Some Evidence of a Pluralistic Discipline: A Narrative Analysis of Public Administration Symposia

This article investigates the discipline of public administration as it is manifested in symposium articles published during the period 1985–99. What was the field trying to accomplish? The method of investigation is narrative analysis. Using specific discourse markers (method, substantive contents, and authorial intentions), the authors found a wide variety of purposes and projects in the symposia investigated. The condition of public administration, they conclude, is distinguished by a radical pluralism—a striking absence of any singular conception of public administration scholarship.     

Targeting Benefits for Electoral Gain: Constituency Marginality and the Distribution of Grants to English Local Authorities

We model the spatial allocation of resources over constituencies as an optimization problem in which governing parties face uncertainty about voter preferences, but seek to increase their chances of getting re-elected. We show that a rational government should allocate extra resources to marginal constituencies and especially favour opposition-held marginals. We test this hypothesis on data about central government grants to larger English local authorities. We consider whether Conservative controlled and 'flagship' local authorities also benefit. Our empirical results suggest that the government allocated around £500 million more to local authorities containing marginal constituencies and around £155 million more to 'flagship' local authorities than they could have been expected to get on the criteria of social need and population.     

Harmonisation by Example: European Laws against Unfair Commercial Practices

This examination of the implementation of the European Union's Directive on Unfair Commercial Practices in the United Kingdom by the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 assesses the likely impact on the national law governing the marketing practices of rogue traders, including its ambition to simplify and extend legal protection, and the likely success of the Directive in achieving the harmonisation of the laws and practices regulating marketing in Europe. In particular, the discussion evaluates the regulatory strategy of the Directive in its attempt to secure uniform laws through the combination of principles, rules, and concrete examples of prohibited practices. The paper also investigates the likely impact of the Regulations on the private law of contract and tort and the possibilities for improvements in a consumer's personal right of redress.     

The Wasted Costs Jurisdiction

The wasted costs jurisdiction is flawed for six reasons, based on an analysis of all reported cases in the last nine years and five years of statistics provided by the Bar Mutual Insurance Fund Limited, and despite the guidance laid down by the Court of Appeal in Ridehalgh v Horsefield [1994] Ch 205. First, it is very costly proportionate to the amount recovered. Secondly, judges can initiate a wasted costs enquiry, which is unfair and even more disproportionately costly. Thirdly, it is procedurally complex. Fourthly, it is unpredictable whether the client will waive privilege, and what the consequences will be whether or not privilege is waived. Fifthly, it is not possible for solicitors and barristers to make contribution claims against each other. Sixthly, it is mostly used against lawyers representing legally aided litigants from whom costs cannot be recovered.     

'The environment in international relations'

Books reviewed in this article:
Desai, U. (ed.), Ecological Policy and Politics in Developing Countries:Economic Growth, Democracy, and Environment
Elliott, L. M., The Global Politics of the Environment
Hayward, T., Political Theory and Ecological Values
Homer-Dixon, T. F., Environment, Scarcity, and Violence
Jameson, F. and Miyoshi, M. (eds), The Cultures of Globalization
Kuetting, G., Environment, Society and International Relations:Towards More Effective International Environmental Agreements
Litfin, K. T. (ed.), The Greening of Sovereignty in World Politics
Maguire, D. C. and Rasmussen, L. L., Ethics for a Small Planet:New Horizons on Population, Consumption, and Ecology
McGinnis, M. V. (ed.), Bioregionalism
Renner, M., Fighting for Survival: Environmental Decline, SocialConflict and the New Age of Insecurity
Schaeffer, R. K. (ed.), Understanding Globalization: The SocialConsequences of Political, Economic, and Environmental Change
Weiss, E. B. and Jacobson, H. K. (eds), Engaging Countries:Strengthening Compliance with International Environmental Accords
Young, O. R. (ed.), Global Governance: Drawing Insights from theEnvironmental Experience