Civil Liberties in Wartime

I have a simple thesis: In time of war—or, more precisely, in time of national crisis—we respond too harshly in our restriction of civil liberties, and then later regret our behavior. To explore this thesis, I will briefly review our experience in 1798, the Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Cold War and the Vietnam War. I will then offer some observations.     

Teaching Civil Liberties: The Missing Dimension

Abstract

What kind of existence do fictional beings have? What are non-existent objects? Neither logic nor cognitive science gives complete answers, but theology might help.     

The Journalist as Historian: Anthony Lewis, Civil Liberties, and the Supreme Court

The genesis of the column that Anthony Lewis wrote for The New York Times between 1969 and 2001 was a red face—not Lewis's, but that of Arthur Ochs Sulzberger. The Times ' publisher offered Lewis the column as a consolation prize after outgoing executive editor James Reston mistakenly informed Lewis that the job of deputy to A. M. Rosenthal, the new executive editor, was open and that Lewis was a logical candidate. ¹     

欧美学界对公民投票制度的研究

欧美学界关于公民投票制度的研究围绕以下问题展开:人民主权与国家主权关系理论、公民投票对各国政治生活的影响、公民投票制度与代议制和民意表达及个人政治权力的关系等。这些研究大都从政治学与法学的视角出发,比较关注实证性问题,甚至仅仅服务于现实的政治目的。本文认为,从历史学角度研究公民投票制度,无论在欧美学界还是在我国都应得到加强。     

The Geography of the April 25 (1993) Russian Referendum

Two geographers analyze the spatial dimension of results of the historic Russian referendum of April 25, 1993, which produced dramatic regional differences in the degree of support for President Boris Yel'tsin and his economic reform policies. The paper correlates the outcome of the referendum with demographic and economic performance variables for the political-administrative units of Russia. It thus assesses the extent to which approval of Yel'tsin was associated with such variables as urbanization, education, white collar work force, percentage of workers in agriculture, and age of the population. 5 figures, 5 tables, 23 references.     

Elections Without Cues: The 1999 Australian Republic Referendum

In the November 1999 referendum on the republic, the Australian electorate was asked to make a complex, technical choice about the system of government, in the absence of clear partisan cues. How did voters resolve this dilemma? Although those in favour of replacing the Queen as head of state made up three-quarters of the electorate, they were divided on the method of election for the head of state, effectively resulting in three separate groups of voters. Four hypotheses are tested to explain voting in the referendum. The most important influence on voting was views about whether or not to sever the link with Britain, followed by the positive and negative aspects of the proposed change, and the cues presented by the leaders of the respective 'yes' and 'no' campaigns. Voters' knowledge of politics was also important. Overall, the interaction between compulsory voting and lack of political knowledge among large sections of the electorate served to divide republicans, and caused the proposition to fail. Pairing the republic with an unpopular change to the preamble of the Constitution also depressed the 'yes' vote.     

Poland Divided: Spatial Differences in the June 2003 EU Accession Referendum

Results of the June 2003 referendum on Poland's accession to the European Union are assessed by a noted American electoral geographer and a Polish historian, in terms of voter turnout, percentage "yes" vote, and percentage of eligible voters casting yes ballots. They then proceed to test the association between voting patterns and four basic variables that, according to pre-referendum surveys, would influence the patterns regionally: general east-west location within Poland (and proximity to the pre-existing EU border), rural-urban residence, occupation (in agriculture vs. industry/services), and unemployment/income levels. In concluding, the authors note possible implications for subsequent elections in Poland. Journal of Economic Literature, Classification Numbers: H10, O18, R10. 2 figures, 5 tables, 35 references.     

National Identity,Partisanship and Populist Protest as Factors in the 1999 Australian Republic Referendum

Using survey data from the Australian Constitutional Referendum Study 1999, the article begins by showing that the votes of direct electionists were as important as those of monarchists in the defeat of the republic referendum. Since these votes were crucial to the outcome, it then discusses several possible explanations of what differentiated those direct electionists who voted against the referendum proposal from those who voted in favour. Explanations considered include partisan influences, populist protest, and the role of national identity and ancestry. The article finds that all had a part to play in distinguishing the direct electionists who supported the referendum from those who did not, with the protest aspect being related to conceptions of national identity and capable of being interpreted as a reaction against multiculturalism. It also considers future prospects and argues that eventually some sort of direct election outcome is likely.