The demand revealing process: To distribute the surplus

Contrary to established, frequently repeated proposition that its budget surplus cannot be distributed to taxpayers without disturbing the incentive compatibility of the demand revealing process (DRP), the surplus can be distributed by reapplying the key concept of the DRP. There will remain an aggregate refund error that in a Bayesian sense is random with zero mean, and which vanishes O(1/N)² as the economy becomes large through replication. To dela with income effects. when one does not restrict the domain of the mechanism to separable utility functions, I suggest a variation of the DRP that preserves its incentive compatibility wgeb N is finite.     

Signals from the Tenth Justice: The Political Role of the Solicitor General in Supreme Court Decision Making

Conventional explanations of the solicitor general's influence on the Supreme Court emphasize his expertise or experience. We articulate and test a more political account based on insights from signaling theory. We argue justices will be more receptive to signals from the solicitor general (S.G.) when either the justice and S.G. are ideologically proximate or the S.G.'s signal is contrary to his ideological predisposition. We test our account over the period from 1953 to 2002 using a newly developed interinstitutional measure of ideology that places executive and judicial actors on the same spatial scale. Our results highlight the political nature of the S.G.'s influence, challenging the received wisdom about the S.G.'s impact on the Supreme Court.     

Lindahl mechanisms and free riders

Several authors have proposed mechanisms whose Nash-equilibria yield Lindahl tax allocations; however, as is well known, so does the Lindahl procedure with an auctioneer. Moreover, the game forms of all these mechanisms, and of any as yet undiscovered such mechanism, all have the same normal form as does the Lindahl procedure without an auctioneer. The manipulative Nash equilibria are consequently the same for all these mechanisms, so that all have the traditional free-rider problem and all have the same outcome under strategic behavior.     

The value of the Duquénois test for cannabis--a survey.

The Duquénois test is employed throughout the world as part of the identification procedure for cannabis. A survey of results published for more than 400 herbally derived and botanical materials originating from some 270 different plant species is presented. A survey of results from some 200 organic compounds is also presented. The data show that the D-L modification is the most specific. There is no published report of an obviously botanical material, apart from cannabis, that gives a positive D-L test. Apart from cannabinoids, some resorcinol derivatives give a positive test. All of the materials are easily distinguished from cannabis by TLC.     

The Transitioning Families Therapeutic Reunification Model in Nonfamilial Abductions

The existing literature on abduction reunification is limited and evolving. Although guidelines for model service approaches exist, few programs address the unique challenges of reunifying children and families following abduction. This article delineates a family‐based reunification model that has assisted families affected by abduction since 2006. Model components include a team‐centered approach, a stage‐oriented reunification process, and pitfalls and strategies related to intersystem collaboration. We present the value of a family‐systems, solution‐focused, trauma‐informed, and case‐specific approach to therapeutic reunification following child abduction. Evidence that is contrary to the popular notion of Stockholm's syndrome is also marked. Research on the efficacy of therapeutic reunification is essential for the growth of systems equipped to address the dynamic needs of these families. Accordingly, suggestions for evaluation research are proposed.     

Computer program claims held patentable in the UK

Where claims for computer implemented methods and apparatusare valid, in principle an equivalent claim to the program itselfshould be allowable.     

Trends in Substance Use by Gender Among Participants in a Jail-Based Substance Use Disorder Treatment Program: 1998–2016

Understanding trends in substance use by gender among jail-based treatment program participants can inform policies and programs tailored to this population. Preprogram assessment data from 3509 individuals entering a jail-based substance use disorder treatment program in Missouri between 1998 and 2016 were analyzed. Primary outcome was program participants’ strongly preferred substances. Demographic covariates and drug preferences were compared between males and females. Average yearly trends in preferred substances were calculated. While 25.8% of the sample preferred heroin, it was more strongly preferred by women (36.4%) than men (22.0%, p < 0.0001). Alcohol and marijuana were preferred more by males. Overall, preferences for heroin and methamphetamine increased over time while alcohol, marijuana, and other stimulants decreased. Women being more likely to prefer heroin and the increasing preference for heroin over time are consistent with national trends. Offering evidence-based treatment like pharmacotherapy and gender-sensitive approaches can help address the needs of this vulnerable population.     

The Application of the Polyvagal Theory to High Conflict Co‐Parenting Cases

Families, litigants, lawyers, advisors embroiled in cases of complex divorce with child contact issues, manage many stressors at once. Participants involved with these types of cases are often exhausted and burned‐out from the long‐term battles of prolonged litigation. The inability to problem‐solve or even communicate effectively reflects the chaos and traumatic stress of the experience and can be seen as a hallmark of this population. When people are consistently stressed, there is a breakdown of communication skills that can create an immunity to receiving help from any direction. Often all parties involved appear to be both hyper‐alert to potential threat, and hyper‐reactive to one another: no one feels safe. Stephen Porges' Polyvagal Theory is premised on the idea that neuroception plays a key role in the nervous system's ability to assess danger in the environment. Neuroception is a neurophysiological response that does not involve cognitive processing. When cognitive processing is not involved, the result may lead to misinterpretation of, and an inability to accurately assess situations: executive functioning including rational thinking and communication skills are lost to physiological response. Rather than evaluating families and individuals involved in the aforementioned complex divorce cases through the lens of pathology, Polyvagal Theory explains their behavior as an adaptive stress reaction. Utilizing Polyvagal Theory offers a promising path to treatment with these families and diminishing the poor communication and the heightened emotion, assisting practitioners in understanding the impact of neurobiological response in managing stress and trauma. Applying Polyvagal Theory to court involved populations can help both litigants and practitioners recognize the role of the autonomic nervous system, providing the opportunity to understand, to self‐regulate, and to improve communication and decision making.     

The metagovernance of English devolution

Metagovernance refers to a theory of how governments steer decentralised networks by indirectly shaping the rules and norms of those networks. This article develops metagovernance conceptually and empirically by looking at the use of ‘hands-off’ metagovernance tools in the case of English devolution, which encompass the ‘designing’ and ‘framing’ of local governance networks in the process of their reconfiguration. These concepts provide insights into how a Conservative-led Coalition Government subtly centralised power in the process of devolution to city-regions. Our analysis shows how discursive framing, fiscal conditioning and the recomposition of local governance networks produced a reworking of centre-local and intra-local power relations in a way which allowed the Treasury to shape the priorities of a set of ‘devolution deals’ with regional authorities, emphasising boosting economic growth and improving public services.