Harming America: Corporate Crime in a Context of Deregulation

ABSTRACT

Like many Republican presidential candidates before him, Donald J. Trump campaigned on a pro-business, anti-regulation platform, and since his election in November 2016, he has directed his administration to move forward with deregulation in many arenas, including consumer financial protections, environmental controls, and workplace safety among others. Past efforts to roll back regulations governing certain industries, such as the savings and loan and the mortgage industries, have had harmful consequences for the general public or for specific interest groups. In this study, we review what the Trump administration has accomplished with regard to deregulation to date. Then, based on past deregulatory fiascos, we theorize the harmful collateral consequences that may result from this most recent swing of the regulatory-deregulatory pendulum.     

Improved Area of Origin Estimation for Bloodstain Pattern Analysis Using 3D Scanning

An important component of crime scene reconstruction is bloodstain pattern analysis (BPA). Where BPA concerns impact patterns, estimating the area of origin is critical information for scene reconstruction. Traditionally, this is achieved by measuring individual bloodstains and performing trigonometric calculations; however, 3D scanning has been proposed as a viable alternative for overcoming logistical and practical concerns with the manual method. Therefore, this project aimed to establish whether the FARO Focus 3D scanner and FARO Zone 3D software can improve the accuracy of area of origin estimates relative to the manual method. We created a series of eight bloodstain impact patterns and performed paired analysis using the two methods to estimate areas of origin for each pattern. Our data suggested that FARO-derived estimates were generally more accurate than using the manual method. FARO-estimated heights of origin areas were generally closer to the true distance. Both methods underestimated the distance from the wall for most patterns originating 150mm or greater from the wall, but overestimated distances for patterns originating closer to the wall. The degree to which distances were underestimated increased significantly the further the blood source was from the wall and was greater for FARO-derived estimates. The results of this research contribute to the validation of these instruments for operational implementation for BPA and should be considered alongside the practical benefits of 3D scanning relative to manual methods. Further, 3D scanning can provide reliable BPA reconstruction documentation for technical review and court presentation.     

Inclusivity in Online Platforms: Recruitment Strategies for Improving Participation of Diverse Sociodemographic Groups

Governments are increasingly implementing smart and digital approaches to promoting citizen participation. However, whether online participation platforms are tools that improve inclusivity in citizen participation remains underexplored. To address this gap, this article focuses on the role of recruitment messages and their effect on participation in an online participation platform by gender and age. A field experiment with a neighborhood census sample (N = 6,066) shows that online participation dips for younger and older citizens and is equal among women and men. For the age groups between 60 and 75, differences in the control and intervention recruitment messages significantly impacted participation. These findings can help public managers tailor recruitment strategies to facilitate inclusive participation and represent a first step toward learning what types of messages are effective for whom.     

Covid-19 Pandemic,Social Mitigation and Taxation: The Open Veins of Inequality in Latin America

The pandemic of Covid-19 has exposed the veins of inequality in Latin America. With a socioeconomic disaster looming, social emergency policies seemed inevitable. Yet while governments argue over the continuity of such policies and whether the fiscal rules in place should be respected, no sustainable response has come out. This essay problematises whether the pandemic could represent a critical juncture to forge ahead with political narratives that highlight tax exemptions and privileges enjoyed by the rich. We analyse the mitigation measures adopted by Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay and their repercussions on the debate surrounding progressive tax reforms to fund social schemes.     

