bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Closed-form solutions for vehicle traction problems
Authors: Lieh J
Published: February 2003

Conventional approaches to vehicle traction and propulsion analysis have used spread-sheets or numerical integrations owing to the difficulty in deriving closed-form solutions. This is inconvenient if a parameter is to be varied, and it is even more difficult when multiple parameters of a complex model are evaluated at the design phase. In this paper, it is intended to formulate two non-linear differential equations representing road load and power consumption. By expanding inertia force, air drag, rolling resistance, gravitational force and tyre tractive force, the equations can be simplified as functions of velocity v, i.e. s 1 v = s 2-s 3 v2 and m v = (-r 1 v3 - r 2 v + r 3)/v respectively. With these two equations, engineers can use either numerical or analytical methods to study key parameters at the design phase. To demonstrate the effectiveness of these equations, Wright State's electric car model is used. The results for front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive cases are presented.
Finite element simulation of the static characteristics of a vehicle rubber mount
Authors: Wang L-R , Lu Z-H , Hagiwara I
Published: February 2003

The static and dynamic characteristics of the rubber mounts for vibration isolation in automotive powertrains and other dynamic systems should be predicted during their design and development stage. In this paper, the static characteristic simulation of a rubber mount is performed using the finite element method. The modelling and simulation methods for a large deformation rubber spring represented by axisymmetric, quarter-symmetric and three-dimensional finite element models are investigated by using finite element analysis software PATRAN for meshing and ABAQUS and ADINA for computations. The predicted vertical static elastic characteristics of the rubber spring agree well with the experimental results. The static strain-stress analysis of the rubber part shows that the von Mises stress can be adopted as a stress measure for the rubber material. Moreover, the modelling methods for the large deformation rubber mount are investigated with numerical tests of elastic characteristics. The hybrid elements with full integration and lower-order interpolation show less distortion and are suitable for large deformation simulation computations. The research results will help engineers and researchers to perform engineering design and analysis of rubber mounts and other vibration reduction rubber components using the finite element simulation method.
Thermal effects on mild wear transition in dry sliding of aluminium 7075-short glass fibre composites
Authors: Sharma S C , Krishna M , Vizhian P S , Shashishankar A
Published: February 2003

The unlubricated sliding high temperature wear behaviour of A17075 alloy composites reinforced with short E-glass fibre was evaluated. A17075-glass composites were prepared by the liquid metallurgical technique with 2, 4 and 6 per cent by weight. A high temperature sliding wear apparatus, with temperature range 30-200°C, was used to evaluate the wear rate. Results indicated that addition of short glass fibre to A17075 alloy not only delays the transition wear (transition between mild and severe wear) but also reduces the wear rate. However, in both unreinforced alloy and reinforced composites, the wear rates increased with increases in the load, operating temperature and sliding speed. Increase in the applied load and operating temperature increased the wear severity by changing the wear mechanism from adhesion wear to debris cracking induced delamination wear. The observations have been explained using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and energy-dispersive spectroscopy analysis of the worn surfaces and the debris.
System dynamic modelling and adaptive optimal control for automatic clutch engagement of vehicles
Authors: Zhang J , Chen L , Xi G
Published: February 2003

A non-linear multi-rigid-body system dynamic modelling is developed for the automated clutch system in power transmission during clutch engagements, especially at sharp vehicle start-up, sudden engine flame-out, low driving speed and clutch plate overwearing. In order to guarantee an ideal dynamic performance of the clutch engagement, an adaptive optimal controller is designed by considering throttle angle, engine speed, gear ratio, vehicle acceleration and road condition. A non-linear model reference adaptive controller is utilized to prevent the engine from flame-out or fly-off effectively and the minimum value principle is also introduced to achieve an optimal dynamic performance of the non-linear system compromised in friction plate wear and vehicle drive quality. The optimal trajectory of the clutch engagement can be described in the form of explicit and analytical expressions and characterized by a deterministic and accurate control strategy instead of indeterministic and soft control techniques which need thousands of experiments. For validation of the controller, test work is carried out for the automated clutch engagements in a commercial car with a traditional mechanical transmission, a hydraulic actuator, a group of sensors and a portable computer system. It is shown through experiments that dynamic behaviours of the clutch engagement operated by the adaptive optimal control are more effective and efficient than those by a fuzzy PID control.
Filter clogging and power loss issues while running a diesel engine with waste cooking oil
Authors: Bari S , Yu C W , Lim T H
Published: February 2003

