Intertemporal regulatory tasks and responsibilities for greenhouse gas reductions

Jurisdictions are in the process of establishing regulatory systems to control greenhouse gas emissions. Short‐term and sometimes long‐term emissions reduction goals are established, as California does for 2020 and 2050, but little attention has yet been focused on annual emissions targets for the intervening years. We develop recommendations for how these annual targets—which we collectively term a “compliance pathway”—can be set, as well as what flexibility sources should have to adjust in light of cost uncertainties. Environmental effectiveness, efficiency, equity, adaptability, and encouraging global participation are appropriate criteria by which these intertemporal policy alternatives should be judged. Limited but useful knowledge about costs leads us to recommend a compliance pathway characterized by increasing incremental reductions along it. This can be approximated by discrete linear segments, which may fit better with global negotiations. Although the above conclusion applies to any long‐term GHG regulatory program, many jurisdictions will rely heavily on a cap‐and‐trade system, and the same pathway recommendation applies to its time schedule of allowances. Furthermore, borrowing constraints in cap‐and‐trade systems can impose substantial unnecessary costs. To avoid most of these costs, we recommend that sources be allowed early use of limited percentages of allowances intended for future years. We also find that a three‐year compliance period can have substantial benefit over a one‐year period. © 2010 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management.     

Rethinking global governance: a China model in the making?

This paper examines Chinese perspectives on global governance, an area in which China has increased substantially the depth and breadth of its participation. The paper attempts to draw a mainstream perspective to inform our understanding of some key aspects of China's foreign policy. It demonstrates that while China's statist preference appeals to some Third World countries, such a preference leads the country to clash with the West over how to tackle global issues collectively, particularly over humanitarian intervention. While the Chinese perspective is in the process of evolving and far from reaching maturity, it is questionable whether the global community led by the West would find the Westphalian practice that China embraces admirable.     

A methodology based on NMR spectroscopy for the forensic analysis of condoms.

Both solution and solid state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopic techniques have been used to determine differences in commercially available condoms. Whilst solid state NMR is useful for determining the polymer backbone, it is not useful for forensic analysis due to the commonality of the latex condom. However solution NMR spectra obtained following a simple extraction procedure using hexane, provides a fingerprint of the additives in the lubricants. Following the development of a flow chart, basing decisions on the presence of particular peaks present in the solution spectra, 33 of 38 condoms could be individualized. Samples were also analyzed after having the lubricant manually removed and soaking the condom in water for 3 to 24 h. These experiments were performed to simulate a case of the sample having been used and disposed of by flushing down the toilet, as may be experienced in a case of a sexual assault. The results indicated that the only significant water soluble component was polyethylene glycol. The overall results suggest that the method developed may be a quick and useful technique in characterizing condoms. The information obtained can be used to provide associative evidence between suspect and crime, and so be useful in sexual assault cases.     

Definitions and terminology regarding child alignments,estrangement, and alienation: A survey of custody evaluators

Parental alienation (PA) is a highly consequential family dynamic that causes harm to children and parents. While many mental health and legal professionals agree that PA is common and potentially very harmful to children, there is still the appearance that there is controversy and discord in the field. The purpose of this study was to test the extent of consensus in the field regarding the basic tenets of PA theory. Specifically, 11 key terms related to PA were identified through expert input and preliminary field-testing. An on-line survey was created specifically for the study to assess level of agreement with these key terms among custody evaluators. This profession was selected because of their high degree of training and experience with a variety of family conflict situations; 119 child custody evaluators selected as members of a professional custody evaluator listing (88% response rate) rated their endorsement of these 11 key definitions with response options including: strongly agree, agree, neither agree nor disagree, disagree, and strongly disagree. Results revealed that roughly 80% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed with each of the 11 definitions. These results demonstrate a high degree of consensus and should guide future trainings of legal and mental health professionals to ensure a common language and understanding of this phenomenon.     

Ignoring the Electoral College: why public choice economists understate the probability of decisive voters

Public Choice - When considering the probability of voters being decisive in presidential elections, public choice economists typically proceed as if the probability can reasonably be approximated...     

CHINA'S PENSION CRISIS: SYSTEM REFORMS START WITH RELAXATION OF ONE-CHILD POLICY

China's one-child policy ("OCP") exacerbates the existing weaknesses within the country's pension system.1 This strict family planning measure is the root cause of sub-replacement fertility and rising dependency ratios within the country.Consequently,the one-child policy should not coexist with the nation's currently under-funded retirement security program.In order to avert an impending financial and social crisis,the Chinese government should immediately confront the issue of pension reform.However,designs to improve the retirement security framework cannot be successfully instituted unless,as an initial step,the one-child policy is relaxed.The focal point of this paper delves into the impracticality of the one-child policy in relation to China's pension reform efforts.     

Singapore′s globalization strategy

For singapore, it is not a question of whether to globalize, but how to globalize. While Singapore may be handicapped by its small size and lack of natural resources, it seems that these drawbacks could be less of a problem as the world economy becomes more sophisticated. Physical size and natural resources will become less important for economic growth when compared with human capital, information, and knowledge in the future. To build the city-state, the Singaporean government adopted a number of bold strategies to develop its economy, making it a leader among the newly industrialized nations involved in the region. Singapore's export-oriented industrialization evolved in several stages and had to overcome obstacles along the way. Its success was dependent on enlightened government policy in cultivating good relations with multinational corporations and cooperation between the government-run and private enterprises. A review of the economy in the last decade gave birth to the Strategic Economic Plan of 1991. Besides underlining the importance of the manufacturing and service sectors, the plan also emphasized the regionalization and globalization of the economy. While the Asian economic crisis has affected Singapore's development, it has not changed Singapore's determination to globalize and liberalize its economy. An earlier version of this article was presented at the conference on “Globalization and new Governance,” hosted by the Semin Foundation and Asia Pacific Public Affairs Forum in Suwon, Korea, 7–11 October 1999.