"伊斯兰国"核心意识形态的渊源和实践

对于“伊斯兰国”而言，建构和输出意识形态至关重要。特定内容的意识形态不仅催生了“伊斯兰国”组织，并最终实现了其“领土”形式。在内容上，“伊斯兰国”汲取了之前政治伊斯兰的理论建构成果，并在“圣战”组织的实践过程中确立了复归的“哈里发国”和暴恐化的“圣战”两大核心意识形态。不仅如此，“伊斯兰国”还对两大核心意识形态进行了激进化实践。在复归的“哈里发国”方面，“伊斯兰国”试图通过宣示权力和荣耀来奠定其合法性基础，并以此来操弄族群身份认同，以吸引更多支持者；在暴恐化的“圣战”方面，“伊斯兰国”致力于对暴力进行形塑和展示，推动“暴力仪式观”的传播，从而造成了新恐怖的弥散；此外，“伊斯兰国”还试图通过篡改伊斯兰教义教法的方式来建构复归的“哈里发国”同暴恐化的“圣战”之间的联系。在“伊斯兰国”遭遇地面战场的失利之后，这些意识形态及其实践会为其续命。鉴于这种情况，需要对“伊斯兰国”的核心意识形态及其实践给予更多关注并进行深入研究，从而提供应对之策。     

Directors’ duties under the 2019 Companies Act of Ghana

The scope of directors’ duties forms perhaps the most important part of corporate governance. This paper considers the trajectory of the regulation of directors’ duties under Ghanaian company law from the Companies Act, 1963 (Act 179) to the Companies Act, 2019 (Act 992). Using the 2017 to 2019 financial institutions’ insolvencies in Ghana as a backdrop, it considers whether the scope, formulation and structure of directors’ duties within the new legislation is capable of promoting corporately-beneficial director behaviour. It also discusses whether the framework is apt to deal with similar lapses in corporate governance marked by reckless and opportunistic director behaviour. It discovers that Act 992 places a greater reliance on specific rules while retaining the largely principles-based regulatory technique adopted for regulating director conduct under Act 179. The overall tenor of the framework of directors’ duties under the new Act points to a firmer legislative view of the serious consequences of reckless director conduct. The paper concludes that the language of the framework regulating director conduct is capable of promoting corporately beneficially director behaviour and is also apt to deal with the kind of lapses in corporate governance which led to mass financial sector insolvencies in Ghana.     

Bringing the Falklands/Malvinas Home: Young People's Everyday Engagements with Geopolitics in Domestic Space

This paper draws on recent research examining feminist and everyday geopolitics to focus on the relatively neglected domestic sphere as a space where geopolitical events like the Falklands/Malvinas war are learnt, (re)produced, remembered and contested by young people. It presents qualitative data drawn from interviews with young people from Argentina (Río Gallegos) and the Falkland Islands (Stanley), locations with intimate connections to the 1982 war. It argues that research in domestic environments that engages the familial relations, objects and practices that embody geopolitical pasts can help make sense of how young people (are able to) express geopolitical agency.     

“三个代表”与政治文明：构筑起政治合法性的双翼

政治合法性是政治学研究的一个基本命题，是各个政权更是执政党应该首先解决好的重大问题。在我国，解决这一问题，关系到执政党执政地位的持久性、稳固性，关系到社会主义制度优越性的发挥和合理性认证。针对我国政治合法性的特殊性，我们党与时俱进，开拓创新，提出了“三个代表”的重要思想和建设社会主义政治明这一全新执政课题，构筑起了我国政治合法性的双翼，为实现执政党执政合法性和社会主义政治制度合法性的良性互动指明了前进方向和现实路径。     

侦查讯问制度与对抗制庭审制度之价值协同问题研究

侦查讯问具有结果价值和程序价值。这两种价值的不同追求决定着侦查讯问的诉讼结构,而且该结构一般与庭审方式保持了相同的理念运作。然而从我国1996年刑诉改革以来,对抗制特色庭审方式与强职权侦查讯问方式存在着不可调和的价值冲突,以至司法实践中两种制度难以对接运作,问题颇多。     

论我国反商业贿赂立法之缺失与完善

商业贿赂是一种不正当竞争行为,同时也是腐败的一种重要表现形式,它侵害了市场经济的公平竞争秩序,腐蚀了我国的廉政制度,严重影响了我国市场经济的健康发展。然而,我国现行的反商业贿赂立法存在法条分散、概念界定模糊、司法解释缺失等问题,从而给执法部门在司法实践中造成了很大的困难。因此,明确商业贿赂的范围、构成要件和法律责任对于我国现阶段开展反商业贿赂专项治理具有十分重要的意义。