Running the Blockade: Information Technology,Terrorism, and the Transformation of Islamic Mass Culture

Arab media is no longer limited to state-sponsored sources, opening a door of opportunity to the Muslim world. Islamic terrorist groups leverage information technology to form resilient, networked organizations that influence how many Muslims perceive events and U.S. political goals. This article looks at the connection between information technology and cultural transformation in the Middle East. It focuses on how information technology—as the major weapon system in the battle of ideas—has been used effectively by Islamic extremists and less so by the U.S. Important conclusions are drawn regarding the necessity of culturally-attuned uses of information technology.     

Preadjudicatory detention in a large metropolitan juvenile court

While the use, and possible abuse, of detention by the juvenile court has been the subject of heated controversy in recent years, this issue has received very little systematic empirical attention. A few studies of detention have been conducted, but they have produced mixed findings, which may be a result of the different locations and time periods considered, and the different methodologies employed. To shed additional light on this important question, we examine in this investigation the effect of a variety of legal, extralegal, and other case characteristics on the preadjudicatory detention practices of a large metropolitan juvenile court. Over 60,000 cases disposed of by the court during a seven-year period (1969–1975) were considered in a detailed multivariate analysis of detention outcomes (detained/not detained). The analysis produced no evidence that the court operates on a double standard—discriminates—along sexual, racial, or socioeconomic lines in the use of detention. Both additive and interaction statistical models considering the extralegal variables showed a youth's sex, race, and social class to be largely independent of detention decisions. In contrast, a legal factor—a youth's previous court experience—was found to be an important predictor of detention. This factor better accounts for detention outcomes than any, or all, of the other legal, extralegal, and other case history variables considered in the analysis.     

Terrorism Preparation by Michigan Law Enforcement Agencies

The terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, compelled most Americans to imagine the unimaginable. Increased interest was focused on lessons learned, specifically if local law enforcement agencies had made appropriate organizational changes to manage potential terrorism events. The purpose of this study was to assess perceptions of law enforcement officers in the state of Michigan regarding organizational changes post 9/11. A total of 247 law enforcement officers participated in the study by completing three instruments, the Police Unit Assessment of Terrorism (PAT) Scale, Domestic Unit Assessment of Terrorism (DAT) Scale, and a short demographic survey. The officers who perceived their work load had increased since 9/11 were more likely to have more positive perceptions on both the PAT and DAT.     

Constraining Federalism: Formalizing Expectations about Redistributive Policies in Decentralized Systems

Whether states keep welfare benefits low in order to preventin-migration of benefit-seeking individuals is one of the greatquestions in the study of federalism. Assessing this questionis challenging, however, because it is difficult to specifyexactly what constitutes evidence that states inhibit theirspending for this reason. This article develops a model whichprovides a micro-founded framework for thinking about the issue.The model suggests that competition on redistributive programsdoes not induce "racing" among states, but does constrain spendingto be less than what the states would spend if migration werenot a concern. The model also provides specific guidance forthe form of this downward pressure.     

Fundraising in Brazil: The major implications for civil society organisations and international NGOs

This paper looks at the opportunities for civil society organisations (CSOs) in Brazil to increase and diversify income. It demonstrates the range of potential new sources of funds, including the Brazilian public, commercial activities, and government institutions. The role of volunteers is also addressed. The institutional and cultural changes that CSOs must make in order to mobilise these resources are highlighted, along with associated risks, such as diversion away from their representational and advocacy roles, loss of political independence, and bureaucratisation. The paper then suggests how aid agencies might fulfil their responsibilities to help counterparts bolster income, and raises the possibility of more inter-institutional collaboration in what is increasingly a global rather than national activity. Finally, some comments are offered regarding the funding priorities of the international NGOs, given the new income opportunities facing CSOs. The main recommendation is that these concentrate on supporting advocacy work rather than service provision.     

