Welfare Balance of Different Interest Groups During Rural-urban Land Conversion

Rural-urban land conversion is currently a common social economic phenomenon during the process of economic development and rural urbanization in China. Rural-urban land conversion is positively effective as far as social and economic benefits are concerned (Yang, 2002), but its negative effect is also evident, resulting in such problems as low efficiency of rural land configuration and loss of social welfare. Consequently, farm-ers should also have an equal chance to enjoy the social welfare enhanced by land conversion. Based on the theories of welfare economy, this paper puts forward policy suggestions by discussing the welfare changes of various interest groups, builds the model of welfare distribution, and analyzes the conditions of maximizing social welfare. The absolute and opposite value of social welfare is closely related with the speed of rural-urban land conversion, and governments should give farmers and collectives fair compensa-tion to make up for the utility loss caused by land expropriation, which are conclusions drawn from this paper. This study aims to provide a theoretical basis for regulating targets and evaluation criteria, realizing the mechanism and implementation of public po-lices during rural-urban land conversion.

Business Groups and the Europe 2020 Strategy： Problem Analysis

The aim of the article is to analyze the impact of interest groups on the Europe 2020 Strategy. One of the basic assumptions of the author is to present its analysis of the public consultation on the Europe 2020 strategy and its impact on the development of the European Union. The European Union needs to stimulate the economic integration of its particular Member States and the assumed postulates will strengthen its global position. The goal is to create a strong economy, based on modem technologies and knowledge, which would be able to compete with the healthiest economies in the world. The main intention of the author of this article is to find answers to the foUowing research questions： Did the interest groups have or do they still have any considerable influence on the strategies implemented in the European Union？ To what extent do they contribute to the process of reforming the Europe 2020 strategy through consultations within the framework of the European Union？ Are their lobbying activities efficient enough to allow for the perception of interest groups as significant players, capable of influencing the course of consultations on the Europe 2020 strategy？ What kind of external factors make it possible for the interest groups to influence the consultations？ To what extent are business groups capable of influencing particular institutions in the course of consultations on the Europe 2020 strategy？ What does their activation in relation to these institutions depend on？

The Role of Congress in Illegal Immigrations Policy as an Example of the IRCA

Since 1970s, illegal immigrants have become a hot topic in the US with the increase of number of illegal immigrants, Congress passed Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 （IRCA）. IRCA is the first legislation towards illegal immigration, which is very important in immigration history. Does this legislation work？ What＇s the role of Congress in controlling illegal immigration and what＇s the lesson from IRCA？ In a short term, IRCA worked. It deterred illegal immigrants and the number of illegal immigrants was on the decline, but in the long run, it failed. From the perspective of decision-making, the role of Congress was not powerful because of the influence of interest groups. Therefore, Congress should be more powerful in the future.

The RMB/US Dollar Exchange Rate—An International Political Economy Perspective

This paper looks at the foreign exchange rates （FX rates） and specifically the RMB/US dollar exchange rate issue from the international political economy （IPE） perspective. It argues that in reality, the US-China debate on the renminbi （RMB） exchange rate and the new reform initiated on July 21,2005 is Hot only an economic issue, but more than that, an issue of political economy, that is determined by the dynamic interaction of various economic and political factors at both the national and international levels.

Harmony and Justice

The reason why justice and harmony are the most-prized values and the highest aims of human beings is that these qualities are the foundation which makes possible the realization of all other positive goals. Interpersonal conflicts and conflicts between individuals and the society lead to social, cultural, and moral crises. Confucian culture argues that moral reason is only possessed by human beings, and that this is what can make human existence harmonious and rational. Harmony creates power, and power can defeat impediments. As a result, physical qualities are humanized, and moral qualities increase. Goodness promotes the establishment of mutually beneficial systems and procedural justice in a society. Therefore, Chinese traditional culture provides a method for resolving contemporary social conflicts and crises, including accumulating goodness to increase virtue, constructing social integrity and harmonious righteousness, and the building up of a just society.

Islamic Globalization and Its Role in China’s Future

Islamic Globalization is a combination of religious,economic,political,and diplomatic advances that are transforming the Muslim world.Its building blocks are the hajj and religious travel,capitalism and Islamic finance,democracy and Islamic Modernism,as well as new international regimes tailored to the varied needs and tastes of Muslims in diverse cultures.Islamic Globalization allows modern Muslims to join the mainstream of international life and to reform it at the same time.These are also China’s goals,particularly as Chinese leaders express greater interest in soft power;eager to identify with visions of civilizational exchange and global governance.