Local News Coverage and the Incumbency Advantage in the U.S. House

Much of the incumbency advantage in the U.S. House of Representatives is attributed to incumbents' efforts to address constituents' needs. Yet House members do not win reelection simply by performing well in office, but also by informing constituents of how well they are doing their jobs. I examined the value of local news coverage for legislators seeking to publicize their legislative work on behalf of constituents. I found that incumbents who win more newspaper coverage are viewed as being more in touch with the district and are more likely to win support from constituents during bids for reelection.     

The changes in the migration patterns in the post-Soviet states: the first decade

Following a short-term burst of migration activity after the dissolution of the USSR, the current situation is marked by the unusually low population territorial mobility, defined by both the political and, increasingly, the socioeconomic factors. While this trend indicates some degree of minority accommodation, it also demonstrates the depth of economic crisis and increasing socioeconomic differentiation. Visible also is the disproportionate influence exercised by Russia on the formation of migration flows in the region. Remaining the major recipient of migrants, Russia increasingly plays a role of supplier of labor migrants to the West, and acts as a “bridge” for those attempting to reach Western Europe. Meanwhile, Russia still lacks an effective legislative base, institutional mechanisms, and political will for dealing with the new migration flows.     

Proposals for Improving GPRA Annual Performance Plans

The Government Performance and Results Act process is now well embedded in the departments and agencies, and it is now timely to consider ways to improve the value of agency plans and reports, both to the Congress and to agency managers. This article offers several recommendations about how Annual Performance Plans can be made more valuable.     

Postmortem interval estimation by creatinine levels in human psoas muscle.

A new method was tested for estimating time after death in the middle range of postmortem interval (weeks). Creatinine muscular concentration in human cadaver is positively correlated to postmortem estimation. Temperature should be mainly related to the creatinine transformation rate. A stronger correlation was found at 11 degrees C up to 30 days and at 20 degrees Celsius up to 15 days.     

Chinese security as Asia evolves: Constraints and ambiguities

Beijing’s weapons modernization, arms transfer, and arms control policies reflect priorities and internal and external constraints established in previous decades. Although Chinese perceptions of the evolving security environment in Asia have prompted some adjustments, PRC policies remain constricted by a security structure originally formed during the cold war, domestically driven security policymaking, and non-security factors, including economic and technological limitations imposed by the global market, the domestic economy and budgetary resources, and technological developments. Constraints notwithstanding, it is China’s policy ambiguities and opaque intentions that fuel suspicions throughout Asia that the PRC seeks to dominate the region.