探寻那些谜一样的古迹

<正>有很多事情,我们可以用科学理论完美地阐释;还有很多事情,我们无论如何也没办法解释,哪怕仅仅是猜测,也都往往没有足够的证据支撑让人们信服。就像下文中提到的这些地方,大津巴布韦的石头城,复活节岛的巨人雕像,特奥蒂瓦坎的太阳和月亮金字塔,英国的巨石阵等等,它们作为人类的文明古老遗存,默默地伫立了千百年之后,留下了一个又一个谜团,让人们猜测不已。     

STRATEGIES OF SINGLE-ISSUE INTEREST GROUPS

Using traditional models of electoral behavior one would not expect single-issue interest groups to have the impact on the American electoral system evident in recent elections. The difficulty in understanding their success lies in the assumption that the rational voter merely maximizes utility by choosing between the positions offered by the candidates/ political parties. Single-issue interest group activity has demonstrated, to the contrary, that it is possible for an assertive rational voter to successfully force candidates/ parties to take specific positions on issues and to form winning coalitions.     

THE ORGANIZATION OF PUBLIC INTEREST GROUPS

The topic here is whether broad public interests in consumer rights, a clean environment, and political reform have the organizational strength to be represented effectively when policy-making is the responsibility of bureaus and administrative agencies. The most persuasive explanation of why such interests could not be effective on a sustained basis is the collective action theory of Mancur Olson. The paper supports research arguing for modifications of Olson's theory by showing how public interests have been at least partially successful in maintaining effectiveness over time based on four concepts: the similarity of public interest groups to social movements, the use of purposive and solidary incentives, the use of material incentives to support lobbying as a by-product of other activities, and the role of organizational entrepreneurs supported by new technology, notably the computerized mailing list.