As with other vegetable oils, the high viscosity of waste cooking oil (WCO) poses some challenges to engine operation. One of them is filter clogging. In this research, it was found that heating to above 55°C was effective in preventing clogging. However, the head loss across the filter was about 6 times higher than that of diesel. Generally, the lower calorific values of vegetable oils are held responsible for the reduction in maximum power of the engine. While running with WCO, the maximum power of the engine was reduced by 10.9 per cent from that with diesel. Raising the fuel tank level and dividing the flow through two filters to compensate for the higher head loss across the filter reduced the maximum power loss to 5.0 and 8.8 per cent respectively. Therefore, higher head loss in the filter is also responsible for the loss of maximum power. In terms of combustion, WCO had a shorter ignition delay compared with diesel, resulting in a less intense premixed combustion phase. The CO and NO emissions were on the average 8.4 and 16.2 per cent higher than those for diesel.
Optical Resolution of Cyclic Amides by Inclusion in Dehydrocholic Acid
Authors: Bortolini Olga , Fogagnolo Marco , Fantin Giancarlo , Medici Alessandro
Published: February 2003

Dehydrocholic acid serves as an effective chiral host for the resolution of several five-, six-, and seven-membered cyclic amides by inclusion.
Simple Preparation Method of Isolated Iron (III) Species on Silica Surface
Authors: Yamada Yusuke , Ichihashi Yuichi , Ando Hisanori , Ueda Atsushi , Shioyama Hiroshi , Kobayashi Tetsuhiko
Published: February 2003

The preparation of Fe/SiO2 by impregnation with an acetonitrile solution of [FeIII(acac)3] promotes the isolation of Fe3+ ion on a silica surface when the ratio of Fe/Si is smaller than 0.1/100. The tetrahedral coordination of the Fe3+ was confirmed by X-ray absorption and diffuse reflectance UV-vis spectroscopies. The isolated Fe3+ promotes the partial methane oxidation catalysis of the Fe/SiO2.
Synthesis of Silver Selenide Dendritic Crystals via Glycothermal Route
Authors: Shen Guozhen , Chen Di , Tang Kaibin , Jiang Xuan , Qian Yitai
Published: February 2003

A novel glycothermal route has been developed to the growth of dendritic crystals of silver selenide with pyramid-like leaf-tips in the millimeter-scale size. Studies found that the solvent and reaction time have great influence on the final products.
Lectin-mediated Supramolecular Junctions of Galactose-derivatized Single-walled Carbon Nanotubes
Authors: Matsuura Kazunori , Hayashi Kentaro , Kimizuka Nobuo
Published: February 2003

β-Galactoside-modified single-walled carbon nanotube (Gal-SWNT) is newly synthesized. Its solubility in water is increased by adsorption of lection molecules on the sidewalls and supramolecular junctions are formed in the presence of galactose-specific lectins.
Fluorination Effect of the Peripheral Chains on the Mesomorphic Properties in Discotic Liquid Crystals of Hexasubstituted Triphenylene
Authors: Terasawa Naohiro , Monobe Hirosato , Kiyohara Kenji , Shimizu Yo
Published: February 2003

Two homologues of novel triphenylene mesogens possessing –O(CH2)3CF3 (F1) and –O(CH2)3(CF2)5CF3 (F6) were synthesized and investigated on the mesomorphic behavior to reveal that these show a hexagonal columnar (Colh) mesophase. The mesomorphic behavior is obviously different from those of the corresponding hydrocarbon homologues, –O(CH2)3CH3 (C1) and –O(CH2)8CH3 (C6). Interestingly, it was found that F1 shows a disordered Colh phase, though C1 forms only a plastic hexagonal columnar (Colhp) mesophase.
Construction of Photosynthetic Antenna Complex Using Light-harvesting Polypeptide-α from Photosynthetic Bacteria, R. rubrum with Zinc Substituted Bacteriochlorophyll a
Authors: Nagata Morio , Nango Mamoru , Kashiwada Ayumi , Yamada Shuhei , Ito Seiji , Sawa Naoko , Ogawa Makiko , Iida Kouji , Kurono Yukihisa , Ohtsuka Toshiaki
Published: February 2003

The light-harvesting (LH)-α polypeptide isolated from R. rubrum only organized zinc bacteriochlorophyll a (Zn-BChl a) complex in n-octyl-β-d-glucopyranoside (OG) micelle, analogous to the LH1-type complex of photosynthetic bacteria.
Measurement of Complexation Rate of Palladium(II) with Pyridylazo Ligand at the Heptane- Water Interface by Centrifugal Liquid Membrane-resonance Raman Microprobe Spectroscopy
Authors: Ohashi Akira , Watarai Hitoshi
Published: February 2003

The complexation kinetics of palladium(II) with 2-(5-bromo-2-pyridylazo)-5-diethylaminophenol (5-Br-PADAP) at the heptane-water interface was investigated by resonance Raman spectroscopy combined with a centrifugal liquid membrane method. It was demonstrated that this method was advantageous for the kinetic studies of complex formation proceeding at the liquid-liquid interface.
The First Examples of Stable Benzenes Fused with Two Three-membered Rings: Synthesis and Structures of the Two Stereoisomers of Bis(silacyclopropa)benzenes
Authors: Tajima Tomoyuki , Hatano Ken , Sasaki Takayo , Sasamori Takahiro , Takeda Nobuhiro , Tokitoh Norihiro
Published: February 2003

