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1751. Living on a Life Support Machine: The Challenge of Rebuilding Afghanistan

Author:
Peter J. Middlebrook and Sharon M. Miller
Publication Date:
01-2006
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Foreign Policy In Focus
Abstract:
The forthcoming “London Conference” on Afghanistan (January 31-February 1, 2006), to be attended by President Hamid Karzai, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, and Paul Wolfowitz, head of the World Bank, brings together high ranking dignitaries from the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the international development community to endorse a new multilateral agreement to be known as the “Afghanistan Compact,” the successor of the Bonn Agreement.
Topic:
International Relations, Development, and Government
Political Geography:
Afghanistan, Middle East, and London

1752. Latin American Catholicism in an Age of Religious and Political Pluralism: A Framework for Analysis

Author:
Frances Hagopian
Publication Date:
12-2006
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Kellogg Institute for International Studies
Abstract:
This article identifies and proposes a framework to explain the responses of Latin America's Roman Catholic churches to a new strategic dilemma posed by religious and political pluralism. Because the church's goals of defending institutional interests, evangelizing, promoting public morality, and grounding public policy in Catholic social teaching cut across existing political cleavages, Church leaders must make strategic choices about which to emphasize in their messages to the faithful, investment of pastoral resources, and alliances. I develop a typology of Episcopal responses based on the cases of Argentina, Chile, Brazil, and Mexico, and explain strategic choices by the church's capacity to mobilize civil society, its degree of religious hegemony, and the ideological orientations of Catholics. The analysis draws from 620 Episcopal documents issued since 2000.
Topic:
Development, Government, and Religion
Political Geography:
Brazil, Argentina, South America, Latin America, Mexico, and Chile

1753. The Radical Libertarian Political Economy of 19th Century Preacher David Lipscomb

Author:
Edward P. Stringham
Publication Date:
12-2006
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Independent Institute
Abstract:
David Lipscomb (1831-1917) was an influential Tennessee preacher who edited a weekly paper from 1866-1917 and published a book Civil Government in 1889. Although few, if any, economists appear to be aware of David Lipscomb, Lipscomb's writing includes many points that political economists, especially radical libertarian ones, are making today. This article highlights some of Lipscomb's insights and relates them to arguments made by economists in the past three decades. Lipscomb argued that government is not created for the benefit of the public but for the benefit of the rulers. He believed that all governments, including democratic ones, are problematic. He argued that self-serving politicians actually create conflict and violence and that the public should withdraw support from government. He argued that moral people should not participate in politics, should not vote, and should not fight in wars. Modern libertarian economists make similar arguments that Lipscomb made more than a century in advance.
Topic:
Civil Society, Government, and Politics
Political Geography:
United States

1754. Somalia After State Collapse: Chaos or Improvement?

Author:
Benjamin Powell, Alex Nowrasteh, and Ryan Ford
Publication Date:
11-2006
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Independent Institute
Abstract:
Many people believe that Somalia's economy has been in chaos since the collapse of its national government in 1991. We take a comparative institutional approach to examine Somalia's performance relative to other African countries both when Somalia had a government and during its extended period of anarchy. We find that although Somalia is poor, its relative economic performance has improved during its period of statelessness. We also describe how Somalia has provided basic law and order and a currency, which have enabled the country to achieve the coordination that has led to improvements in its standard of living.
Topic:
Development, Economics, and Government
Political Geography:
Africa and Somalia

1755. State-building and Constitutional Design after Conflict

Author:
Kristi Samuels and Vanessa Hawkins Wyeth
Publication Date:
08-2006
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
International Peace Institute
Abstract:
This paper examines the strengths and weaknesses of constitutional choices made after conflict, drawing upon comparative studies of six constitutions and peace agreements. The paper attempts to synthesize the practical lessons drawn from the cases, with a focus on (i) the constitution-making process; (ii) the extent of reliance on executive and geographical power-sharing; (iii) the viability of checks and balances; (iv) the electoral model; (v) the role of political parties in the transition; and (vi) issues of implementation.
Topic:
Conflict Resolution, International Relations, Development, and Government

