bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Relativism, Absolutism, and Tolerance
Authors: Kim Hye‐Kyung , Wreen Michael
Published: October 2003

Abstract: A common view is that relativism requires tolerance. We argue that there is no deductive relation between relativism and tolerance, but also that relativism is not incompatible with tolerance. Next we note that there is no standard inductive relation between relativism and tolerance—no inductive enumeration, argument to the best explanation, or causal argument links the two. Two inductive arguments of a different sort that link them are then exposed and criticized at length. The first considers relativism from the objective point of view ‘of the universe’, the second from the subjective point of view of the relativist herself. Both arguments fail. There is similarly no deductive relation between absolutism and tolerance—neither entails the other—and no inductive connection of any sort links the two. We conclude that tolerance, whether unlimited or restricted, is independent of both relativism and absolutism. A metaethical theory that says only that there is one true or valid ethical code, or that there is a plurality of equally true or valid ethical codes, tells us nothing about whether we should be tolerant, much less how tolerant we should be.
Constitutive Luck
Authors: Latus Andrew
Published: October 2003

‘Constitutive luck’ refers to luck that affects the sort of person one is. This article demonstrates that it is a philosophically troubling sort of luck, causing problems in, at least, ethics and political philosophy. Some, notably Susan Hurley, Nicholas Rescher, and Daniel Statman, have argued that such trouble can be avoided, by pointing out that the notion of constitutive luck is incoherent. The article examines this claim by means of a discussion of the idea of luck in general, settling on an account of luck in terms of the notions of chance, value, and (lack of) control. This account is then used to show that the notion of constitutive luck is not incoherent. We are stuck with the problems made by constitutive luck.
Is Justice Binary?: A Free‐Will‐Related Exploration
Authors: Smilansky Saul
Published: October 2003

Abstract: This article asks whether justice is binary, whether matters are either‐or with respect to it. This question has been inexplicably neglected, and the elementary conceptual work has not been done. We consider this question through exploring the implications of free‐will‐related justice. We see that there are actually two questions of very different scope here, and that two distinct notions of binarity need to be distinguished. In the process, the plausibility of considering justice as a binary notion is evaluated.
Oracularity
Authors: Zwicky Jan
Published: October 2003

Abstract: In contemporary North American contexts, to say that a claim is oracular is seriously to undermine its philosophical credibility. My thesis is that this negative judgement of oracularity is unwarranted and that it is rooted in an excessively narrow notion of what constitutes ‘good’ philosophy. More specifically, I argue that oracular utterance is appropriate to the expression of views that regard the phenomena towards which they are directed as radically, non‐systematically integrated wholes. Importantly, such views are falsifiable—or at least as falsifiable as scientific paradigms, which, in one important respect, they resemble. However, I argue further that there is good reason to think that such views cannot, without distortion, be expressed using the systematic‐analytic forms of argumentation that are frequently regarded as essential to the pursuit of philosophy. Yet the questions that they compass, concerning the way in which parts are related to the wholes that they constitute, fall squarely within the purview of traditional metaphysics. Thus, in proscribing oracular utterance we divest ourselves of the opportunity to contemplate world orders of potential philosophical interest that systematic‐analytic argument is incapable of conveying to us.
When Subjectivism Matters
Authors: Double Richard
Published: October 2003

Abstract: In this article I consider when the question of whether entities exist subjectively (only in the minds of subjects) or objectively (in themselves, independently of the minds of subjects) is important, both theoretically and practically. I argue that when it comes to the metaphysics underlying three types of moral questions, broadly conceived, the subjectivity question does not matter practically, although it is widely thought to matter. Subjectivism does not matter in these moral questions in the same way(s) it matters in some nonmoral metaphysical issues. The moral questions I consider are the meaning of life, normative ethics, and the free‐will problem. The nonmoral issues I address are the existence of God, the traditional mind/body problem, and personal identity. I explain the difference by noting that certain metaphysical issues on the fact side of the fact/value distinction impinge on persons' lives more prominently than do the metaphysics behind the three moral questions.
Is “Latin American Thought” Philosophy?
Authors: Nuccetelli Susana
Published: October 2003

Abstract: A durable question in Latin American thought is whether it could amount to a characteristically Latin American philosophy. I argue that if, as is now widely conceded, there is a role for philosophical analysis in thinking about problems that arise in applied subjects, such as bioethics, environmental ethics, and feminism, then why not also in Latin American thought? After all, the focus of Hispanic thinkers has often been upon the issues that arise in their own experiences of the world, and they make up a diverse group of peoples related by very idiosyncratic ethnic and historical connections. I believe that, given some appropriate criteria, the existing corpus of works by Latin American thinkers is a part of a distinctive philosophy.
The Policy Constraints of Deficit Reduction: President Clinton's 1995 Budget
Authors: Leloup Lance T. , Taylor Patrick T.
Published: October 2003

