The COVID States Project #70: MA Governor Charlie Baker's Approval

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker’s announcement last week that he would not seek re-election comes on the heels of a wave of retirements of moderate Republican politicians who have found themselves at odds with former President Donald Trump and his vision of the Republican Party. Governor Baker’s decision to not seek re-election is somewhat surprising, given the Republican has consistently garnered some of the highest gubernatorial approval ratings according to numerous polls (including our own). However Baker has struggled to garner support from members of his own party, with numerous polls finding higher approval among Democrats and Independents than among Republicans. Baker’s struggles with his own party were on full display when President Trump endorsed Baker’s primary challenger, Geoff Diehl, in October. Baker faced grim primary prospects according to a Public Policy Polling1 poll that found Baker trailing Diehl in a hypothetical matchup between the two candidates. Baker has already served two terms as leader of the Bay state, and a third consecutive term would have been unprecedented for a Massachusetts governor.The Covid States Project regularly asks people in all 50 states about their approval of their governor’s handling of the pandemic and, in our most recent survey, about approval of their governor’s overall job performance. In this report, we focus on the approval of Governor Charlie Baker’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic since April 2020, and Baker’s most recent general approval rating.

The amendments to the Constitution of Russia: factors influencing the constitutional changes and reflections on the Constitution

The amendments to the Constitution of Russia involve more than forty articles, which oversee the separation of powers, broadenthe powers of both houses of parliament, legitimize the State Council as official body of the state, emphasize the primacy of Russian law over international norms, legalize a guaranteed minimum pension and family values. However, politics and jurists globally note that the core of this constitutional changes could pave the way for Vladimir Putin to broaden his power and serve a third consecutive term as the president under the new rules. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze, how the foreign and domestic political factors of Russia influence on the constitutional changes and how the original proposals of president V. Putin are reflected in the new constitution. This paper explores on explanations and analyses stances of politics and jurists of Russia and the West, andgives researcher’s own opinion on changes of the amendments to the Constitution of Russia. ОХУ-ын Үндсэн хуульд өөрчлөлт оруулахад нөлөөлсөн хүчин зүйлс, Үндсэн хуульд тусгалаа олсон байдал Хураангуй: Оросын Холбооны Улсын Үндсэн хуулийн өөрчлөлт нь төрийн эрх мэдлийн хуваарилалтад өөрчлөлт оруулах, ерөнхийлөгч болон парламентын эрх мэдлийг нэмэгдүүлэх, ОХУ-ын үндсэн хуулийг олон улсын гэрээ, хэлэлцээрүүдээс дээгүүр тавих, Төрийн Зөвлөлийн статусыг хуульчлах, тэтгэврийг индексжүүлэх, гэр бүлийн үнэт зүйлийг тодорхойлох гэсэн хэд хэдэн чиглэлээр дөч гаруй зүйл заалтыг хамаарч байгаа хэдий ч гол цөм нь одоогийн ерөнхийлөгчийн эрх мэдэл нэмэгдсэн, дахин ерөнхийлөгчид нэр дэвших эрхтэй болсон явдал гэж дэлхий нийт хүлээж аваад байгаа билээ. Иймээс энэ удаагийн Үндсэнхуулийн өөрчлөлт Оросын Холбооны Улсын нийгэм, улс төр, гадаад ба дотоод бодлогын ямар хүчин зүйлсээр хэрхэн нөхцөлдсөнийг шинжлэх, одоогийн ерөнхийлөгчийн анх дэвшүүлсэн анхны санал шинэ Үндсэн хуульд бодитоор хэрхэн тусгалаа олсныг авч үзэхээс гадна, ОХУ-ын улс төр, засаглалын тогтолцоо, хүн ам, нийгмийн харилцаанд тусах нөлөөг Оросын болон барууны улс төр, эрх зүйн чиглэлийн судлаачид хэрхэн тайлбарлаж буйг харьцуулан үзэх, судлаачийн зүгээс дүгнэхийг зорилоо.Түлхүүр үгс: ОХУ, ОХУ-ын Үндсэн хуулийн өөрчлөлт, В.Путин, төрийн эрх мэдэл хуваарилалт, ерөнхийлөгчийн эрх мэдэл, Үндсэн хууль

Albania would benefit by opposition return to politics

Significance The outright majority won by the Socialist Party (PS) gives Prime Minister Edi Rama a third consecutive term in office. His run of victories is unprecedented in Albania’s post-communist history, which began with multi-party elections in 1991. The elections also signalled the re-emergence of the opposition Democratic Party (PD) as a credible alternative to the PS. Impacts A stronger PD could act as a restraining force on Rama’s tendency to ignore opposition to his policies. The position of the PD leader is under threat after his second failure to unseat Rama. Leadership continuity and vaccinations prioritising the tourism sector should help the economy bounce back from the 2020 recession.

The Straw that Broke the Constitution’s Back?

