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For varions reasons, political scientists hâve so far shown little interest in the police institution. This may seem surprising, as it is not difficult to show that the police phenomenon is at the heart of any society's political organisation. More thorough analysis reveals, however, that thé police intervene in the working of a political system in a great variety of ways and at very different levels of political reality. The best way to look in more detail at the police contribution to the political functioning of society may be to adopt a theoretical approach which generates a systematic check list of police interventions.

L'étude des résultats des élections partielles en France de 1973 à 1980 et de leur significa­tion politique met en évidence certaines lois de comportement des électeurs lors de ces élections : par exemple, la très nette tendance au vote efficace à gauche au premier tour en faveur du candidat PC ou PS qui semble le mieux placé (à cette loi de comportement est associée une loi statistique). On s'aperçoit qu'au-delà des comportements systémati­ques de l'électoral aux partielles (vote utile à gauche, attitude oppositionnelle de certains électeurs centristes en 1974-1976 et gaullistes en 1978-1980), les élections partielles renseignent plus sur les liens existant entre les différents électorals que sur l'évolution des rapports de force entre les grandes familles politiques. An analysis of the results of French by-elections from 1973 to 1980 and of their political significance brings to light several laws related to voting behaviour in such elections. Thus, on the left, there is a very clear tendency to cast a useful first round vote for the Communist or Socialist Party candidate who seems to have the best chances (this behavioural law being coupled with a statistical law). Beyond the systematic behavioural patterns of the electorate in by-elections (strategic voting on the left, oppositional attitude of some centre voters in 1974-1976 and Gaullist voters in 1978-1980), by-elections reveal more about the links between the various electorates than about the balance of power between the main political groups.

The process of resumption of inter-governmental relations between France and Guinea brings to mind the importance of diplomacy in implementing foreign policy. All the problems that arise when a third party intervenes confronted the mediator instructed by the Secretary General of the United Nations to secure the release of political prisoners held in Guinean prisons : the mediator's Personal authority, the stages of his intervention, tactical choices, etc. Mr. Waldheim's special envoy took the risk of assuming bot h partners' trust and real desire for reconciliation. The most striking feature of this negotiation is that it did not involve any real " bargaining ". It rested on the mediator's capacity to help the man who had gained fame by saying "no " to France gradually to change the direction of his policy.