Estimating property tax base elasticity over time: Evidence on the revenue maximizing politician

The Laffer curve analysis suggests a possible policy conflict between short-run revenue maximization and long-run fiscal health. This paper estimates short-run and long-run property tax base elasticity in order to test whether such a conflict exists for the property tax in central cities. A stock adjustment model is used and separate time-series estimates for four New York State central cities lend empirical support to such a conflict. The results show that while disincentive effects associated with property tax rate increases are not strong enough to reduce proeprty tax revenue in the short-run, they are substantial enough to reduce long-run revenue in all but one city. The paper also tests for asymmetric response to property tax rate changes and finds significant results for only one city.     

Dimensions of the self-concept: A source of further distinctions in the nature of self-consciousness

This study distinguished between forms of self-consciousness (private self-consciousness and social anxiety) and investigated the effect of self-esteem, vulnerability to criticism, and the tendency to fantasize on each. Utilizing a sample of adolescents (age 12 to 19 years), a structural equation analysis using unobserved variables revealed that, as expected, vulnerability to others' criticism heightened both private self-consciousness and social anxiety. In contrast, the tendency to fantasize in everyday life increased only private self-consciousness, and low self-esteem led directly only to increased social anxiety. Further, results showed that self-esteem had an appreciable indirect effect on both private self-consciousness and social anxiety, as mediated by vulnerability and the tendency to fantasize, indicating that the effect of self-esteem (a primary motivator) was more complex than an analysis of direct effects would indicate. Implications for our understanding of self-consciousness and the self-concept are discussed.My deepest thanks go to Morris Rosenberg, whose insights into the self-concept were indispensable, both in conceptualization and in analysis. I also thank John A. Fleishman and Edward Z. Dager for their constructive comments on early drafts of this article. Any errors remaining are my responsibility.This study was supported by NIMH Grant R01 MH27747-06 awarded to Morris Rosenberg. The data were analyzed using the facilities of the Computer Science Center, University of Maryland, College Park.Professor Elliott received his Ph.D. in sociology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. His current major interest is in the structure of the self-concept.     

Behavior problems of handicapped adolescent female students

Adolescent girls aged 12 through 16 years, identified as either educable mentally retarded, behaviorally disordered, learning disabled, or nonhandicapped, were rated by their teachers on the Behavior Problem Checklist. Analysis of these ratings revealed significant differences for pupil category, Behavior Problem Checklist dimension, and category-by-dimension interaction. Behaviorally disordered students showed a greater degree of maladjustment than the retarded and nonhandicapped students on all four checklist dimensions, and exceeded the learning disabled on three dimensions (not Personality Problem). Implications for further research and special educational practices based on the present findings are discussed.Received Ed.D. from University of Virginia. Main interest is the handicapped adolescent.Received Ms.Ed. from Northern Illinois University. Main interest is emotionally disturbed children.Received Ed.D. from University of Virginia. Main interest is educational programming.Received Ms.Ed. from Northern Illinois University. Main interest is educational research.     

Major study commencing into genetic discrimination in Australia

This article describes a nationwide empirical study that will be undertaken during the next three years into the newly emerging phenomenon of genetic discrimination. In particular, the study aims to investigate the nature and extent of genetic discrimination in Australia across three key perspectives: consumers, third parties and the legal system. Further, the study aims to examine the social and legal implications of genetic discrimination, with a view to making recommendations for use in the Australian legal and policy context. It is anticipated that the data produced from this multifaceted investigation will assist in identifying areas where legal or other reforms are required. It will contribute significant baseline data for facilitating ongoing assessment of the nature and extent of the problem, as well as for longitudinal evaluation of the impact and effectiveness of any reforms which may be introduced in the future to address the issue.     

Estimating Dynamic Panel Data Models in Political Science

Panel data are a very valuable resource for finding empiricalsolutions to political science puzzles. Yet numerous publishedstudies in political science that use panel data to estimatemodels with dynamics have failed to take into account importantestimation issues, which calls into question the inferenceswe can make from these analyses. The failure to account explicitlyfor unobserved individual effects in dynamic panel data inducesbias and inconsistency in cross-sectional estimators. The purposeof this paper is to review dynamic panel data estimators thateliminate these problems. I first show how the problems withcross-sectional estimators arise in dynamic models for paneldata. I then show how to correct for these problems using generalizedmethod of moments estimators. Finally, I demonstrate the usefulnessof these methods with replications of analyses in the debateover the dynamics of party identification.     

Validation of chest X-ray comparisons for unknown decedent identification

Comparing skeletal structures between antemortem and postmortem chest radiographs is widely used by forensic specialists from many disciplines to positively identify unknown decedents. However, validity assessments of this method have been fairly limited. This study had three objectives: 1) to quantify the reliability of ante- and postmortem chest radiograph comparison for decedent identification; 2) to identify useful radiologic features supporting decedent identification; and 3) to recognize sources of error in decedent identification related to use of comparative radiographs. A forensic pathologist, a forensic anthropologist, and two radiologists participated in the study. Our results showed that chest radiograph comparisons proved reliable, if basic decedent information was provided, and antemortem and postmortem radiographs were adequately positioned and exposed. A "morphological approach" using normal anatomical structures for comparison may provide the most efficient method for accurate identification.     

Environmental gas displacement: three accidental deaths in the workplace

The authors describe three accidental deaths resulting from occupational hazards involving environmental gas alterations. One involved the displacement of oxygen caused by leakage of liquid nitrogen during the installation of a magnetic resonance imaging system. Two involved elevated environmental carbon dioxide concentrations: dry ice sublimation in a walk-in refrigerator in a research laboratory, and activation of a carbon dioxide fire alarm-extinguisher system by a woman locked in a bank vault. The autopsy findings, scene investigations, and certifications of these deaths, as related to the mechanisms of death, are discussed.