To free or not to free (ride): a comparative analysis of the NATO burden-sharing in the Czech Republic and Lithuania

ABSTRACT

The recent rise in the defence budgets among the NATO members reawakens the free-riding dilemma. This article provides an analysis of the defence spending of two new member states, the Czech Republic and Lithuania. Based on the free-riding theory, we explain why some of the new NATO members decide to increase their defence budgets (Lithuania), and others do not (Czech Republic). In contrast to the majority of works which focus either on the US as the biggest spender or on the “old” members of the Alliance, we explain under what circumstances some of the small European states who became new NATO members started to increase their defence budgets even though they do not have to, and the literature suggests that free-riding is easier. In the process, we identify three crucial factors that in?uence the decision-making process in this regard: the level of threat perception, economic situation, and the US pressure.     

记者在舆论监督中的权利与权力辨析

我国舆论监督体制还不完善 ,记者在进行批评报道的问题上存在一些误区 ,把记者的“权利”误以为行政、司法等“权力” ,从而产生了一些负面影响。通过记者在舆论监督中的“权利”与“权力”的辨析 ,树立正确的舆论监督原则 ,把握正确的舆论导向     

Public opinion: A powerful predictor of U.S. defense spending

Public opinion survey responses regarding the desirability of changes in defense spending can be compressed into a single variable, the public opinion balance, which, when accompanied by a control variable measuring the proportion of responses in the “residuum” (no opinion or keep the status quo), permits an accurate prediction of subsequent changes in the rate of change of U.S. defense outlays from the mid‐1960s through the 1980s. This finding cannot be interpreted as a simple case of “the public got what it wanted,” however, because public opinion was not autonomous or spontaneous, and defense decision makers themselves played a central role in shaping public opinion.     

新形势下公安边防部队政治工作定位的思考

改革开放的深入和社会主义市场经济体制的逐步确立,给公安边防部队政治工作带来了一系列新情况、新问题、新挑战,大大加重了政治工作的任务和难度。要积极应对这种挑战,进一步加强部队政治工作,首先应从指导思想上对新形势下公安边防部队政治工作的地位、目标、任务、内容、作用以及方式方法等问题进行全面准确的定位。     

Striking a deal on the F-35: multinational politics and US defence acquisition

Why does joint defence production of advanced weapons systems, which appears like a logical choice at first, become harder for both the primary production state and its allies to manage and justify as the acquisition process runs its course? To answer this question, we analyze the multinational politics of the F-35 JSF with a focus on how secondary states who have bought into the program are affected by domestic politics within the primary production state. We find that US congressional and bureaucratic politics, cuts to US defence spending, and a desire to retain tight control over the program has locked allies into a program with which they have little leverage. Potentially losing the ability to fight along side the US if they don’t follow through, coupled with inter-Alliance pressures, leaves secondary states who are involved with the F-35 program, vulnerable to the whims of US domestic politics.     

如何在防化科研试验中加强安全保密工作

针对我院科研试验的特点和要求,分析了安全保密工作的艰巨性和重要性,明确了安全保密总要求,提出了把安全保密工作落到实处的具体措施。     

The Scandinavian Triangle: Danish-Norwegian-Swedish military intelligence cooperation and Swedish security policy during the first part of the Cold War

This article deals with Scandinavian intelligence cooperation and its significance for Swedish security policy during the first part of the Cold War. First, the development of the cooperation is described. Second, it is related to a wider context. Third, intelligence in Swedish security policy-making is discussed. Common security interests caused the cooperation. For Sweden, it represented an important part of the wider contacts with the West. Although military intelligence was important for Swedish security policy-making in some respects (e.g. military readiness), it did not have a significant influence in others (e.g. the politicians' threat perceptions). One important reason is the Swedish tradition of weak connections between the political and military leadership.     

浅谈公安现役院校教育改革与学员个性发展

随着公安教育改革的不断深入,注重学员个性发展已成为公安教育改革的热点问题。公安现役院校学员个性化发展应从优化人才培养方案、创新管理体制、强化学员自主学习能力等方面进行探讨,以促进学员个性发展。     

论拓展公安边防部队廉政文化建设的载体

拓展公安边防部队廉政文化建设的载体,运用政治学、新制度经济学、统计学、计量学和木桶理论等相关理论和分析方法,对拓展公安边防部队廉政文化建设的载体进行深入剖析,内容主要围绕创建、创办、宣传、教育四个方面进行,并提出相应的对策。     

Holding the Bridge in Troubled Times: The Cold War and the Navies of Europe

European navies made a fundamental contribution to the Cold War at sea, ensuring the effectiveness of deterrence even as Soviet naval forces grew to ominous proportions. European fleets were tasked with containing a Soviet attack until US forces could arrive on the scene. Many European navies pursued essential niche capabilities tailored for their own unique maritime environments. Others made important contributions to broader NATO efforts in the high-stakes arenas of sea control, power projection and even nuclear deterrence. Contentious issues did arise, for example concerning burden-sharing, but true to its name, the alliance succeeded collectively in wielding formidable sea power. This paper is based on the premise that the maritime players in the Cold War at sea were by no means restricted to the US and Soviet navies. The navies of Western Europe and Canada had major roles to play as well within the NATO area. They contributed a great deal to the political cohesion crucial to an essentially maritime alliance, and in many cases had a real operational contribution to make as well. What follows, then, is the Cold War at sea from a European point of view.     