Two stereoisomers of the first stable bis(silacyclopropa)benzenes (1a, 1b) were successfully synthesized by the reaction of Tbt(Dip)SiLi2 (3) [Tbt = 2,4,6-tris[bis(trimethylsilyl)methyl]phenyl, Dip = 2,6-diisopropylphenyl] with 1,2,4,5-tetrabromobenzene. The molecular structures of 1a and 1b were discussed on the basis of the X-ray structural analyses.
A Facile and Convenient Three-component Coupling Protocol for the Synthesis of Pyrano and Furoquinolines
Authors: Ravindranath N , Ramesh C , Reddy M Ravinder , Das Biswanath
Published: February 2003

Ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN) catalyzes efficiently the coupling of anilines, benzaldehydes and 3,4-dihydro-2H-pyran or 2,3-dihydrofuran to form the corresponding pyrano or furoquinolines in short reaction times and in high yields.
1,4-Addition of Diethylzinc to Cyclohexenone Catalyzed by CuOTf-Sulfonamide Combined System. Evidence Supporting a Concerted Mechanism
Authors: Nakano Keiji , Bessho Yuhki , Kitamura Masato
Published: February 2003

Measurement of 12C/13C isotope effect in the Cu(I)/sulfonamide-catalyzed 1,4-addition of diethylzinc to 2-cyclohexenone implies that the reaction proceeds by a concerted mechanism, different to those so far reported for the conventional stoichiometric 1,4-addition of organometallic compounds involving Cu.
Lithium Perchlorate Diethyl Ether/Methyl Triflate Catalyzed Transfer of Silicon from Oxygen to Carbon in Silyl Ketene (Thio) Acetals
Authors: Heydari Akbar , Alijanianzadeh Reza
Published: February 2003

Migration of a trimethylsilyl group from oxygen to the α-carbon (retro- [1,3]-Brook rearrangement) in silyl ketene acetals is catalyzed by LPDE/methyl triflate under mild conditions.
A Thermal Reduction-Nitridation Synthesis and Ultraviolet-light Emission of Nanocrystalline VN
Authors: Yang Xiaogang , Li Cun , Yan Yan , Qian Yitai , Jia Yunbo , Zhang Houbo
Published: February 2003

18 nm vanadium nitride (VN) nanocrystallites were synthesized through a reduction-nitridation reaction between VCl4, NH4Cl and metal Mg. The XRD showed the product was pure cubic VN (a=4.14 Å). Ultraviolet emissions at about 337 and 346 nm were observed from the nanocrystalline VN at room temperature.
Electrochemical Dechlorination of Chlorinated Hydrocarbons – Electrochemical Reduction of Chloroform in Acetonitrile/Water Mixtures at High Current Density
Authors: Hori Yoshio , Murata Kazumi , Oku Takayoshi
Published: February 2003

Electrochemical reduction of chloroform was studied in 0.1 M (1 M = 1 mol dm−3) tetraethyl ammonium perchlorate solutions of acetonitrile–water mixture using various metal electrodes. High water concentration (1 M) promoted the electrolysis with the products mainly CH4 and CH2Cl2. The partial current density of CH4 formation amounted to 0.3 A cm−2 at an Ag electrode.
Left, Right and the third way
Authors: Driver Stephen , Martell Luke
Published: February 2003

English

New Labour claims to have discovered a third way between Old Left and New Right, with policy implications that break with established debates and policy alternatives. But what does the third way actually mean in terms of values and its approach to policy? We argue in this article that Labour’s third way does not transcend Old Left and New Right. Left and Right remain important markers for contemporary policy and politics but the third way does combine them in significant new ways. Between Old Left and New Right, we argue, there is not just space for one third way but for many, with varying values and policy positions.
The National Development Programme: policy implementation in an era of welfare reform
Authors: Fletcher Del Roy
Published: February 2003

English

The New Deal lies at the heart of the UK government’s strategy for tackling unemployment and social exclusion. Much of the debate about the likely effectiveness of the programme has focused on its key features.Yet there is a considerable body of evidence which shows that the way labour market programmes are implemented is crucial in determining their impact. This article draws upon the findings of the evaluation of the National Development Programme, carried out for the Employment Service (ES), to discuss the challenges faced by the ES in implementing the New Deal at the local level.
The learning region? Integrating gender equality into regional economic development
Authors: Rees Teresa
Published: February 2003

English

Despite the growth in the literature on the ‘intelligent region’, relatively little attention has been paid to the issue of gender. This is surprising given the significance of gender to key elements of the intelligent region concept, and considering the current policy of the European Commission to mainstream gender equality. This article examines the economic, social and political imperatives for mainstreaming. It then explores the implications of this approach for key components of regional development: networking, the development of social capital and capacity building at the regional level. Three mainstreaming tools of relevance to regional economic development are described. The final section concludes with some observations on the significance of mainstreaming for regional development.
Scottish community business: an idea that has had its day?
Authors: Hayton Keith
Published: February 2003

