The Changing Structure of American Cities: A Study of the Diffusion of Innovation

Using historical and numerical analysis and the five-part schema, this study finds that over the past 50 years structural modifications and adaptations by American cities have generally followed the standard S curve of the diffusion of innovation. In tests of Kaufman's and Hirshman's theories of epochs of change from representativeness to administrative efficiency, this study determines that mayor-council cities have, in a standard innovation diffusion S curve, adopted many of the key features of council-manager cities, increasing their administrative efficiency. At the same time, council-manager cities, again in an S curve, have adopted many of the key features of mayor-council cities, increasing their political responsiveness. Fewer cities are now either distinctly mayor-council or council-manager in form, and most cities are structurally less distinct, constituting a newly merged or hybrid model of local government—the type III city.     

Psychology in police training

Conclusion Recent studies have concluded that a number of major police departments have under-utilized their trained negotiators and suggested that they be used to develop further training, especially in the area of elementary psychological concepts such as communication and rapport building skills. This argument can be extended to include the use of negotiators or psychologists to train members of the department in essential psychological processes such as the importance of command and control, perception and communication. The advantage of training police personnel in the understanding of psychological concepts is that it can easily prevent injury to the public with the attendant reduction in civil liability. If the officers involved in the case discussed had understood even one of the three areas of basic psychological concepts the hostage might not have been injured nor would there have been the resulting civil liability of the law enforcement agencies. Proper psychological training is of benefit to police agencies not only in the delivery of services, and the advancement of the profession, but also in the prevention of injuries to the public and the lessening of civil liability.     

Violent marriages: Gender differences in levels of current violence and past abuse

Military couples mandated for marital violence treatment (n=199) self-reported pretreatment levels of marital violence. This sample is unique in that data from both partners in severely violent marriages were available. Spouses were interviewed conjointly about past and current marital violence, childhood victimization, type of parental violence witnessed, and subjective impressions of childhood emotional and/or physical abuse. Results suggest that in the majority of these couples both husbands and wives reported engaging in acts of current marital violence (83%). However, significant gender differences were found such that husbands were more likely to use severely violent tactics, less likely to receive a marital violence injury, and less likely to report being afraid during the last incident of marital violence than wives. Surprisingly, wives were more likely than husbands to blame themselves for the first incidence of violence in the marriage. Husbands and wives did not differ in the prevalence of witnessing parental aggression, but wives were more likely than husbands to report being beaten as children and to perceive themselves as abused. For both genders, victimization from mother predicted marital perpetration, whereas victimization from father predicted marital victimization.     

Creating Convergence: Debiasing Biased Litigants

Previous experimental research has found that self-Serving biases are a major cause of negotiation impasses. In this study we show that a simple intervention can mitigate such biases and promote efficient settlement of disputes.     

External Factors: Facilitating Military and Political Stability in South Asia

The Cambridge Review of International Affairs interview with George Perkovich, conducted in February, 2001, provides an in-depth and up to date perspective of regional stability in the Indian subcontinent. Although the Kashmir conflict and terrorism in the region are coming under increased international scrutiny, the role played by external players with varying economic and strategic interests in both countries in shaping Indo-Pak interactions is limited. Domestic and external influences on the region compete with one another, maintaining a stalemate in the region. Long-lasting subcontinental stability can occur only if India and Pakistan actively choose to reconcile their differing views on the pressing issues of Kashmir and terrorism therein. Widely considered an expert on Indo-Pak nuclear politics and prize-winning author of India's Nuclear Bomb , Dr Perkovich outlines his understanding of the nature of the South Asian stand-off, and the possible effects of international efforts for its peaceful resolution.     

The European Court of Justice and the Annulment of the Tobacco Advertisement Directive: Friend of National Sovereignty or Foe of Public Health?

In Case C-376/98 Germany v Council the European Court of Justice annulled a Directive which banned the advertisement and sponsorship of tobacco. The judgment sanctions regulatory policy-making at the national rather than the Community level. The paper examines the legal basis of the annulment, its effect on economic efficiency and the implied role of the Court in the formulation of public policy in Europe. Within the institutional limits of the judicial power to determine policy, the Court focused on whether or not disparate national laws restrict free movement and distort competition and affirmed the primacy of the nation state to regulate economic activity.