Sources of Competition in State Legislative Primary Elections

Primaries are an important but understudied component of American elections. In this article, I examine competition in state legislative primaries across 25 states during the 1994 and 1996 election cycles. My findings indicate that competition varies greatly and is affected by a number of factors on the state and district levels. The presence of an incumbent reduces competition, but strong district support for a party leads to greater competition in that party's primaries. Population size and social diversity do little to affect competition, but urbanism and unified party control have a positive impact. Further, legislative professionalism is associated with greater competition, particularly in open‐seat races. Overall, the results have important implications for theories about the conditions that enhance or inhibit competition across different types of elections.     

RESOURCE ALLOCATION IN LEGAL SERVICES: Individual Attorney Decisions in Work Priorities

This article explores the issues of professional decision-making in legal resource allocation by examining theoretical models of professional decision-making, and applying them in the provision of legal services for the poor. Data collected from time sheets completed by attorneys in an urban legal services program suggest the relative importance of bureaucratic, external, client-centered, ideology, personal, and role concept factors in allocating time for practice routines. The implications of these findings for the rational (i.e., cost benefit) determination of the value of legal services are discussed.     

RADICAL CRIMINOLOGY: An Explication

This study addresses the current controversy involving radical criminology. It is argued that much of the polemic related to radical criminology is directed at a “straw man.” a monolithic conception of the perspective that fails to consider important philosophical, theoretical, practical, and nominal dfferences among those who write radical criminology (i.e.p “radical criminologists”). Furthermore, although radical criminologists share many philosophical, theoretical, and practical assumptions, it is emphasized that they hold to these shared assumptions with dffering degrees of sensitivity, sophistication, andsubtlety a point often ignored by critics and enthusiasts alike. Consequently, this study explicates not only some of the shared assumptions of radical criminologists, but also some of the dfferences.     

PERIODICAL PRESTIGE IN CRIMINOLOGY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE: A Comment

This study examines the problems involved in measuring prestige of periodicah in criminology and criminal justice via subjective evaluations. An alternative measure of journal eminence based on citation frequency is developed. The differences in journal rankings derived from these contrasting methods are assessed.     

Appearance and Delinquency

This article examines the relationship between appearance and self-reported delinquency. Based on prior research, it is hypothesized that (1) unattractive individuals will be more delinquent, and (2) strain, labeling, and social control variables will mediate the relationship between appearance and delinquency Data from a national sample of adolescent boys support the first hypothesis. Only partial support is provided for the second hypothesis, with social control variables explaining from 9% to 31% of the association between appearance and delinquency. Theoretical and methodological reasons for the limited support of the second hypothesis are discussed.     

BOOT CAMP PRISONS AND RECIDIVISM IN EIGHT STATES*

Recidivism reduction is an important objective of many correctional programs. Recent survey data suggest that boot camp prisons (also referred to as shock incarceration programs) are no exception. In this study, we examine recidivism among boot camp completers in eight states during community supervision. We then assess these recidivism patterns in light of how one or more comparison groups in each state perform. For most states, two or more recidivism measures (such as arrest and revocation) are employed. The analysis suggests that those who complete boot camp do not inevitably perform either better or worse than their comparison group counterparts. Rather, program effectiveness has to be judged on a state-bystate basis.     

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION IN AUSTRALIA, CANADA AND NEW ZEALAND

In 1982, Australia, Canada and New Zealand introduced freedom of information (FOI) laws. The author visited all three countries in 1986-7 to study how the legislation was being used, and its impact on the workings of Westminster-style government. A table summarizes the main features of the legislation. The article discusses the different appeal mechanisms; the implications for ministerial accountability; the level of take-up; the different categories of user; administrative costs and benefits; staffing requirements, refusal rates, fees, etc. Apart from requests for personal files, the level of demand has been relatively low; ministerial accountability remains unchanged; the legislation has successfully protected government secrets; and the overall cost has not proved too great. FOI has not realized its more ambitious objectives, such as increasing public participation in government decision-making; but at the same time, it has not fulfilled many of its opponents' worst fears.     

RATIONAL POLITICIANS AND RATIONAL BUREAUCRATS IN WASHINGTON AND WHITEHALL

William Niskanen's theory of Bureaucracy and Representative Government predicts that the interaction of rational vote-maximizing politicians and rational budget-maximizing bureaucrats will lead to an oversupply of bureaucratic goods and services. The demand, supply and motivational components of this model are all shown to be flawed; and the oversupply conclusion therefore fails to follow. A revised model constructed from the elements that can be salvaged from this critique suggests that rational mission-committed politicians and bureaucrats join in a policy-making oligopoly, run internally on the basis of trust and externally on the manipulation of information. This leads to a skewing (rather than a simple oversupply) of bureaucratic goods and services. Some evidence suggests that this model fits British as well as American policy-making.