Vulnerabilities of Institutional Checks in Indian Federalism: The Case of the Adarsh Society Scam in Mumbai

In developing countries, separation of powers coexists with corruption by the ruling elite. This can be attributed to informal institutions, which counter the formal checks and balances. We demonstrate, by studying the Adarsh scam, the vulnerabilities of checks and balances. Fourteen actors belonging to different tiers of the Indian federal setup who could have vetoed the project or certain permissions failed to do so.We find that 54 percent of the checks collapsed because of quid pro quo, 21 percent due to being overridden, 4 percent due to misrepresentation, 7 percent due to absorption, and 14 percent due to omissions in the process.     

National autonomy and democratic standardization: Should popular votes on European integration be regulated by the European Union?

Given the increasing use of direct democratic devices on questions of European integration, this paper explores whether or not Member States may have good reason to agree on common regulations for popular votes of this nature. Conceiving of the European Union as a political system designed to serve the interests of states and citizens, it is argued that where direct votes have the potential to undermine the territorial, functional, normative or existential integrity of the EU, then states may have good reason to sacrifice a degree of national autonomy to adopt common regulations for certain uses of direct democracy. This leads to a case for democratic standardization across Member States when it comes to withdrawal, accession, Treaty ratification and opt‐in decisions.     

Negotiating barriers,navigating the maze: First Nation peoples' experience of medical relocation

This study documents the policy framework that shapes First Nations' experience of relocating to access medical care. We analyzed policy documents and government websites, interviewed individuals who have experienced relocation, family members, healthcare providers, health administrators, and conducted two focus groups with government representatives. Federal and provincial program managers interpret policies, make decisions on eligibility, to extend or deny coverage. Decisions are shaped by shrinking budgets, fragmented program coverage, and jurisdictional confusion. Provider advocacy can help, but also perpetuate perceptions of arbitrariness and distrust. National policy renewal is required to redress this issue.     

Identity in Question: A Grammatology of DNA and Forensic Genetics

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

Evaluation in France,a Component of Territorial Public Action

Evaluation practices developed in France, especially by local authorities and above all by regional councils, provide an interesting opportunity to examine from the inside the way public policies are constructed. Taking evaluation practices seriously as a subject of study reminds us, in a way, of the necessary empiricism needed to analyse public policies. At a time when this discipline experiences, at least in France, a surge in conceptual proposals, the point of view expressed here aims to point out the necessary modesty we have to show in the face of the complexity of the subjects studied and of the usefulness of evaluation practices to explain territorial public policies.     

Sexual Assault Victimization,Fear of Sexual Assault,and Self-Protective Behaviors: A Test of General Strain Theory

According to Agnew’s General Strain Theory, many individuals who experience strain are more likely to engage in crime or become delinquent. To date, past research has examined the relationship between victimization and fear of crime, as well as the corresponding relationship between fear of crime and self-protective behaviors. Yet, the mediating role fear of sexual assault may have in accounting for the association between prior sexual assault victimization and self-protective behaviors has not been evaluated. The current study addresses this gap in the literature using data collected from a random sample of college students from 12 universities in the United States. The results indicated that the relationship between prior sexual assault victimization and self-protective behavior is partially mediated by fear of sexual assault. The study concludes with a discussion of implications and limitations, as well as directions for future research.