The gender gap on public opinion towards genetically modified foods

Ever since genetically modified (GM) foods were introduced into the food supply in the 1990s they have provoked debate and concern. The number of GM foods approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and offered on supermarket shelves has steadily grown at the same time that public wariness about the safety of GM foods has increased. Studies within the scientific literature show a strikingly large gender gap in attitudes towards GM foods with women consistently more skeptical than men. However, there have been few efforts to understand the determinants of the gender gap on GM foods within the political science literature. This study employs a 2014 Pew Research Center survey on science issues to test several possible explanations for the gender gap in attitudes towards GM foods rooted in the different life experiences of women and men. The results show that while being a parent predicts more skeptical views about genetically modified foods overall it does not explain the gender gap in attitudes. In contrast, knowledge about science and having confidence in science do play a significant role in mediating the gender gap. By exploring the robust and pervasive gender gap on the issue of GM foods, this study sheds light on the fundamentally different ways men and women approach political issues.     

新形势下舆论引导的战略思考

国际国内复杂多变的形势使新闻宣传的舆论引导工作面临诸多严峻挑战 ,也提出了一系列新的课题。新闻宣传要增强影响力和有效引导舆论 ,必须始终站在时代的前列 ,准确把握和及时反映先进生产力的发展要求和先进文化的前进方向 ,体现和反映最广大人民的根本利益 ,使体现党的意志和广大人民群众的心声有机地结合起来。     

The choice of public or private school

A family's choice of enrolling its children in a public or private school depends on its income, its religious affiliation, the educational level of the parents and the school's quality and racial composition. A public opinion poll of 2000 Michigan residents provides an empirical test. Important variables were public school quality, income, religion and parents' education. Further analysis examined race and Roman Catholicism.     

研究型政府:公共管理的新愿景

近年来,在“学习型组织”的话语背景下,学习型政府成为流行的新概念。相对于“长官意志”和“论资排辈”而言,学习型政府无疑具有进步意义。但学习型政府存在着被动学习、目标不明、学用脱离、成本高昂等局限性。为了提高各级政府的政策驾驭(掌舵)能力,为了更好地推进我国的公共管理创新,政府管理在理念上需要从学习型政府走向研究型政府,并通过推进政府信息公开、完善决策咨询机制、建立政府与学者互动机制,建构具有前瞻性思维和追求卓越境界的公共治理新体制。     

Tentative evaluation of the impact of public transfers on the dynamics of poverty: The case of Russia

The aim of this article is to offer a dynamic impact analysis of the system of transfers in Russia, based on a comparison of indicators of well‐being measured before and after state intervention. We shall begin by assessing the impact of public transfers on different forms of poverty and demonstrate that, while the system is seeing a fall in chronic and transitional poverty, there is very little movement between categories. We shall then evaluate the capacity of the system to keep non‐poor households from falling into poverty (protection) and to help poor households escape poverty (promotion). Several studies suggest that the Russian system of transfers is well suited to protection but has proved incapable of attaining the goal of promotion. In other words, in its current form it cannot claim to be an effective tool to combat long‐term poverty.     

Home Street Home: The Interpersonal Dimensions of Adolescent Homelessness

This paper draws on the available literature, as well as unpublished data, to reconstruct the often chaotic early childhood experiences of homeless adolescents and to describe the problematic ways of relating that may result from these troubled life histories. We also examine the processes by which homeless youth become separated from their families, and we make connections between socio-emotional problems on the street and early neglect and abuse at home. The risk-amplification model is offered as a theoretically compelling explanation of the adolescent homeless experience, high rates of victimization on the streets, and mental health problems that arise out of these circumstances. Finally, we present a promising approach for intervening with homeless youth, one that explicitly targets this cycle of ineffective interpersonal relationships.     