The federal budgeting process is now limited by deficit reduction policy constraints. This article examines the FY 1995 budget requests within the context of long term budget trends, changes in the federal budget process, and the recently established political and fiscal budget constraints. It further examines enactment of the Omnibus Budget Enforcement Act of 1993, the policy changes it contained, and its further tinkering with the process of budgeting. Finally the article evaluates the first budgeting process of the Clinton administration and their initiatives in deficit reduction following these policy constraints.
State Actions Affecting Cities and Counties, 1990–1993: De Facto Federalism
Authors: Gold Steven D. , Ritchie Sarah
Published: October 2003

States experienced considrable fiscal stress during the first four years of the 1990s. This has led to changes in five policy areas: (1) state financial aid; (2) local revenue diversification; (3) “sorting out” of responsibilities between the state and local governments; (4) tax and spending limitations; (5) and mandate relief. Some of the most significant changes occurred in California, Colorado, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, and Wisconsin.
National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986: Using Tax Revenues to Assure Vaccine Availability
Authors: Drake Brenda , Tieman Andrew M.
Published: October 2003

The National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 was funded with an earmarked tax in an attempt to prevent a perceived crisis that was developing in the United States regarding the availability and affordability of vaccines for life‐threatening childhood illnesses. The federal government felt compelled to intervene in a perceived failure of the private marketplace. In short, the inability of several pharmaceutical firms to obtain liability insurance due to high damage awards forced them to leave the marketplace or self‐insure. This article details the history of the vaccine tax policy issues and updates the experiences of the financing mechanism. As the federal government attempts to broaden its role in the health care delivery system, the possibility of similar interventions exist.
Municipal Government Financial Reporting: Administrative and Ethical Climate
Authors: Sanders George , Berman Evan M. , West Jonathan P.
Published: October 2003

This article examines financial disclosure in U.S. cities. It considers factors that affect the level of municipal financial disclosure, in particular the effect of administrative factors. It finds that participation in the Government Finance Officers Association Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting program, and the Chief Financial Officer's familiarity with the activities of the Governmental Accounting Standards Board are positively associated with more disclosure. These latter factors are interpreted as measures of professionalism and are furthered by the adoption of municipal codes of ethics which stress openness and responsiveness to stakeholder interests. Such general policies are indirectly associated with heightened levels of financial disclosure. Financial disclosure is also associated with city size and demands from capital markets.
Budget Balancing in Difficult Times: The Case of the Two New Yorks
Authors: Brecher Charles , Horton Raymond D. , Mead Dean Michael
Published: October 2003

The objective of governments is to efficiently provide essential services and infrastructure to their jurisdictions at a competitive tax rate within the constraint of a balanced budget. In recent years, several states have found it difficult to maintain this standard. This article examines the nature of the problem in the overlapping jurisdictions of New York City and New York State. Specifically, it explains the nature of projected budget gaps that have emerged in New York, and describes how the two New Yorks' political leaders have managed their budgets in recent years. Furthermore, this article demonstrates that expenditures significantly exceed revenues, thus leading to inevitable budget gaps, and that policies designed to close the gap have harmful consequences.
The Present and Future Fiscal Problems of the Two New Yorks: What Happened This Time
Authors: Drennan Matthew P.
Published: October 2003

The state and city of New York have chronic fiscal difficulties, namely, expenditures that tend to exceed revenues by significant amounts. The deficits were moderate in the 1980s but have become large and acute in the 1990s as the state and city economies have been in a prolonged recession. Deficits are expected to continue well into the future. Supply side factors, particularly high wage levels, are the main causes of the state's deficits. For the city, supply side factors, particularly high employment, and demand side factors are main causes. Federal aid reduction is a minor cause. The city's fiscal condition is compared with that of the thirty other largest U.S. cities in a regression analysis which updates Gramlich's analysis of the period immediately before the famous New York City fiscal crisis of 1975.
Public Finance Issues and Problems in Switzerland
Authors: Urio Paolo , Jones L.R.
Published: October 2003