English

Community business is a form of community based economic development. Within the UK it was pioneered in Scotland and throughout the 1980s and 1990s it received considerable financial support from the public sector. Despite this, its economic performance was disappointing. This reflected flaws in the development model and the unrealistic expectations raised by promoters of the concept. This article outlines an alternative community business model, based upon experience in Dundee. The new urban agenda in the UK offers opportunities for such businesses to play a key role. However, if this is to be effective there has to be a willingness to learn from experience. If this is not done then the alternative models may be as ineffectual as the earlier ones.
New problems, old professions? The changing national world of the local government professions
Authors: Laffin Martin , Entwistle Tom
Published: February 2003

English

The local government professions in the UK are undergoing unprecedented change. The impact of these changes on the world of individual professional practice is already well documented. This article examines the largely neglected national role of the local government professional associations. Confronted with a rapidly changing environment we found national associations experimenting with new approaches to the defence and advancement of their professional projects. In marked contrast to the traditional approach to professionalisation, we report on moves towards interdisciplinarity, pressure group-style advocacy and new strategic alliances.
Role players and authority figures: Informal power relationships within local authorities
Authors: Tichelar Michael , Watts Linda
Published: February 2003

English

Little academic research has been carried out into the role of ‘the centre’ in UK local authorities. The literature concentrates on formal management relationships such as coordination, control and political management, but it does not address more informal power dynamics. This article examines the interplay of power relationships in management and policy roles carried out by staff who are located either in the ‘corporate centre’ or in a ‘service department’. It argues that there is a significant degree of unresolved intra-organisational conflict representing different interests and that these have to be ‘managed’ informally, without recourse to the ‘formal’ hierarchical managerial system. It concludes that there are associated management skills that are still relatively unrecognised in local government.
Researching social capital in local environmental policy contexts
Authors: Pennington Mark , Rydin Yvonne
Published: February 2003

abstract

In recent years considerable attention has been paid to the concept of social capital in attempting to explain the success or failure of policy delivery within the modern state. Much of the resulting research has, however, been conducted within a developing countries context. This article seeks to examine the concept of social capital within the context of contemporary Britain. It explores the existence and effect of social capital through case studies in three local environmental policy contexts. In doing so, the article suggests that the potential to develop social capital may be affected by both the underlying nature of collective action problems and by the historic pattern of policy delivery by the local state.
Evaluating stakeholder participation in public services – parents and schools
Authors: Farrell Catherine M. , Jones Jane
Published: February 2003

English

One of the most important aspects of recent education reforms in England and Wales is the encouragement of parental participation in schools. Parents were empowered as individual consumers in the education market and also gained management positions on school governing bodies. The recent White Papers in education further develops the parental role and recognises the position of parents as key stakeholders in education. This paper highlights the divergence between the rhetoric and the reality concerning parents as stakeholders in education. Behind a facade of parental stakeholding lies a reality which indicates that parents do not actively participate in education.
Disputing the global: a sceptical view of locality-based international initiatives
Authors: Beauregard Robert A. , Pierre Jon
Published: February 2003

English

Under the contemporary swell of globalisation, locality-based international initiatives are widely perceived as essential for the growth of city-regions. Absent such endeavours, city-regions are predicted to become uncompetitive. We challenge this optimistic scenario. City-regions undertaking such endeavours confront relatively inflexible global hierarchies, must attend to daunting organisational and technical issues, and run the risk of upsetting local political arrangements. We counsel caution and suggest that the development of local capacities take precedence over global pretensions.
A new deal for the community? Public participation in regeneration and local service delivery
Authors: Foley Paul , Martin Steve
Published: February 2003

English

In the UK regeneration strategies and patterns of local service provision have usually been imposed from the top down. Most communities have had little influence over plans to revitalise their areas or the design and delivery of services. The ‘New Labour’ government has emphasised its commitment to involving local people in a wide range of policy decisions relating to employment, health, crime reduction, education, local government services and regeneration. According to ministers an enhanced role for local people will increase local accountability and improve service standards. Previous experience of community-focused initiatives suggests however that there are significant obstacles to increasing public participation. Moreover, the present government’s commitment to ‘bottom-up’ initiatives and local experimentation may be at odds with its strong centralising instinct and continuing insistence on ‘zero tolerance of failure’.
Youth involvement in urban regeneration: hard lessons, future directions
Authors: Fitzpatrick Suzanne , Hastings Annette , Kintrea Keith
Published: February 2003

