bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Political Socialization of Gender: What Contribution Biology?
Authors: L. Baer Denise , Bositis David A.
Published: February 2017

That men and women differ in their degree of access to and control of political power has long been a significant aspect of political life. Political socialization research has tended to locate the origin of these differences exclusively in the learning process—whereby boys and girls are differentially equipped with the skills and interests necessary for participation as adults (Weissberg, 1974; Dawson, Prewitt, and Dawson, 1977) or children internalize norms of appropriate gender role behavior that are then activated during thE! adult years (Sapiro, 1977; Jennings and Niemi, 1981). Gender is undoubtedly a social and personal construct, but it is also based in biological sex differences—genetic, morphological, and physiological. Biological factors are a potential area of investigation that has remained relatively unexplored, in part because many political scientists have been reluctant to borrow as liberally trorn tne life sciences as they have from their sister social sciences (Schubert, 1976). The emerging field of biopolitics might have provided a corrective to what has been called elsewhere the “oversocialized concept of man” (Wrong, 1961). However, the concern of many politically conscious individuals with the issue of sexist scholarship has rendered biological sex differences a suspect category. Arguing that scientific discourse does not take place in a political vacuum, many feminists have concluded that the introduction of biological variables can only be detrimental to women because scientific practice reflects popular prejudices.
Preventing the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction: What Role for Arms Control? A German-American Dialogue - Oliver Thränert (ed.) Bonn: Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, 1999, 154 pp. ISBN:3-86077-833-1. Friedrick-Ebert-Stiftung, Hiroshimastraße 17, D-10785 Berlin, Germany.
Authors: Wilson Henrietta
Published: February 2017

The geopolitical positions currently occupied by the United States and Germany should be of interest to students of international arms control regimes. The former enters the twenty-first century empowered by its political, military, and economic weight, yet unable to respond to the global responsibilities entailed by this. In contrast, Germany has come to represent the less militaristic aspects of modern Western sensibilities, and has had to face the political problems of post-cold-war Europe more directly than other Western states.
International Relations Theory, Biotechnology, and War
Authors: Russell Alan M.
Published: February 2017

As a field of study international relations has always been concerned with the problem of war. Since the second world war much attention has been given to the impact of weapons of mass destruction, most commonly in the form of nuclear weapons. More recently, a wider variety of issues have been addressed by the field, notably widening its coverage of economic, welfare and social issues. Three broad approaches to international relations have emerged: political realism, pluralism, and globalism.

Biotechnology represents a major technological revolution which will have enormous impact on the world at many levels. One impact which cannot be ignored is its potential for weaponry. This paper assesses the three international relations approaches with respect to their elucidation of biotechnology and its potential for violent and aggressive applications.
Verifying the Unverifiable: Lessons from the Biological Weapons Convention
Authors: Chevrier Marie Isabelle
Published: February 2017

The Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) is widely regarded as a treaty whose provisions are difficult to verify because of the paucity of measures to verify compliance within the treaty framework and the nature of the weapons themselves. Advances in biotechnology and their effect on the perceived military utility of biological weapons have focused international attention on this issue. This article examines the concepts of “adequate” and “effective” verification and argues that the treaty falls under the definition of adequate verification in the United States. For other countries, however, the lack of verification measures is of greater concern. The article describes measures that should be added to the BWC to detect violations and promote compliance with the treaty. These include improved methods of resolving allegations of noncompliance, increased reporting requirements for activities permitted under the treaty, greater openness in biological research, and inspections of laboratories and other facilities.
Comment on DeForest and Zilinskas
Authors: Buckley Sheila R.
Published: February 2017

DeForest offers a closely reasoned and persuasive analysis of how the characteristics of biological weapons have affected nations' perceptions of their utility and acceptability. He shows how such perceptions bear in turn of efforts to outlaw biological weapons, even as science and technology are expanding the potential for their use. His paper's historical perspective, broadly researched data, and intriguing analytical approach will measurably enhance readers' understanding of the arms control process.
Risk Factors and Predictability of Famine in Ethiopia
Authors: Vestal Theodore M.
Published: February 2017