Switzerland is regarded as a bastion of financial conservatism, yet the Swiss federal government presently faces annual budget deficits of the highest magnitude in recent history. This article provides an overview of measures instituted in Switzerland to control the growth of the public sector and public spending. Recent efforts to raise new tax revenues are also discussed. To place the fiscal dilemma in perspective, an introduction to the structure of Swiss national government and the budgetary process is included. In analysis of Swiss budgetary politics, particular emphasis is given to the influence of the public referendum process on the political dynamics of resource decision making. The authors also analyze the area of the Swiss budget that is growing most rapidly—mandated entitlements—especially payments for unemployment compensation. A prolonged economic recession in Europe has created high unemployment and, consequently, high demand for unemployment compensation and other social “safety net” programs and spending. The most prominent feature of the Swiss political system is that it is headed by a stable coalition government in which leadership does not alternate between different political parties. This system confronts social and policy problems in a slow and deliberate manner due to the necessity for consultation and compromise in a multi‐party coalitional government. The advantage of this system is stability and prudence, the disadvantage is perhaps short‐term unresponsiveness to budgetary and policy dilemmas of the type now faced in Switzerland. Parallels are drawn between the Swiss budgetary problem and that faced by the U.S. executive and Congress.
Accounting and Accountability in Italian Local Governments: Recent Changes and Challenges for the Future
Authors: Mussari Riccardo
Published: October 2003

The Italian public sector, especially local government, has been experiencing an era of considerable change over the last four years following reforms introduced by the National Legislature (Parliament). The reforms influence many aspects of local government operations: organization, policy, management, finance, accounting, and auditing. This article analyzes some aspects of accounting reform in the new laws and directives in order to demonstrate how the traditional concept of accountability for local governments is changing. The direction of reform is clearly toward federalism and away from national authority and control in the public sector.
Decentralizing a Centralized State: Local Government Finance in Chile Within the Latin American Context
Authors: Scarpaci Joseph L. , Irarrazaval Ignacio
Published: October 2003

A major issue in Latin. America is the decentralization of public finances and the autonomy of local government. This article begins with a brief review of the ongoing decentralization debate. We then discuss key features of local government finance and autonomy among unitary and federal governments in Latin America. Against that backdrop, we focus on the Chilean case, which has been a widely celebrated success story in the economic development literature. We argue that despite major gains by municipal governments over the past two decades, financial decision making powers still rest with the national government. This creates financial complacency among local governments. To remedy this, we conclude with six proposals for promoting effective decentralization.
The Role of Budget and Financial Reform in Making Government Work Better and Cost Less
Authors: Leonard Brad , Cook Joe , McNeil Jane
Published: October 2003

Budgeting and Financial Management play a crucial role in organizing and disciplining the federal management culture. Consequently, addressing improvements in their practice is essential in the National Performance Review's examination of government‐wide management systems. This article briefly describes the recommendations and anticipated implementing actions relating to budgeting and financial management within the context of the National Performance Review's themes of cutting red tape, putting customers first, empowering employees to get results, and cutting back to basics. External factors, such as innovations in private sector management practices, rapid changes in information technology, and statutory reforms such as the Government Performance and Results Act, also influence needed changes in budgetary and financial management practices.
Federal Financial Management and Budgeting: NPR Recommendations and GAO Views
Authors: Curro Michael J.
Published: October 2003

Of the 384 recommendations contained in the September 1993 National Performance Review (NPR) report, thirteen were concerned with “improving financial management” and eight dealt with “mission‐driven, results‐oriented budgeting.” The General Accounting Office (GAO), in response to requests from several members of the Congress, provided its views on each NPR recommendation and more recently completed a first‐anniversary assessment of the extent of implementation.1 In this article, the principal NPR themes and recommendations regarding financial management and budgeting, and GAO's comments about them, are summarized and discussed.
Budget Reform Proposals in the NPR Report1
Authors: Kliman Albert J. , Fisher Louis
Published: October 2003

A new round of budget process changes began on September 7, 1993, when Vice President Al Gore released the National Performance Review (NPR) report. The report recommended major revisions in the structure and processes of the federal government. A number of these proposals would alter a broad range of budgetary procedures followed by the president and Congress, borrowing in some cases from the states. This article analyzes seven areas of budget proposals contained in the NPR report, analyzes their benefits and drawbacks, and makes general observations about their likely impact on executive‐legislative relations.
Audit Recommendation Follow‐Up Systems: A Survey of the States
Authors: Brooks Richard C. , Pariser David B.
Published: October 2003

