This essay deals with the subject on American politics and how it is affected by religion and religious leaders/organizations. The Religious right is also included as the movement has a strong attachment to the Republican party, but also the political sphere in general. A historical review is given as an introduction to this subject, and aims towards further reading. Three questions are asked; How does the religion affect the politics in Us and to which extend, Has the Religious right been able to affect politics and it that case how? And: Has the politicians used religious beliefs as arguments? Further on the two latest election in 2004 and 2008 are studied and its presidential candidates, to strengthen the hypothesis that religion is affecting the politics in United States.   The Republican candidate John McCain and the Democrat Barack Obama connections to religion is upheld in this essay, and their political statements and debates are analyzed, to emphasize the influences from their religious faith.   In the conclusion, facts are presented that actually shows that the religion has to an extend impact on politics and its performance. As the politicians are using religious rhetoric’s to strengthen their argumentations and speeches.

It has now passed a few months since the events in Soth East Asia during Christmas 2004. The purpose of our essay is to analyze factors that may influence the Government’s managment of catastrophes. In connection with the Tsunami disaster in South east Asia, the Swedish contingency system was the center of attraction. The criticism against the Government have not eluded many people. Not to mention the fact that the Government didn’t act rapidly and appropriately. The theoretical starting-point of this essay is therefore to present an ideal picture, in other words, to present a picture of how the Government should have acted according to a rational model of explanation. Then the analysis cross over to a closer study of different perspectives as explanations of why the Government did not act according to this ideal picture. These explanations originate from institutional perspectives. Also, Sweden has a pronounced system of public administration, which is characterised by dualism, at which this become a part of our operationalisation. Then the empirical material and our analysis result in several conclusions. To sum up, we can establish that the Swedish managment of catastrophes is good, but some problems with co-ordination surfaced in connection with the Tsunami catastrophe. Also, there was a lack of clear-cut control and distinct dispersion of responsibility.

Utvärderingen av den regionernas internationella verksamhet utgår från två regioner, Kalmar och Östergötland. Uppsatsen bygger på material från de regionala aktörerna, offentligt tryck och intervjuer, och är skriven utifrån en processutvärderingsteori av Evert Vedung. Regionernas internationella arbete är idag en naturligt och integrerad del av verksamheten, ett internationellt arbete vars absoluta tyngdpunkt i dag ligger på arbete inom EU. Det finns dock en vilja att lyfta perspektivet utanför EU och i undersökningen visar Östergötland upp samarbeten med Kina, Ryssland och Iran. Styrdokumenten ger en otydlig bild av hur verksamheten ska formas och utvärderingen visar att verksamheten inte har reglerats eller getts några ramar från centralt håll, utan de internationella frågorna har formats inom det ”öppna mandat” som de regionala aktörerna anser sig ha. Från länsstyrelsehåll efterfrågas ett ramverk i högre grad än från regionförbunden. Det internationella arbetet är en viktig del för aktörerna i deras roll som presumtiva arbetsgivare samt en hörnsten i det regionala utvecklingsarbetet, varför det finns skäl att tro att verksamheten kommer att utvecklas och utökas. För att inte regionernas utveckling ska hindras men ändå regleras, föreslås därför att regionförbunden tillsammans med övriga regionala aktörer skriver regionala regleringsbrev som godkänns centralt. Hänsyn tas då till den unika regionala situationen och arbetet formas helt på det regionala planet, under centralmaktens överinseende.