This chapter examines the doctrines of constitutional unamendability and how they can counteract revolutionary changes. It focuses mainly in developing the theory of quantity transforming into quality in the realm of constitutional amendments: under certain conditions, even small things can cause big changes. The chapter takes the Colombian presidential re-election amendment as an example, departing from the question of why a second consecutive term is a valid constitutional amendment, while a third consecutive term is an unconstitutional replacement, and thus, an unconstitutional constitutional amendment. It demonstrates how this 'new' re-election, seemingly a small change, subverted the democratic structure of the Colombian 1991 Constitution. The chapter then proposes that courts should consider the cumulative impact of a series of amendments affecting a certain constitutional rule or set of principles, since most of the times the dismemberment of a constitutional democracy occurs via a series of small changes, rather than by a single revolutionary change. By this approach, constitutional courts will not disproportionately curtail democratic decision-making, and might act as the guardians of constitutional democracies in face of populism and democratic decay.

Belize’s new government faces an uphill struggle

Significance PUP leader Juan Antonio ‘Johnny’ Briceno was sworn in as prime minister the day after the vote, replacing Dean Barrow, who could not run for a fourth consecutive term. Briceno’s government faces immediate challenges, not least those of managing the COVID-19 pandemic and trying to rebuild the economy. Impacts High levels of COVID-19 in the United States, Belize's main source market, pose challenges for tourism. Efforts to promote Belizean real estate internationally as an ‘escape’ from the pandemic will struggle if cases continue to climb. The election of Barrow’s sister and son to two of the UDP’s five remaining parliamentary seats will ensure his continued party influence.

A prospective randomized comparative study of the efficacy of sustained release vaginal insert versus intracervical gel in primigravidae at term pregnancy

vBackground: Induction of labour is the intentional initiation of labour before spontaneous onset for the purpose of delivery of fetoplacental unit. Failure of induction is responsible for increased incidence of caesarean delivery. This study performed to assess and compare the clinical effects of sustained release vaginal insert versus intracervical gel in primiparous women with term pregnancy in terms of improvement of Bishop’s score, Induction delivery interval, incidence of hyperstimulation, maternal and neonatal outcomes.Methods: A total 100 consecutive term pregnant women who underwent labor induction for fetal or maternal indications were divided randomly into two groups. Group A - sustained release Vaginal insert and Group B - Intracervical gel. Informed consent was taken from each patient.Results: Statistically significant increase in final Bishop’s score (p=0.008) and hyperstimulation (p=0.04) was seen in Vaginal insert group as compared to Intracervical gel group, while there were no statistically significant differences in maternal outcomes, neonatal outcomes and need for oxytocin augmentation in both groups.Conclusions: In this study we found that insert did not improve the induction delivery interval or rate of successful induction, nor did it have any advantage in terms of neonatal outcome although it did improve the Bishops score – Its advantage was in terms of single application, few prevaginal examinations, longer duration of action and immediate retrieval in case of hyperstimulation. Its main drawback remained the maintenance of cold chain without which its efficacy decreases. Another significant observation was the dropout rate of insert (16%).

Neonatal Polycythemia and Hypoglycemia in Newborns: Are They Related?

Objective To test whether neonatal hypoglycemia (NH) is more common in infants with neonatal polycythemia (NP). Study Design This is a retrospective study based on universal screening of NH and targeted screening for NP. Polycythemia was defined as venous hematocrit ≥ 65%. NH was defined as whole blood glucose (BG) concentration < 48 mg/dL (measured using a “point-of-care” analyzer [Accu-Chek]). Results The study population consisted of 119 consecutive term polycythemic infants and 117 controls. There were no significant differences between the two groups in perinatal characteristics, minimal BG concentration, and rate of hypoglycemia. In a stepwise backward multiple regression where NH was the dependent variable, only maternal gestational diabetes mellitus (p = 0.032) and toxemia (p = 0.001) remained significant, whereas NP was insignificant. Conclusion NH is not more common in NP infants than in non-NP infants. We suggest that the occurrence of NH in infants with NP might be related to the common risk factors of the two morbidities.

On the Results of the Parliamentary Elections in Georgia

The “Georgian Dream” party won the parliamentary elections in Georgia. It will be in power for a third consecutive term. This is a unique case in the country's history. Out of 150 seats in the parliament, “Georgian Dream” won 90. This gives it the right to form independently a government and approve a prime minister. The opposition does not recognize the election results, accusing the GM of fraud. The opposition MPs decided to boycott the new parliament.

Bangladesh in 2019

After winning a third consecutive term as prime minister in the compromised December 2018 general election, Sheikh Hasina of the Awami League continues to consolidate one-woman rule. Throughout 2019, Hasina continued to persecute critics and opponents. Despite the deepening malaise of bad governance, Bangladesh has continued to enjoy impressive economic growth. But it remains haunted by the desperate Rohingya exodus from Myanmar, and the decades-old Bihari question.

Medina moves towards Dominican Republic re-election

Subject Election preparations. Significance President Danilo Medina made his annual state-of-the-nation speech on February 27 -- one that opponents claim was a thinly veiled launch pad for a potential 2020 re-election bid. Medina is constitutionally barred from seeking a third consecutive term, but he could try to reform the constitution to allow himself to run and would stand a good chance of succeeding. With political noise around the elections increasing, party politics will become increasingly combative over the next 14 months, including, potentially, within the ruling Partido de la Liberacion Dominicana (Dominican Liberation Party, PLD) itself. Impacts The Marcha Verde anti-corruption movement will step up protests and marches as the Odebrecht trial comes closer to a conclusion. Having accepted Medina’s previous electoral reform, international organisations are unlikely to intervene in any constitutional changes. Should clashing loyalties see the PLD split before the election, that could seriously undermine the party’s re-election hopes.