealed. Advantages like, consideration of individual differences, stimulation and development of motivation, higher quality and deepened knowledge, active role of the pupil, ability of solving actual problems, developing of self-criticism, good content validity etc. all strike the eyes. Despite all said we must reasonably and critically undertake the treatment of portfolio, as one of the methods of alternative assessment and also emphasize its deficiencies. Only by doing that can we contribute to a higher quality of education process.
Keywords: portfolio, alternative assessment, measurements characteristics, assessment consequences, curriculum goals
Urša Šinkovec holds BA in pedagogy and history and she is assistant at the Faculty of Applied Social Studies, Nova Gorica.
Cite this article:
Šinkovec Urša. Advantages and Disadvantages of Portfolio through a Prism of
Indexed Characteristics of Evaluation. Innovative Issues and Approaches in Social Sciences, vol.1, no.2:67-94, DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.12959/issn.1855-0541.IIASS-2008-no2-art04
Digital Object Identifier(DOI): http://dx.doi.org/10.12959/issn.1855-0541.IIASS-2008-no2-art04
View full text in pdf: http://www.iiass.com/pdf/IIASS-2008-no2-art04.pdf |
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HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF SLOVENIAN POLITICAL ELITE |
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Matevž Tomšič
Abstract
This article deals with the ways in which political space in Slovenia is formed and with the nature of its main actors from the beginnings of political life in Slovenia, focusing primarily on the analysis of political configuration and on the nature of political elites in the post-communist Slovenia. Its primal concern deals with the power relation between the two main political and ideological wings. The author discovered three political constants in the development of the Slovene political space that represent an analogy between the political life prior to the World War II and the circumstances following the transition into a democratic system. These constants are: strong ideological polarisation, domination of one political camp, and aspiration of political elites to other spheres of society. They all hinder development of polyarchic democracy.
Keywords: elites, politics, democracy, communism, Slovenia.
PhD. Matevž Tomšič is assistant professor at Faculty of Applied Social Studies, Nova Gorica
Cite this article:
Tomšič Matevž. Historical Development of Slovenian Political Elite. Innovative Issues and Approaches in Social Sciences, vol.1, no.2:47-66, DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.12959/issn.1855-0541.IIASS-2008-no2-art03
Digital Object Identifier(DOI): http://dx.doi.org/10.12959/issn.1855-0541.IIASS-2008-no2-art03
View full text in pdf: http://www.iiass.com/pdf/IIASS-2008-no2-art03.pdf |
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SOCIETAL COMMUNICATION IN STRATEGIC PROCESSES |
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Borut Rončević
Abstract
Dilemma whether developmental processes should be steered or left to societal evolution is one of the oldest in the social sciences. Analysis of communication in strategic action of developmental processes shows that it is an issue that touches the very core of sociological analysis, especially neo-institutional analysis with its ‘path dependency’ and ‘choice within constraints’ concepts. In this paper we are dealing with the role of societal communication in strategic processes of three developmental latecomers: Finland, Ireland and Slovenia. The analysis focuses on developmental paths of the three countries, with a special focus on the path-dependency and path-shaping processes as coordination through systemic discourse and shows that transition to higher levels of development requires changes in approach to developmental steering. Strategic processes are now in a joint domain of all relevant systems and actors with more sophisticated forms of operation in place, especially reflexivity, contextual intervention and systemic discourse. These mechanisms, however, are successfully activated only in the most developed societies, as they require specific socio-cultural conditions. In the case of successful developmental latecomers context-specific forms of systemic discourse were a key factor contributing to developmental leap. Strategic actors, including the state, have to develop capacities to engage in sophisticated forms of societal communication.
Keywords: societal communication, strategic action, developmental latecomers, systemic discourse, neo-institutional analysis, path dependency, choice within constraints
PhD. Borut Rončević is director at University and Research Centre Novo mesto and assistant professor at Faculty of Applied Social Studies, Nova Gorica.
Cite this article:
Rončević Borut. Societal Communication in Strategic Processes. Innovative Issues and Approaches in Social Sciences, vol.1, no.2:27-46, DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.12959/issn.1855-0541.IIASS-2008-no2-art02
Digital Object Identifier(DOI): http://dx.doi.org/10.12959/issn.1855-0541.IIASS-2008-no2-art02
View full text in pdf: http://www.iiass.com/pdf/IIASS-2008-no2-art02.pdf |
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IMPACT OF POVERTY ON SOCIAL ISOLATION; SOCIAL SUPPORT NETWORKS OF THE POOR IN SLOVENIA |
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Mojca Novak, Mateja Nagode, Polona Dremelj
Abstract
In order to answer the questions on social support networks of the poor in comparative perspective of the population of Slovenia, the authors frame their analytical interest in theories on poverty and on social support networks. Survey data presents an extensive empirical evidence The analysis is initiated by the question of whether poverty increases social isolation of people. The sketching of the answer to it is the basis for the examination of empirical data from Slovenia with the estimation of the level of poverty of the population of Slovenia and the characteristics of their social support networks, and the sketching of the answer to the question of the characteristics of poverty impact on social isolation. The authors therefore attempt to answer the question of whether the analysis of the differences as to the scale and structure of social support networks between the poor and between the entire population of Slovenia can also provide an answer to the question on the impact of poverty on social isolation.
Keywords: poverty, social isolation, social support, social networks.
PhD Mojca Novak is dean and associate professor at the School of Business and Management, Novo mesto.
Mateja Nagode is assistnat at Social Protection Institute of the Republic of Slovenia, Ljubljana.
PhD. Polona Dremelj is senior researcher at Social Protection Institute of the Republic of Slovenia, Ljubljana.
Cite this article:
Novak Mojca, Nagode Mateja, Dremelj Polona. Impact of Poverty on Social Isolation; Social support networks
of the poor in Slovenia. Innovative Issues and Approaches in Social Sciences, vol.1, no.2:5-26, DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.12959/issn.1855-0541.IIASS-2008-no2-art01
Digital Object Identifier(DOI): http://dx.doi.org/10.12959/issn.1855-0541.IIASS-2008-no2-art01
View full text in pdf: http://www.iiass.com/pdf/IIASS-2008-no2-art01.pdf |
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