Ideology and campaign activity at three levels of government

This article examines the relationship between self-designated political ideology, opinions on twenty-one issues, and campaign activity at local, state, and national levels. The samples examined include delegates to the 1984 Party Conventions in eleven states. Generally, the findings indicate that ideology and issue position are most strongly associated with activity in national campaigns. Among Democrats liberalism is associated with national activity, whereas among Republicans those who are conservative are most active in national campaigns. Some important intraparty differences are found between local campaign activists and national activists. For example, among Democrats local campaign activists are much more conservative than national activists on several issues.     

Mortality in cerebral palsy (CP): the importance of the cause of CP on the manner of death

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a nonprogressive motor deficit present or sustained in the perinatal period. We reviewed the files of the Office of Chief Medical Examiner of the City of New York for the 1997-2001 interval seeking those with any mention of cerebral palsy. There were 26 such cases, including 18 natural deaths, three accidents, two homicides, two therapeutic complications, and one death classified as undetermined. Proper reporting and careful investigation of these deaths is required for accurate certification of cause and manner of death, as well as for adequate tracking of these deaths for public health purposes.     

Mandating insurance offers for low-wage workers: an evaluation of labor market effects

Employing a simultaneous model of part-time status, health insurance offers, and wages, we examine the impacts on employment and health insurance coverage of nondiscrimination rules in the tax code governing employer-sponsored health insurance. Using 1988 and 1993 Employee Benefits Supplements to the Current Population Surveys and variations in health insurance premiums and minimum wages, we find that health insurance coverage among low-wage primary earners is increased by at most 31 percent by the policy, at a cost of an estimated 0.8-5.4-percentage-point decrease in full-time employment for low-wage workers.