APPLICATION OF MARKET MECHANISMS TO POLLUTION*

The authors indicate how science and social science can be combined to assess the range and effectiveness of policy alternatives available to environmental decision-makers. They focus on cost-effective regulatory alternatives to the Los Angeles particulate sulfate problem. Both sciences are applied to the relationship of emissions to pollution levels and environmental quality. They reject the notion that a simple reduction in emissions leads to a commensurate reduction in pollution levels. The problem of applying licenses and emissions fees are reviewed, as are the difficulties of political feasibility.     

Postwar Changes in State Party Competition

Recent literature on the American party system has stressedthe decline of the parties in all aspects. If this is valid,one might expect a relative equilibrium in election outcomes.In this light, inter-party competition for governor and statelegislature in the fifty states is examined, using two databases. The first is the party competition index employed byRanney and extended by Bibby. The second consists of electionresults for governor and state legislature. Both data basesreveal that the states are becoming increasingly Democratic,virtually immune from Republican presidential successes, butthe number of states with split control is also increasing.Further, present party competition can be largely explainedby that in an earlier era. The consequences of these trendsare explored.     

An active postvention program

The Active Postvention Model (APM) described in this article demonstrates how survivors of suicide can be an installation of hope for the newly bereaved and an effective referral resource for support in the grief process. The benefit of active postvention compared to passive postvention results in a dramatic reduction in the elapsed time between death and seeking help for the survivors who receive the active postvention. Other benefits of the APM are discussed as well.