Famine, a complex phenomenon with multifactorial causes, produces starvation and associated diseases resulting in unusually high mortality from a lack of food. Devastating famines in sub-Saharan Africa in the 1980s may have provided an impetus for scholars to find additional analytical tools for predicting famines. Two predominant theories of famines causality are (1) food availability decline (FAD), a supply failure; and (2) the entitlement approach based on a demand failure. Findings from both theories are applied to specific examples from Ethiopian famines to analyze the composition and effects of famine. The limited success of contemporary famines studies in anticipating famine suggests the need for improved analytical tools. Risk factor analysis, used successfully in the social sciences and the medical sciences to predict the occurrence of complicated phenomena, is developed to identify controllable, uncontrollable, and contributing factors to famine. Based on the experience of Ethiopia in 1983-86, categorical cutoff values for identifying a high risk of developing famine are formulated.
The Famine in Famine Research
Authors: Mabbs-Zeno Carl C.
Published: February 2017

For all the insights reported in the preceding article by Vestal, the author leaves the impression that he is dissatisfied that our current level of understanding adequately addresses the complexity of famine. Vestal's article ranges widely across the research on famine, provoking a revisitation of some controversies and inviting further thought on the world's level of famine vulnerability and what researchers might do to reduce that vulnerability.
Risk Factors and Predictability of Famine in Ethiopia: a Commentary
Authors: Elango R. , Bhaskaran S.
Published: February 2017

In recent decades, development economists have devoted much of their analysis to understanding a number of microeconomic issues, facing the less developed countries. Those issues range from straightforward poverty analysis to a more sophisticated exercise of optimal economic planning. By and large the body of research which has been done can be grouped into two broad categories: (1) exercises devoted to spelling out the various nuances and shades of poverty, which explain either the dimensions or the causes of poverty and related phenomena, and (2) those attempts aimed at developing solutions to the issues of poverty from the perspective of planners. Obviously, famine studies in general, belong to the first category. There has been substantial literature devoted to explaining “What is meant by famine?” Of course, one's position in this regard determines one's policy perspectives as well. The article under review purports to analyze “Risk Factors and Predictability of Famine in Ethiopia.” The discussion by the author of “what famines are and the theories of famine causality,” provides perspective only for the issue under focus, that is the risk factors and predictability.
Biotechnology, State Economic Development, and Interest Politics: a Troublesome Trinity
Authors: Browne William P.
Published: February 2017

When finally U.S. political archives are reviewed comprehensively and definitively, one confusing point will still linger unresolved: were the artisans of politics crafting policy in response to visions of a public or a private interest? Portz and Eisinger's comparative analysis of state economic development efforts, with hopes pegged on biotechnology, grapples with that distinction at least by implication. Their instructive article needs revisiting - - and their useful findings and conclusions need follow-up research — because there is logical reason to fear that the strategic planning process is no more or less directed toward the public interest than is private interest advocacy.
Polygyny in American Politics
Authors: Betzig Laura , Weber Samantha
Published: February 2017

Biographical data were collected on members of the U.S. executive, legislative, and judicial branches, in George Washington's first through Ronald Reagan's last administration, fromWho Was Who in America,theBiographical Dictionary of the United States Congress, Vice Presidents and Cabinet Members,andBurke's Presidential Families of the United States of America.They suggest that serial polygyny in this sample has declined over the last two hundred years. Census data on average American men suggest that the number of wives per man has stayed the same or increased at the same time. These trends imply that mating equality may have increased over the last two centuries of American history. What sketchy evidence exists on extramarital opportunities tentatively suggests a similar trend.
From the Workplace to the Delivery Room: Protecting the Fetus in the Post-Roe Era
Authors: Maschke Karen J.
Published: February 2017

Employers and state officials are increasingly intervening into the lives of pregnant women for the purpose of protecting the fetus. This article examines fetal protection policies in three contexts: the workplace, the criminal arena, and the medical setting. It shows that the Supreme Court's recent decision in Johnson Controls was a narrow victory for women workers who were forced to comply with fetal protection policies in the workplace. It also points out that the Court's abortion decisions raise questions about whether the state can restrict women's job opportunities in order to protect the fetus. Finally, the article describes how state officials have intervened in women's lives to ensure fetal health and identifies some policy measures that might reduce the need for state intervention to protect the fetus.
Vaccines for Peace: An Incentive for Developing Countries
Authors: Pearson Graham S.
Published: February 2017

