Constitutional Design of the Executive: Vice Presidencies in Comparative Perspective

Given the history of the institution in the U.S., it is perhaps not surprising that few democracies have adopted a vice presidency. But, why do any countries have vice presidencies? What, if any, functions do they fulfill? In this paper we examine constitutional provisions for vice presidencies in 29 presidential democracies throughout the world. Specifically, we examine the extent to which the office of the vice presidency fulfills three possible institutional purposes: succession, legislative, or executive functions. Almost all vice presidencies included in our analysis fulfill the role of successor in the event of a presidential vacancy. Of those that have additional duties, most are assigned executive functions, while a few are assigned legislative functions. On the whole, the paper provides empirical evidence that vice presidencies seem to be marginal institutions.     

和歌文本解构及中译本的意象重构——以《源氏物语》桐壶卷和歌第二首为中心

《源氏物语》古本由散文体叙事部分与韵文体（和歌）抒情部分构成,散韵两部分密接不离,形成了独特的文体美,是古日本和歌文学向物语文学过渡的一种特殊体例。和歌作为整体文本构架间的肌质,将整部小说各部分有机的衔接、融合。由于和歌用典繁复、隐喻深奥,在其千余年的历史受容过程中歧义繁多。本文以桐壶卷和歌第二首为研究对象,从该首和歌的语义受容、文本解构,及不同中文译本生成的对比研究着手,旨在更好地阐释和歌在文本中的话语机能。     

Sentimental Science: Recent Essays on the Politics of Presidential Selection

Most studies of Senate elections have used aggregate data to examine the sources of electoral success. These studies have shown that incumbency, challenger quality, and candidate spending are important sources of electoral outcomes. Yet research also suggests that issues matter in Senate elections. In this study, we show that the abortion issue was an important source of vote choice in some of the 1990 Senate elections.