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Researchers conducting politically sensitive studies in the authoritarian region of Central Asia face significant obstacles beyond government control over knowledge production. These challenges include suspicion of espionage, journalism or being an 'info-killer'. While some scholarly accounts address the difficulties of accessing government officials in Central Asia, reflections by local scholars on effective interviewing strategies remain scarce. This research note explores these challenges and presents practical strategies for fieldwork based on my PhD dissertation, which involved conducting 25 in-depth interviews with government officials across Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan from 2019 to 2021. I propose three key strategies to enhance the effectiveness of interviews with officials: leveraging insider positionality, 'de-ceremonializing' the interview process and depoliticizing sensitive research topics. Critically, the strategies not only facilitated access to respondents but also ensured ethical integrity and meaningful data collection. This work generates valuable insights for scholars navigating similar environments in Central Asia and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent scholarship argues that racial oppression by the state is central to the formation of environmental inequalities, calling into question reliance on the state to achieve environmental justice. Others argue that the state is not monolithic and is the only institution capable of wielding sufficient power to address environmental inequalities. I engage with this discussion through a survey of US local government officials (N = 691). I find that officials tend to engage in color-blind environmental racism; that is, officials tend to understand issues of environmental inequality through the lens of color-blind racial ideology. Findings support the arguments of critical environmental justice scholars who question the state's inherent capacity to respond to issues of environmental racism. However, variance in officials' views also suggest that the state is a site of political contestation with many officials both recognizing the reality of environmental inequality and racism and supporting government intervention to address it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Critique of Law: Independent Legal Studies / Krytyka Prawa: Niezalezne Studia nad Prawem is the property of Akademia Leona Kozminskiego and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Previous scholarship in qualitative methodologies commonly classifies researchers' status in the field into insiders or outsiders. However, the prevalence of participatory observation in numerous social science disciplines has blurred the insider/outsider dichotomy and highlighted that the levels of researchers' involvement in the field are becoming context-specific and far more complex than just insider or outsider. Inspired by this tendency in fieldwork methodology, this paper seeks insights from a theory in communication studies, role theory, to understand researchers' status regarding the roles they adopt in their interactions with research participants. Through reference to relevant sociological and psychological schools of thought, this paper highlights discourse as a crucial instrument for researchers' role-making in fieldwork. This study draws on the author's experience conducting fieldwork in a Central China city to demonstrate how a researcher engages in shifting field contexts by intentionally assuming numerous roles. To explore state-firm relations in local development, the author recruited two groups of research participants: government officials and business managers. The author actively learned and employed comparable discursive techniques in interactions with each group of participants, thereby assuming various roles in different contexts. These findings underscore the purposeful self-presentation and intentional role-playing/change as effective means for human geographers and researchers in extensive disciplines to be involved in participant groups for gathering data more efficiently. Meanwhile, the author's self-reflection also illuminates the consequent impacts on research outcomes and ethical issues due to the involvement of researchers in their participants, therefore highlighting the necessity for detachment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous scholarship in qualitative methodologies commonly classifies researchers' status in the field into insiders or outsiders. However, the prevalence of participatory observation in numerous social science disciplines has blurred the insider/outsider dichotomy and highlighted that the levels of researchers' involvement in the field are becoming contextspecific and far more complex than just insider or outsider. Inspired by this tendency in fieldwork methodology, this paper seeks insights from a theory in communication studies, role theory, to understand researchers' status regarding the roles they adopt in their interactions with research participants. Through reference to relevant sociological and psychological schools of thought, this paper highlights discourse as a crucial instrument for researchers' role-making in fieldwork. This study draws on the author's experience conducting fieldwork in a Central China city to demonstrate how a researcher engages in shifting field contexts by intentionally assuming numerous roles. To explore state-firm relations in local development, the author recruited two groups of research participants: government officials and business managers. The author actively learned and employed comparable discursive techniques in interactions with each group of participants, thereby assuming various roles in different contexts. These findings underscore the purposeful self-presentation and intentional role-playing/change as effective means for human geographers and researchers in extensive disciplines to be involved in participant groups for gathering data more efficiently. Meanwhile, the author's self-reflection also illuminates the consequent impacts on research outcomes