The Article in the August, 1992 issue of Politics and the Life Sciences by Erhard Geissler proposing the establishment of an international Vaccines for Peace (VFP) program to undertake research on and production of vaccines against pathogens (and possible toxins) that pose natural health threats is warmly welcomed. VFP is designed to contribute to health care in developing countries and to enhance international cooperation in biotechnology; it would be administered by the World Health Organization (WHO). Such a program would bring real and tangible benefits to developing countries and encourage participation by such countries in the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention signed in 1972.
An Exceptional Window of Opportunity: Comments on “Vaccines for Peace”
Authors: Woodall Jack
Published: February 2017

Military Vaccination Programs undoubtedly arouse suspicions about potential threats from biological weapons (BW). Those countries that still vaccinate their armed forces against smallpox signal that they suspect their potential enemies might plan to use smallpox against them, whilst the other side suspects them of planning a preemptive smallpox strike. The same applies to military vaccination against any other dual-threat agent (unless the vaccination involves only troops being deployed in endemic areas, in which case the interpretation is less clear).
Teaching Biology, Policy Analysis, and Politics in a Biotechnology Policy Course
Authors: Webber David J.
Published: February 2017

This Political Science course, titled “Policy Issues Surrounding Biotechnology,” set out to describe, explain, and evaluate public policies that regulate and support applications of biotechnology in agriculture and medicine. Only a few students had a basic familiarity with biotechnology and none had a strong science background. Most of the 25 political science and journalism students took the junior-senior level course not because of an interest in biotechnology but because they wanted to study a specific policy issue in some depth. The students jointly prepared a 56-page report and presented it to a panel of Missouri state legislators in a mock legislative hearing in April, 1991.
The Size of Societies, Stratification, and Belief in High Gods Supportive of Human Morality
Authors: Roes Frans L.
Published: February 2017

Two hypotheses about belief in high gods supportive of human morality were tested with data from the Ethnographic Atlas and the Standard Cross-Cultural Sample. A significant positive relation between the size of societies and such a belief is demonstrated, and this relation appears to be independent of both regional differences and differences in stratification of the societies. On the other hand, stratification itself is also significantly related with the belief in high gods supportive of human morality, but this relation could not be shown to be independent of regional differences or differences in size.
The Protocol to Strengthen the Btwc: An Integrated Regime
Authors: Pearson Graham S.
Published: February 2017

The Ad Hoc Group established in 1994 to draft proposals to strengthen the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention through a legally binding instrument has now met twelve times. Its negotiations successfully transitioned in July 1997 to consideration of a draft protocol, the sixth version of which has now been produced. Five meetings totalling sixteen weeks are agreed for 1999, and there is clear global political will to complete the negotiations. All the essential elements for the protocol are now in the rolling text—mandatory declarations, visits (both focused and random), and compliance concern investigations, together with measures to strengthen the implementation of Article X (cooperation for peaceful purposes) and other articles of the BTWC. This article examines how the integrated regime has a considerable synergistic effect that will, over time, build confidence in compliance with the convention; ensure that uncertainties, anomalies, and concerns are swiftly investigated; and improve the implementation of the convention.
Fraternal Birth Order, Maternal Immune Reactions, and Homosexuality in Men
Authors: Blanchard Ray
Published: February 2017

In my comments on Townsend's detailed critique of Sulloway's (1996) book, I want to make two general points about birth order research. The first is that several authors—including Ernst and Angst (1983), who are extensively quoted by Townsend—have concluded that the effects of birth order on adult personality and behavior are either completely nonexistent or else so negligible as to be useless to science. I agree that the methodology of birth order studies is often flawed, and that many, if not most, of their findings are probably irreproducible. However, an assertion that birth order has no effect on adult behavior would be as extreme in its way as the assertion that birth order's effect on behavior is decisive. My own research demonstrates that a categorical dismissal of any and all birth order effects is not only premature but demonstrably erroneous.
Personality and Birth Order: Explaining the Differences Between Siblings
Authors: Harris Judith Rich
Published: February 2017

What struck me most forcefully in Townsend's critique (this issue) was a pattern he observed: A large preponderance of the changes he documented in Sulloway's numeric or graphic descriptions of data resulted in improvements. The later data point was almost always a better fit to Sulloway's predictions than the earlier one. Townsend suggested that further analysis would be appropriate, which made me wonder why he stopped where he did, without doing any statistical tests on his findings. A possible next step would be to calculate the likelihood that the observed proportion of changes in the confirming direction occurred by chance alone.
Birth Order and Rebelliousness: Responding to Birth Order Research Contradictions
Authors: Nyman Lawrence
Published: February 2017