English

This article reviews the nature and effectiveness of youth involvement in urban regeneration. Drawing on the findings of a substantial UK-wide study, it highlights the limited achievements of youth participation in urban regeneration thus far and the profound difficulties involved in promoting youth empowerment. However, it argues that there are important lessons to be learned about the future direction of youth participation in urban regeneration from the early ‘pioneers’ of involvement strategies. Moreover, it contends that youth participation projects offer opportunities to promote local social cohesion, and that the experience derived from these initiatives can contribute to debates on young people and democratic renewal.
Nest-building or investing in the future? Owner-occupiers’ home improvement behaviour
Authors: Munro Moira , Leather Philip
Published: February 2003

English

This article uses qualitative data to explore in detail owners’ accounts of why they choose to undertake particular works on their houses. It argues that motivation is strongly linked to the importance people place on their homes as a site of comfort and the locus of family life. This suggests that ‘consumption’-motivated expenditure is frequently prioritised rather than ‘investment’ motivated work. This helps explain why there is considerable disrepair identified in the owner-occupied stock, despite owners’ apparently good intentions and considerable ongoing expenditure on the stock. It also suggests that policy measures predicated on evaluating owners’ returns from investing in their housing and altering such incentives are unlikely to be sufficient to solve problems of underinvestment in owner-occupied housing. A detailed linking of motivations and constraints that affect owners across the life-course enables a mapping of the points at which disrepair is likely to occur and become problematic, and indicates the likely potential for and limits to policy measures designed to tackle disrepair in the owner-occupied sector.
Risk and trust: homeowners and private mortgage insurance
Authors: Ford Janet
Published: February 2003

English

Government policy is that social protection for mortgagors should be delivered initially through the market (Mortgage Payment Protection Insurance – MPPI). However, expectations of market expansion have not been realised. The paper explores some likely reasons for this, drawing on the emerging critique of welfare markets and the identification of the importance of trust. Data on the MPPI claiming process indicate that borrowers could not be confident in the outcome of claims, the appeals process or that they would avoid mortgage arrears. The implications for this market-based welfare policy are considered briefly.
The mainstreaming of the third sector into public policy in England in the late 1990s: whys and wherefores
Authors: Kendall Jeremy
Published: February 2003

English

The voluntary or third sector in England is now receiving more sustained attention from policy makers than ever before.This paper claims that this situation, particularly as given tangible expression through the development of a Compact between the government and representatives of the third sector, amounts to the mainstreaming of the third sector onto the public policy agenda. It seeks to explain why this has happened in the late 1990s, framed by the ‘multiple streams’ approach of US political scientist John W. Kingdon. The paper draws upon a review of relevant policy and political literature, and interviews with stakeholders in the government and the third sector, to examine the respective contributions of individual and collective actors in the policy, problem and politics streams.
Just say no? Drugs, politics and the UK National Health Service
Authors: McDonald Ruth
Published: February 2003

English

Over recent decades, UK government attitudes towards the pharmaceutical industry have been ambivalent, reflecting the conflicting aims of controlling drug expenditure and maintaining a strong pharmaceutical industry. Policy can best be characterised as a careful balancing act, with indirect regulation leaving drug producers free to set prices. However, recent policy developments suggest a shift towards a more directly interventionist approach to drug pricing and reimbursement. This paper outlines the political dimensions of drug rationing in the context of recent reforms and assesses the prospects of New Labour’s high-risk strategy for its relationship with prescribers, pharmaceutical companies and the electorate.
Active citizens and the therapeutic state: the role of democratic participation in local government reform
Authors: Chandler David
Published: February 2003

English

The Local Government Bill and the White and Green Papers informing it claim to deliver an agenda of democratic renewal. The reforms promise to reconnect local councils with local communities through a process of political renewal, a new statutory duty of community-wide consultation and the encouragement of active citizenship. This article assesses whether the plans for increased popular engagement in consultation processes actually develop democratic accountability, and suggests that, although the current proposals may institutionalise new links between government and community groups and individuals, they will provide little local control over policy making.
Beyond social inclusion through employment: harnessing mutual aid as a complementary social inclusion policy
Authors: Williams Colin C. , Windebank Jan
Published: February 2003

English

This article argues that New Labour's reliance on a ‘social inclusion through employment’ approach is problematic - especially when applied in lower income areas. This is due to the significant gap between actual employment rates and a full-employment scenario in such areas, its unidimensional view that equates social inclusion with having a job, and its failure to recognise and value forms of work beyond employment. We evaluate whether and how one alternative form of work - mutual aid - could be harnessed to help activate social inclusion. Through 400 interviews in UK lower income urban neighbourhoods, we find little evidence that people use mutual aid, instead preferring to receive some form of payment. Based on this recognition, the article develops a proposal for an Active Citizens’ Credits scheme to activate mutual aid, and in so doing, provide a complementary social inclusion policy.
The personal social services in a Swedish quasi-market context
Authors: Blom Björn
Published: February 2003

