Gaming in Targetworld: The Targets Approach to Managing British Public Services

To what extent did the extensive system of managing public services by targets, introduced by Tony Blair’s New Labour government in the United Kingdom in 1998, reproduce the classic gaming responses associated with the Soviet Union and other centralized performance‐setting systems? Combining evidence from documentary sources and interviews with high‐level officials in the Whitehall bureaucracy, the author suggests that the three classic types of target gaming can be identified in this public management regime. However, the central managers of the target regime did not put substantial resources into checking performance data, took reported performance gains at face value, and had no coherent antigaming strategy.     

Postmortem Detection of Hepatitis B,C, and Human Immunodeficiency Virus Genomes in Blood Samples from Drug‐Related Deaths in Denmark*

Abstract: Blood‐borne viral infections are widespread among injecting drug users; however, it is difficult to include these patients in serological surveys. Therefore, we developed a national surveillance program based on postmortem testing of persons whose deaths were drug related. Blood collected at autopsy was tested for anti‐HBc, anti‐HBs, anti‐hepatits C virus (HCV), or anti‐human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibodies using commercial kits. Subsets of seropositive samples were screened for viral genomes using sensitive in‐house and commercial polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA was detected in 20% (3/15) of anti‐HBc‐positive/anti‐HBs‐negative samples, HCV RNA was found in 64% (16/25) of anti‐HCV‐positive samples, and HIV RNA was detected in 40% (6/15) of anti‐HIV‐positive samples. The postmortem and antemortem prevalences of HBV DNA and HCV RNA were similar. Postmortem HIV RNA testing was less sensitive than antemortem testing. Thus, postmortem PCR analysis for HBV and HBC infection is feasible and relevant for demonstrating ongoing infections at death or for transmission analysis during outbreaks.     

河南焦作检察研究与检察改革情况报告

2003年以来,焦作市人民检察院共组织召开全国性的法学理论研讨会三次,出版全国公开发行的检察专著二部,承担高检院重点研究课题五个,组织调研成果转化近十项,有多篇调研成果被高检院、全国检察理论年会、中国法学会、河南省院等评为优秀调研成果.创立的检察指导侦查、职业公诉人、律师在场见证等制度和为民营企业服务、便民服务大厅、职务犯罪大预防格局等改革措施受到高检院和知名专家学者的充分肯定,有的业已在全国推广.造就了包括"全国首批检察业务专家(市院种松志检察长)"、"全国十佳公诉人"等在内的一批优秀检察人才.     

Leadership and the Transformation of a Major Institution: Charles Rossotti and the Internal Revenue Service

Charles Rossotti took the helm at the Internal Revenue Service in 1997 amid complaints of abuse of both IRS workers and taxpayers. Did he succeed at improving the agency’s image without sacrificing its principal mission to enforce the tax code fairly and effectively? This retrospective on Rossotti’s five‐year tenure suggests that he, his leadership team, and teams of IRS employees managed effective changes that substantially improved services to taxpayers and the administration of a beleaguered revenue‐collection system. His leadership offers valuable lessons and insights for administrators in all settings. Are there invaluable lessons that public administrators might learn from Rossotti’s management strategy?     

以宽容之心对待违法犯罪青少年

2007年4月16日清晨发生在美国弗吉尼亚理工大学的赵承熙枪击案,引起了全世界的震惊,而随后发生的该校悼念活动,将凶手赵承熙和52名遇难者一起被列为悼念的对象,则更同样令人不解。有消息称,该校在4月20日中午举行的遇难者悼念仪式上,放飞的气球是55个,敲响的丧钟是55声,次日安放在校园中心广场草坪上的是55块半圆的石灰岩悼念碑等等,其中包括52名遇难者和自杀的枪手赵承熙。在人们眼中,     

留守儿童:青少年权益保护和犯罪预防的重点群体

在论及中国青少年权益维护和犯罪预防工作中,我们不能不将视角转向农村留守儿童这一当今典型的社会现象和需要特殊关注的弱势群体。据有关方面提供的数据,我国共有2亿农民工,其中外出农民工数量为1.2亿左右,外出务工的农民工与其未成年留守子女的分离,由此而形成了高达2000万的农村留守儿童群体,且呈继续增长的趋势。在一些农村劳动力输出大省,留守儿童在当地未成年人总数中所占比例已高达18%至22%,他们的父母能够在1至2年内回家的仅占58%,2到3年内回家的占56%,而3年以上的达到26%。在这些农村留守儿童中,多数是与老人生活在一起,有4.9%的孩子甚至是独自一人生活。