This article presents the results of a survey of audit recommendation follow‐up systems currently utilized by state governments. The lack of empirical research on audit recommendation follow‐up systems represents a void in the public sector financial management literature. To fill this void, the authors developed a survey instrument, which was mailed to each state auditor's office having primary responsibility for following up on audit recommendations made during the annual Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR). The purpose of the study is three‐fold: (1) to describe the major elements of state government audit recommendation follow‐up systems currently in use, (2) to encourage managers, analysts, and others working at all levels of government to access policies and procedures for audit recommendation follow‐up within their own organizations, and (3) to encourage other researchers to explore these systems in greater depth and detail, particularly their uses in financial management, reporting, and other decision‐making activities. U.S. Government Auditing Standards (commonly called The Yellow Book) requires auditors to communicate their findings and provide recommendations that lead to improvements in government operations and programs. Government managers and officials must follow up (monitor) on audit recommendations to ensure their effective implementation. This research represents an initial effort to develop a profile of the characteristics of state government audit recommendation follow‐up systems currently in use.
Problems of Budgeting During “The Great Transformation”
Authors: Vanagunas Stanley
Published: October 2003

The budget system of Lithuania, one of the nations that recently emerged from the former Soviet Union, is examined. The analysis draws a contrast between the present budget practices and those during the Soviet period, points out the problems that the Soviet budgeting legacy presents to a nation seeking transformation into an independent, market‐based political economy, and discusses other budgeting and financial dilemmas brought on by the bedrock reforms taking place in Lithuania and throughout the former USSR.
The Impact of State Debt Management on Debt Activity
Authors: Trautman Rhonda Riherd
Published: October 2003

This article addresses the impact that state debt management has on the debt activity of a state debt program. A quantitative measure of state debt management is developed and used in analysis of state debt activity. The study finds that states with decentralized debt management issue more long‐term debt as compared to states with other forms of debt management. The study also investigates the impact other institutional variables have on state debt activity and highlights the interaction effects of these variables with the institutional debt management variable. The study finds that the effects of previously tested variables such as the number of public authorities and constitutional debt limitations on debt activity are altered if the form of debt management is considered.
A Longitudinal and Comparative Analysis of the Funded Status of State and Local Public Pension Plans
Authors: Dulebohn James H.
Published: October 2003

Although state and local public pension plans hold approximately one‐third of the $3 trillion asset total of U.S. pension funds and represent sixteen million workers, relatively little research has been done on their funded status. This article presents the results of a longitudinal and comparative analysis of the funding condition of state and local public pension plans. The study includes 205 plans representing 91 percent of the total assets and approximately 94 percent of the members of state and local public pension plans. By examining the period from 1988 through 1992, the article provides a general 'assessment of the funded status of state and local public pension plans and concludes that, as a whole, the plans are adequately funded and have improved in their funded condition over time.
Reinventing the Dutch Tax and Customs Administration: Past Restructure and Future Redesign
Authors: de Kam P.W. , Muizelaar J.C.F. , van Wuijtswinkel R.J.M.
Published: October 2003

The growing divergence between everyday realities and the way the Dutch Tax and Customs Administration (DTCA) operated prompted it to adjust its procedures from the mid‐1970s onwards.

At first, it was thought that adjustment would be confined to the primary processes of the DTCA, its management style, and corporate culture. Gradually, however, it became apparent that this new modus operand!, based on a target‐group approach to taxpayers replacing its earlier “types of taxes”‐orientated approach, could only be realized by an overhaul of its organizational structure as a whole.

Restructuring was formally rounded off on 1 June 1992. In 1993, the first year in which the DTCA operated fully in its restructured form, the benefits of the changes brought about in preceding years began to emerge.

Society is constantly in motion. As society changes, the DTCA has to meet new challenges. To keep abreast of these changes, organizations need to be flexible and have the capacity for adaptation. Further adaptations on the part of the DTCA are therefore inevitable in the coming years.' The focus has been placed on working in the here‐and‐now, with the emphasis on broadening the DTCA public‐orientated approach, on adequately tackling the fraud problem, and on ensuring that legal strictures are met. The article is an attempt to explain the background and the approach taken by the DTCA, a large organization of considerable importance that has to be constantly on the move and will remain so in the years ahead.
Accountability and Entrepreneurial Public Management: The Case of the Orange County Investment Fund
Authors: Kearns Kevin P.
Published: October 2003

This article presents a conceptual framework that illustrates four distinct types of accountability environments facing public managers. The framework is used as a heuristic tool to examine the broad facts and contexts surrounding the bankruptcy of the Orange County, California investment pool. The framework also suggests management philosophies and strategies that are appropriate for each type of accountability environment.
The Pending Revolution in Federal Accounting Standards
Authors: Cuny Thomas J.
Published: October 2003

