Strukturaspekte der Weimarer Republik und des Nationalsozialismus: Diskutiert am Beispiel zeitgenössischer sozialdemokratischer Analysen

Die folgende Skizze beschäftigt sich primär mit von Ernst Fraenkel, Franz Neumann und Otto Kirchheimer während der Weimarer Republik und bis 1945 vorgelegten Analysen. Zwar gehören die Arbeiten dieser Autoren heute zum unverzichtbaren Bestand der wissenschaftlichen und historisch-politischen Auseinandersetzung mit eiern Nationalsozialismus, wie dies insbesondere in den Beiträgen von Schäfer (1977) und Blanke (1975) dokumentiert wird. Die profunde Auseinandersetzung mit faschistischer Ideologie, Politik und terroristischer Praxis scheint jedoch nach wie vor, folgt man Schäfer und Blanke, über sich in der Regel als kritisch verstehende rechts- und sozialwissenschaftliche sowie zeitgeschichtliche Arbeiten hinaus nur tendenziell rezipiert worden zu sein. Auf Neumanns große Analyse, den »Behemoth« (Neumann, 1942/1977), sei zwar, so meint Schäfer, immer wieder Bezug genommen worden, ohne daß aber ein systematischer Rückgriff erfolgt wäre; Fraenkels umfangreiche Analyse »Der Doppelstaat« (Fraenkel, 1941/1974) wurde hingegen von Vertretern des Neo-Pluralismus als quasi ideologisches Alibi für die Kritik am »Totalitarismus« herangezogen, um damit einerseits - eine nicht vorhandene - Kontinuität in seinen Arbeiten durchgängig vorzuspiegeln, andererseits zugleich die von Fraenkel gewonnenen Ergebnisse unter der Hand verschwinden zu lassen

Bemerkungen zur Formel vom ,sozialen Rechtsstaat'

1) In der Nr. 14/15 dieser Zeitschrift erschien unter dem Titel ,Eine neue Integrationsideologie' eine umfangreiche Polemik von Siegfrid Heimann und Bodo Zeuner (1). Die Polemik richtet sich gegen das von dem SPD-Linken Peter von OertzenMitte November 1973 auf dem SPD-Unterbezirksparteitag in Frankfurt gehaltene ausführliche Referat zur ,Strategie und Taktik des demokratischen Sozialismus in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland' (2). In seinem Referat wendet sich Oertzen an die Linke in der SPD, vor allem an die Vertreter innerhalb der Jungsozialisten, die dem sog. Stamokap-Flügel zuzurechnen sind und an diejenigen, die sich kritisch mit ,illusionären' Vorstellungen über den ,Sozialstaat' auseinandersetzen. Auf eine Formel gebracht kann der Zweck des Oertzenschen Referates darin gesehen werden, die oben bezeichneten theoretischen Strömungen innerhalb der Jungsozialisten langfristig zurückzudrängen. Denn wenn die Vertreter dieser Strömungen nicht von ihren Positionen abrücken und wieder zu einem praktikablen und politisch vertretbaren Arbeitskompromiß zurückkehren, ,,darf die Partei die organisatorische Trennung von solchen Mitgliedern nicht scheuen" (3)

When who and how matter: explaining the success of referendums in Europe

This article aims to identify the institutional factors that make a referendum successful. This comparative analysis seeks to explain the success of top-down referendums organized in Europe between 2001 and 2013. It argues and tests for the main effect of three institutional factors (popularity of the initiator, size of parliamentary majority, and political cues during referendum campaigns) and controls for the type of referendum and voter turnout. The analysis uses data collected from referendums and electoral databases, public opinion surveys, and newspaper articles. Results show that referendums proposed by a large parliamentary majority or with clear messages from political parties during campaign are likely to be successful

The randomized shortened dental arch study (RaSDA): design and protocol

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Various treatment options for the prosthetic treatment of jaws where all molars are lost are under discussion. Besides the placement of implants, two main treatment types can be distinguished: replacement of the missing molars with removable dental prostheses and non-replacement of the molars, i.e. preservation of the shortened dental arch. Evidence is lacking regarding the long-term outcome and the clinical performance of these approaches. High treatment costs and the long time required for the treatment impede respective clinical trials.</p> <p>Methods/design</p> <p>This 14-center randomized controlled investigator-initiated trial is ongoing. Last patient out will be in 2010. Patients over 35 years of age with all molars missing in one jaw and with at least both canines and one premolar left on each side were eligible. One group received a treatment with removable dental prostheses for molar replacement (treatment A). The other group received a treatment limited to the replacement of all missing anterior and premolar teeth using fixed bridges (treatment B). A pilot trial with 32 patients was carried out. Two hundred and fifteen patients were enrolled in the main trial where 109 patients were randomized for treatment A and 106 for treatment B. The primary outcome measure is further tooth loss during the 5-year follow-up. The secondary outcome measures encompassed clinical, technical and subjective variables. The study is funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation, DFG WA 831/2-1, 2-2, 2-3, 2-4, 2-5).</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>The particular value of this trial is the adaptation of common design components to the very specific features of complex dental prosthetic treatments. The pilot trial proved to be indispensable because it led to a number of adjustments in the study protocol that considerably improved the practicability. The expected results are of high clinical relevance and will show the efficacy of two common treatment approaches in terms of oral health. An array of secondary outcome measures will deliver valuable supplementary information. If the results can be implemented in the clinical practice, the daily dental care should strongly profit thereof.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>The trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under ISRCTN68590603 (pilot trial) and ISRCTN97265367 (main trial).</p

"The Process of European Integration and Political Union: German or Swiss Federal System as a Model for Europe?"

[From the introduction]. The hypothesis of my paper is as follows: The open describtion of the 'federal principle' offers the possibility to analyze the internal developments and dynamics within the European Union. It also offers the chance to raise the question whether there might be some historical, institutional and empirical possibilities, while looking on different federal systems llke the Federal Republic of Germany and Switzerland, to try to work out significant developments and political and institutional patterns which might be helpful for analyzing aspects of the process of European Integration or even could be used in some way as a blueprint

An experimental and numerical survey into the potential of hybrid foams

Hybrid foams are composite materials consisting of two foamed constitutive materials. Compared to conventional mono material foams, hybrid foams have the advantage that their material properties can be adapted more easily to comply with any kinds of prescribed requirements deriving from the intended structural application. The present study is concerned with a survey of the mechanical properties of a variety of hybrid foams with both, interpenetrating and particulate microstructures. As constituent foams, polymeric, metallic and ceramic foams of different types are considered. In an experimental survey, the mechanical response of the hybrid foams is characterized under compression with loading rates covering the entire spectrum from quasi-static conditions up into the high rate regime. The experimental investigation is complemented by a numerical simulation using a hierarchical homogenization procedure to predict the effective material properties numerically. The experimental and numerical results reveal that the hybrid foam concept provides the opportunity to design lightweight cellular solids with effective mechanical properties in a wide range. The optimization potential is demonstrated in a case study considering the design of a material for a bird-strike protection system for commercial aviation