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Natten mellan den 8-9 januari 2005 drog stormen Gudrun in över södra Sverige. Två år senare drabbades södra Sverige av ytterligare en storm, kallad Per. Efter båda dessa stormar blev det en stor populationsutveckling av insekten granbarkborre. Syftet med denna studie har varit att beskriva hur arbetet med bekämpning av barkborre- och stormfrågorna sett ut utifrån ett nedifrånperspektiv under år 2007. Studien, som är en processutvärdering, har beskrivit relationerna och nätverken under en tid som kan räknas som en kris. Genom att ställa öppna frågor och användning av snöbollsmetoden har 18 personer från myndigheter och andra organiserade intressen berättat vad de upplevde var utmaningen under 2007, med vilka de samverkade med, hur de handlade och varför de handlade på det ena eller andra sättet. De lyfte också fram vad de ansåg kunde ha gjorts bättre samt sina tankar om framtiden. Utmaningen under året var enligt de intervjuade personerna att få en bild av läget och informera olika aktörer, att hantera oroliga personer och sin egen stress, att få ut virket från skogen i tid samt att bestämma sig för vilken metoder som skulle användas för att bekämpa granbarkborren. Utifrån det sistnämnda så fanns det flera olika skäl till varför man valde en metod framför den andra, det kunde handla om miljömässiga, estetiska, praktiska eller att man helt enkelt kände att man var tvungen att agera. Mycket av arbetet under året bestod i att sprida information och mobilisera resurser. Studien lyfter relations- och beteendefrågor och kommer fram till att det kan behövas en tydlighet i rollerna i kristider samt att alla de medel som används till vardags, t.ex. rådgivning och påverkan, kanske inte är lika aktuella i kristider.

Essay in political science, D-level, by Samanta Pudic´, spring semester 2009. Tutor: AlfSundin. “Implementation of a job guarantee for young people. - A study on the struggleagainst unemployment at the municipal level” The purpose of this dissertation is to examine if municipalities could affect theimplementation of labour market policy measures to reduce unemployment among youngpeople. To be able to say something about the implementation process I have been using fourmunicipalities as examples- a large and a small community with the Social Democrats as themajority party and a large municipality and a small municipality in which the Center Party hasstrong position. In this study four politicians who work in each municipality have beeninterviewed and four municipal officials who are responsible that job guarantee for youngpeople is implemented. To compile empirical material, analyze and bring to a conclusion seven conditions and ananalysis model have been designed. This study is a qualitative study focusing on how a jobguarantee for young people at local level is taken to tackle unemployment among youngpeople. Based on the generalized analysis is investigated if there are trends and patterns in theselected municipalities in order to present general aspects that could also say something aboutthe nearby municipalities. The answers to my research questions are that there is no pattern to suggest that partypolitical dimension or size of municipalities would have an impact on how municipalities areimplementing job guarantee for young people.

This thesis focuses on the widely acknowledged so-called brain drain controversy. More concretely on developments in the traditional brain drain literature towards a new shift, claiming the brain gain effect, as an alternative to the brain drain effect, that emigration may bring to a source country. The research investigates not only the obvious direct loss effects – the so called brain drain – but also the possibility of more subtle indirect beneficial effects.

Abstract The purpose with the study is to see if it is possible to create well functioning and democratic government and parliament in Kosovo, within a near future thru social capital.   I have some research questions that will help me reach my purpose:   1. Are Kosovo‘s institutions effective and democratic today? 2. Does social capital exist in Kosovo today? 3. Are there satisfactory opportunities for building well functioning, democratic institutions in the future? 4. Are there any obstacles on the way for building well functioning, democratic institutions in the future?   My study is based mostly on qualitative interviews with social scientists, political scientists, historian, citizens and other people that would give me useful answers to my questions.   My results shows that Kosovos government and parliament are not well functioning democratic institutions. The extent of social capital is also very low or not existing at all. The lack of social capital is not the explanation to the fact that Kosovo‘s institutions are not well developed. There are many other things that explains the institutional situation better.   The answer to my purpose is that it is not possible to develop well functioning democratic institutions in Kosovo within a near future. Institutional Development takes time as Robert Putnam argues and the obstacles are to great to over win witin a near future.

The purpose of this essay was to research the level of condition and requirements of democracy which faces states applying for a membership in the European Union. The focal point was to research the levels of democracy requirements on two set enlargements which are the cases of the 1981 and 1986 enlargements together with the 2004 and 2007. The states that did reach the goal of becoming member states had similar political backgrounds that made them suitable for a most- similar system study. By using my theoretical framework which consists of democracy theories, together with the chosen method was I able to find answers to my research questions when examining the material. The result of the study is that even though the condition might have been quite similar but the reality of them was different. The EU was softer in their demands towards the first case of enlargement then in the second one which is further explained in this study.

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