and ethical issues due to the involvement of researchers in their participants, therefore highlighting the necessity for detachment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a rich dataset of mayors and municipal party committee secretaries from 289 prefecture-level cities for the period 1994–2018, this paper analyzes the influence of government officials' educational background, political capital and individual characteristics on tourism economic growth by the panel model. Results suggest that mayors and municipal party committee secretaries with higher academic qualifications and social science backgrounds focus more on the development of inbound tourism. Longer tenure has a positive impact on the overall tourism income, domestic tourism income and inbound tourism income. In contrast, there is no direct positive relationship between officials' involvement in politics in their hometowns and the regional tourism economy. The age and gender of officials have no effect on the development of regional tourism. These conclusions can help predict China's regional tourism development based on the government official appointment and provide practical implications on the appointment process itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Brasileira de Políticas Públicas is the property of Revista Brasileira de Politicas Publicas and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to analyze the factors influencing the behaviors of government officials during the implementation of open government data (OGD). By identifying and understanding the key factors that determine government officials' adoption of OGD in China, this study can create a valuable reference for other countries and their decision-making regarding government implementation of OGD. Design/methodology/approach: This research collected data by in-depth interviews with government officials in Chinese OGD departments. Through these interviews, the authors consulted 15 administrators from departments that are responsible for the information tasks in Beijing and other cities on their opinions about OGD. The authors also interviewed senior executives from information technology (IT) companies, as well as open data policy scholars from big data alliance and research institutions. Findings: This paper provides insights about how to promote government officials in OGD implementation, including (1) strengthen social supervision for the environment, through developing and publishing OGD technology roadmaps, then attracting the public to actively participate in the implementing of OGD; (2) establish an OGD assessment mechanism for government officials, with bonus motivations, position promotion incentives, as well as spiritual incentives via regional or sector rankings; (3) alleviate the risks of officials' OGD decisions in actual practice, using the institution construction of OGD to guide its direction and strengthen security protection. Originality/value: This paper fulfils an identified need to study how government officials' behavior can be motivated on OGD implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of International Sociology is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Studies in Law & Economics / Studia Prawno-Ekonomiczne is the property of Lodz Scientific Society / Lodzkie Towarzystwo Naukowe and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: This paper aims to gain insight on the perception and role of the local government officials on climate change and resilience in Uttarakhand, India. Uttarakhand, being a sensitive mountainous region in India, faces the brunt of frequent climate-related disasters and their severe impacts. Therefore, it is crucial to understand how authorities perceive the issue of climate-related disasters and their level of commitment toward mitigation and adaptation programs. Design/methodology/approach: The literature review method was used for a holistic understanding of the impact of climate change and consequential disasters. A questionnaire survey method, comprising open- and closed-ended questions, was also used on officials of different departments. Findings: Among the noteworthy findings of the study include the understanding of the perceptions of authorities and their role in decision-making on mitigating impacts of climate change-related disasters, their support or lack of it, for measures toward capacity building and spreading awareness of the intervention programs by the government. The study analyzes the perception of decision-making officials at state and district levels and infers that the variation on opinions may be attributable to multiple factors, including their past experiences of dealing with disasters. Originality/value: This study offers insights into the role of perception of local government officials concerning climate change-related disasters and alleviation of their consequences through related programs. The findings have the unique potential to serve as a guide for the government at state and district levels to assess various aspects of different disaster mitigation measures based on sectors and departments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Opened in April 1960, the overseas port at Rostock resulted from a convergence of factors related to geopolitics, geography, economics and the unique needs and challenges of building a socialist port. Local, national and global pressures played on each other in establishing the port, making Rostock a singular product of the Cold War in the German Democratic Republic. The history of decision-making that went into the building of the port demonstrates the importance of politics in the Cold War, as well as its limits. Although informed by geopolitics, economic decisions in Europe's socialist economies reflected a broad array of factors. This article argues that national and local decision-makers managed competing regional and national interests in order to develop their own economic strategies that functioned on several different levels. Rostock's history highlights the common problematic of operating within and outside of the boundaries that the Cold War