To Örebro University

This article re-examines the relationship between democracy and semi-presidential regimes. While numerous scholars have traced the effects of semi-presidential regimes on democracy, few have addressed the risk of reverse causality, namely, that democracy influences the establishment of semi-presidential regimes. This article uses statistical analyses to test whether the level of democracy in a country affects its choice of semi-presidential regime subtype: a premier-presidential or a president-parliamentary. Including all semi-presidential regimes from 1919 until 2015 and controlling for other conditions such as colonial legacy, the level of development and regime diffusion, our results confirm the hypothesis. The higher the level of democracy - the higher the probability of a premier-presidential regime. Our results underline that democracy is a highly influential cause of the type of semi-presidential regime chosen, a conclusion that places a question mark on the self-evident use of the semi-presidential subtypes as an independent variable.

The death penalty is a unique form of punishment as it is the most consequential penalty with no options for reversibility. Politically, it is a highly controversial form of punishment, the usage of which varies strongly between and within countries over time. Existing databases on death penalty usage generally cover a time period from the 1950s and onwards. In this article, we introduce a new database that covers the period 1800-2022 for all currently independent countries in the world. We provide a yearly categorization of death penalty status as well as changes of the status. In descriptive analyses, we show how the new data provides a more comprehensive picture of the development of death penalty trends worldwide. The database provides researchers with new opportunities to study the death penalty from a variety of perspectives.

In this article, we introduce a new dataset-the Comparative Semi-Presidential Database (CSPD)-covering classifications of semi-presidential regimes. In contrast to other databases, the CSPD offers several classifications based on different definitions of semi-presidential regimes along with subtypes of semi-presidential regimes. We use definitions developed by Elgie (in: Elgie (ed) Semi-presidentialism in Europe, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1999), Cheibub et al. (Public Choice 143:67-101, 2010), Shugart (French Politics 3(3):323-351, 2005) and Shugart and Carey (Presidents and assemblies: constitutional design and electoral dynamics, Cambridge University Press, New York, 1992). Additionally, we present a modified definition of semi-presidential regimes based on the conceptual discussion in the field. The database covers all independent states from 1900 to 2021. Using empirical analyses, we compare the classifications, the importance of conceptualisation and presenting our measurement for semi-presidential regimes.

Sedan demokratins införande har frågan om monarkins avskaffande och övergång till republik aktualiserats regelbundet. Frågan är dock vilken form av republik som önskas mer preciserat. Vilken typ av presidentmakt önskas vid ett införande av republik? Detta kapitel undersöker vilka befogenheter som medborgarna önskar ge en president vid ett införande av republik. Analyserna visar att en stor andel saknar uppfattningar i frågan. Bland de svarande med uppfattningar finns det tre grupper. En grupp som endast vill ge presidenten representativa uppgifter, en annan grupp som också vill ge presidenten möjlighet att lämna förslag till riksdagen, och avslutningsvis en grupp som önskar ge presidenten mer omfattande befogenheter. Analyserna visar också att inställningen till presidentbefogenheter har samband, om än svaga, med inställning till införandet av republik, utbildningsnivå, politiskt intresse, demokratinöjdhet, vänster-höger-position och partisympatier. Sammantaget är det inget i analyserna som tyder på att det parlamentariska statsskicket skulle utmanas vid ett inrättande av republik.

Parent training programs (PT) have consistently been shown to be effective for families with children displaying disruptive behavior problems (DBP). However, not all families seem to benefit equally from these programs and the effects are small to moderate. Several studies have examined single factors that might explain variations in outcomes with inconclusive results, and there seems to be a need for a deeper understanding of complex pattern of factors. This generally requires large sample sizes which might be difficult to obtain. Qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) is a method, rarely used in mental health research, that originally was developed for use in research with small and medium sample sizes for understanding and exploring complex real-world situations. The aim of this study was to generate a deeper understanding about combinations of factors that may have an impact on the outcome of PT programs. In addition, we also wanted to introduce QCA in research on mental health interventions and to explore the usefulness of QCA as a bridge between the quantitative and qualitative phases in an explanatory sequential mixed methods study. There were three different pathways, with unique combinations, showing different ways to maintain DBPs after PT and four different combinations of conditions associated with a positive outcome after PT. We also found that QCA was well suited for this type of analysis and that it might be a useful method to generate specific hypothesis that can be tested in future research.

We identify four patterns of diffusion that are likely to explain how trends in death penalty usage spread among countries. The first is geographic proximity, which creates dependency relations between nations that in turn affect the spread of changes in death penalty regimes. The second is global diffusion, meaning processes that spread ideas globally. The third is cultural homogeneity, which can be expected to be conducive for diffusion; studies show that countries similar in terms of language and religion influence each other to a great extent. Finally, similar colonial heritage, which can establish cultural and institutional ties between countries. This study encompasses all independent countries of the world over the period 1800 to 2021. In addition to measures of diffusion, a number of control variables are introduced. Relationships are measured using statistical techniques complemented by qualitative analyses.