The Relationship Between Homebound Older People and Their Home Care Workers,or The Pas de Deux of Home Care

The multiple components in the provision of home care services, as distinct from home health care, are examined in this paper. Specifically addressed are the unique aspects of the setting, the particular characteristics of the elderly in need of care, the challenges to the care provider, and the dynamics of the relationship between the recipient and provider of care. Data were obtained from a sample (n = 200) of inner-city hospital clinic patients, aged 65+, of which 34% (n = 68) were home care clients. Practitioners can best design successful home care programs if consideration is given not only to a person's physical needs but also to their individual characteristics and those of the home care provider.     

In Home Social Work With Abused or Neglected Elderly:

This article proposes a practical guide to both assessment and treatment of abused andlor neglected elderly receiving home health care services. Indicators of mistreatment, intervention strategies, and limitations to in-home social work are discussed. This experiential article limits its focus to those elderly recipients of home health care who are living with family.     

The case for the privatization of social welfare: three decades of public opinion evidence from Great Britain and the United States

In the last two decades, the conservative critique of the welfare state has been very strong. This study examines the claim of neoconservatives that there is a mass repudiation of the welfare state in the advanced industrial countries. Empirical opinion survey findings from Great Britain and the United States between 1960 and 1990 are examined. Contrary to the radical right rhetoric, there is popular support for social programs in both countries. Evidence also points to sizeable support for a mixed economy of welfare. Three explanations are put forward to account for enduring public support for social programs: the prevalence of social rights, support from the poor and middle class and the limitations of markets.     

Public opinion and foreign policy: The effects of celebrity endorsements

Celebrities often use their popularity to advance international causes, but do they have an effect on public opinion regarding foreign policy? This study uses an experimental method to test whether a statement by Bono of the rock band U2 regarding a fictional foreign policy crisis influences public opinion more than a traditional political elite. Experimental participants were less likely to support the specific position advocated and less likely to be interested in following the crisis in the news when the statement came from Bono, though the results are dependent on party identification and how the scenario was framed.     

Mixed accountability within new public governance: The case of a personalized welfare scheme in early implementation

We explore personalized funding schemes and associated changes for accountability within new welfare governance reforms. Using the case of the Australian National Disability Insurance Scheme as hybrid institution, requiring mixed accountability arrangements, we examine the implications for broader discussions of accountability in personalized welfare arrangements. Methods used were semistructured interviews with government actors and disability service providers in Australia. In describing how accountability structures emerge, we argue that the way that layers fit together during implementation are often imperfect because of the conditions under which they arise. As a result, critical gaps can emerge in layered systems, which can put end users at risk. We demonstrate that theories on accountability in new public governance welfare reforms must also be informed by context and history informed qualitative analysis of case studies.     

The Family Group Within the Nursing Home:

An ongoing monthly family group was implemented in an intermediate care facility in hopes of improving communication between staff and families of long term care residents. Other objectives of the group were to provide families with information about policies and procedures, education about the aging process, and to facilitate an informal support group network where families could share problems and concerns. The feedback and evaluation process indicated that sharing feelings of anger, quiet, frustration and other emotions helped the families deal with the responsibilities of institutionalizing a relative and helped to facilitate better communication between staff and family members.     

人情的选择,还是制度的依赖--中外社会信任机制的概况研究

中外社会信任研究综述 近年来,信任研究日益成为学术界关注的话题,许多学者在此方面作出了独具建树的贡献。结合本文研究主题,我们以国内外社会的信任为分界线,对此往学者的相关研究作简单总结。 1.国内外学者对外国社会信任的研究 日本裔美国学者福山在其《信任:社会美德与创     

Framing public policy: The impacts of political sophistication and nature of public policy

This empirical research investigates how political sophistication moderates framing effects on public opinion and attitudes. It explores when framing effects occur and who could be immune to such framing. Experimental results with multivariate analyses indicate that political sophistication enhances or reduces framing effects in shaping public views and stances, subject to the nature of public policy. When a public policy is promoted that is perceived as an easy issue, framing effects are significant for individuals who are less politically sophisticated. Alternatively, when a hard issue is presented, opposite results are observed. Framing effects are insignificant in promoting an ideological issue regardless of a person's political sophistication.     