Some considerations related to environmental influence assessment†

Abstract. In recent years many segments of society in Canada and elsewhere have expressed concern that environmental factors have not received sufficient consideration in project and program planning. The ‘environmental impact statement’ procedure, which stems from the US National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, provides the basis of a currently popular conceptual framework for evaluating the environmental effects of projects and programs. This approach, however, can lead to piece-meal planning which does not facilitate a co-ordinated assessment of environmental influences at all stages and levels in the decision-making process. In addition, the imprecise concept of the term ‘environment’ the lack of generally acceptable evaluation techniques, and the unavailability of an adequate number of qualified personnel to prepare accurate impact statements is an open invitation to frequent and lengthy litigation as well as the unnecessary proliferation and growth of administrative review institutions. Environmental information is but one input into a planning process. It should be available at all levels in this process and not confined solely to a single statement in the late planning stages. A variety of procedures are available to ensure that environmental information can be incorporated into a planning process. These can be grouped under two headings: (1) resource evaluation techniques; and (2) resource classification techniques. Techniques in the former group are often oriented towards the analysis of the landscape for a single use. Moreover, they often combine socio-economic considerations with biophysical ones and this limits the future interpretative value of the acquired information. Classification techniques provide environmental information within a holistic ecological framework which permits trained diagnosticians to make inferences about ecological processes as they relate to proposed programs. Canadian scientists have been at the forefront in developing ‘total landscape’ classification techniques. It would appear that this is the area where Canada could most profitably concentrate its efforts to provide a basis for ensuring that environmental information is incorporated at all levels in any given planning process. Sommaire. Ces dernières années, au Canada comme ailleurs, bien des groups de la société se sont dits inquiets du trop peu d'attention accordée à l'environnement dasn la lanification des travaux et des programmes. La méthode des “états sur les effets environnementaux”, qui découle de la loi américaine de 1969 sur la politique nationale en matière d'environnement, constitue le fondement d'un cadre conceptuel actuellement très employé pour l'évaluation des effets des travaux et programmes sur l'environnement. Cette méthode peut cependant mener à une planscation fragmentaire, qui ne rend que plus diffcile l'évaluation coordonnée des effets environnementaux à tous les niveaux et étapes de prise de décision. En outre, l'imprécision du terme “environne-ment”, le manque de techniques d'évaluation convenables et la péurie de personnel qualifié pour évaluer les effets environnementaux sont autant de portes ouvertes aux fréquentes et longues disputes et à la prolifération et la croissance inutiles d'institutions administratives de révision. L'information sur l'environnement n'est qu'un des éléments du processus de planification; elle devrait être présentée à tous les niveaux de ce processus, et non pas être limitée à un simple rapport présenté aux derniers stades. Il existe une game de méthodes permettant de faire entrer l'information sur l'environ-nement dans le processus de planification; on peut les regrouper sous deux rubriques: (1) techniques J'évaluation des ressources et (2) techniques de classification des ressources. Les premières techniques sont souvent axées sur l'étude du paysage dans un but unique. De plus, ella combinent souvent les considérations socie-économiques aux bio-physiques, ce qui a pour effet de limiter la valeur d'interprétation future de l'information recueille. Les techniques de classification offrent de l'information sur l'environnement à l'intérieur d'un cadre écologique holistique. Ce dernier permet aux spécialistes des diagnostics de faire des inférences sur les relations existantes entre les processus écologiques et les programmes. Les scientistes canadiens ont étéà l'avant-garde du développement des techniques de classification du e paysage total. Il semble que ce soit le secteur où le Canada pourrait le plus profitablement concentrer ses efforts, de façon à s'assurer que l'information touchant l'environnement soit incorporée à tous les niveaux de chaque processus de planification.     

Imprisonment v. the death penalty as a deterrent to murder

In this investigation we examine the simultaneous deterrent effect of imprisonment and executions on homicide. Examination of the census years 1920 to 1960 shows the certainty of execution and homicide rates to be generally unrelated. Also contrary to the deterrence hypothesis, the significant negative bivariate relationship between the severity of prison sentence and homicide rates found here and in earlier investigations is shown to be a statistical artifact resulting from a failure to control for the effects of alternative legal sanctions and sociodemographic factors. While neither imprisonment nor executions are found to have a significant deterrent effect on homicide, attention is called to some limitations of this investigation and the need for additional research.