Administrative Reform: Changing Leadership Roles?

Three interwoven change elements characterize New Public Management: substantial horizontal and vertical specialization, substituting an integrated sector model for a fragmented functional model, and extensive use of contracts as part of a make the manager manage kind of incentive system. This article discusses the effects and implications of these reform elements on political-democratic processes in general, and on political, administrative, and public enterprise leadership roles more specifically. Examples from Norway and New Zealand illustrate the discussion.     

The Progression from Tetra-Ethyl Lead to MTBE to Ethanol: Hidden Dangers and Unforeseen Risk

This article describes the progression of gasoline additives and the environmental and health effects of the preferred gasoline additives. It discusses the need for gasoline additives, the circumstances leading to tetra-ethyl lead becoming the first gasoline additive instead of ethanol, the regulation of automobile emissions leading to the phase-out of leaded gasoline, the introduction of oxygenates such as methyl tert-butyl ether to reduce ozone concentrations in urban areas, and the reasons for banning methyl tert-butyl ether, which resulted in ethanol becoming the preferred additive today.