The limits of central bank independence for inflation performance

Public Choice - The independence of the central bank is routinely regarded as sacrosanct, at least for governments wishing to maintain credible monetary policy to meet inflation objectives. Yet...     

Using the Violence Risk Appraisal Guide (VRAG) to predict in-prison aggressive behavior in a Swiss offender population

The present study is a first-time evaluation of the Violence Risk Appraisal Guide's (VRAG) predictive quality for institutional violence in a German-speaking country. The VRAG was assessed for 106 violent and sexual offenders based on their files. Violent infractions during imprisonment were evaluated using the files of the state penitentiary. Results show in accordance with previous studies only a moderate effect between VRAG scores and institutional misconduct. However, these findings were only significant for participants with a sex crime as index offense. In the study, the VRAG was unable to predict verbal and physical violence by violent offenders. The implications of these findings for institutional risk management and the future development of intramural detection of participants at risk in the German-speaking part of Europe are discussed.     

Public Opinion, Risk Assessment, and Biotechnology: Lessons from Attitudes toward Genetically Modified Foods in the European Union

Proponents of biotechnology argue that citizens' opposition to innovations such as genetically modified (GM) foods is rooted in emotionalism, media and nongovernmental organizations' distortions of good science, and scientific ignorance. Critics charge that this "risk management discursive" is too reductionist, exaggerates scientific capacity, inappropriately privileges scientific values over social and political values, and inaccurately captures how citizens evaluate biotechnology. This article uses ordered logit analysis applied to the responses of Europeans to a 2005 Eurobarometer survey to test the validity of these competing perspectives in the area of GM foods. Our analysis supports the arguments of those calling for the inclusion of broader discursive social, political, and cultural elements in deliberations over GM foods. Analysis also shows that citizens are less emotional in evaluating GM foods than proponents claim and supports this "new politics of knowledge" perspective, but citizens also cling more tightly to hopes that science can resolve debates with objective analysis.     

An appraisal of the legal frameworks for the control of environmental pollution in Nigeria

This article examines Nigeria’s pollution abatement laws. It highlights some of the problems of these laws, as well as other factors hindering the control of environmental pollution in Nigeria. The article suggests a comprehensive review of most pollution abatement laws with a view to entrenching adequate penal sanctions and enhancing the powers of regulatory institutions and also increasing public participation in environmental protection.     

如何打造优秀的法学教育

朗戴尔法学教育理论和教学法是美国法学院占主导地位的教育模式,备受推崇。然而在理论上,它具有明显的缺陷;在实践中,则造成了学生与法律实践相脱节的后果。它认为法律学科的全部资料都储存在出版物之中。封闭性、复古性、考据性成为构建朗戴尔方法的基石,形成了一个建立在书本资料上的伪科学体系。法学院应当完全抛弃朗戴尔教学法,直接面对社会问题,在更高层次上回归学徒制度,以律师事务所模式为法学教育的核心,以执业者为教师,以现实社会中的法律问题为教学内容,刻不容缓地推行法学教育实验。