Sustainable governance of natural resources and institutional change–an analytical framework

This article presents a conceptual framework for analysing the governance of natural resource use, as governance is often the primary issue when natural resources are overexploited and degraded. It addresses both spontaneous and active governance, including institutional change induced by development co‐operation. Drawing on existing frameworks of institutional analysis, fundamental modifications are presented to adapt the concept to the context of international co‐operation, and to include dynamic aspects of institutional change as well as multiple actor interactions. Tested in several case studies, the framework was found suitable and relevant for use in project planning and evaluation, as well as for comparing governance issues across cases in a conceptually rigorous way. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

TJTC and the promise and reality of redistributive vouchering and tax credit policy

The Targeted Jobs Tax Credit (TJTC) is a representative redistributive incentive. Initially, proponents saw TJTC as an elegant program, efficiently promoting labor market behavior that would solve the employment problems of many disadvantaged job seekers. However, interest groups distorted the credit into a windfall for businesses that hire large numbers of low wage workers. The policy theories incorporated into TJTC, which emphasized continual program reform and minimized program management by public administrators, provided a setting conducive to interest group distortion. Because few representatives of the disadvantaged participated in the oversight process, special interests undermined TJTC being reformed through empirical evaluation. This experience indicates that without major changes in the policy process, narrowly targeted rzdistributive policies should be avoided.     

The Professional Researcher as Change Agent in the Government–Performance Movement

Although academic and professional publications give the impression that performance measurement is a growing government practice, in actuality the use of this technology is not as deep or as widespread as it may appear. Even when performance measures are used, governments rarely integrate them into planning, budget, personnel, and other management processes. Most professional researchers located primarily in academic institutions, but also in research and government organizations, approach performance measurement as though governmental officials, elected or otherwise, are already sold on its usefulness. Instead, they need to function as "change agents," using a variety of strategies to gain acceptance and understanding of the strengths and limitations of performance measurement. This article draws on the authors' experiences with the Community Benchmarks Program of the Maxwell School in Onondaga County and a review of the current literature. It suggests guidelines for professional researchers who want to increase the use of performance measures by governments at all levels.     

Sexual and nonsexual offenders with intellectual and learning disabilities: a comparison of characteristics, referral patterns, and outcome

This article reports an evaluation of a community intellectual disability offender service over the period from 1990 to 2001. Men who committed sex offenses or sexually abusive incidents (n = 106) and men who committed other types of offenses and serious incidents (n = 78) are compared on personal characteristics, referral sources, forensic details, and outcome up to 7 years after referral. The cohorts are older than one would expect from the criminology literature, and, at about 33%, the incidence of mental illness is consistent with some previous studies. A greater proportion of sex offenders had criminal justice involvement and a formal disposal from court. Fire raising was not overly represented as an offense. There was a higher rate of reoffending in the nonsexual cohort, which persisted up to 7 years. Investigating only reoffenders, there was a considerable amount of harm reduction recorded up to 7 years, statistically significant up to 5 years following initial referral.     

Art. 20a GG in der Hand des Bundesverfassungsgerichts – Potential für einen Anspruch auf Gesetzgebung?

Natur und Recht - Als allein objektive Verfassungsnorm kann Art. 20a GG für sich genommen dem Einzelnen kein subjektives Recht auf Klima-Gesetzgebung verleihen. Hieran ändert auch der...     

Pouch shapes--origin unknown

The makers of the popular Capri-Sun drinks were unable to convincethe European Court of Justice (ECJ) that their flat-bottomedpouches for fruit drinks would be perceived as indicating origin.     

Föderalismusreform und Europäisches Umweltrecht Bemerkungen zur Kompetenzverteilung Bund – Länder vor dem Hintergrund der Herausforderungen des europäischen Gemeinschaftsrechts

§ 4 Abs. 1 S. 1 BImSchG unterwirft die Errichtung und den Betrieb besonders immissionserheblicher Anlagen der Genehmigungspflicht. Obwohl diese Voraussetzungen auch auf viele der im Bergbau verwendeten Anlagen zutreffen, sieht der Gesetzgeber für solche „Anlagen des Bergwesens“ durch § 174 Abs. 5 BBergG und § 4 Abs. 2 BImSchG eine Befreiung von der immissionsschutzrechtlichen Genehmigungspflicht vor. Der Beitrag zeigt die Einzelheiten des so geschaffenen „Konkurrenzverh?ltnisses“ zwischen Immissionsschutz- und Bergrecht im Bereich der sich immissionserheblich auswirkenden Anlagen des Bergwesens auf und verdeutlicht, dass deren „Privilegierung“ rechtssystematisch wie verfassungsrechtlich nicht hinnehmbar ist.