The container security initiative costs,implications and relevance to developing countries

Following 9/11, the Department of Homeland Security established the Container Security Initiative (CSI) programme in 2002 in response to the threat from terrorist attacks involving weapons of mass destruction transported by cargo containers. This project establishes the tracking and targeting of ‘high risk’ containers and their subsequent scanning with X‐ray machines before loading onto the U.S. bound ships. To date, 44 of the world's largest ports have agreed to become CSI‐compliant, the majority of which are located in industrialised countries, while developing and least developed countries are under‐represented. CSI‐eligibility requires that ports represent a considerable volume of U.S. bound container traffic and invest in container scanning devices. Every non‐intrusive inspecting device (NII) costs several million dollars while investments in IT and existing infrastructure often triple the compliance costs. Containers originating in a CSI port are expedited through U.S. customs, representing a comparative trade barrier for exporters from non‐CSI ports. Thus, CSI acts as a tool for the U.S. to improve security, while representing a challenge to exporting countries' market access. This article provides an evaluation of the impacts this plan will have on the export competitiveness of developing countries. It reviews the potential benefits this programme offers in terms of improved trade facilitation, as well as proposing recommendations for its expansion to include developing countries. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Personal Vote and the Efficacy of Education Spending

In this article we explore the ways in which incentives to cultivate a personal vote affect the efficiency of education spending in developing democracies. We argue that where the electoral system provides incentives for political particularism, resources are allocated less efficiently and the effect of increased spending on literacy is diminished. We test our hypotheses using data on education spending and performance in over 40 developing democracies since 1980. We find that though personal vote systems spend just as much on education as party vote systems, particularism in personal vote systems dampens the marginal effect of increased education spending on illiteracy and at its highest levels, incentives to cultivate a personal vote completely undermine the positive effects of increased education spending on literacy.     

刑事诉讼的法理和政治基础

本文从法治的核心内容出发,论述了证据法对诉讼制度的重要意义以及证据是法治的基石的原理.作者认为,证据法具有普适性,证据法的大部分内容在人类所有的诉讼程序中都是相同的,只有极其微小的例外.相比之下,刑事诉讼法具有地方性,体现了不同的制度安排和设想.诉讼法是本土化的,属于地方性知识;像实体法一样,它反映了时间空间的特殊性.刑事程序不能与其周围因素隔绝开来而孤立地加以看待,而要分析政府的性质、政府与民众的适当关系以及个人利益的性质等.因此,研究美国刑事诉讼法,不能仅仅考察成文法律和案例,还要深入了解美国的历史、文化、经济以及其他影响因素.要理解美国刑事司法制度的实际运作,需要深入研究其法理和政治问题,包括书本上的法律与实践中的法律之间的差别;程序法与实体法之间紧密的相互关系,特别是事实上程序法是实体法的载体,而非我们习惯上所认为的相反的情况;一般的历史,特别是种族关系和种族歧视问题;经济因素.     

An evaluation of measurement uncertainty of trajectory angles using a 3D laser scanner

Measuring trajectory angles of bullet defects at a crime scene is an important part of crime scene investigation as these angles can be used for shooting incident reconstructions. The Washington State Patrol Crime Scene Response Team (WSP CSRT) had a desire to report and use measured trajectory angles. To report quantitative measurements, a statement of uncertainty for the measurement must also be reported due to an accreditation requirement through the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB), through which the WSP CSRT is accredited. This evaluation examined the measurement uncertainty of the 3D laser scanning method that the WSP CSRT utilizes for measuring the vertical and azimuth angles from trajectory rods fitted to bullet defects. Three studies were performed which examined the variation of vertical and azimuth angle measurements from trajectory rods on flat surfaces, the variation of azimuth angle measurements from a trajectory rod on a curved surface, and a traceability study with known vertical and azimuth angle measurements. Seven common substrates were selected as target materials and were shot with 9 mm Luger and 0.45 Auto caliber bullets. A vehicle with one bullet defect was utilized for the curved surface study. The WSP's current fleet of Trimble X7 3D laser scanners, the WSP Criminal Investigation Division (CID) Detectives who operate these scanners, and the Forensic Scientists responsible for trajectory rod placement and angle measurements were utilized. An overall measurement uncertainty of +/− 2.6 degrees at an approximate 95% confidence interval was determined for all trajectory angles measured from trajectory rods.