Accounting standards constitute the body of guidance needed to provide coherence and direction to accountants on how to keep the books. They inform the accountant about the logic of the way that accounting data should be organized and displayed in order to maximize its value to the prospective user. (The prospective users, in the case of federal accounting, range from the president and Congress through agency managers to the general public.) Federal accounting standards are the equivalent, for accounting, of budget concepts for the federal budget. After a long genesis, federal accounting standards are in the midst of a revolution which, if it succeeds, will transform the way accounting reports on federal fiscal activities and how it relates to the federal budget. This article, written from the perspective of a budget concepts technician who has participated in this effort, reviews these developments and where they seem to be heading.
An Overview of Adjustments to the Budget Enforcement Act Discretionary Spending Caps
Authors: Oak Dale P.
Published: October 2003

This article reviews the adjustments that have been made to the limits on discretionary federal spending that were enacted as part of the Budget Enforcement Act of 1990. Each type of adjustment authorized by that act is described, and the actual adjustments made by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget are discussed. Tables that display the amounts and timing of the adjustments are used to support the narrative. The article also discusses the relationship of cap adjustments to changes in the federal budget deficit.
The Lottery and Education: Robbing Peter to Pay Paul?
Authors: Spindler Charles J.
Published: October 2003

Despite the promises of some states to use lottery revenues to fund education, they may be guilty of robbing Peter to pay Paul. This study examines the question of revenue fungibility in the case of state lotteries. Using time‐series analysis, the research suggests that education is not a big winner in state lotteries. Two different patterns of fungibility emerge from the analysis that are suggestive of underlying budgetary politics.
The Impact of Fiscal Illusion on Housing Values: An Australian Test of the Debt Illusion Hypothesis
Authors: Dollery Brian E. , Worthington Andrew C.
Published: October 2003

The debt illusion hypothesis holds that taxpayers may underestimate the present discounted value of future tax liabilities under debt finance. The empirical question arises as to whether debt illusion at the local government level can affect housing values. This proposition is evaluated by investigating whether local fiscal variables are fully capitalized into housing values by means of a pooled time‐series, cross‐sectional analysis of twenty‐seven metropolitan municipalities in Sydney, Australia, for the period 1989 to 1991. The results indicate that municipal debt is under‐capitalized into housing values and, accordingly, suggests that local government expenditure may be systematically biased upwards.
Accuracy and Accountability in Reporting Local Government Budget Activities: Evidence From the Newsroom and From Newsmakers
Authors: Swoboda Dale P.
Published: October 2003

The author surveyed newspaper managing editors and municipal finance directors about the effect of newspaper coverage on the accountability of local government budget activities and policies. Using the survey findings, he argues that newspapers are selective about what constitutes news, and that while newspapers receive adequate information from public officials, many reporters and editors lack the training to understand and interpret complex budget activities and policies. A content analysis of newspapers supports the survey findings and presents additional evidence. The result is a weakening of any assessment by the press. Overall, the results challenge the commonly accepted argument that press publicity provides an effective external control over the competence, responsiveness, and accountability of public officials. The article suggests that budget officials can take steps to improve accuracy in reporting and accountability by taking a more active approach with the press.
Service Efforts and Accomplishments Standards: Fundamental Questions of an Emerging Concept
Authors: Harris Jean
Published: October 2003

In 1994, the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) adopted and published Concepts Statement No. 2, Service Efforts and Accomplishments Reporting} Although service efforts and accomplishments (SEA) is not a common term, this statement establishes the foundation for the subsequent adoption of reporting requirements that may expand the boundaries of reporting to significantly increase the amount of non‐financial information that states and municipalities will report, as well as the cost of external reporting Budget analysts are among prospective users of SEA information. A study of comment letters filed in response to the exposure draft, which preceded Concepts Statement No. 2, shows two divergent views of SEA reporting requirements.2 Support for SEA reporting requirements is grounded in a vision of the potential benefits of SEA reporting;3 opposition to SEA standards is grounded in concerns about potential consequences of instituting reporting requirements.4 The strength of opposition to SEA reporting requirements suggests that consideration of the rationale for standards setting is appropriate. In this article, commonly expressed concerns about reporting requirements are incorporated into five questions. Analysis of these questions evidences the weakness of the rationale for SEA standards as distinguished from the rationale for voluntary SEA reporting.

