The effects of presumptive parole dates on institutional behavior: A preliminary assessment

This article reports research conducted by the United States Parole Commission to examine whether the provision of greater determinacy in the setting of prison release dates, known as “presumptive parole,” affects the frequency or nature of prison disciplinary infractions or program participation. An experimental design was used in which prisoners in an eligible pool of cases were randomly allocated to experimental (early notification of a “firm” parole date) and control (traditional procedure) groups.     

IRS focuses on employment status of hospital-based physicians

In view of these serious consequences and the IRS' renewed interest in hospital-based physicians, it is imperative that all hospitals examine their contractual relationships with physicians under the foregoing standards to ascertain whether any physicians are improperly being characterized as independent contractors. Of particular concern are arrangements with aspects similar to those in TAM 9443002. Hospitals operating in states that still prohibit the employment of physicians are not necessarily protected, as the IRS does not accept the corporate practice of medicine doctrine as a defense to characterization of physicians as employees for tax purposes. In those states, it is probably best to handle problematic situations through the use of professional corporations, as discussed above.     

National Security in the Post-Pandemic Era

The geopolitical implications of COVID-19 are profound in the near term, and will have a ripple effect throughout the U.S. economy and the foundations of U.S. power. It could be more strategically contagious over the longer term if it compels a sharp change in how Americans see their role in the world and adapts its conception of national security. This article presents both the economic and fiscal impact of the pandemic in the United States, as well as the likely consequences for national security investments and the Pentagon's budget. It offers three potential defense strategies, at three possible spending levels, to examine options for the next administration.     

Towards a Balanced and Sustainable Defense

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates defines “balance” as the critical principle of his defense strategy. This emphasizes achieving a balance between current conflicts and dangerous and more conventional wars in the future. But finding the right balance between types of war is only one form of balance. We also need to balance the nation's checkbook, and define the balance between what we spend on defense and what we can afford for the long term. Balance is not enough, our defense investments must be sustainable. Defense spending today, in inflation adjusted dollars, is at an all time high and exceeds Cold War levels. This has helped sustain the world's finest military, but the funding for this buildup and two wars has been borrowed from foreign sources. The accumulated debt and subsequent interest payments have reduced our ability to weather the current economic crisis and will drag on our economic recovery for years to come. The Obama administration must craft a grand strategy to get us out of the red—strategically and fiscally. This essay offers a set of strategy, structure and investment shifts to that end.     

The connection of police strategies for coping with workplace problems to stress in two countries

This research examined the direct effects of coping strategies on stress and the moderating effects of coping strategies on the associations between workplace problems experienced by police and stress in South Korea and the United States. Data revealed that coping strategies did not change the strength of connections between workplace problems and stress. Especially in the United States, the use of escape as a coping strategy was related to high stress. Findings were most consistent with the use of organizational-level interventions to increase police officers' job control and advancement opportunities, and pointed to the need to consider support as a way to limit stress.     

Al Qaeda's Uncertain Future

This article considers the current state of the Al Qaeda terrorist movement and its likely future trajectory. It considers the principle assumptions both today and in the past about Al Qaeda and how they affect our understanding of the movement and the threat that it poses; Al Qaeda's current capacity for violence; and its ability to plan strategically and implement terrorist operations. The article further identifies nine key change drivers that will likely determine Al Qaeda's fate in the years to come before concluding that, even while the core Al Qaeda group may be in decline, Al Qaeda-ism, the movement's ideology, continues to resonate and attract new adherents. In sum, it argues that Al Qaeda remains an appealing brand most recently and most especially to extremist groups in North and West Africa and the Levant.