Although I am intrigued by the recent efforts of several researchers who have taken issue with Sulloway's (1996) work on birth order, I experience some hesitancy to comment for a number of reasons. Birth order research has historically come up with contradictory findings (Nyman, 1995). In the main, I suspect that the apparent inconsistencies will be resolved not through commentary but with keener measuring tools, better experimental controls, and with the patience and energy to define each research condition so as to enable accurate replication. It is also not an easy assignment to critique the work of scientists whom I admire, especially when their inferences seem to be at odds. With this said, I shall attempt to deal with design issues inherent in birth order research in an effort to illustrate some of the factors that enter into the contradictory findings reported in the literature.
Resolving Controversy Over Birth Order and Personality: By Debate or By Design?
Authors: Paulhus Delroy L. , Wehr Paul , Trapnell Paul D.
Published: February 2017

The notion that birth order bears a systematic relation to personality was commonly thought to have succumbed to the formidable attack from Ernst and Angst (1983). The 1996 publication of Frank Sulloway's book Born to Rebel, however, breathed new life into a proposition that most social scientists thought was a dead horse. In response to the book, Townsend (this issue) insists that Sulloway's extraordinary measures to revive this dead horse were unwarranted. Apparently fearing that too many readers have taken the book seriously, Townsend attacks both the contemporary and historical evidence offered by Sulloway.
Embodied Ideas
Authors: Elshtain Jean Bethke
Published: February 2017

Arnhart clearly had a lot of fun writing this piece. He has done an impressive amount of research and brings considerable passion to his subject matter. I am happy to offer a few brief comments.
The Natural Science of Ethics: A Response to Three Commentators
Authors: Arnhart Larry
Published: February 2017

I am grateful to the three commentators for raising many good questions that I shall have to ponder for a long time. In this brief response, I can comment on only a few of their points.
Global Epidemiological Surveillance: Of General Concern or a Matter for the BWC?
Authors: Lundin S. J.
Published: February 2017

Since my background includes involvement in the negotiations for the BWC and for the future Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), I have some general comments concerning possible implications of the program.
The Multiple Functions of Global Epidemiological Surveillance: A Response to Geissler, Lundin, Rosenberg, and Woodall
Authors: Wheelis Mark L.
Published: February 2017

Lundin, Rosenberg, and Woodall all comment, rightly, that a program of global epidemiological surveillance should be justified first on the basis of its benefits to global public health, and only secondarily on the basis of its contribution to weapons control. I agree, but I present my proposal in the context of weapons control because it is in that context that I became convinced of the necessity of such a program. My intent was to determine how one would recognize, and thereby deter, the clandestine use of biological agents (which I believe to be the most likely form of use). This analysis led to the conclusion that a global program of epidemiological surveillance is essential for biological weapons control.
Reductionism, “Bad Science,” and Politics: A Critique of Anti-Reductionist Reasoning
Authors: Segerstråle Ullica
Published: February 2017

This article examines the recent political-cumepistemological criticism of reductionism in fields such as sociobiology, behavioral ecology, behavioral genetics, and IQ research. It identifies and challenges some unexamined assumptions underlying current “anti-reductionist” reasoning, especially the belief that there are inherent links between political motivations and scientific convictions, between “bad” science and undesirable political consequences, and between methodological and ontological reductionism. The author analyzes the conflict in scientific world views between anti-reductionist “weeders” and reductionist “planters.” Paradoxically, in their criticism of research strategies routinely used by alleged reductionists, anti-reductionists often sound like arch-reductionists themselves. The author argues that the various linked beliefs in anti-reductionist reasoning should be uncoupled, not only for intellectual, but also for political reasons.
The Maryland Biotechnology Institute
Authors: Zilinskas Raymond A. , Levin Morris A.
Published: February 2017

