The Future of Print

I once argued with my fellow columnist Mr. Bourne about the future of the printing industry. My point was that with the development of digital technology, digital publishing will certainly supersede traditional publishing to a great     

Did southerners favor slavery? Inferences from an analysis of prices in New Orleans, 1805–1860

During the years immediately following the American Revolution, it was common for Southern elites to express concerns about the morality or long-term viability of slavery. It is unclear, however, whether such expressions of anti-slavery sentiment were genuine, especially given the failure of so many slave owners to emancipate their slaves. In this paper, we show that there was a change in elite rhetoric about slavery, initiated by Whig politicians in the mid-1830s seeking a campaign issue in the South, in which anti-slavery rhetoric became linked to attempts by abolitionists to foment slave unrest, making anti-slavery an unsustainable position for the region’s politicians. Before that development, we contend that some planters believed that slavery might some day be abolished. After it, those concerns largely went away. We argue that the change in slave owners’ beliefs about the probability of abolition in the mid-1830s should have been reflected in slave prices at auction and test that claim using evidence from the New Orleans auction market.     

＂RAISING THE BAR＂ THE ROLE OF SELF- GOVERNMENTS AND ASSOCIATIONS OF LAWYERS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF PRO BONO ACTIVITIES

This article constitutes an extension of the speech delivered at the European Pro Bono Forum, organized by PILNET, which was held in Warsaw in October 2013. In the forum, representatives of the Council of Bar Associations from numerous European countries and representatives of NGOs around the world shared their experiences and ideas, designed to promote pro bono activities among lawyers, and discuss the problems faced when conducting said activities in their countries.     

What Would Mary Douglas Do? A Commentary on Kahan et al., “Cultural Cognition and Public Policy: The Case of Outpatient Commitment Laws”

Involuntary outpatient commitment is a highly controversial issue in mental health law. Strong supporters of outpatient commitment see it as a form of access to community-based mental health care and a less restrictive alternative to hospitalization for people with severe mental illness; vocal opponents see it as an instrument of social control and an unwarranted deprivation of individual liberty. Kahan and colleagues apply the theory of “cultural cognition” in an empirical study of how cultural worldviews influence support for outpatient commitment laws among the general public and shape perceptions of evidence for these laws’ effectiveness. This article critiques Kahan et al. and offers an alternative perspective on the controversy, emphasizing particular social facts underlying stakeholders’ positions on outpatient commitment laws.     

The political use of military power in the Mediterranean by the United States and the Soviet Union

Since 2003, state control in the Russian economy has increased significantly. This has affected mainly, but not only, the oil industry. This policy development gives some grounds for concern about Russia's long-run growth. Its origins lie in power struggles within the political elite, in efforts by members of that elite to enrich themselves and in a profound distrust on the part of that elite of any sources of power that they do not themselves control. One result is that business confidence has been dented, the growth of oil output has slowed, and future GDP growth depends more heavily than before on further growth in oil prices.     

Editor's note

Abstract

In this article the author investigates the degree to which regional political relationships as well as domestic political stability have changed as a result of the Gulf War. As the countries of the former Warsaw Pact, Latin America, and elsewhere attempt to democratize, often with American support, the countries of the Gulf, at least on the governmental level, appear largely immune to this trend. This is belied somewhat by popular desires for political liberalization as well as cynicism about America's aims in the region. The political future and stability of this key part of the world is further complicated by the changing relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia who share a distrust for Iraq if little else. Thus, despite the Gulf War, many of the key issues that have traditionally influenced the Gulf region remain salient even after significant modifications in the status of the regional power‐holders.