试论公安现役高等院校办学特色

办学特色是高等学校生存发展的前提和办学优势的集中体现,也是形成核心竞争力的关键。公安现役高等院校突出办学特色,要着力创新办学理念,强化学科专业特色和人才培养特色。     

公安边防工作中情报主导警务与社区警务结合之途径浅探

情报主导警务已成为继社区警务之后的新工作模式。但在实际的公安边防工作中,情报主导警务的推广并不能完全取代社区警务。为此,在比较美国情报主导警务与社区警务模式的基础上,分析了情报主导警务与社区警务结合的必要性及紧迫性,重点探讨在公安边防工作中情报主导警务与社区警务优势相结合的途径。     

对公安现役高校发展建设问题的战略思考

当前,面对新的形势、新的任务和新的要求,认真分析并解决公安现役高等院校在新的历史条件下一些带有方向性、根本性的重大问题,使公安现役高等教育在更高的起点上实现全面协调可持续发展。要实现这一目标。前提条件是不断解放思想,根本要求是内涵发展,基本途径是走特色之路。     

公安现役院校教学质量监控体系的建立与实践

教学质量是高等学校的生命线,是影响人才培养质量的最直接因素。依据本院在教学质量监控方面的探索与实践,提出建立一套适合公安现役院校特点的教学质量监控体系,用来指导和评价教学工作,加强教学管理,不断提高教学质量。     

爱民固边的战略思维论要

爱民固边战略是＂十一五＂时期公安边防部队在建设社会主义和谐社会中的一项重大战略部署。＂十二五＂时期,形势任务更加严峻,必须进一步找准爱民固边是促进边境经济社会发展的新型人民战争的战略定位,完善以战略目的、战略原则、战略力量、战略措施为主要内容的战略架构体系,有效探索＂爱民—固边—发展—固边—利民＂的战略路线图,突出＂维稳主导、服务民生、强基固本、多元联动＂等战略重点,坚持＂并轨发展、标本兼治、无缝对接＂基本战略路径,使爱民固边战略更加系统化、规范化,纵深推进,打造公安边防特有品牌,不断产生更大的政治社会价值。     

公安现役部队执法能力培养与法学教学

公安现役部队是列入武警序列由公安部门管理的部队。对其执法能力的要求具有特殊性。公安现役院校担负着为公安现役部队培养人才的任务,教学过程中应对公安现役部队执法能力的涵义、执法能力的内容和因执法能力不足而产生的问题以及解决问题的途径作了探讨。提出创新法学教学模式是提高公安现役部队执法能力的有效方法。     

加强城乡结合部消防管理工作的探讨

尽管全国火灾形势逐年呈下降趋势,但是城乡结合部的消防安全工作仍然不容乐观,因此加强和改进城乡结合部消防管理工作是公安消防部队必须面对和解决的问题.分析了城乡结合部的消防安全现状和影响城乡结合部消防安全的主要问题,探讨了改进城乡结合部消防安全工作的对策.     

论公安现役高校在构建和谐社会中的角色定位

公安现役高校在公安教育体系中处于重要位置,承担着人才培养、科学研究和服务部队的重要任务,对构建和谐社会责无旁贷。准确定位公安现役高校在构建和谐社会中所扮演的角色,可以充分发挥职能作用,为构建和谐社会做出应有贡献。     

增强公安边防部队基层思想政治教育实效性的思考

为了贯彻和落实《中国人民解放军政治工作条例》和《中国人民解放军思想政治教育大纲》,进一步探索坚持用科学理论指导思想政治教育工作、树立思想政治教育的科学理念、充实和丰富思想政治教育的内容、创新思想政治教育的形式方法,对于增强公安边防部队基层思想政治教育的实效性具有重要意义。     

Globalisation in the defence industry: An exploration of the paradigm for us and European defence firms and the implications for being global players

This paper explores some of the key issues associated with the restructuring of the defence industry. A comparison is made between the US and the European Defence Industrial Bases in terms of the drivers for change and the paradigms within which change has taken place. Having shown that some very important differences exist, the paper then explores the approaches that have been adopted for industry consolidation and references them to the academic literature on mergers and acquisitions (M&As) and strategic alliances (SAs). Given that most of the key defence players recognise the need to be global players, the paper presents an argument that the European firms’ experience of operating with a wide range of forms of corporate alliance will serve them in good stead for operating on a global defence scale. US firms, in contrast, have focused largely on M&A activity.