Two proposals are advanced to address concerns about SEA reporting requirements. First, adoption of models of information use from the disciplines of public administration and political science is encouraged. Second, modification of the standard setting process to reflect the non‐financial domain of SEA is advocated. Thus, it is proposed that standard setters adopt approaches that emphasize cross‐disciplinary research, cooperation with other organizations, and active extension of due process to new stakeholders.
The Fiscal Impact of Federal and State Aid to Large U.S. Cities: An Empirical Analysis of Budgetary Response
Authors: Bartle John R.
Published: October 2003

This article examines four types of aid programs to thirty‐nine large U.S. cities federal revenue sharing, federal categorical aid, state general aid, and state categorical aid. The central finding is that there is significant variation in the magnitude of property tax reduction resulting from different types of state general aid. Property tax credits and exemptions are less effective approaches in reducing local property taxes than are state lump‐sum aid or city use of piggybacked taxes Categorical state and federal aid mostly fund additional city spending and have small but important stimulative effects on the revenue side These results suggest that differences in the design of aid programs have important implications for their fiscal impact and their effectiveness in reducing property taxes.
Credit Reform, Negative Subsidies, and FHA
Authors: Phaup Marvin
Published: October 2003

After several years' experience with the new budgetary treatment of federal credit activity, or credit reform, it is appropriate to consider how this innovation is working. One objective of the new approach was to provide both estimates of the cost of credit assistance and a means of monitoring the performance of those estimates over time. In at least one—admittedly difficult—case, FHA single‐family mortgage insurance, the reform is not succeeding in reporting the performance of the subsidy estimate because the agency's budget submissions are not consistent with the new accounting. This failure may result from the agency's inability to accept or adopt the fundamental changes in accounting concepts affected by credit reform. This article attempts to explain some of those changes and to show how they may be used to provide relevant information in the budget.
The Base Closure and Realignment Commission: A Rational or Political Decision Process?
Authors: Bernardi Richard A.
Published: October 2003

This article examines the Base Closure and Realignment Commission's (BRAC) decision process. It uses as a case study the BRAC's reversal of the Defense Department's recommendation concerning the east coast air mobility wing. The analysis reviews decision theory, the rational and political decision models, and the financial implications of the reversal decision.
Downsizing, A View from the Inside
Authors: Dewhurst Stephen B.
Published: October 2003

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is getting smaller. Total nondefense staffing in the federal government has declined by about 3 percent over the past fifteen years. Within this total, a number of agencies have absorbed reductions of over 17 percent, including USDA. This article begins with a brief history of USDA Next, it describes the distinction between the downsizing efforts of the 1980s and those that have occurred in the 1990s with respect to what has turned out to be a drastically different programmatic and political climate.
Insurance Rationing versus Public Political Rationing: The Case of the Oregon Health Plan
Authors: Baur Michael N. , Wang Julie B. , Fitzgerald John F.
Published: October 2003

This article describes the development and evolution of the Oregon experiment with public political rationing in health care. As dissatisfaction with current health care rationing has mounted, the search has accelerated for alternatives to replace the de facto rationing generated by the private health insurance marketplace. As the foremost example of public rationing, the closely‐watched Oregon Health Plan is widely offered as an alternative to traditional private health insurance. Other health care rationing alternatives include health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and proposals that encourage self‐rationing by individual consumers.
Tax and Expenditure Limitations and State and Local Fiscal Structure: An Empirical Assessment
Authors: Mullins Daniel R. , Joyce Philip G.
Published: October 2003

The tax and expenditure limitation (TEL) “movement” of the 1970s and 1980s can be characterized in part as a struggle between local autonomy and state control. Undeniable shifts have occurred over the same period in state and local revenue systems and functional responsibilities. This article places these shifts within the context of this movement, using pooled, cross‐sectional, time‐series techniques for the period between 1970 and 1990, in an effort to assess its impacts. Findings suggest that TELs have resulted in increased centralization, lessened local responsiveness, increased use of local non‐tax sources of revenue, and a sector less accommodating to the needs of dependent populations. TELs may have also had dubious effects on both the allocative efficiency and equity of the state and local public sector.
Measuring Government in the Early Twentieth Century
Authors: Williams Daniel W.
Published: October 2003

This article discusses the early history of performance and productivity measurement. It finds sophisticated development of these tools beginning in the first decade of the twentieth century, primarily at the New York Bureau of Municipal Research. These practices grew out of accounting, the social survey, work records, and municipal statistics. The bureau built government's capacity to measure. They advocated such basic empirical practices as making observations at all, doing so systematically and routinely, and recording data at the time of observation. By 1912, performance measurement exhibited many of the features associated with the modern practice: measuring of input, output, and results; attempting to make government more productive; making reports comparable among communities; and focusing on allocation and accountability. Performance measurement was developed in the context of shifting power between the elected executive and the legislature.
What's in a Sector? The Shifting Career Plans of Public Policy Students
Authors: Chetkovich Carol
Published: October 2003

