Law Commons^™

Defending Democracy: A New Understanding Of The Party-Banning Phenomenon, Gur Bligh

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Recent years have witnessed a growing tendency among established democracies to battle political extremism by banning extremist parties. This Article explores this phenomenon in its wide-ranging international manifestations. The Article aims to challenge the prevalent paradigm underlying the discussion of party banning and to introduce a new paradigm for conceptualizing the party-banning phenomenon in its current reincarnation. Traditionally, the discussion concerning party banning has been strongly shaped by the traumatic experience of Hitler's rise to power and the collapse of the Weimar Republic. Hence, it has focused upon parties that are overtly opposed to democracy, like communist or fascist parties. …

Nigeria's Crisis Of Corruption--Can The U.N. Global Programme Hope To Resolve This Dilemma?, Nicholas A. Goodling

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Transparency International consistently rates the levels of corruption in Nigeria among the highest in the world. Pervasive corruption appears to permeate many levels of Nigerian society. The current Nigerian government, however, has taken great steps to combat this problem through cooperation with the U.N. Global Programme.

This Note examines the structure and goals of the Global Programme and evaluates Nigeria's participation in the project. Part I provides a background analysis of corruption, the effects of corruption, and Nigeria's efforts to curb corruption. Part III analyzes the basic structure of the Programme, while Part IV outlines Nigeria's efforts pursuant to the …

Clinging To Democracy: Assessing The Russian Legislative-Executive Relationship Under Boris Yeltsin's Constitution, Ian R. Brown

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

The 1993 Constitution of the Russian Federation has received harsh criticism as a document that confers strong powers upon the executive at the expense of a much weaker legislature. Such a disparity is understandable, as the Constitution was conceived out of the violent confrontation between President Boris Yeltsin and the rebellious communist-nationalist Duma in October 1993. Following the adoption of the Constitution in December 1993, many observers predicted a return to dictatorship in Russia.

Yet in practice, despite much heavy-handedness on the part of the president during the Yeltsin administration, the 1993 Constitution and the institutions it created have survived …