Rallying in fear? Estimating the effect of the UK COVID-19 lockdown with a natural experiment

We use a natural experiment to study how the announcement of the UK COVID-19 lockdown affected citizens' attitudes towards the pandemic and the government's response to it. On the day of the lockdown announcement, YouGov ran a survey that captured responses before and after the announcement. Comparison of these responses suggests that the lockdown announcement made people more supportive of the government's response to the crisis but also (perhaps surprisingly) more concerned about the pandemic. Analysis of heterogeneous treatment effects suggests that the announcement narrowed gaps in perceptions of the crisis, increasing support for the government's response especially among those who had been least supportive and increasing concern about the pandemic especially among those who had been least concerned. Overall, the findings highlight a tension inherent in governing during times of crisis: actions that increase people's confidence in government and induce compliance with government directives may also tend to increase anxiety among the population.     

SAYYID QUTB'S INFLUENCE ON THE 11 SEPTEMBER ATTACKS

The 11 September attacks cannot be understood fully without an understanding of the ideas of Sayyid Qutb, who is widely acknowledged as the intellectual godfather for the various modern radical Islamic movements, including Al-Qaeda. Qutb's writings are important because they define the core elements that have been adopted by all radical Islamic movements. These include: (1) an extreme hostility toward Western culture, especially the role of women and sexual mores in the West; (2) the formation of society under the rule of Sharia, Islamic law; (3) the overthrow of governments not under the rule of Sharia by means of holy war; and (4) an intense hatred of Jews and distrust of Christians. This article also illustrates Qutb's influence on radical Islamic groups.     

Containing hospital labor costs--a separate-industries approach.

Steadily increasing costs in hospitals and other health care facilities have been of increasing concern to government agencies and the public alike. In recent years state legislatures and state cost review boards have acted to control these ever-escalating costs. The role played by these third parties in the collective bargaining process, the impact of cost control laws and regulations, and the constraints thus imposed upon the parties directly involved are the subjects of this thought-provoking article.     

地方政府行政审批制度改革的困境与对策——基于F市外经贸系统的实证考察

基于流程再造的研究视角,本文对F市外经贸系统中的行政审批事项、内部运营、跨部门与跨层级审批等状况进行了实证考察,指出当前地方政府行政审批制度改革中存在越减越肥与审批拖沓、简政放权中的统筹不足、重审批中的轻监管等问题。文章提出应从提升行政服务中心的窗口办理效能、搭建行政审批网络一体化平台、建立审改公众参与制度、建立审改绩效考评制度等四个方面来推进行政审批制度改革。     

Corruption and Anti-Money-Laundering Systems: Putting a Luxury Good to Work

Systems of laws, regulations, and institutions developed to counter money laundering provide powerful tools for fighting corruption. Currently, however, the potential benefits anti‐money‐laundering (AML) systems can provide in fighting corruption go largely unrealized, especially in developing countries. This mismatch poses a puzzle: Why are developing countries failing to best capitalize on their expensive AML systems by using them to fight corruption? The article is built on three core claims. The first claim is that it is logical to use AML systems for anti‐corruption purposes because of a pronounced overlap in the standards required for each and the rising costs of the former. The second section demonstrates specifically how AML systems could significantly augment anti‐corruption efforts, focusing on the importance of financial intelligence, asset confiscation, and international cooperation. Finally, although powerful outsiders have successfully diffused AML systems among developing countries, a lack of “ownership” in the latter explains why these systems are often established only as tokens to enhance international legitimacy and reputations.