Recent decades have seen a trend in which public policy graduates shun government and enter private‐sector employment. In part, the shift reflects changing sectoral opportunities, but its magnitude and consistency are puzzling—even troubling—in light of the need for public‐sector talent. Data from a two‐year series of surveys and interviews with policy students reveal that many begin their training with uncertain career goals and ambivalence about public‐sector work. Interest in government declines from entry to graduation, and it appears that the policy curriculum—heavy on analytic methods and conveying cautions about policy making—does little to promote a public‐sector orientation. Those planning to enter government are strongly motivated by a desire to have an impact, whereas those drawn to the private sector seek financial resources and professional development. Many anticipate fluid careers and choose positions expected to offer growth, a feature more commonly associated with private than public jobs.
Change Management—Strategy and Values in Six Agencies from the Australian Public Service
Authors: Stewart Jenny , Kringas Paul
Published: October 2003

Change is a ubiquitous theme in management literature, but empirical studies that seek to draw lessons from the experience of managing change are rare. By investigating patterns of change management in six Australian federal agencies, we elicit a number of factors contributing to success—though “success” is itself not a clear‐cut concept in this area. We found support for a number of broad themes already apparent in the literature and suggest that change processes that have the support of the workforce require good leadership, an appropriate model of change, some room for negotiation and compromise, and well‐planned communication.
Public Management and Educational Performance: The Impact of Managerial Networking
Authors: Meier Kenneth J. , O'Toole Laurence J.
Published: October 2003

Policies are implemented in complex networks of organizations and target populations. Effective action often requires managers to deal with an array of actors to procure resources, build support, coproduce results, and overcome obstacles to implementation. Few large‐n studies have examined the crucial role that networks and network management can play in the execution of public policy. This study begins to fill this gap by analyzing performance over a five‐year period in more than 500 U.S. school districts using a nonlinear, interactive, contingent model of management previously developed by the authors. The core idea is that management matters in policy implementation, but its impact is often nonlinear. One way that public managers can make a difference is by leveraging resources and buffering constraints in the program context. This investigation finds empirical support for key elements of the network‐management portion of the model. Implications for public management are sketched.
Administrative Discretion and Active Representation: An Expansion of the Theory of Representative Bureaucracy
Authors: Sowa Jessica E. , Selden Sally Coleman
Published: October 2003

Recent studies of the theory of representative bureaucracy have focused on active representation, whereby administrators in public organizations work to advance the interests of particular groups, achieving policy outcomes that directly address the needs of those groups. The concept of administrative discretion is central to these studies, as an administrator must have the discretion to produce results that reflect the values and beliefs of these groups. While the presence of discretion is often implied in these studies, few have examined it explicitly. Using data from the Farmer's Home Administration, we explore whether administrators who perceive themselves as having more discretion enact policy outcomes that are more representative of minority interests. The results strongly support the conclusion that administrators who perceive themselves as possessing significant discretion and who assume the role of minority representative in their agencies are more likely to enact policy outcomes that favor minority interests.
Integrating Values into Public Service: The Values Statement as Centerpiece
Authors: Kernaghan Kenneth
Published: October 2003

The public administration community needs to focus more attention on how values can be integrated into the structures, processes, and systems of public organizations. In particular, greater emphasis should be placed on the values statement as the central component of a values regime. This article examines the content and format of values statements in four Westminster‐style governments, initiatives to make values a pervasive influence in public‐service operations, and learning points for other countries. Each government's values statement should capture the essence of public service. Leaders must serve as both exemplary models of values‐based behavior and skillful practitioners of the art of values management. A values statement expressing values that are shared at all organizational levels—combined with the dispersal of leadership roles throughout the organization—provides an especially strong foundation for integrating values into public service.
In the Eye of the Storm? Societal Aging and the Future of Public‐Service Reform
Authors: Alasdair Roberts
Published: October 2003

One of the principal motivations for the reinvention of many central governments over the last two decades is the need to deal with chronic budget deficits. As budget surpluses reappeared at the end of the 1990s, the pressure to restructure seemed to ease in some countries. However, observers suggested the relief was only temporary, and aging populations would soon put more stress on government budgets, creating a need for further retrenchment. This article assesses the vulnerability of three central governments—the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States—to aging‐related fiscal stress. Because of institutional differences, the U.S. government is likely to be hit hardest by this demographic change. This may imply that public‐sector reform will take a different path in the United States than it will in the United Kingdom or Canada.
Enhancement of microvessel tortuosity in the vastus lateralis muscle of old men in response to endurance training
Authors: Charifi N. , Kadi F. , Féasson L. , Costes F. , Geyssant A. , Denis C.
Published: October 2003

