The quest for accountability in Newfoundland and Labrador

Abstract: This article examines the meaning of accountability in the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador from both a substantive and a procedural perspective; the three distinct eras in the province's political administration history; the stages in the statutory evolution of the comptroller and auditor function; the province's experience in the Confederation era with the concept of democratic accountability; and the prospects for the future of accountability. The author reveals that the auditor's department or office went for most of a century with little in the way of institutional independence. Government has been hostile to both the extension of the accoutrements of legislative accountability in general and to the notion of increasing the powers of the auditor. What limited independence was mustered and the few challenges raised towards the government of the day were as a result of the professional ethics of Newfoundland auditors, the aid of other federal and provincial auditors, and the spirit of the age. Even in the modem day, Newfoundland has plenty more leeway for reform. The article presents four scenarios of alternative futures for accountability and the auditor general function in the province. One features no change, and the other three contemplate the victories of the independence lobby, the managerialist lobby, and the democratic lobby. Sommaire: Cet article examine la signification de l'imputabilité du gouvernement dc Terre‐Neuve et du Labrador simultanément selon une perspective de fond et une perspective procédurale, les trois périodes distinctes de l'histoire de l'administration politique de cette province, les étapes de l'évolution statutaire de la fonction de contrôleur et de vérificateur l'expérience de la province à 1'époque de la Confédération en ce qui conceme le concept d'imputabilité démocratique et les perspectives d'avenir de l'imputabilité. Les auteurs relèvent que le service ou le Bureau du Vérificateur a pendant près d'un siècle très peu connu d'indépendance institutionnelle. Le gouvemement a été hostile à l'extension de l'imputabilité législative en général, tout autant qu'à accroître les pouvoirs du Vérificateur. L'indépendance limitée et les rares défis soumis au gouvernement du jour ont résulté de l'éthique professionnelle des vérificateurs de Terre‐Neuve, de l'assistance d'autres vérificateurs fédéraux et provinciaux et de l'esprit de l'époque. Même en ces temps modernes, Terre‐Neuve a beaucoup plus de marge de manaeuvre pour entreprendre des réformes. L'article présente quatre scénarios d'altematives en ce qui concerne l'imputabilité et la fonction générale de Vérificateur dam la province. L'un ne prévoit aucun changernent et les trois autres entrevoient les victoires du lobby de l'indépendance, du lobby gestionnariste et du lobby démocratique.     

Lottizzazione Russian Style: Russia's Two-tier Media System

The restructuring of the Russian mass media has created a two-tier media system, where some outlets, notably national television, are very tightly controlled, while others, including the internet, are allowed a substantial degree of freedom. The allocation of media outlets to one or other tier is carried out according to procedures that can be compared to the Italian lottizzazione, a method used to allocate political control within the state broadcaster RAI. Recent changes in media usage are now threatening the equilibrium of the system, thus posing a challenge to those responsible for its administration.     

Who Governs in God’s City?

After clearing away some misconceptions about the power of the religious right in Colorado Springs, this article will examine three areas, education, medical marijuana, and gay rights, where the city’s religious conservatives have tried to influence public policy. With each area their efforts have only been partially successful. While the reasons for this uneven success are often particular to each policy dispute, taken together these issues point to discernible changes in the political behavior and ambitions of the city’s religious conservatives. Most importantly, religious conservatives have become far less confrontational and have turned away, to a significant degree, from direct political action and are focusing much more on community outreach programs. The paper will conclude by discussing some of the reasons for those changes and how they might have national implications for religious and social conservatives.     

The role of adolescent physical abuse in adult intimate partner violence

This study's primary aims were to examine whether a sample of young adults, aged 23 to 31, who had been documented as physically abused by their parent(s) during adolescence would be more likely to aggress, both physically and verbally, against their intimate partners compared with nonabused young adults and whether abuse history was (along with other risk factors) a significant predictor of intimate partner physical and emotional violence perpetration or victimization. In this longitudinal study, 67 abused and 78 nonabused adults (of an original sample of 198 adolescents) completed the Modified Conflict Tactics Scale and the Jealousy and Emotional Control Scales. Nonabused comparison adolescents were matched for age, gender, and community income. As adults, participants with abuse histories had significantly higher rates of intimate partner physical violence and verbal aggression than did comparison participants. Multivariate logistic regressions indicated that adults with histories of physical abuse were more than twice as likely to be physically violent and almost six times more likely to be verbally aggressive to their intimate partners than were comparison participants. Having had an alcohol use disorder, being married to or living with a partner, and perceiving one's partner as controlling were also significantly associated with physical violence. Jealousy and feeling controlled by one's partner were also significant predictors of verbal aggression. These findings underscore the importance of preventing adolescent abuse as a means of decreasing the incidence of intimate partner physical violence in adulthood.     

Genipin, a novel fingerprint reagent with colorimetric and fluorogenic activity, part II: optimization, scope and limitations

Genipin, a hydrolytic product of geniposide extracted from gardenia fruit, was thoroughly studied as a potential fingerprint reagent, and optimal conditions for fingerprint development have been determined. Latent fingerprints on paper items that have been treated with a non-ink running formulation containing 0.17% of the reagent, showed up as both colored and fluorescent images. On brown wrapping paper and on papers with highly luminescent backgrounds, genipin developed more visible and clearer prints than did classical reagents such as ninhydrin or DFO. Another potential advantage of genipin is that it is totally harmless and an environmentally friendly reagent.     

Fingerprints' third dimension: the depth and shape of fingerprints penetration into paper--cross section examination by fluorescence microscopy

In an attempt to maximize the yield of latent fingerprints from paper items, we conducted a study of a fundamental process between fingerprint deposits and paper. Fingerprint ridges have been observed in the cross section of paper by fluorescence microscopy. It was possible to see, for the first time, how residue from fingerprint ridges is embedded in paper. Undeveloped, latent fingerprints, as well as latent prints developed by the two fluorogenic reagents, DFO and 1,2-indanedione, have been examined. The shape and depth of penetration of fingerprints vary with different types of paper. An inverse relationship between the smoothness of the paper and the penetration depth was observed: higher smoothness values result in lower depths of penetration. High quality prints appear to correlate with an optimal penetration depth-between 40 and 60 microns.     

The long-term effects of child sexual abuse by female perpetrators: a qualitative study of male and female victims

Although the long-term effects of sexual abuse by men have been studied extensively, minimal research has explored the effects of sexual abuse by women. This qualitative study explores the experience and long-term impact of sexual abuse by women. The data were derived from in-depth interviews with 14 adult victims (7 men, 7 women) of child sexual abuse by females. Most respondents reported severe sexual abuse by their mothers. The vast majority of participants reported that the experience of female-perpetrated sexual abuse was harmful and damaging. As a result of the sexual abuse, male and female respondents reported long-term difficulties with substance abuse, self-injury, suicide, depression, rage, strained relationships with women, self-concept and identity issues, and a discomfort with sex. In light of the popular and professional perceptions that sexual abuse by women is relatively harmless as compared to sexual abuse by men, the implications of these long-term effects are discussed, particularly in relation to professionals working in the area of child sexual abuse.