Niklas Eklund

Handbook of Administrative Reform : An International Perspective

Theoretical and Institutional Influence on Administrative Reform Globalization, Europeanization, and Administrative Reform, N. Eklund and M.E. Wimelius The Political State of Administrative Reform at the United Nations: A Microcosm of Reforms Occurring Globally, D.M. Schlagheck The Missing Link in Administrative Reform: Considering Culture, J. Killian Administrative Reform in European Union Founding and Early Member Nations Administrative Reform in Germany: Changes and Challenges, J. Franzke Ireland: Modernization as Opposed to Radical Reform, B. Connaughton Administrative Reform in Sweden: Administrative Dualism at the Crossroad, N. Eklund Administrative Reform in European Union New Member and Applicant Nations Civil Service Reform in Poland: The Influence of Path Dependency, T. Majcherkiewicz Unfinished Modernization: Public Administration Reform in Postcommunist Romania, S. Ionita The Politics of Administrative Decentralization in Turkey Since 1980, G. B. Ozcan and H. Turunc Administrative Reform in North America and Latin America Administrative Reform in the United States: Toward Government-Nonprofit Partnerships in Governance, A.M. Eikenberry and M.C. Pautz Reconsidering the History of Administrative Reforms in Canada, L. Juillet and M.S . Mingus Civil Service Reform: Challenges and Future Prospects for Mexican Democracy, D. Arellano-Gault Concluding Thoughts An International Perspective on Administrative Reform, J. Killian Index

Citizens’ views on governance in two Swedish city-regions

ABSTRACT Starting from metropolitan governance theory, this article explores and discusses place-specific institutional preferences among Swedish citizens with regard to city-regional governance. City-regional tendencies in the Swedish political context are described and, specifically, survey data from the Umeå and Göteborg areas in Sweden are utilized in two ways. First, three ideal-typical governance categories are conceptualized drawing on empirical patterns in the survey material. Preferences for the three emergent categories Status Quo, Regionalization, and Consolidation are then tested against independent variables measuring personal resources, sense of place, mobility, political view, and city-regional context. By way of multiple regression analysis, the article concludes with a discussion about some expected and unexpected results. In the final analysis, individual preferences for the three different models of city-regional governance seem to be influenced first and foremost by level of education and sense of place and whether or not the individual resides in a municipality which belongs to the core or to the periphery of the area.

Emergent groups in disaster research : varieties of scientific observation over time and across studies of nine natural disasters

There is an increasing emphasis on the diversity of disaster volunteering among disaster researchers. Our aim was to review the extent to which, and in what forms, emergent groups in the aftermath ...

Swedish Counterterrorism Policy : An Intersection Between Prevention and Mitigation?

The aim of this article is to analyze how and why Swedish counterterrorism policy has changed since 2001. It raises the issue of how counterterrorism interacts with other factors on the governmental agenda, which priorities are made, and how these can be understood. Although much empirical evidence on the real political influence of emergent interagency networks is still lacking in the case of Sweden, an attempt is made here to analyze the importance of focusing events. In the light of the Swedish national strategy for counterterrorism, the article analyzes the content of annual reports from the Swedish Security Service. The article also explores linkages between the counterterrorism and crisis management literatures, and argues that the reassuring overtones in Swedish counterterrorism policy of late can be understood not only as the result of changes in threat perception and policy, but also in institutional change.

Refracting (geo)political choices in the Arctic

Abstract Geopolitics as a field was originally intended as a theoretical modelling of the relationship between fixed geographical circumstances and political choice. Now, the field is largely dominated by critical studies. It is almost considered axiomatic to include geopolitics as a theme in descriptive and analytical studies of the Arctic in global, regional, national and local contexts. This essay aims to review the core tenets of geopolitical thought and trace the categories and distinctions between the classical and critical approaches as applied in Arctic scholarship. It draws on highlights from the Arctic policy texts of three states demonstrating how assumptions and political options in terms of Arctic geographies can be expressed in different geopolitical frameworks. It is argued that revisiting and reviewing the core categories of geopolitics and their application in Arctic affairs can contribute to a better-informed understanding of how developments in the Arctic may unfold, as well as provide insights into the different functionalities of geopolitics.

Vision Impossible? : Some aspects of the current Russian debates about the military sciences

Abstract In 21st century military theory and doctrine, it is common to subdivide military capability into conceptual, physical and moral components. At least in theory, it follows that conceptual capability should be regarded as the crucial link between the physical and moral capabilities of a given military actor, as it concerns the ability of the actor to operationalise ideas about how to conduct modem warfare. Conceptual military capability can thus be defined as the sum of an actor’s military knowhow, scientific capacity and doctrine, which defines the expected ability of an actor to uphold an efficient language of military action, distribution and command.

Bruno S Sergi: Misinterpreting Modern Russia : Western Views of Putin and His Presidency (2009)

Bruno S Sergi: Misinterpreting Modern Russia : Western Views of Putin and His Presidency (2009)