CHANGES IN EDUCATION OUTPUTS IN ENGLISH LOCAL AUTHORITIES, 1949–1974

The literature on local outputs is dominated by cross-sectional investigations which suggest that the local socio-economic environment is a critical determinant of local policy. This paper argues that there is insufficient theoretical justification for adopting a cross-sectional methodology. It examines changes in education outputs in 57 English county borough s and 28 English county councils over the period 1949–74 and concludes that long-term trends in output change were little affected by local socio-economic conditions, changes in party control or changes in senior administrative personnel. The results suggest that case study analyses of internal policy-making processes are likely to give more insight into policy determination than current local output analyses.     

WHEN DOES A REGULATION BECOME A TAKING? THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT'S MOST RECENT PRONOUNCEMENTS

Keystone Bituminous Coal, Irving, and Nollan are thus each consistent with paths taken in relevant precedents–the former two with “multifactor balancing” cases such as Penn Central and the latter with “enduring invasion equals taking” decisions such as Loretto v. TeleprompterM. However, can these twosets of precedents themselves be reconciled? I believe that the correct answer is “yes,” and that we therefore have another reason for asserting that Keystone Bituminous Coal and Nollan are consistent with each other. The tests are compatible in that the Court will first ask itself whether the regulation results in a longstanding occupation of property. If the answer is “yes,” it will declare a seizure then and there. Only if the answer if “no” will it proceed to balance.     

Tolerance and Liberal Justice

Tolerance, the mere “putting up” with disapproved behaviour and practices, is often considered a too negative and passive engagement with difference in the liberal constitutional state. In response, liberal thinkers have either discarded tolerance, or assimilated it to the moral and legal precepts of liberal justice. In contradistinction to these approaches I argue that there is something distinctive and valuable about tolerance that should not be undermined by more ambitious, rights‐based models of social cooperation. I develop a conception of tolerance as a complementary principle and an interim value that is neither incompatible with, nor reducible to, rights‐based liberalism. Tolerance represents a particular, non‐communitarian expression of the general dictum that the liberal state, having released its citizens into liberty, rests on social presuppositions it cannot itself guarantee.     

Re‐articulating Identity: The Shifting Landscape of Indigenous Politics and Power on the Ecuadorian Coast

The Levantamiento Indígena of 1990 was a defining moment in the advancement of indigenous politics in Ecuador. Following the uprising of 1990, scholars have paid close attention to the politics of identity and indigenous representation in Ecuador with the main focus being placed on the highland and Amazonian regions of the country. Based on fieldwork conducted in Ecuador's Manabí province, this article provides preliminary insight into the growth of an indigenous discourse on the Ecuadorian coast. I focus on the process of re‐indigenisation in the coastal community of Macaboa. This research is significant because while a great deal of scholarly attention has been paid to indigenous movements in Ecuador's highland and Amazonian regions, indigenous politics on the coast have gone largely unnoticed. The case outlined in this article is emblematic of the shifting nature of identity and the way in which ethnic discourses are increasingly being adopted by marginalised groups in their attempts to negotiate with the state.     

Why are Inheritance Taxes Unpopular?

There is a puzzle over why inheritance taxes are unpopular relative to other taxes since they are progressive and, assuming they are spent wisely on welfare goods, more people should gain than lose through inheritance tax. I examine four reasons why inheritance tax might be unpopular (a) propaganda, (b) fiscal illusion, (c) framing and developing the latter (d) an evolutionary basis in human reasoning. The latter suggests that the relative popularity of a tax is related to how far the money taxed is already 'in the possession' of the person taxed. Given these reasons I make a suggestion and examine some proposal for making inheritance tax less unpopular.     

The RWJF Reclaiming Futures Initiative: Improving Substance Abuse Interventions for Justice‐Involved Youths

Juvenile justice systems in the United States do not always respond effectively to substance abuse problems among young offenders. In 2002, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation launched a 10‐community demonstration project to address this problem. Reclaiming Futures (RF) relies on community partnerships to improve treatment quality, strengthen local leadership, expand inter‐organizational collaboration, and create systems of shared performance management. The initial findings of a cross‐site evaluation suggest that Reclaiming Futures is yielding important and positive change. Bi‐annual surveys of key informants measure the quality and integration of juvenile justice and substance abuse treatment systems in each community. Of 13 indices measured by the surveys, 11 showed significant improvements between 2003 and 2005.     

Survival Strategies Among the Mexican Rural Elite

This article focuses on a sector of society that has received comparatively little attention in the recent historiography of post‐revolutionary Mexican rural society: the local elite. Using the district of Zacapoaxtla in the Sierra Norte de Puebla as a case study, it explores the ways in which external agents of change challenged pre‐existing relationships between communities, classes, and ethnic groups. It shows how, in trying to retain their positions of local dominance, the elite displayed remarkable degrees of pragmatism and willingness to compromise on long‐standing prejudices. Above all, the article offers a detailed example of how political patronage at national and regional levels enabled local factions to overcome formidable opposition.