PLANNING, WATER SUPPLIES AND MINISTERIAL POWER IN INTER-WAR BRITAIN

Despite several attempts to reform the structure of the water industry, little was achieved in the inter-war period. Three phases in the perception of water-use planning can be discerned, namely the period of post-First World War reconstruction, the years 1929–34, and those of 1935–39. The allocation of water resources affected property rights so closely that Parliament was particularly reluctant to delegate its regulatory powers over the industry to ministers and their officials.     

The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act: Federal Leadership in State Reform

The policies advanced by the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, while generally viewed as a success, are seen by some as a failure that may even abet juveniles in the commission of crime. After tracing the evolution of federal juvenile justice legislation and examining arrest and treatment data, the authors confront the criticisms aimed at the Act, and find reason for considerable optimism. Nationwide, the number, proportion, and rate of juvenile arrests have fallen more than the juvenile population, and many states appear to have made substantial progress in improving the processing and treatment of juveniles. The authors conclude that the Act is a continuing source of federal leadership for state innovation.     

Analyzing the Equity and Efficiency of OSHA Enforcement

Our study evaluates the equity and efficiency of OSHA enforcement relating to the nature of the firm, the intensity of the inspection, and the size of penalty, based on the experience of 6,842 firms between 1979 and 1985. We found that: (1) enforcement actions against firms with one hundred to five hundred employees had greater general and specific deterrence effects than against larger or smaller firms; (2) superficial inspections that checked only the firm's injury records were ineffective. Health inspections, which tend to be more intense, also reduced injuries, but repeated inspections in the same year did not; and (3) larger penalties did not increase either general or specific deterrence. Small penalties decreased injuries as much as larger ones, and took considerably less inspection time. We discuss implications for policy, and emphasize the need for further research on the equity and efficiency of enforcement.     

Sexual Entitlement: Rights and AIDS,The Early Years*

While traditionally social scientists saw politics as an independent force acting on law, today it seems appropriate to also view law as an agent in the construction of political identities, aspirations and tactics. Here, the AIDS epidemic illuminates this relationship. Soon after AIDS was identified, the cities of San Francisco and San Diego moved to close the gay baths as breeding grounds for the disease. The struggle over that policy reveals how law enters into the debates within the homosexual community, and at least partially constitutes individual identity in that community.     

WITHOUT PRECEDENT: THE DEVELOPMENT OF NORTH SEA OIL POLICY

New policies had to be developed as Britain emerged a major producer of North Sea gas in the 1960's and oil in the 1970s. In the first phase, from 1964 to 1972, policy was directed at establishing the legal framework, an offshore licensing regime and a fast build-up of production. Policies in the second phase, from 1972 onwards, ensured a high share of the profits for the Exchequer, regulated development more strictly, exercised some control of oil supplies, and encouraged the offshore supplies industry in Britain. The Labour Government set up the British National Oil Corporation (BNOC) in 1976 with a majority share in new licences and an interest in existing licences secured through the participation negotiations. The Conservative Government of 1979 maintained these policies, apart from reducing the role of, and planning to introduce private capital into, BNOC.