produced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In this study, the authors examine the issue of corruption in the government institutions of developing countries. Additionally, this study aims to answer the following research question: How do developing countries implement and enforce these anti-corruption policies? Specifically, the authors look at the laws adopted in different developing countries to deal with issues related to corruption. Design/methodology/approach: The authors use the qualitative approach to examine the causes of recent corruption among government officials in developing countries such as Nigeria, India, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. A comparative approach was used to compare and contrast the anti-corruption practices of developing and developed countries. Findings: The findings indicate that corruption is rampant in much of the developing world. On a positive note, the authors have found evidence of actions taken by governments in these developing economies to rapidly deal with issues of corruption. All the countries analyzed in this paper have developed anti-corruption policies and related acts to detect and punish the perpetrators of corruption. Originality/value: This paper provides a greater insight as to how the anti-corruption policies are formulated and enforced in the developing world. Specifically, the authors provide examples of different emerging countries and their approaches to developing and enforcing anti-corruption policies. This guidance can help others around the world to deal with anti-corruption policies in their countries. Although the authors have learned a lot about the detrimental effects of corruption and laws enacted to combat it, the next step is to examine the processes used by the developing countries to develop these anti-corruption laws and policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Polish Journal of Management Studies is the property of Czestochowa University of Technology, Faculty of Management and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The oppressive Apartheid government policy and laws of the past deliberately entrenched inequality, forced segregation and denied the majority of black Africans unfettered right of access to various socio-economic rights, goods and services, particularly housing. However, after the apartheid government was defeated in 1994, the African National Congress (ANC) became the new ruling government in South Africa and in a bid to redress the past injustices, particularly the imbalances in social, socio- and economic amenities where the majority blacks were excluded, the new government enacted the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996. It provides that all citizens are equal before the law and have the same rights, privileges and benefits for the mere fact of being citizens of the Republic of South Africa. Despite this, it is disheartening that most citizens, particularly the poor, indigent and the vulnerable still do not have access to adequate housing guaranteed in the Constitution. This article highlights poor quality housing delivery by the government as the major barrier to the realisation and fulfilment of access to adequate housing. It accentuates that this barrier is intensified because of the endemic corruption by the executive arm of government that have been bestowed with the responsibility to provide adequate housing for all. As part of the solution, the article examines comparative law and international law on the right to access to adequate housing using salient jurisprudence from the courts’ decisions to clarify and ascertain the content of adequate housing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Nigerian government has made numerous commitments to expanding access to family planning services for its population yet has faced many challenges in implementing these commitments. Foreign donors provide support for expanding access to family planning in key populations. Objective: This study examines the family planning environment after donor funding has ended, including how government stakeholders perceive family planning services and their role in providing them post donor funding. Methods: The NURHI Sustainability Study used qualitative data to evaluate the sustainability of the Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (NURHI), which focused on increasing the use of modern contraceptive methods, particularly among the urban poor. This study presents results from in-depth interviews with 16 key government stakeholders, selected using purposive sampling methods, in three cities: Ilorin (where NURHI Phase 1 programming discontinued in 2015), Kaduna (where programming continued under NURHI Phase 2), and Jos (a comparison city). A thematic analysis was employed to identify key themes related to government stakeholders’ perspectives on the family planning environment and sustainability of NURHI programming. Results: Respondents from all three cities highlighted local political leaders’ positive perceptions about family planning. All respondents were open to continued foreign donor support for family planning services while respondents in Kaduna and Jos emphasized the need for governments to lead efforts among all family planning actors. Stakeholders highlighted the benefits of a dedicated and implemented family planning budget line and encouraged continued state financial support. Respondents in Kaduna and Ilorin praised the positive influence of NURHI programming while those from Ilorin reflected on the need for future programs to gradually close-out their efforts to support sustainability. Conclusions: As donors look to transition to government ownership of family planning efforts, it is important for family planning programs to understand and incorporate government stakeholders’ perspectives into their sustainability planning efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Nigerian government has made numerous commitments to expanding access to family planning services for its population yet has faced many challenges in implementing these commitments. Foreign donors provide support for expanding access to family