English

Since the end of the 1980s, the introduction of quasi-markets in the public sector has been a dominant feature in Sweden. This article describes a study of quasi-markets in the personal social services. The study concludes that the personal social services are not fully able to achieve the aims of the quasimarket, and the conditions that must be satisfied to achieve the aims of the quasi-market are only being met to a certain extent. The personal social services partly function as a responsive quasi-market for strong, rational and well-informed clients; however, for the most vulnerable, it is failing in many respects.
Policy convergence: restructuring long-term care in Australia and the UK
Authors: Gibson Diane , Means Robin
Published: February 2003

English

Australia and the UK have historically had very different systems of long-term care for older persons and others. Recent restructuring has led to interesting convergences of those systems - in large part, we argue, because of the limited set of policy levers available to reformers in both countries.
Contractualism, managerialism and welfare: the Australian experiment with a marketised employment services network
Authors: Ramia Gaby , Carney Terry
Published: February 2003

English

This article aims to assess critically the use of contractualist and managerialist ideas in social policy by focusing on the Australian experience with employment services. The primary conclusion is that policy based on contractualism and managerialism results in an alarming increase in the vulnerability of beneficiaries’ rights. This vulnerability stems from various factors - the most important being the necessary delegalisation of welfare, the associated increase in discretion available to a wide range of public and private managers and officials, and the reduction of public accountability for the service recipients.
Searching for best practice in welfare-to-work: The means, the method and the message
Authors: Theodore Nik , Peck Jamie
Published: February 2003

English

‘Lessons from America’ have played an important role in shaping the British government’s approach to welfare-to-work. This article takes a critical look at the recent US welfare-to-work experience, concentrating on a comparative evaluation of ‘labour force attachment’ approaches and ‘human capital development’ methods. The current popularity of the ‘work first’ strategy of labour force attachment in the US must be seen in the context of the dynamism of the American labour market in recent years and a policy climate which has tended to favour ‘quick fix’ approaches. In contrast, the more broadly formulated welfare-to-work strategy developed in the UK must deal with problems of demand deficiency in many urban and regional labour markets. We conclude that the distinctly European objectives of social inclusion will not be well served by work first programming. In this field at least, seductive ‘lessons from America’ need to be interpreted with care.
Private Finance Initiative – a good deal for the public purse or a drain on future generations?
Authors: Ball Rob , Heafey Maryanne , King David
Published: February 2003

English

The Private Finance Initiative (PFI), introduced by the Conservatives in 1992, has been enthusiastically embraced by the Labour government, with projects worth £12 billion (capital cost) signed between 1997 and 2000. The charge to the public sector includes the capital cost and a charge for the service, with the resulting ‘unitary payment’ charged over the life of the contract which may extend beyond 20 years. PFI is thought to have advantages over traditional procurement, including risk transfer, innovation and value for money. This article explores these advantages in some depth and concludes that the advantages of PFI may not be as significant as some proponents suggest.
Multi-level governance and the emergence of collaborative federal institutions in Australia
Authors: Painter Martin
Published: February 2003

English

This article looks at recent changes in political-administrative relationships in the intergovernmental arenas of the Australian federal political system. Some of the major structural tensions in these arenas of multi-level governance are identified, and some of the main problem areas for the conduct of effective problem solving are highlighted. Changes in some of these structural elements are considered to be a result of greater entanglement and closer collaboration between state and commonwealth governments, and three possible explanatory models for understanding the changes are considered.These changes are set in a context of wider administrative reforms in the constituent state and commonwealth governments.Two case studies are also given,each drawn from data collected as part of an ongoing research project on intergovernmental relations.The article concludes with a review of the explanatory power of the models of change, and a brief comment on the evolving character of multi-level governance in the federation.
Germany’s trajectory of public sector modernisation: continuities and discontinuities
Authors: Wollmann Hellmut
Published: February 2003

English

This article argues that the discourse on public sector modernisation has recently been internationally dominated by new public management (NPM) and that the underlying Anglo-Saxon model and its implicit conceptual,if not epistemological, ‘Anglo-centricity’ may lead to over-accentuate NPM-driven convergence, while disregarding developments in countries with different (‘non-Anglo Saxon’) state and societal traditions. Looking at Germany’s modernisation trajectory as a case in point, the article argues that Germany’s public sector,while finally falling (‘convergently’) in line with some of the NPM imperatives (since the early 1990s),continues to be (‘path-dependently’) shaped by traditional features, such as,in the intergovernmental setting,vertical division of functions,territorality and multi-purpose ‘unitary’ local government,which make for persisting ‘divergence’. Instead of merely reflecting country-specific (German) particularities and idiosycracies, this trajectory may represent a variant within a wider ‘continental European’ pattern distinct from the Anglo-Saxon one.
Administrative reform and political power in the United States
Authors: Peters B. Guy
Published: February 2003

