THE DILEMMAS OF INNER CITY POLICY

To be successful inner city policy must resolve three dilemmas: what is the nature of the problem? how can it be tackled? why should it command political attention? Cognitively there are four schools of thought – expressed in the metaphors of the city as machine, as community, as market place and battleground. The economic perspective now dominates thinking. Operationally the need, in achieving the inescapable mixed strategies, is to strengthen the capacities of business, government and not-for-profit agencies and to bind them more effectively to joint action that serves their separate interests. Leverage and joint ventures are key concepts here. Politically inner city policy is shaped by concerns with welfare, development and public disorder. Its electoral bias is particularly problematic. Resolution of these dilemmas is most likely through the assertion of development objectives, the demonstration of effective joint action and the exploitation of the unique diversity of urban places and people.     

POPULATION DIVERSITY AND CROSS-NATIONAL HOMICIDE: THE EFFECTS OF INEQUALITY AND HETEROGENEITY*

This study examines the impact of income inequality and ethnic heterogeneity on homicide rates for a sample of 32 nations. The results of the analyses indicate that vertical social direrentiation, as measured by income inequality, and horizontal differentiation, as indexed by ethnic heterogeneity, have signijicant main effects on cross-national homicide. Additionally, evidence is presented suggesting an interaction effect on inequaliry and heterogeneity on homicide. It appears that increased ethnic heterogeneity exacerbates the impact of income inequality on homicide rates.     

Macro Expectations for the Second Half of 2013

DESPITE continuing efforts by major central banks around the world to prop up growth by injecting money and credit into their respective economies there are signs that a number of the 10 largest global economies are starting to falter. As a major trading power, China is not immune to slowing growth abroad and will likely continue to feel a chill from relatively cool economies, including the U.S., Germany, France and others that were cool to begin with.