planning in key populations. Objective: This study examines the family planning environment after donor funding has ended, including how government stakeholders perceive family planning services and their role in providing them post donor funding. Methods: The NURHI Sustainability Study used qualitative data to evaluate the sustainability of the Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (NURHI), which focused on increasing the use of modern contraceptive methods, particularly among the urban poor. This study presents results from in-depth interviews with 16 key government stakeholders, selected using purposive sampling methods, in three cities: Ilorin (where NURHI Phase 1 programming discontinued in 2015), Kaduna (where programming continued under NURHI Phase 2), and Jos (a comparison city). A thematic analysis was employed to identify key themes related to government stakeholders' perspectives on the family planning environment and sustainability of NURHI programming. Results: Respondents from all three cities highlighted local political leaders' positive perceptions about family planning. All respondents were open to continued foreign donor support for family planning services while respondents in Kaduna and Jos emphasized the need for governments to lead efforts among all family planning actors. Stakeholders highlighted the benefits of a dedicated and implemented family planning budget line and encouraged continued state financial support. Respondents in Kaduna and Ilorin praised the positive influence of NURHI programming while those from Ilorin reflected on the need for future programs to gradually close-out their efforts to support sustainability. Conclusions: As donors look to transition to government ownership of family planning efforts, it is important for family planning programs to understand and incorporate government stakeholders' perspectives into their sustainability planning efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Modern Science is the property of Alcide De Gasperi University of Euroregional Economy and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Summary: Mexico is one of the countries with the highest prevalence of obesity and recently declared a national epidemic of diabetes. Healthy food environments have the potential to improve the diet of the population and decrease the burden of disease. The aim of the study was to assess the efforts of the Mexican Government towards creating healthier food environments using the Healthy Food Environment Policy Index (Food‐EPI). The tool was developed by the International Network for Food and Obesity/Non‐communicable Diseases Research, Monitoring and Action Support (INFORMAS). Then, it was adapted to the Latin‐American context and assessed the components of policy and infrastructure support. Actors from academia, civil society, government, and food industry assessed the level of implementation of food policies compared with international best practices. Actors were classified as (1) independents from academia and civil society (n = 36), (2) government (n = 28), and (3) industry (n = 6). The indicators with the highest percentage of implementation were those related to monitoring and intelligence. Those related to food retail were rated lowest. When stratified by type of actor, the government officials rated several indicators at a higher percentage of implementation compared with independent actors. None of the indicators were rated at high implementation. Government officials and independent actors agreed upon nine priority actions to improve the food environment in Mexico. These actions have the potential to improve government commitment and advocacy efforts to create healthier food environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent movies have relished depicting nature striking back at a human population that has forsaken her. Films like The Day After Tomorrow, 2012, and San Andreas embrace the apocalyptic destruction of cities around the globe by way of sub-zero hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, tornados, and other natural disasters. Surprisingly, the British theatre is equally engaged (albeit less spectacularly) in exploring the same threat. Namely, what happens when the natural world strikes back and begins to encroach against our established homesteads and populated cities. One of the best-known plays on the topic of climate change is Steve Waters' The Contingency Plan (2009). Waters delves into the growing crisis of rising water tables to low lying areas of England by exploring the effect it has personally on an aging climate scientist and his wife and politically on their son, also a scientist, who is charged by two newly installed government officials with preparing Britain for the looming watery disaster. Eschewing the bombastic Hollywood nature of disaster films, Waters' play is intimately crafted, showing the dangerous and fatal disruptions of the changing natural world, and, more specifically, the negotiations that take place between science and politics when it comes to the unpredictability of rising sea levels. My article examines this work in relation to how it approaches the threat of climate change to the British Isles by exploring Waters' exploration of how politics, science, and family tensions affect the climatic future of the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using cross section data of 3 years 2000, 2007, and 2014 for non-financial listed firms in China, this study quantitatively analyzes the relationship between government-affiliated corporate executives and corporate performance. We classify the sample firms into two groups, based on whether their chief executive officers (CEOs) and independent directors are prior government officials or not. Then, we empirically examine the difference in corporate performance between the two groups. We find that the appointment of CEOs and directors of listed companies in China is significantly affected by government shareholders. The results also suggest that prior to 2000 government-affiliated CEOs impaired corporate performance. But with the establishment of