English

Administrative reforms have received a great deal of scholarly attention but substantive reform has been proceeding at the same time as their implementation system is being changed. These two strands of reform often have very different assumptions about public policy and about the politics that lie behind the policies. This article examines administrative reform in the United States in light of several substantive policy changes such as the ‘welfare to work’ changes in social policy and increased federal involvement in criminal justice.
Multi-level governance or co-administration? Transformation and continuity in French local government
Authors: Reigner Hélène
Published: February 2003

English

French government has historically been characterised by strong centralisation and an interventionist state represented by prestigious top civil servants. In this context, politicians did not have real power locally to produce or implement their own public policies.In the 1980s,important institutional reforms and ideological changes challenged this statist pattern and have set up a new balance of power between the state and local authorities. Focusing on the emergent levels - Europe, regions, agglomerations - most multi-level governance approaches suggest that state is becoming ‘hollow’. Nevertheless, this article insists that the state is still an important actor in the French political administrative system. In cases where local government is yet to be stabilised, a model of coadministration appears to be emerging, judicially organised by the state itself, and characterised less by constitutional, hierarchical exchanges and more by negotiated arrangements between local state and elected officials.
The European Union: an evolving system of multi-level governance … or government?
Authors: Jordan Andrew
Published: February 2003

English

The majority of European scholars accept that the European Union (EU) operates at several different administrative levels and exhibits some features of ‘governance’. However, they disagree, often fundamentally,about the precise relationships between activities at different levels. This article critically examines the popular claim that the EU has evolved into a system of multi-level governance as opposed to state-led government. The ‘governance turn’ that has swept through European studies in the last 10 years has opened up substantial new avenues of inquiry as analysts have begun comparing the policy dynamics within and between sectors and/or levels of the EU. However, it remains unclear whether multi-level governance is a general feature of the EU or a phenomenon confined to particular sectors and/or levels.
Towards a geography of people poverty and place poverty
Authors: Powell Martin , Boyne George , Ashworth Rachel
Published: February 2003

English

Much of the focus on the geography of poverty relates to ‘people poverty’, the geography of private income, or income proxy measures. In contrast to a sole emphasis on the geography of people poverty, this article broadens the debate to include the relatively neglected aspect of place poverty. It discusses the conceptual differences between people poverty and place poverty, and then provides an illustration of the differences between their geographical distribution in England. The results of this primary analysis suggest that the geography of people and place poverty appear to be quite different.
Making the homeless count? Enumerating rough sleepers and the distortion of homelessness
Authors: Cloke Paul , Milbourne Paul , Widdowfield Rebekah
Published: February 2003

English

This article traces the power of numbers in discourses relating to homelessness in Britain. It argues that enumeration has played a formative role in the recording of homelessness as a ‘problem’, and in the public policy response to homelessness in specific locations. In particular,the use of rough sleeper counts as popular defining representations of the problem of, and response to, homelessness is analysed in terms of their wider pivotal significance in political and policy discourses relating to homeless people. The article concludes that how rough sleeper counts are undertaken has clear distorting consequences for the identification and understanding of to what extent, where, and among whom homelessness represents a pressing social issue. Discursive valorisation of enumeration needs to be interconnected critically with other more qualitative forms of knowledge drawing on the experience of housing officers, local agency workers and others dealing with localised homelessness on a day-to-day basis.
The role of Scottish credit unions in tackling financial exclusion
Authors: Hayton Keith
Published: February 2003

English

The British government’s desire to tackle financial exclusion is resulting in growing interest in credit unions (community-based financial services cooperatives). This article draws on research undertaken in Scotland to analyse the credit union support network. There are tensions in this: between those who see credit unions as small, area-based poverty-alleviating initiatives and those who feel unions can only survive if they serve larger areas. By making comparisons with other initiatives, an attempt is made to put the current support framework in context. The article concludes by raising a number of issues that should be addressed if more support is to be given to unions: in particular the need to be clear about objectives and to understand the role that credit unions might realistically play in tackling financial exclusion.
Academic capitalisation in the new millennium: the marketisation and corporatisation of higher education in Hong Kong
Authors: Mok Ka-ho
Published: February 2003

English

Universities and other institutions of higher learning now encounter far more challenges and are subjected to an unprecedented level of external scrutiny. All providers of higher education today inhibit a more competitive world where resources are becoming scarcer, but at the same time they have to accommodate increasing demands from the local community as well as changing expectations from parents and employers. In such a policy context, universities are now much more governed by market ideologies and the corporate discourse of efficiency and effectiveness, which also suggests that the lifestyle of academics is affected as well. This article examines how universities in Hong Kong are affected by the ethos of ‘academic capitalism’, with particular reference to the processes of corporatisation and marketisation of higher education.
UK rail privatisation five years down the line: an evaluation of nine policy objectives
Authors: Haubrich Dirk
Published: February 2003

