Political Liberalism. Neutrality and the Political

Abstract. The paper examines the current discussion in liberalism around the issue of the "neutrality" of the state. It scrutinizes the "political liberalism" defended by John Rawls and Charles Larmore and shows that the consequence of their approach is to evacuate the dimension of "the political" from the idea of a well-ordered society. By presenting the exclusions existing in their model of liberal society as the product of free agreement resulting from rational procedures, "political liberals" offer us a picture in which antagonism, violence and power have only disappeared because they have been made invisible. The consequence is to leave liberalism unable to conceptualize power and antagonism. The paper concludes that there cannot be such a thing as a "neutral justification of the neutrality of the state" (Larmore 1987) and that a pluralist perfectionist perspective like the one proposed by Joseph Raz offers a more adequate way to envisage the specificity of modern pluralist democracy.     

An in vitro study of the accuracy and precision of Breathalyzer models 900, 900A, and 1000

Ninety Breathalyzer instruments (Model 1000) and twenty instruments (Models 900, 900A) were studied using a protocol described by the Department of Transportation's "Standard for Devices to Measure Breath Alcohol." Although the mean of each of three concentrations tested (0.05, 0.10, and 0.15 g/210 L) compared favorably in both series, the standard deviation was consistently higher for the Model 1000 instruments. The Model 1000 instruments also produced a significant number of test results which exceeded the normally expected scientific deviation.     

Terrorism: The relevance of the rational choice model

Terrorism in general, and suicidal terrorism in particular, is popularly seen as “irrational,” but many economists and political scientists argue otherwise. This paper distinguishes three different senses of irrationality: unresponsiveness to incentives, deviation from narrow self-interest, and failure of rational expectations. It concludes that an intermediate position on the rationality of terrorism is appropriate. The typical terrorist sympathizer deviates only slightly from homo economicus. But active terrorists arguably stray from narrow self-interest and rational expectations, and suicidal terrorists probably violate both. Deterrence remains a viable anti-terrorism strategy, but deviations from rational expectations increase the potential of persuasion and appeasement.     

Using GIS to evaluate post-release prisoner services in Newark, New Jersey

Discharge planning is increasingly prioritized by correctional systems in order to prepare prisoners for their reintegration into society. A goal of discharge planning is to link prisoners with appropriate service providers in the community to meet their needs. A successful discharge plan requires that an optimal level of services exist and work in a coordinated and collaborative way in order to ensure a continuum of care and treatment during the reentry process (Queralt & Witte, 1999). This study utilized Geographic Information System (GIS) to assess the size, demographic characteristics, and needs of the Newark, New Jersey parolee population with the availability, location, and characteristics of health and human service agencies servicing their needs. A random sample of parolees (N = 800) released in 2006 was selected for this study. Social service agency data were obtained from an on-line service agency data base. Results of the analysis include the degree of spatial distribution, accessibility, and availability of services to where the parolees live and the degree of spatial overlap of specific services in an area.     

Accidental poisonings involving carbon monoxide, heating systems, and confined spaces

Eleven incidents of carbon monoxide (CO) intoxication resulting in sixteen fatalities are reported. All of the cases involved heating systems as either the source or the means of distributing the CO. Blood samples were analyzed for ethanol and CO. Elevated blood CO saturations were found in 14 of the 16 victims while none of the victims had a blood ethanol concentration greater than 0.10% (w/v).