MIT has just published an interesting study, "LOOKING LIKE A WINNER Candidate Appearance and Electoral Success in New Democracies." Here is the paper's abstract: A flurry of recent studies indicates that candidates who simply look more capable or attractive are more likely to win elections. In this article, the authors investigate whether voters‘ snap judgments of … [Read more...] about MIT study: politicians win on looks
democracy
NPR reports, “India’s China Envy”
All Things Considered (National Public Radio (NPR)) had an interesting report on May 20, 2010, "India's China Envy," expressing three prominent Indian nationals' "envy" for China's recent success. India is a very important consideration in this debate about democracy. Zhang Weiwei, former Deng Xiaoping interpreter, has postulated (and later on written an Op-Ed piece for in … [Read more...] about NPR reports, “India’s China Envy”
(Letter from btbr403) Translation:Can you provide an example to refute this senior fellow?
admin's note. The following is a blog post from 多维博客(h/t to Snow). Besides re-posting an article originally published on the Study Times (a weekly publication of the CCP's Central Party School) in 2008, it drew a vigorous debate among Chinese with nearly 300 comments (I hope that someone could translate them too), many of them are interesting. Although we posted the Chinese … [Read more...] about (Letter from btbr403) Translation:Can you provide an example to refute this senior fellow?
Can Ma Ying-jeou Weather the Storm?
From August 6-9, southern Taiwan was hit with the worst typhoon in 50 years. Per the Associated Press story: "Morakot dumped more than 80 inches (two meters) of rain on the island last weekend and stranded thousands in villages in the mountainous south. A total of 15,400 villagers have been ferried to safety, and rescuers are working to save another 1,900 people. The storm … [Read more...] about Can Ma Ying-jeou Weather the Storm?
Chimerica: James Fallows & Niall Ferguson
This is the full session between Niall Ferguson and James Fallows at the recently held Aspen Ideas Festival. Allen had posted excepts and we promised you the complete discussion as soon as it became available. Niall Ferguson had coined the term "Chimerica" to describe the symbiotic relationship between the economies of China and the United States. He currently sees this … [Read more...] about Chimerica: James Fallows & Niall Ferguson