English

The United Kingdom has pioneered privatisation and deregulation into previously monopolistic industries. This article evaluates the results of the government’s policy with regard to market design, regulation and ownership of one of the last sectors affected: the British railways. Reviewing the first five years of the privatised regime from 1994/95 to 1999/2000 this article shows that out of nine objectives forwarded by policy makers at the outset of the programme only one has actually been achieved. While four objectives have been partially met, another four have not been accomplished at all – a track record which can be improved, it is argued, once the ownership of the rail infrastructure has been transferred back into the hands of the public.
Communicating policy in late modern society: on the boundaries of interactive policy making
Authors: Schedler Petra , Glastra Folke
Published: February 2003

English

This article focuses on the implications of interactive policy making for the construction of communicative practices and for the communication professionals involved. In a global society characterised by cross-border networks and mobility, it is not likely that interactive policy making will be able to procure the long-term, localised investments and engagement of all the relevant stakeholders that it aims for. This is all the more so, since regional and national governments are losing many of their discretionary powers and are witnessing the gradual erosion of their legitimacy. The authors conclude that developments within this context ask for a different conceptualisation. Finally, since interactive policy making is not a neutral practice, they make a plea for a critical and reflexive approach.
The emotional dynamics of deliberative democracy
Authors: Thompson Simon , Hoggett Paul
Published: February 2003

English

Proponents of deliberative democracy claim that it can provide a fair, efficient and creative method of collective decision making. In practice, however, all groups, including those consulted within public spaces for deliberation such as consultative forums, are,in part, characterised by emotional dynamics that threaten to undermine such deliberation. These dynamics can distort the process of deliberation, lead to sub-optimal outcomes and may even destroy the spaces of deliberation themselves. More positively,these affective forces can be harnessed to further the aims of deliberative democracy. For these negative and positive reasons, it is necessary to understand the emotional dynamics of groups and to apply this understanding to the design of public spaces for deliberative democracy. By focusing on the case of citizens’ juries, this article shows how these aims can be furthered.
Social exclusion, equality and the Good Friday Peace Agreement: the implications for land use planning
Authors: Ellis Geraint
Published: February 2003

English

The Good Friday Peace Agreement has attempted to establish a constitutional settlement in Northern Ireland by trying to address the long-term causes of conflict in the region. While it primarily deals with the region’s relationship to Britain and the Republic of Ireland, it also includes measures that tackle social exclusion and discrimination in policy making. The article examines the impact of these on land use planning in the region, which has traditionally adopted a centralised, technocratic approach to policy making that denied the realities of sectarian division. The new policy agenda directly challenges this style of planning and has included a number of initiatives that could partially open the planning system to public scrutiny and force it to incorporate issues of social justice. This article describes the partial success in implementing these measures and makes an interim assessment of their potential impact and broader policy relevance.
Economic aid and policy making: building the peace dividend in Northern Ireland
Authors: Byrne Sean , Irvin Cynthia
Published: February 2003

English

Most donors assume that promoting economic development enhances the prospects for peace by empowering communities in protracted ethnopolitical conflicts to negotiate settlements, encouraging the de-escalation of conflict, and by bridging ethnopolitical divisions. However, relatively little empirical research has addressed the potential effects of external economic aid in the reconstruction of those societies. This exploratory study considers the contribution of economic growth to the reduction of structural inequalities, its effect on policy making and intergroup reconciliation, and its prospects for sustaining negotiated political settlements. This article focuses on the perceptions of upper- and middle-tier élites, and grassroots constituents on the delivery and distribution of external economic aid to Northern Ireland through the International Fund for Ireland and the European Union Special Support Programme for Peace and Reconciliation.
The URBAN Community Initiative in Northern Ireland
Authors: Murtagh Brendan
Published: February 2003

English

Urban policy has been inextricably tied to the management of the Northern Ireland conflict. The arrival of the EU URBAN Community Initiative 1994-99 struck a discordant note in the attempt to revitalise town centres, lever property capital and produce positive place imagery. This article reviews the experiences of the Initiative in Derry/Londonderry and suggests that its concern for spatial poverty, community participation and social regeneration has much to offer policy and politics in Northern Ireland’s uncertain transition to post-conflict stability. A local White Paper is proposed in order to ground policy in the reality of post-industrial change, ethnoreligious segregation and the need to reach out to Northern Ireland’s most disaffected communities.
Learning from international approaches to Best Value
Authors: Bovaird Tony , Halachmi Arie
Published: February 2003

English

This article maps the genesis of BestValue from its antecedents in value-for-money approaches in the US, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and in previous UK administrations, and probes what this foretells about its likely success. It locates BestValue in the intersection between the New Public Management (NPM) and community and local governance (CLG). The contract culture within NPM has been softened within BestValue, striking a balance between aggressive use of the market and new forms of contracting. At the same time, Best Value overlays requirements for demonstrable performance improvement onto recent CLG moves towards the ‘enabling authority’ and promoting community co-commissioning and user involvement.The article suggests that evidence from other countries may offer important insights into whether the UK Best Value regime will have more productive results than NPM or CLG.