The Monster that Ate the United States Senate

Under this allegorical title the article addresses the lawmaking process that has led to the acceptance of three major laws: the 1996 welfare law, the 1997 tax law, and the 1997 balanced budget law. The article presents the author's critical views regarding the budget reconciliation process that underlies the acceptance of these laws.     

‘I have the jab so I can't be blamed for getting pregnant’: Contraception and women with learning disabilities

The aim of this research was to investigate whether, and to what extent, women with learning disabilities were enabled to exercise choice and control when it came to their use of contraception. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 23 women with learning disabilities in the UK to explore these issues. Findings suggest that most women with learning disabilities did not make their own decisions and some of those who did, found their choices constrained by various factors, such as their young age, fears of losing their service, and previous traumatic experiences. The over-use of Depo-Provera is discussed, as are the common practices of giving contraception to women who are not sexually active and those whose fertility has declined naturally due to their age. The factors which lead to women's relative lack of autonomy are explored.     

Advancing police use of force research and practice: urgent issues and prospects

Leading police scholars and practitioners were asked to reflect on the most urgent issues that need to be addressed on the topic of use of force. Four themes emerged from their contributions: use of force and de-escalation training needs to improve and be evaluated; new ways of conceptualizing use of force encounters and better use of force response models need to be developed; the inequitable application of force, and how to remediate biases, needs to be more fully understood; and misconceptions about police use of force need to be identified and corrected. The highlighted topics serve as an agenda for future research. Such research should provide greater insight into when, where, and why force is used by police officers, and how it can be applied appropriately. If implemented, the practical recommendations included in the contributions should have a positive impact on police performance, public trust and confidence in the police, and citizen and officer safety.     

A Meta‐Analysis of the Relationship between Public Service Motivation and Job Satisfaction

In recent years, much research has been conducted on the relationship between public service motivation (PSM) and various outcomes, including job satisfaction. This article presents a meta‐analysis aggregating the effects of PSM on job satisfaction. Meta‐regression analysis is used to assess the impact of numerous study characteristics and to identify potential issues of publication bias. The findings, based on 28 separate studies, show no evidence of publication bias and support the positive relationship between PSM and job satisfaction. Furthermore, the results support the importance of providing individuals with the opportunity to serve the public within this relationship. Given the organizational benefits that can be derived from improved job satisfaction and the focus of PSM research on its implications for job satisfaction, these findings are of interest to both academics and practitioners in the field of public administration.