State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Committee and the completion of the Split-Share Structure Reform in 2006, government as a shareholder began to give priority to corporate value maximization, and government-affiliated CEOs began to help improve corporate performance. However, due to the slowdown of economic growth after 2012, problems such as inefficiency and corruption brought by government-affiliated executives manifested again, and therefore, corporate performance deteriorated. Meanwhile, government-affiliated independent directors have limited influence on these factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The capacity to demand and use research is critical for governments if they are to develop policies that are informed by evidence. Existing tools designed to assess how government officials use evidence in decision-making have significant limitations for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs); they are rarely tested in LMICs and focus only on individual capacity. This paper introduces an instrument that was developed to assess Ministry of Health (MoH) capacity to demand and use research evidence for decision-making, which was tested for reliability and validity in eight LMICs (Bangladesh, Fiji, India, Lebanon, Moldova, Pakistan, South Africa, Zambia).Methods: Instrument development was based on a new conceptual framework that addresses individual, organisational and systems capacities, and items were drawn from existing instruments and a literature review. After initial item development and pre-testing to address face validity and item phrasing, the instrument was reduced to 54 items for further validation and item reduction. In-country study teams interviewed a systematic sample of 203 MoH officials. Exploratory factor analysis was used in addition to standard reliability and validity measures to further assess the items.Results: Thirty items divided between two factors representing organisational and individual capacity constructs were identified. South Africa and Zambia demonstrated the highest level of organisational capacity to use research, whereas Pakistan and Bangladesh were the lowest two. In contrast, individual capacity was highest in Pakistan, followed by South Africa, whereas Bangladesh and Lebanon were the lowest.Conclusion: The framework and related instrument represent a new opportunity for MoHs to identify ways to understand and improve capacities to incorporate research evidence in decision-making, as well as to provide a basis for tracking change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite being researched so widely for a considerable period of time, sustainable tourism remains a controversial issue in tourism literature with very little consensus about the understanding of the term, its practical implementations, as well as its implications. The practice of sustainability in tourism can take diverse paths as evidenced in tourism research, but recently debate is on collaboration and involvement among tourism stakeholders is gaining importance as a key to sustainable tourism development, although research in support in this issue requires further support. This study investigates the perceptions about various dimensions of sustainable tourism among four groups of tourism stakeholder's; viz.; Residents, Tourists, Entrepreneurs and Government Officials. To discover if difference exists, an ANOVA test was conducted for each dimension, followed by a Scheffes' test to determine inter-group differences of perceptions and result shows that statistically significant differences exists in perception among stakeholder groups for six out of the seven dimensions. Differences were identified between tourist and residents, entrepreneurs, government officials in the case of understanding sustainability, focus of sustainable tourism, attitude towards participation in sustainable tourism, between residents and tourists, entrepreneurs, government officials in the case of sustainable tourism management, between tourists and residents, government officials in the case of support for sustainable tourism development and between tourists, residents and entrepreneurs, government officials in the case of economic focus of sustainable tourism. In the case of tourism industry and sustainability, none were significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multinational corporations (MNCs) are key actors in contemporary International economic relation. Moreover, the motivations for Multinational corporations (MNCs) in Africa have generated debate in the literature. The aim of this study is to identify the dimensions of Multinational corporations (MNCs) involvement in corruption in Africa. However, secondary data such as text books, Journals and Internet sources were used in this study. Besides, content analysis was employed in its analysis while the Oligopoly theory was adopted. Also, it was observed that some Multinational corporations (MNCs) in Africa such as Halliburton in Nigeria, Mabey & Johnson in countries such as Ghana, Madagascar, Angola, Mozambique and South Africa among others have been involved in various corrupt practices in some countries in Africa in collaboration with corrupt government officials. Lastly, to combat corrupt practices involving Multinational corporations (MNCs) and government officials in Africa requires concerted efforts from both the home and host country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Management Issues / Problemy Zarządzania is the property of Problemy Zarzadzania and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A recent correspondence discussed two important attributes of the government officials, namely, public service and common good. These two could possibly help the government in terms of promoting vaccination programs in the Philippines. This paper proposes transparency as the third attribute that could help in gaining trust from the people in promoting vaccination in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims the offering government officials of emerging market economies analytical approaches with a great responsibility and operations towards solution of difficult and vital