Constituents’ economic interests and senator support for spending limitations

Peltzman [Peltzman, S., 1984. Constituent interest and congressional voting. Journal of Law and Economics 27, 181–210] argues that if constituents’ economic interests have well-defined “winners and losers” and are appropriately measured, then constituents’ economic interests, and not legislator ideology, are the most important determinates of legislator voting. We test Peltzman's theory by examining senatorial voting on three mandated spending limitation bills. We find, consistent with Peltzman's theory, that the ratio of federal spending in a senator's state to federal taxes paid by that state, and not a senator's personal ideology, matters on legislation where there are well-defined economic “winners and losers.” This is particularly important because unlike other constituents’ economic interest measures that only impact a fraction of the constituency, the ratio of federal spending to federal taxes in a state represents the economic interests of all the constituents in a state.     

Group Benefit and Protection of Pediatric Research Subjects: Grimes v. Kennedy Krieger and the Lead Abatement Study

The Maryland Court of Appeals in Grimes v. Kennedy Krieger Institute was sharply critical of the lead abatement study conducted by this Institute, an affiliate of Johns Hopkins University. Grimes ruled that investigators might, given the facts of the case, have a special relationship with subjects, thereby creating a duty of care that could, if breached, give rise to an action in negligence. This ruling has implications for pediatric research practices and long-standing disputes among informed people of good will about what pediatric studies should be permitted.     

Origins of the epithet ‘government by public relations’: Revisiting Bruce Catton's War Lords of Washington, 1948

While it might make public relations professionals and faculty cringe, the term ‘government by public relations’ is a negative one, implying that governmental decision-making is guided by appearances rather than on the merits. This tag line is a relatively common American put-down of politicians and senior civil servants. This article examines the origins of the term, locating its usage in the WWII memoirs of Bruce Catton, then a government public information officer and later a renowned popular historian of the American Civil War. Catton's use of the term, his 1948 book War Lords of Washington, and his philosophy of government public information are examined in more detail to give context to the phrase ‘government by public relations.’     

从美联储看金融的本质——读《金融的本质——伯南克四讲美联储》

原美联储主席伯南克的《金融的本质——伯南克四讲美联储》揭示了美联储运作背后的金融的本质。从金融稳定、通胀和泡沫、监管缺失、后遗症显现等角度看金融本质,对我国金融业的发展有重要的启发意义。要深刻理解央行监管职责的重大意义,考虑金融监管的逆周期性,应对某些经济泡沫化问题,加快推进金融的市场化改革进程。     

Accountability in research using persons with mental illness

Although medical research involving the use of persons with mental illness is critically important, in order for the research to be ethical and legal there are certain considerations and restrictions which should be immediately readdressed in order to insure that the welfare of these vulnerable research subjects is protected, and their best interests are assured. A brief historical examination of medical research codes, guidelines, recommendations and Federal Regulations reveals the various considerations and restrictions on informed consent and accountability applicable to the use of persons with mental illness in medical research. Several concerns are raised about how these considerations and restrictions have been interpreted, and specific recommendations are offered to improve them immediately by means of representation from consumers and/or their families, and organizations, e.g., NAMI members.     

联邦德国与第二次柏林危机前期美苏谈判中的德美关系

第二次柏林危机是冷战时期东西方在欧洲的一次正面交锋，这次危机的核心问题是德国和柏林问题。为使危机得到缓解，艾森豪威尔政府领导西方阵营与苏联进行了一系列谈判。在谈判过程中，联邦德国作为危机的利益攸关方，对艾森豪威尔政府的谈判政策表现出了充分的不信任。这种不信任反映了在冷战背景下，作为超级大国的盟友的不安全感。     

Disaster Management from a POM Perspective: Mapping a New Domain

We have reviewed disaster management research papers published in major operations management, management science, operations research, supply chain management and transportation/logistics journals. In reviewing these studies, our objective is to assess and present the macro level “architectural blue print” of disaster management research with the hope that it will attract new researchers and motivate established researchers to contribute to this important field. The secondary objective is to bring this disaster research to the attention of disaster administrators so that disasters are managed more efficiently and more effectively. We have mapped the disaster management research on the following five attributes of a disaster: (1) Disaster Management Function (decision‐making process, prevention and mitigation, evacuation, humanitarian logistics, casualty management, and recovery and restoration), (2) Time of Disaster (before, during and after), (3) Type of Disaster (accidents, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, landslides, terrorism and wildfires etc.), (4) Data Type (Field and Archival data, Real data and Hypothetical data), and (5) Data Analysis Technique (bidding models, decision analysis, expert systems, fuzzy system analysis, game theory, heuristics, mathematical programming, network flow models, queueing theory, simulation and statistical analysis). We have done cross tabulations of data among these five parameters to gain greater insights into disaster research. Recommendations for future research are provided.     

美国联邦文官考试制度的起源及其历史演变

考试制度是美国联邦文官制度的核心。19 世纪中后期美国联邦政府实行文官考试制度伊始,这一制度在一个多世纪的历史发展中不断得到调整与完善。从1883年《彭德尔顿法》颁布时所确立的“实用性”原则与“专才”结构、20世纪中期从理论上到实践中所增加的“通才”考试内容、20 世纪后期取消对以黑人为主的少数种族在考试方式方法上的歧视以及新旧世纪之交加强文官主管机构(联邦人事管理总署)对考试的责任,进一步反映出美国文官考试制度的发展与演变。     

试析奥地利1866年战败原因

奥普争霸是影响德意志统一运动进程的关键因素,在争霸斗争中奥地利最终于1866年战败,主要原因是:奥地利独立的大国政策使其更关心王朝利益,加之帝国重心东移,造成其日益偏离德意志的趋向:奥地利政治、经济上的落后状态使其逐渐丧失在德意志的优势地位;奥地利外交挫折。