The Complexity of Tolerance and Intolerance Judgments: A Response to Gibson

In a recent paper, we posited that tolerance and intolerance judgments are characterized by two forms of variance. First, the distinction between tolerance and intolerance is dichotomous in that individuals are or are not willing to extend the full rights of citizenship to all others without exception. Second, among those not so willing, variance exists in the breadth and depth of their intolerance. James Gibson challenges our view, arguing that we have advanced a fundamental shift in how tolerance is conceptualized, and that this shift is not warranted empirically because very few Americans are tolerant under our definition. In this response, we first outline the rationale for why our view does not constitute a significant shift in the conceptualization of tolerance, but rather is merely an effort to pull the empirical treatment of tolerance into alignment with the concept’s common definition. Second, we explain that Gibson’s finding that few Americans are tolerant gains noteworthy meaning and significance from the view of tolerance we present. Lastly, we demonstrate that new insight on the antecedents of tolerance and intolerance emerges when analyses attend to the two-part structure of tolerance judgments highlighted in our research.     

Efficient height measurement method of surveillance camera image

As surveillance cameras are increasingly installed, their films are often submitted as evidence of crime, but very scant detailed information such as features and clothes is obtained due to the limited camera performance. Height, however, is relatively not significantly influenced by the camera performance. This paper studied the height measurement method using images from a CCTV. The information on the height was obtained via photogrammetry, including the reference points in the photographed area and the calculation of the relationship between a 3D space and a 2D image through linear and nonlinear calibration. Using this correlation, this paper suggested the height measurement method, which projects a 3D virtual ruler onto the image. This method has been proven to offer more stable values within the range of data convergence than those of other existing methods.     

Municipalities’ willingness to adopt process innovations: evidence for higher cost-efficiency

In the public sector, innovation is understood as a major driver of public service performance improvement and excellence. On the one hand, previous research has proven a positive effect of innovation adoption on performance in the public sector. On the other hand, a broad literature proves positive effects of innovation antecedents on innovation adoption. This study bridges this gap and analyses the effect of an innovation antecedent – willingness to adopt a process innovation (accrual accounting) – on municipalities’ service provision cost-efficiency. Therefore, the author makes use of a panel data set of German municipalities, located in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Evidence shows that a higher municipal willingness to innovate relates to higher cost-efficiency. A higher innovation willingness might have a maximal effect of 17 percentage points on municipality cost-efficiency.     

Sources of Leader Support and Interstate Rivalry

Since segments of the selectorate differently experience costs and benefits from rivalry, the foreign policy choices of leaders reflect these domestic preferences. As a result, shifts in the composition of the domestic coalition of support backing the leader provide a fundamental determinant of rivalry termination. While previous research sought to explore the relationship between domestic political turnover and rivalry termination using regime transitions as a proxy for turnover of the state’s domestic ruling group, in practice this measure exhibits significant disconnection with the quantity of interest. Further, there are alternative pathways through which regime transitions may lead to rivalry termination. I test the relationship using new data from the CHISOLS project, finding that when rivals undergo a change in the source of support that maintains the leader in office, the probability of rivalry termination rises dramatically. I further find that regime transitions have an effect on the probability of rivalry termination that is independent of the effect of ruling coalition turnover. This study thus both asserts the relationship between domestic political turnover and rivalry termination and clarifies the mechanism by which the relationship operates.     

Measurement Error in County-Level UCR Data

Maltz and Targonski (2002) have provided an important service by disaggregating the county level data to help researchers examine measurement errors in the county level data, but their conclusion that county-level crime data, as they are currently constituted, should not be used, especially in policy studies is not justified. All data has measurement error, presumably even their measures of this error. Unfortunately, however, Maltz and Targonski provide no systematic test for how bad the data are. Their graphs obscure both the small number of counties affected, that these are rural counties, and that just because some of the population in a county is not represented in calculating the crime rate, that is not the same thing as showing that the reported number is in error. Nor do they provide evidence for the more important issue of whether there is a systematic bias in the data. The evidence provided here indicates right-to-carry laws continue to produce substantial reductions in violent crime rates when states with the greatest measurement error are excluded. In fact, restricting the sample results in somewhat larger reductions in murders and robberies, but smaller reductions in aggravated assaults.     

Corporate public affairs: necessary cost or value‐added asset?

This paper examines the valuation tools available to measure the financial contribution that public affairs activities add to the corporate bottom line. The paper begins with a consideration of the state of quantification in public affairs. Next, theoretical frameworks for broad classes of valuation methodologies are presented. Specific models applied by companies are also examined, outlining their advantages and limitations. The paper concludes with recommendations for implementing quantitative financial measures and opportunities for future research. Copyright © 2003 Henry Stewart Publications     

乌拉圭回合《农业协议》国内支持条款缺陷问题研究

乌拉圭回合《农业协议》实现了农产品到多边贸易体制的回归,但协议并不是对国际农产品贸易的永久性安排,各成员仍有义务通过后续谈判,不断提高国际市场农产品贸易自由化水平直至完全实现自由化。因此,研究《农业协议》国内支持条款的局限性与执行中存在的问题,分析新一轮农产品多边谈判中应修正的问题,对于我国实施国内支持条款和参加新一轮农业多边谈判,具有理论和实践意义。     

我国内地与澳门公务员绩效考核制度的比较分析

绩效考核是政府公务员绩效管理的重要环节和手段。本文拟在对内地与澳门公务员绩效考核制度进行系统比较的基础上,从中总结澳门在公务员绩效考核制度方面值得借鉴之处,并对如何完善我国公务员绩效考核制度提出一些思考性意见。     

HS-GC内标曲线法测定血中乙醇含量的不确定度评估

目的建立自动顶空-气相色谱(HS-GC)内标曲线法测定血中乙醇含量的不确定评估方法。方法从分析测定程序着手,依据不确定度评定的指导性文件,分析不确定度来源,量化不确定度分量,计算检测结果的合成标准不确定度和扩展不确定度。结果各相对不确定度来自于检材重复性检测为3.4%,乙醇标准溶液为0.71%,检材为0.61%,叔丁醇内标溶液为0.41%,标准曲线为1.1%,气相色谱仪为1.3%,血液中乙醇的相对扩展不确定度为3.9%。结论血液中乙醇含量的不确定度主要来源于检材重复性检测、气相色谱仪、乙醇标准曲线。