issues during settlement of demonopolization affairs. The first step for decision-making is determining "a limited market" (this term is used in settlement of competition and anti-trust policy related problems). "A limited market" means a group of goods, production and sale of which have been regionalized, and influence of the existing structure of enterprises upon perspective of competition is evaluated within boundaries of this region. The next step aims at studying importance of demonopolization for development of competition in given market. If demonopolization is necessary for development of competition in the given market, then the next step will be mutual analytical cooperation in the third and fourth stages. The third and fourth stages offer to how and where implement horizontal and vertical sections in the structure of an enterprise in order to reveal individual independent institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Japanese government's Continuing Professional Education (CPE) programs have sent officials to graduate and professional schools in Japan and abroad. This research examines the destination choice patterns of CPE participants and the reasons they choose Japanese or U.S. universities. Interviews with CPE participants suggested that U.S. schools attracted Japanese government officials by offering a wider range of courses emphasizing the integration of theory and practice. Boshier's motivational orientation model was applied to better understand CPE motivations and reasons. Notably, no participant identified “social welfare” as an important motivator, but “employment benefit” and “upgrading personal market value” factors emerged. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

As an important driving force of China's economic growth, foreign direct investment (FDI) may be affected by China's low-carbon pilot policy. Therefore, this paper regards the low-carbon pilot policy as a quasi-natural experiment, and uses the difference-in-difference (DID) model and the panel data of 189 cities in China from 2011 to 2018 to explore the actual impact and intermediary mechanism of low-carbon pilot policy on FDI. The study found that low-carbon pilot policy has a significant promotion effect on FDI, and industrial optimization and upgrading is an important way. At the same time, we construct the difference-in-difference-in-difference (DDD) model, and discuss the heterogeneity of policy effect caused by resource endowments and the individual characteristics of government officials in the process of policy implementation. The results indicate that resource-rich cities can enhance the promotion effect of low-carbon pilot policy on FDI. Similarly, when the mayor of the pilot city is a female, or obtains a master's degree or a doctorate degree, or majored in non-economics, respectively, the policy effect will be more obvious. In addition, in order to verify the reliability of the research conclusions, this paper also uses a placebo test and data truncation to conduct a series of robustness tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Promoting individual disaster preparedness is one of the most effective ways to reduce disaster risk. Effective disaster risk communication is widely known to motivate individuals to take protective measures. However, the mechanisms underlying the communication of risk, particularly between local officials and individuals, and its effects on individuals' disaster preparedness are still unclear. This study established a moderated mediation model to investigate the mediating and moderating roles of individuals' level of disaster preparedness knowledge and self-efficacy, respectively, with a focus on local officials as the disaster information source. To test this conceptual model, 1080 villagers from Weinan city, Shaanxi province, China were randomly selected and interviewed. The results showed that frequent interpersonal communication with local officials enhanced villagers' disaster preparedness. However, this relationship was mediated by the extent of villagers' disaster preparedness knowledge. Moderated mediation analysis further indicated that those with a higher level of self-efficacy were more likely to prepare for disasters after receiving disaster risk-reduction information with village officials, but this effect was not significant for villagers with low self-efficacy. These findings indicated that individuals' preparedness level can be increased if local officials regularly communicate disaster risk reduction knowledge to villagers, and that this effect is stronger for individuals with a higher level of self-efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Questions of alliance politics, and the complex balancing between domestic needs and partnership commitments, are crucial in foreign policy analysis. However, as illustrated by the dilemmas facing the Australian Fraser government during the 1979-81 Iran hostage crisis and concurrent American overtures for anti-Iran sanctions, alliance relationships can be turbulent, and allies often act in their own self-interest at the expense of co-operation. While traditional theoretical approaches might ascribe Australia's reluctance to accept American sanctions to powerful domestic interest groups, this article uses unresearched archival material to contend that the individual reservations of government department officials were more potent in shaping the outcome. Fraser's Cabinet, persuaded by bureaucratic advice, hesitated to accede to US-led sanctions as they perceived the venture as ethically and strategically dangerous, and were disgruntled when their American counterparts failed to consult their perspectives. Hostile domestic associations were only of partial influence. Accordingly, socially constructed interests, relationship norms and private perceptions should be elevated when making sense of alliances. Thus, the determinants of non-co-operation must not only account for strategic and normative differences within the policymaking elite, but also the way these differences are appreciated or ignored by the other party. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]