1756. We Can See Clearly Now: The limits of foresight in the pre-World War II Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA)

Author:
Carl Conetta
Publication Date:
03-2006
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Project on Defense Alternatives
Abstract:
RMA narratives tend to depict today's policy struggle as pitting clear vision and foresight on one side against parochial interests and bureaucratic inertia on the other. For each of today's RMA schools the general contours of a prospective revolution seem clear. From within these perspectives, risk seems mostly associated with the prospect of failing to enact change in a timely fashion. But this view depreciates the very substantial uncertainty surrounding RMA prescriptions – not to mention the significant disagreements and discontinuities among the different transformation schools and service visions.
Topic:
Security, Foreign Policy, Education, and Government

1757. The Long March in Hong Kong: Continuing Steps in the Transition from Colony to Democracy

Author:
Herman B. Leonard and Thomas S. Axworthy
Publication Date:
08-2006
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University
Abstract:
Avowedly apolitical, Hong Kong is in the midst of the most rapid political transition in China and the success of this transition is crucial not only for the seven million residents of Hong Kong, but also for the future of China itself. How the authorities in Beijing respond to democratic demands from Hong Kong, and how the government of Hong Kong treads a democratic pathway within the boundaries of the Basic Law, are two of the most important questions in international politics today. China's decisions about Hong Kong will tell us much about the prospects of democratic transformation in China itself, and on that crucible the future of the 21 st century might turn.
Topic:
International Relations, Globalization, and Government
Political Geography:
China, Israel, Beijing, and Hong Kong

1758. Two Simple Mechanisms for Advancing the Democratic Governance of Hong Kong

Author:
Herman B. Leonard and Thomas S. Axworthy
Publication Date:
08-2006
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University
Abstract:
In recent discussions in Hong Kong, we outlined two suggestions for increasing the governance role that might be given to parties that successfully develop an electoral mandate.
Topic:
International Relations, Globalization, and Government
Political Geography:
Israel and Hong Kong

1759. Jefferson Rebuffed - The United States and the Future of Internet Governance

Author:
Viktor Mayer-Schoenberger and Malte Ziewitz
Publication Date:
05-2006
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University
Abstract:
When after years of preparation and consultations, the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) concluded in Tunis with the adoption of the Tunis Commitment and the Tunis Agenda on November 18, 2005, the nearly fifty heads of state, vice–presidents, and almost 200 cabinet level government officials from around the world hailed it as a great achievement. For many of the 19,000 participants in the three-day meeting, which ended a multi-year process that had officially begun with the first WSIS meeting in Geneva in December 20035, the relief was palpable. Tense negotiations, public diplomacy, and a momentous switch of key players in the months leading up the Tunis event had at times put the prospect of a successful conclusion of the WSIS process in doubt.
Topic:
International Relations, Globalization, and Government
Political Geography:
United States

1760. Organization Design and Frontline Service Improvement in Government: The Case of Performance Targets in the United Kingdom

Author:
Steven J. Kelman
Publication Date:
05-2006
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University
Abstract:
Over the last decade there has been a dramatic expansion in use of non-financial performance measures for government organizat ions (Talbot 2005). Often, governments have limited themselves to what may be called “performance measurement” -- choosing measures and reporting performance against them. In this situation, the words typically associated with the effort are “accountability” and “transparency.” Political overseers are made aware of performance, and may then react based on a judgment about whether performance is good or bad. Other times, government organizations have gone beyond measurement to “performance management” – using measures as a tool to improve performance along dimensions measured, not just record performance levels assumed to be unchanging. The basic idea is that various non-financial performance measures serve a role analogous to the profit measure in firms for encouraging better performance. Performance management is thus seen as a potentially powerful tool to remedy underperformance in government.
Topic:
International Relations, Foreign Policy, and Government
Political Geography:
United Kingdom and Europe