De-Democratisation and Rising Inequality: The Underlying Cause of a Worrying Trend

This article is concerned with the question of why economic inequality has increased so dramatically in recent decades and what can be done about it. It suggests that the fundamental cause of the recent rise in economic inequality, underlying all the more proximate factors, is a major process of de-democratisation that has taken place since the 1970s, which has increased the political representation of capital while reducing that of labour. The article pulls together a wide range of research from different disciplines in order to decisively show the ways in which economic governance has been de-democratised in this period. This analysis has important consequences with regard to policy attempts to reduce inequality and suggests that these must focus not on technical issues but on ways to strengthen democracy. And if the dynamics of de-democratisation are fundamentally global, then solutions must also be global. These conclusions are in stark contrast with current academic and policy approaches which tend to focus on technical, rather than political, solutions, and which focus overwhelmingly at the national, rather than the global, level. This article thus calls for a major rethinking of the causes of rising inequality and the policy changes needed to reduce it.     

Can Comprehensive Immigration Reform Be Both Liberal and Democratic?

Social Science and the Public Interest

Social Science and the Public Interest March/April 2010     

Interstate Communication Among State Legislators Regarding Energy Policy Innovation

This study, using survey data of legislators in six states,examines the prevalence of cross-state cue-taking. The findingsregarding the sources of policy ideas are similar to those reportedin studies of agency officials. Regionalism is most important,although a few states are recognized as national leaders. Supportfor innovative energy policies among state legislators was positivelyrelated to two variables: the extent to which one engaged incue-taking and the degree to which the respondents were supportiveof external communication. A comparison of the six states showsthat extensive interstate communication is not a necessary conditionfor legislative support of innovative policies; an orientationsupportive of external cue-taking is sufficient.     

Competency to stand trial: description and initial evaluation of a new computer-assisted assessment tool (CADCOMP).

The authors describe a Computer-Assisted Determination of Competency to Proceed (CADCOMP), a new instrument that collects data directly from the defendant through an interactive computer program and renders a report covering relevant historical, psychopathological, and legal information. The comprehensive report could be utilized by the clinician to focus the clinician's interview with the defendant on areas requiring further probing, thus reducing the time required to assess competency. Preliminary reliability and validity assessment studies are reported. The results support the predictive validity of CADCOMP used as a screening instrument and found the CADCOMP to be sufficiently reliable to be used for screening purposes.