Ondřej Novotný

 Relations of Czechs and Belgians toward European Integration

Abstract:

This article concerns a development in the study of the European attitudes with two comparative examples of the Czech Republic and Belgium. We consider that more then a simple study of the European attitudes, it is necessary to see a complex relation that citizens and researchers could have toward the EC/EU. The relations emerge from political competencies and not from the attitudes that impose very often to see citizens only as an object of the study. The relations could be studied through two axes. The first is about approaches and tradition in  appropriation of the EU’s problematic; the second is linked to the axe of temporality that design consecutive apparitions of the EU in the field of our interest: We argue that both axes are developed  in specific national ways with translation from other regional approaches. Belgium research is in such way oriented to historical and elite based studies or express preoccupation about knowledge level of the EU among its citizens. The Czech Republic’s researches have to deal more with question of utilitarianism predicted to CEEs countries and with an impact of party identification on the European attitudes. We conclude nevertheless that citizens are also competent and active subjects in the definition of their relations to the EU what is seen at least when we study them in a time when the EU became temporally an important object of their interest.

Oto Potluka

 Economic Growth and (Coalition) Governments in Central and Eastern European Countries

Abstract:

The paper is oriented to the topic of the relationship between economy and coalition governments. The Economic Growth has been chosen for the purpose of this paper as the tested variable. There have been examined whether type of coalition governments or a position of the government in the left – right scale have any influence on the Economic Growth. The methodology of the paper is based on empirical verification of the relationship between economic growth and political variables. It has been done by the panel regression for eight countries in the Central and Eastern European Countries during the 1993 – 2005 although those countries witnessed only 20 years of democratic development. The paper concludes with no statistically significant influence of neither coalitions nor left-right positions of the governments on the economic growth. There have been confirmed some economic rules.

Jitka Gelnarová

 The Representation of Women in Politics from the Perspective of Political Theory, or „What Does It Mean when Someone Says that Women are Under-representation?“

Abstract:

This article focuses on the concept of political representation in connection with the representation of women in politics. It refers to the complexity of the concept of political representation and aims to outline multiple meanings and interpretations of the term ‘political representation of women’ from the point of view of political theory. Notion of the ‘representation of women in politics’ is used as one of the arguments for promotion of women in political institutions. Such an argumentation suggests that more women should be in politics in order to represent women’s interests or women as social group. The article deals with various aspects of such an argumentation, questions it raises and consequences it can have for women in politics.  

Kateřina Vorlová

 The Change of the Position of the Prezident in Finnland

Abstract:

This article deals with a position of the president in the Finnish political system. Its aim is to prove that the Finnish political system has changed from a semipresidential to a parliamentary one. Therefore it analyzes the reduction of presidential prerogatives within the system. Finland was established as an independent parliamentary republic with a strong president in 1919. When the former prime minister, Mauno Koivisto, took the presidential office in 1982, a process of parlamentarization of the Finnish political system started. Presidential prerogatives were slowly reduced as Koivisto had experienced a „strong hand“ by the preceding president Urho Kekkonen. The constitutional changes he had initiated were later built into a new constitution of 1999, during Martti Ahtisaari’s presidency. Nowadays, a power of a Finnish president (currently Tarja Halonen) corresponds to a presidential power in other parliamentary regimes.

David Příhoda

 United Russia: The Case of Successful Party of Power?

Abstract:

This article deals with United Russia, currently strongest political party in the Russian Federation. United Russia belongs to parties of power that are typical feature of Russian political life. These parties are established by executive branch with aim to reach places enough in State Duma to gain majority of seats. These parties should ensure support for president’s policy on the floor of State Duma. They are set down from above.There were many parties of power during 1990s that did not succeed to play this role due to their bad electoral performance. This article argues that United Russia is successful party of power and important ally of presidents Putin and Medvedev to support their policies in State Duma and regions. The article also shows that United Russia is a tool in president’s hand rather than independent force. In other words, it is completely dependent on Kremlin.

Kamil Švec

 Analysis of Elections to Regional Councils in 2008 in the Context of the Theory of Coalitions and a Comparison with the Elections in 2000 and 2004

Abstract:

This article focuses on the analysis of regional coalitions in the Czech Republic after the elections in 2000, 2004 and 2008. The analysis uses classical models of minimum winning coalitions with the smallest number of seats, players, minimal range coalitions and the minimal winning connected coalition. On coalition bargaining structures viewed from the perspective of second order elections. Analysis also focuses on the types of coalitions in the Czech political system, which develops Stanislav Balík. Methodologically the study progresses, in particular on the basis of deductive procedures for using the diachronic and synchronic comparisons.

Vladimír Krivý

 Electronic Database of Election Results of Parliamentary Elections 1929-2006 for all Municipalities in Slovakia

Branislav Dolný

 IVO Barometer - Mirror of the Quality of Democracy in Slovakia?

Filip Láb - Alena Lábová

 Photos and Propaganda

Jan Karlas

 COLLIER, David – GERRING, John (eds) (2009). Concepts and Method in Social Science: The Tradition of Giovanni Sartori. New York – London: Routledge. 368 s. ISBN 10: 0-415-77578-7.

Petr Jüptner

 ČMEJREK, Jaroslav, BUBENÍČEK, Václav, ČOPÍK, Jan (2010). Demokracie v lokálním politickém prostoru. Praha: Grada Publishing, 1. vydání, 240 s., cena a náklad neuvedeny. ISBN 978-80-247-3061-5.