Liability for the Escape of GM Seeds: Pursuing the ‘Victim’?

The widespread commercial cultivation of GM crops in the EU and the UK is getting closer. Intense concerns about the uncertain health and environmental effects of GM farming have been the subject of high profile debate. The effects of GM farming on existing forms of agriculture, raised by the prospect of cross–pollination by GM seed, provoke similarly polarised views. However, whilst regulatory developments have been strongly influenced by environmental and health concerns, the socio–economic impact of GM agriculture is relatively neglected in current regulatory approaches. The authors examine various possible legal responses to unwanted cross–pollination by GM seed, and contend that the law is likely to struggle to cope with the conflicts that may arise.     

Ideology and campaign activity at three levels of government

This article examines the relationship between self-designated political ideology, opinions on twenty-one issues, and campaign activity at local, state, and national levels. The samples examined include delegates to the 1984 Party Conventions in eleven states. Generally, the findings indicate that ideology and issue position are most strongly associated with activity in national campaigns. Among Democrats liberalism is associated with national activity, whereas among Republicans those who are conservative are most active in national campaigns. Some important intraparty differences are found between local campaign activists and national activists. For example, among Democrats local campaign activists are much more conservative than national activists on several issues.