A theory of entangled political economy, with application to TARP and NRA

The recent financial crisis has provoked a raft of contending claims as to whether the cause of the crisis is better attributed to market failure or political failure. Such claims are predicated on a presumption that markets and polities are meaningfully separate entities. To the contrary, we argue that contemporary arrangements create an entangled political economy that renders theorizing based on separation often misleading. Within this alternative framework of entangled political economy, we illuminate both the recent Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) and the New Deal??s National Recovery Administration (NRA).     

当代侵权法比较研究

侵权法在两大法系中所采路径截然不同、风格各异,这一特点与具体规则模式和一般原则模式之间的现代法律理论的区别是相伴而生的。比较侵权法的焦点主要不是实体问题,而是侵权法的基本结构和模式问题。在侵权法的诸多具体制度上,两大法系远比普遍认为的那样更为相近,二者之间并没有不可逾越的障碍和差别。     

Information exchange networks at the climate science‐policy interface: Evidence from the Czech Republic,Finland, Ireland,and Portugal

Scientifically informed climate policymaking starts with the exchange of credible, salient, and legitimate scientific information between scientists and policymakers. It is therefore important to understand what explains the exchange of scientific information in national climate policymaking processes. This article applies exponential random graph models to network data from the Czech Republic, Finland, Ireland, and Portugal to investigate which types of organizations are favored sources of scientific information and whether actors obtain scientific information from those with similar beliefs as their own. Results show that scientific organizations are favored sources in all countries, while only in the Czech Republic do actors obtain scientific information from those with similar policy beliefs. These findings suggest that actors involved in climate policymaking mostly look to scientific organizations for information, but that in polarized contexts where there is a presence of influential denialists overcoming biased information exchange is a challenge.     

Literatur

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

The use of rapid diagnostic test of procalcitonin serum levels for the postmortem diagnosis of sepsis

Because serum Procalcitonin is reported to be a valid postmortem marker of sepsis, this prospective study was carried out to determine whether the semi-quantitative PCT-Q((R))-Test (B.R.A.H.M.S., Germany) is a reliable indicator of postmortem Procalcitonin (PCT) serum levels, thus enabling a quick "tableside" diagnosis of sepsis. Postmortem PCT-levels of 70 forensic and 78 clinical-pathological autopsy cases (n=148) were examined using the B.R.A.H.M.S-PCT-Q-Test during autopsy. 27 cases were categorized as the cases of sepsis according to the ACCP/SCCM Consensus Conference criteria. 121 cases were assigned to the non-sepsis group. Among the 148 cases, 18 samples could not be analyzed by the reason of strong hemolysis. Using a cut-off point of 2 ng/ml, 20 cases of sepsis were identified (true positive) whereas 3 cases of sepsis were not detected (false negative). In the non-sepsis group (107 cases) 6 cases showed a positive testing (false positive). When applied within 48 h postmortem, the PCT-Q-Test showed a sensitivity of 86.96% and a specificity of 94.39% (at cut-off 2 ng/ml). Likelihood ratios and positive predictive values proved to be lower in the forensic autopsy group (PPV: 59.3% in forensic case vs. 85.1% in clinicopathological cases; NPV: 98.73% in forensic cases vs. 95.2% in clinicopathological cases). The PPVs using a cut-off point of 10 ng/ml were 100% in both groups independent of sepsis prevalences. The results show, that a high NPV for prevalences ranging from 3% to 30% can be reached using a 2 ng/ml cut-off point, whereas a cut-off of 10 ng/ml ensures a high PPV for the respective prevalences in the absence of exclusion criteria. The study provides strong evidence that the introduction of rapid diagnostic test (RDTs) of postmortem PCT serum levels may be useful in achieving rapid distinction between sepsis and non-sepsis-related causes of death, especially in conjunction with the medical case history and further autopsy results. In addition, the use of RDTs enables clinicians to conduct an evidence-based validation of clinical diagnosis, thus facilitating future clinical decision-making.     

Scripted Messengers: How Party Discipline and Branding Turn Election Candidates and Legislators into Brand Ambassadors

Political parties with strict party discipline are well-placed to demand that their election candidates and legislators promote the party brand. The franchise-franchisee relationship causes representatives to relinquish individual expression in exchange for centralized party messaging. This article looks at how a strategic desire for party unity combines with internal brand management to turn lower-ranking politicians in a parliamentary system into party brand ambassadors. Our Canadian case study draws on in-depth interviews with party leaders, Members of Parliament, political staff, candidates for office and prospective candidates. The implications for representative democracy in a Westminster system are considered, including the representational constraints for racial and sexual minorities.     

Explaining School Corporal Punishment: Evangelical Protestantism and Social Capital in a Path Model

School corporal punishment is associated with many negative outcomes. This research explores the antecedents to the practice and prevalence of school corporal punishment. A series of regression models indicated that two variables were significant predictors of a state’s practice of school corporal punishment: rate of evangelical Protestant adherents and social capital. A path analysis indicated that these two variables significantly predicted the rate of school corporal punishment in practicing states. The path analysis also revealed a significant and negative relationship between rate of evangelical Protestant adherents and social capital, but no relationship between rate of mainstream Protestant adherents and social capital. A mediation analysis indicated that social capital serves as a mediating variable between evangelical Protestantism and rate of school corporal punishment. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed.     

Introduction: The (Ab)use of Language in Legal Discourse

International Journal for the Semiotics of Law - Revue internationale de Sémiotique juridique -