Categorical Imperatives: The Interaction of Latino and Racial Identification*

Objective. Most large data sets solicit “ethnic” identification and “racial” identification in separate questions. We test the relative salience of these two identifications by exploring whether individuals who chose both a Latino “ethnic” label and a “racial” label on separate survey questions still chose both of these labels when they were given a single combined question about their racial and ethnic origins. Methods. Using the May 1995 Race and Ethnicity Supplement to the Current Population Survey, we estimate a multinomial logit model of identification choices. Results. We find that most individuals who chose a Latino label and a racial label chose a Latino‐only identification. Selection of multiple labels was more common for Latinos than non‐Latinos, however. Language use, local ethnic context, national origin, and age were all significantly related to these identification choices. Conclusion. The format of “race” and “ethnicity” questions on surveys has significant implications for the identification patterns of Latinos.     

Social Work and Social Justice in Northern Ireland: Towards a New Occupational Space

Correspondence to: Dr John Pinkerton, School of Social Work, Queens University Belfast, 7 Lennoxvale, Belfast BT9 5BY, Northern Ireland. E-mail j.pinkerton{at}qub.ac.uk Summary This article considers the concept of social justice by referenceto the experience of social work in Northern Ireland duringthe past forty years of communal, paramilitary and state violence.It notes the contested nature of the concept and its chequeredhistory within the professional ideology of social work generallyand its absence as a significant explanatory and motivationalconcept for social workers in Northern Ireland to date. It arguesthat in the emerging post-conflict situation social work asa profession needs to operationalize a view of social justicethat acknowledges social and cultural diversity in order toredefine the profession itself and direct its relationship toboth the state and civil society.     

Limousine Liberals and Corporate Conservatives: The Financial Constituencies of the Democratic and Republican Parties*

Objective. This study examines the backgrounds, political attitudes, issue preferences, and political participation of congressional donors who contribute $200 or more to congressional campaigns. Methods. We use a nationwide survey of more than 1,000 donors and analyze differences among these individuals using cluster analysis. Results. Although these significant donors are economic elites, we find they are not monolithic in their political views and attitudes. There are significant cleavages in the donor pool across and within the two major parties on various political issues and involvement in different political organizations. Perhaps most important, we find that the most active donors hold the most ideologically extreme political views. Conclusions. The results suggest that the sharp cross‐party differences and the meaningful variations within party coalitions, combined with the greater activity of more ideologically extreme donors, contribute to and reflect party polarization.     

Last‐In First‐Out Oligopoly Dynamics

This paper extends the static analysis of oligopoly structure into an infinite‐horizon setting with sunk costs and demand uncertainty. The observation that exit rates decline with firm age motivates the assumption of last‐in first‐out dynamics: An entrant expects to produce no longer than any incumbent. This selects an essentially unique Markov‐perfect equilibrium. With mild restrictions on the demand shocks, sequences of thresholds describe firms' equilibrium entry and survival decisions. Bresnahan and Reiss' (1993) empirical analysis of oligopolists' entry and exit assumes that such thresholds govern the evolution of the number of competitors. Our analysis provides an infinite‐horizon game‐theoretic foundation for that structure.     

Strategic Management of Operations in the Emergency Department

This study is based on the analysis of field data on the revenues and patient flows that we collected on all adult emergency department (ED) visits to a level‐1 trauma, tertiary referral center. Our objective was to provide researchers in operations a rich overview of the processes, resources, and metrics of financial and operations performance in the ED. We analyze how patients, physicians, hospitals/physician employer groups, and payers are party to the value created and financial workflow of the ED. A waterfall model for professional services revenue is developed that highlights the impacts of changes in processes, resources, scale, complexity, and mix of patients treated in the ED. We also discuss future implications of new compensation models and potential scenarios that will focus upon controlling costs while maximizing population health and patient satisfaction. These models will necessitate re‐engineering of operations in the ED from a strategic perspective. Four major thrusts for selecting the capacity portfolio in the ED operations to align the interests of all the stakeholders are recommended. New avenues for research are also identified.