The politics of flatland

A version of the median-voter theorem holds for two-dimensional spatial models in which voters regard the two dimensions as economic goods or goodlike activities and in which the set of feasible outcomes is constrained by budget or technology. Although mathematically trivial, this fact has widespread analytical uses. After arguing that our two-dimensional model, with its stability property, fits a number of important and general policy areas, we use our analysis to address some prominent theoretical issues.     

Internal and external method in the study of law

Legal theory and scholarship are currently characterized by a division between traditional, doctrinal methods and approaches derived from extra-legal disciplines. This paper proposes a different though related distinction between two methods of understanding law and interpreting authoritative legal texts.Internal method reflects the viewpoint of the participant in a legal system and traditional doctrinal study; it is practical and decision-oriented. Limitations on the range of arguments and interpretations employed are accepted in order to render its results serviceable for practical tasks.The purposes of external method are cognitive and theoretical; it is oriented toward a comprehensive philosophical and scientific rationality. Its premises and results are therefore not restricted by received professional opinion or social or institutional restraints, and may reflect the conceptual resources of extra-legal disciplines.The paper discusses the antecedents of these methods, describes the structure of each and relations between them, and suggests that the criterion of internal method is practical effectiveness, that of external method truth or falsity.     

Sudden asphyxial death due to a prolapsed esophageal fibrolipoma

Fibrolipomas of the esophagus are extremely uncommon benign tumors. Accurate diagnosis and resection are essential, due to their tendency to become impacted and obstruct the airway. The case is presented of a 56-year-old man who died suddenly of asphyxia because of upper airway obstruction by a prolapsed fibrolipoma of the esophagus.     

Marital status and woman abuse theory

An area that has received insufficient attention in woman abuse studies is marital status. Although many feel that ending the marriage will end the violence, this may not be the case. An examination of National Crime Survey victimization data shows that most victims are, at the time of the interview, divorced or separated. There are reasons to believe that this is partially accounted for by the fact that many or even most women leave abusive relationships. If this is the case, then the traditional question of why women remain in battering marriages is improperly put. If most women do take appropriate steps, then we need much more information on both how women are victimized by ex-spouses and how women take active steps to improve their own lives.