Organic planning: A new approach to public participation in local governance

In the past few years, a new form of citizen-oriented policy deliberation has emerged. Often using the concept of “visioning” as a vehicle, efforts have been carried out to foster citizen discussions regarding the desired future of a community, region, or jurisdiction. The future orientation of such deliberations allows for a wide array of issues and concerns to be identified and acted upon in a developmental format. This paper seeks to draw some generalizations from this new phenomena. We argue that this is a new form of citizen participation that builds upon, but is distinct from, previous citizen participation practices and models. We call this new variant organic planning.     

The influence of governance on public sector efficiency: A cross-country analysis

This paper examines whether governance quality affects public sector efficiency in the policy areas of administration, education, infrastructure, and stability. Using cross-country evidence, we find that a country's measures of governance quality are positively and significantly associated with public sector efficiency in the policy areas of administration, infrastructure, and stability. However, regression results suggest that a country's governance quality cannot affect efficiency in the policy area of education, even after controlling for some explanatory variables.     

The Effects of Housing Costs on Nursing Home Diversion

Abstract

This article examines the effect of the housing market on nursing home diversion and/or transition. Prior evaluations of federally funded diversion/transition efforts indicate that lack of housing may be a significant impediment to diversion policy efforts. We test this charge by examining the transition rates in all 351 municipalities in Massachusetts, using a data set of over 15,000 individuals seeking to remain or transition home between 2010 and 2014 through Massachusetts' Options Counseling program and their relation to key indicators of housing quality and affordability, including housing burden, crowding, and incomplete kitchen and plumbing facilities. We also control for demographic indicators identified in previous findings, which are age, level of frailty, and whether seniors live alone. We do not find a significant relationship between housing affordability or quality and successful nursing home diversion. This fact suggests that consumers are not as sensitive to housing costs and conditions as previously expected. Future research should continue to investigate the economic and social conditions behind this fact in the context of home value appreciation, incidence of home ownership, and the ability of seniors to offset nursing home costs through accumulated home equity.     

The impact of international migration on the public pension system: The case of Portugal

This article analyses the impact of replacement migration on the financial sustainability of the old‐age pension system in Portugal, a country with one of the largest ageing populations in Europe. We do this using demographic forecasts and prospective exercises for the evolution of the Portuguese economy. During the 2015–2060 period, our results evidence the positive impacts of international migration on old‐age pension system financial balances, reaching over 3 per cent of GDP after 2045. Moreover, even when taking into considering the low dynamics for the Portuguese economy, replacement migration is an important input to improve pension system financial sustainability.     

中国宪法学研究方向之我见

宪法学的基本理论问题是中国宪法学研究的薄弱环节,在这方面我们目前的努力主要是吸收国外先进的成果,一时还难有创新。中国宪法学者首先应当关心的是中国的宪政问题,尤其是当前的宪政问题。中国宪法学者应逐步树立一种独立思考的学术品格,以探询宪政发展之客观规律。     

The third-age African American seniors: benefits of participating in senior multipurpose facilities

This article examines the contexts and benefits of African American seniors' participation in multipurpose facilities. Using qualitative data from 15 in-depth participant interviews and 6-month on-site participant observations as well as a survey result, research revealed the physical, emotional, and social benefits that African American seniors reported as a result of their participation in various activities offered in a multipurpose senior center in Atlanta Georgia. The study presents a social context in which African American seniors constructed their new third age identities that is different from the wide-spread negative images depicted by the mainstream about this minority group. Findings from this study increase the knowledge about African American seniors' participation in multipurpose facilities and provide a better understanding for the diverse socio-economic backgrounds of African American seniors. Study results will have policy implications for a better development of senior centers for minority population in the United States for the promotion of productive and successful aging.