Political Competition and Pork-Barrel Politics in the Allocation of Public Investment in Mexico

This paper examines theeffect of political competition in localelections in regional allocation of publicinvestment. The study employs data onMexican elections covering the period 1990–95, characterisedby an increase in electoral competition and coupled withincreasing demands for decentralisationthroughout the states. Empirical evidencesupports the hypothesis that regionalallocation of public investment by centralgovernment was driven by `politicalopportunism' and `local pork-barrelpolitics'. A positive relationship wasfound between the regional allocation ofpublic investment and support for thecentral ruling party. This might indicatethat local spending inefficiencies werepartially explained by the specific supportfor the incumbent party.     

Analysing pig traders in Uganda: sampling issues,marketing activities,and constraint analysis

An integral part of the pig and pork value chain in Uganda is trader activity. This article reports on a study that quantifies the nature of these traders in Mukono district, a major pig and pork marketing site adjacent to Kampala, Uganda. Little guidance is available from the literature about the sampling of traders for this kind of research, and the second task addressed by this study is to test sampling mechanisms and report on their influence on the statistical results generated. Different sources of sampling frame provided different samples, with some limited overlap. The two samples exhibited distinctly different profiles of traders.     

Challenges to traditional concepts of sovereignty

There are many forces abroad in the world that challenge established models and practices of state sovereignty. These include globalization and internalization, the emergence of new polities such as the European Union, the reconfiguration of world trade into gigantic trading blocs, the rise of the communications global village, destatism and privatization, regionalism, the merger mania among megacorporations, global environmental problems, and so forth. In addition, there are countries that exist but do not function, and those that function and, strictly speaking, do not exist. What context awaits future public servants as they prepare to make their greatest post‐graduation impact around eight years from acquiring their degree? This article examines trends and looks at the coming context of public service. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Writing as ‘Compearance’ in Diário da Queda by Michel Laub

Diário da Queda (2011) by Michel Laub has been described as autoficção (autofiction), the Brazilian translation of the concept coined by Serge Doubrovsky to describe the narrative working-through of trauma through fictional autobiography. This article re-examines the definition of ‘autofiction’ and argues that Laub's narrative process more closely resembles Jean-Luc Nancy's notion of a singular voice ‘compearing’ experiences in a process of ‘sharing’ that, when combined with touch and affection can – according to the novel – more successfully help to overcome trauma. At stake are questions regarding the inheritance of Holocaust memory, as well as its politicised deployment in contemporary conflicts.     

The Natural Law Foundation of the Market

In answering three important questions related to natural law, this paper offers a coherent explanation of the market. We argue that the market, rather than a mechanism that simply serves narrow self-interests, finds its legitimacy in the ethical origins of the market order. The need for law to support and sustain the market, including by imposing necessary limits on the freedom of the market players, flows from those ethical origins.     

Cumulative Trauma,Personal and Social Resources,and Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms Among Income-assisted Single Mothers

Data from 247 single mothers were used to partially validate a theoretical model that highlights the process through which post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) develops among women. Structural equation modeling was used to assess the direct and indirect relationship between cumulative trauma (CT) and mothers’ PTSD symptom severity. Additionally, we examined the meditational role played by mothers’ strains and resources and the moderating role played by mothers’ residence in an intersectionally advantaged versus disadvantaged neighborhood. A good fit was found between the hypothesized model and data. Mothers’ strains and personal resources played a significant mediating role in the relationship between CT and PTSD symptom severity. Neighborhood of residence did not moderate the CT-PTSD process. Implication for practice and treatment are discussed.