Presubmission Inquiries: Problematic,Counterproductive, and Unnecessary

Journal of Youth and Adolescence -     

The romantic experience of adolescents in satisfying love relationships

The love experiences of over 300 youths were analyzed to identify correlates and predictors of satisfying love relationships. The project made use of a new measure of love experiences and other measures specifically adapted for adolescent populations. Results revealed striking resemblances between adolescent and adult relationships in terms of the contributions of commitment, communication, companionship, and passion. Adolescent relationships differed from those of adults in that there was no connection between a lack of negative affects, conflict or trouble, and relationship satisfaction. Variables that previous research had overlooked—exhilaration, growth, toleration, appreciation, and specialness—played important roles. Similarities between the sexes abounded, although there were also consistent patterns of differences.The research was supported, in part, while the author was a predoctoral fellow in the Clinical Research Training Program in Adolescence at Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center, and the University of Chicago. The grant was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health 5T32 NH14668-14.Received J.D. from Columbia University School of Law, New York, in 1993. Received Ph.D. from Department of Psychology, Committee on Human Development, the University of Chicago, in 1990. Research interests include the development of adolescent loving relationships, particularly in cultural contexts, with a focus informed by biosocial and psychoanalytic models. Current interest lies in the examination of violent attachments in the lives of adolescents.     

Suing Canadian governments: Core public policy and operational decisions

Challenges in distinguishing between core policy and operational decisions in the public policy process have spawned a legal grey area in Canadian public administration. Governments are immune from civil liability for policy decisions made by the cabinet yet they remain exposed to liability for operational decisions by public servants. We seek to raise awareness of this nexus within the Canadian public administration community by drawing on key interviews with lawyers, former attorneys general, a former premier, a former judge and a legal scholar. We explain that demarcating policy from operational decisions relies on written documentation that is difficult to locate and may not exist. Clarity is desired, but Canadian courts are reluctant to overrule a public authority’s opinion, which is based on socio-economic and political considerations. We conclude with observations for public administrators.