The many uses of regulatory impact assessment: A meta‐analysis of EU and UK cases

Research on regulation has crossed paths with the literature on policy instruments, showing that regulatory policy instruments contain cognitive and normative beliefs about policy. Thus, their usage stacks the deck in favor of one type of actor or one type of regulatory solution. In this article, we challenge the assumption that there is a predetermined relationship between ideas, regulatory policy instruments, and outcomes. We argue that different combinations of conditions lead to different outcomes, depending on how actors use the instrument. Empirically, we analyze 31 EU and UK case studies of regulatory impact assessment (RIA) – a regulatory policy instrument that has been pivotal in the so‐called better regulation movement. We distinguish four main usages of RIA, that is, political, instrumental, communicative, and perfunctory. We find that in our sample instrumental usage is not so rare and that the contrast between communicative and political usages is less stark than is commonly thought. In terms of policy recommendations, our analysis suggests that there may be different paths to desirable outcomes. Policymakers should therefore explore different combinations of conditions leading to the usages they deem desirable rather than arguing for a fixed menu of variables.     

Violence risk profile of medium- and high-security NGRI offenders in Belgium

Under Belgian law, offenders not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI) are committed by the courts to forensic mental health treatment. The use of violence risk assessment tools has become routine in these settings. However, there are no national statistics regarding violence risk assessment in the Belgian forensic population. A study was undertaken to collect risk assessment data (PCL-R, VRAG, HCR-20) on a large cohort of forensic patients committed to Medium Security units in the Flanders region and in High-Security units in the Walloon region. Flemish patients were expected to present a lower risk compared with their Walloon counterparts. Instead, data yielded by a structured risk assessment method demonstrate the opposite. Moreover, the majority of patients in Flemish facilities had committed violent offenses and were institutionalized for shorter periods whereas the majority of Walloon patients had committed sexual offenses and were institutionalized for markedly longer periods.     

Applicant Perceptions of State Priorities in the Illinois Small Cities CDBG Program: Implications for Local Targeting

The State of Illinois has targeted economic development as amajor priority in the Small Cities Community Development BlockGrant program, although the state still accepts applicationsfor public facilities and housing rehabilitation. This articleexamines the impact of this state priority on the applicationbehavior of small cities. We find that grant applicants perceivethat the state's economic development emphasis decreases theirability to be successful in obtaining housing rehabilitationgrants. This perception has had an impact on subsequent applicationbehavior. Cities no longer apply for grants that are most likelyto benefit directly those with low and moderate incomes.     

A second survey of high explosives traces in public places

This survey was carried out as a follow-up to a 1994 survey carried out by this laboratory (1) in order to determine the background levels of explosives traces in public places. The first survey concentrated on transport areas and police stations in and around London. This second study examines levels in four of the United Kingdom's major cities: Birmingham, Cardiff, Glasgow, and Manchester. Samples were taken at various transport sites and from hotels, private houses, private vehicles, and clothing. The survey showed that traces of the high explosives nitroglycerine (NG), trinitrotoluene (TNT), pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), and cyclotrimethylene trinitramine (RDX) are rare within the general public environment. Only one low-level trace of RDX was detected. NG, possibly associated with the use of firearms, was detected at low levels in two samples and 2,4-DNT was detected in a separate sample. No PETN was detected in any of the samples. The results of the survey indicate that it is unlikely that persons visiting public areas could become significantly contaminated with explosives. The analytical procedures employed would also have detected ethylene glycol dinitrate (EGDN) if present at levels greater than 2 ng, nitrobenzene (NB) if present at levels greater than 50 ng, mononitrotoluenes if present at levels greater than 50 ng, and the other common isomers of dinitrotoluene if these had been present at levels in excess of 10 ng. None of these were detected. The relatively high volatility of EGDN, NB, and the mononitrotoluenes would, however, cause traces of these compounds to disperse rapidly. A proportion of the samples (approximately 7%) were analyzed for the presence of HMX. No HMX was detected.     

Children's acquisition of political opinions

This paper reports and discusses the results of a survey of English and Welsh schoolchildren aged 11–18, conducted in March–May 2003, covering their attitudes to and knowledge of politics, politicians and political issues. It concentrates in particular on the way these attitudes develop as pupils get older, and also discusses the sources of information on which young people depend, and which may be the key to developing this neglected political ‘market’. It finds that pupils are unenthused by politics, but not ‘apathetic’. Both knowledge and interest increase as pupils grow older; however, negative or cynical attitudes to politicians and to political parties seem to grow at the same time. Yet young people also hold positive attitudes to the electoral process in general, though many do not accept that they will have a ‘duty to vote’ when old enough. The media, though distrusted, is the principal source of information, though it is clear that the family is highly influential; schools seem less influential. Copyright © 2004 Henry Stewart Publications