Muscle microvascularization is usually quantified in transverse sections, in absolute terms (capillaries around fibres, CAF, or capillary‐to‐fibre ratio, C/F) or as CAF related to fibre area (CAF/area, CAFA). The capillary‐to‐fibre perimeter exchange ratio (CFPE) has been introduced in order to assess the role of the capillary‐to‐fibre interface in resistance to O2diffusion. The ratio between the length of capillaries in contact with fibres and fibre perimeter (LC/PF) has also been used as an index for capillary tortuosity. The possibility of change in capillary tortuosity with endurance training was not considered in previous studies. Consequently, this study investigated the effect of 14 weeks of endurance training on muscle microvascularization, including microvessel tortuosity, in 11 elderly men (8th decade). Microvessels were analysed using the CD31 antibody. Together with the significant increase in peak oxygen exchange and citrate synthase activity, there was a significant increase in C/F. While CFPE and CAFA remained unchanged, an important finding was the clear increase in LC/PF (56%;P< 0.001) for a same sarcomere length. We also found a strong correlation between oxidative enzyme activity and LC/PF both before and after training. These results indicate that endurance training induces significant remodelling in the microvessel network in elderly men and that an increase in the degree of microvessel tortuosity would be an important mechanism of adaptation to endurance training.
Pacemaker channels in mouse thalamocortical neurones are regulated by distinct pathways of cAMP synthesis
Authors: Frère Samuel G. A. , Lüthi Anita
Published: October 2003

A crucial aspect of pacemaker current (Ih) function is the regulation by cyclic nucleotides. To assess the endogenous mechanisms controlling cAMP levels in the vicinity of pacemaker channels, Ih regulation by G‐protein‐coupled neurotransmitter receptors was studied in mouse thalamocortical neurones. Activation of β‐adrenergic receptors with (−)‐isoproterenol (Iso) led to a small steady enhancement of Ih amplitude, whereas activation of GABAB receptors with (±)‐Baclofen (Bac) reduced Ih, consistent with an up‐ and down‐regulation of basal cAMP levels, respectively. In contrast, a transient (τdecay, ∼200 s), supralinear up‐regulation of Ih was observed upon coapplication of Iso and Bac that was larger than that observed with Iso alone. This up‐regulation appeared to involve a cAMP synthesis pathway distinct from that recruited by Iso, as it was associated with a reversible acceleration in Ih activation kinetics and an occlusion of modulation by photolytically released cAMP, yet showed an 11 mV as opposed to a 6 mV positive shift in the activation curve and an at least seven‐fold increase in duration. GABA, in the presence of the GABAA antagonist picrotoxin, mimicked, whereas N‐ethylmaleimide, an inhibitor of Gi‐proteins, blocked the up‐regulation, supporting a requirement for GABAB receptor activation in the potentiation. Activation of synaptic GABAB responses via stimulation of inhibitory afferents from the nucleus reticularis potentiated Iso‐induced increments in Ih, suggesting that synaptically located receptors couple positively to cAMP synthesis induced by β‐adrenergic receptors. These findings indicate that distinct pathways of cAMP synthesis target the pacemaker current and the recruitment of these may be controlled by GABAergic activity within thalamic networks.
Identifying genes and genetic variation underlying human diseases and complex phenotypes via recombination mapping
Authors: Broeckel Ulrich , Schork Nicholas J.
Published: October 2003

Understanding the mechanisms by which DNA and DNA variation influence diseases, naturally occurring phenotypic variation, and complex biological systems, has been one of the major tasks associated with contemporary human genetics research. The identification and characterization of specific genetic variations that influence particular human diseases and phenotypes is complicated by the fact that most diseases and phenotypes are influenced by many genetic and environmental factors. Thus, the identification of any particular phenotypically relevant factor might be hampered as other relevant factors may obscure its individual effect. Over the years numerous methods and study designs have been described to identify disease causing genes and mutations. One in particular – meiotic or recombination mapping – has received considerable attention over the last 50 years, and has been used widely with varying degrees of success. This review describes the motivation behind, and problems associated with, recombination mapping, in terms of both linkage mapping and linkage disequilibrium mapping.