Pluralism and Liberalism

Meta-ethical pluralism, as developed in the work of writers like Isaiah Berlin, is the idea that ethical values cannot be reduced to a single hierarchy or system but are irreducibly multiple. It has often been argued that simply to recognize this fact is to have a reason to favour liberal institutions. On the contrary, the plurality of values in itself gives us no reason to support liberalism, indeed no reason to prefer any particular political arrangement to any other. If pluralism is true, the liberal's best defence may lie in appealing, in the manner of writers like Walzer and Rorty, to the de facro limitations on moral commitments imposed by the existing political culture.     

LOCAL GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE AND PERFORMANCE: LESSONS FROM AMERICA?

The debate in the UK on the reform of local government structure is poorly informed by empirical evidence. This article bridges part of the empirical gap by drawing upon analyses of structural effects in the USA. Two main dimensions of structure are outlined: fragmentation and concentration, both of which can vary vertically and horizontally. Fourteen structural hypotheses are identified and categorized as technical, competitive and political effects. The empirical evidence from the USA suggests that fragmentation is associated with lower spending and concentration is associated with higher spending. The implications of the evidence for structural reform in the UK are analysed. It is concluded that the creation of a single-tier system may not lead to greater efficiency, and that the advantages of a two-tier system have been underestimated.     

Sierra Leone To-day

This article represents the greater part of a Lecture by theretiring Governor, now a Crown Agent for the Colonies, deliveredat a joint meeting with the Royal Empire Society on the 23rdJuly, when Lord Milverton was in the Chair.     

PREVENTIVE DETENTION

The authors suggest that the probability of an arrestee engaging in violent crime before trial should be recognized as on independent and legitimate concern of the courts. Some of the major practical and legal considerations in implementing a pretrial detention option are discussed. A model is proposed which would give prosecutors a uniform basis for the decision to request a judicial order to detain pending trial. The model is based upon a modification of the Sellin-Wolfgang index of seriousness.     

DIFFERENTIAL INTEGRATION AND JOB RETENTION AMONG EXOFFENDERS

Recent studies of the police have tended to stress the small role played by the police in the discovery and detection of offenses, and correspondingly, the dependence of the police on the public. The article focuses on the difficulties faced by the police where offenses occur in private or, at least in low-visibility areas, and suggests six strategies that the police use in order to overcome this initial disadvantage, strategies which in many cases may be sources of controversy .