The manufacturing industry that has driven much of Maryland's economic progress is regressing. Financial service firms are in decline. Real estate, once a producer of wealth, is in a slump and is unlikely to return to its former grandeur. The governor and legislators are trying to fix the state's billion dollar budget deficit. In this otherwise gloomy situation, the success of the state's life science development strategy stands out. Maryland is the home of 53 dedicated biotechnology firms, more than all other states except California and Massachusetts. State economic development officials estimate that biotechnology-related jobs in the state will grow from 4,000 to more that 70,000 in the next ten years.
Book Reviews: Degler - In Search of Human Nature: The Decline and Revival of Darwinism in American Social ThoughtCarl N. Degler New York: Oxford University Press, 1991, 400 pp. US$24.95 cloth. ISBN 0-19-506380-5. Oxford University Press, 200 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016, USA.
Authors: Losco Joseph
Published: February 2017

Précis

Historian and Pulitzer Prize winner Carl Degler analyzes the reasons for Darwinism's fall from favor among American social scientists throughout the early and mid-twentieth century and for its revival in recent years. The work is divided into four parts. In the first part, Degler reviews the impact of Darwin on turn-of-the-century social science and its association with the politics of IQ testing, eugenics, and racism. He denies, however, that social scientists of either Darwinian or anti-Darwinian stripe had any real impact on policies like restrictive immigration laws. In Part II, Degler reconstructs the history of the rise of culture as an explanatory concept and its dissociation from biological roots. Degler explains that much of this movement is attributable to ideological factors and not merely to the results of research. Special emphasis is placed upon the influence of Franz Boas, but the work of Margaret Mead, John Watson, and B. F. Skinner is also examined. Part III examines the resurrection of biological modes of thinking in sociology, psychology, philosophy, and political science in the 1960s and 1970s, largely as a result of the convergence of two factors: (1) dissatisfaction with prevailing social science theory, and (2) new discoveries in the life sciences. Degler finds recent use of biology in the social sciences less deterministic and more egalitarian in orientation than the social Darwinism of an earlier era. In his epilogue, Degler explores recent studies in animal awareness to discern future patterns in biologically based social science, including the potential for greater understanding of the biological roots of human morality.
Darwinism Redux: An Alternative Explanation
Authors: Somit Albert
Published: February 2017

As he makes clear in his preface, Degler sets himself two tasks: first, to describe the decline and, then, the subsequent revival of Darwinism in American social thought; second, to explain why these two changes occurred. He has accomplished both objectives in exemplary fashion. Still, there are grounds for modest disagreement in both areas.
Surviving Eco-Angst
Authors: Hanna Kathi E.
Published: February 2017

It's a Matter of Survival is sure to induce a degree of eco-angst in any person who cares enough about the planet to pick it up and read it. Even if Gordon and Suzuki are only half right—or even 25 percent right—in their dire forecast of the future of the planet, we should pay heed, and quickly. Our own complacency and willingness to accept an optimistic view of the future is also likely to allow too many people to ignore the messages of this book. And there are many messages.
Ethological Methods for Observing Small Group Political Decision Making
Authors: Schubert James N.
Published: February 2017

Students of biopolitics and others are concerned with the relevance and contribution of this emergent subfield to the traditional or “normal” problems of more established areas in the discipline of political science (Hines, 1982; Blank, 1982). My article addresses this issue by illustrating how ethological methods of inquiry can be applied in research on collective political decision making in small groups. (Watts, 1981). Rather than presenting a final methodology and set of findings fait accompli, my primary purpose is heuristic and developmental-that is, to contribute to critical discussion, awareness, and application of alternative field research methods in political science.
Biopolitics in 1982
Authors: Peterson Steven A. , Somit Albert , Brown Barbara
Published: February 2017

This essay represents a continuing update of the biopolitics bibliography (see Somit et aI., 1980; Peterson et al., 1982). We have recorded 93 items in our enumeration of biopolitical works which appeared in 1982. In this total are 1 book, 3 master's theses or doctoral dissertations, 30 published articles, monographs, or chapters in books, 49 conference papers, and 10 short commentaries (book reviews are not included in our tally).
Hormones, Psychosexuality, and Reproduction: Biology, Brain, and Behavior
Authors: Gladue Brian A.
Published: February 2017

Few would disagree that reproductive behavior is a powerful aspect of human life and society. Of the many aspects of human sexuality (which include some elements of inter- and intrasexual aggression and competition), one of the most intriguing is the extent of biological influences. Intuitively, one feels that powerful emotional and behavioral conditions exhibited during sexual or aggressive arousal must have biological bases. What are the hormonal and physiological correlates of such profound behavioral displays? Employing a research strategy involving psychiatric and endocrine perspectives, this laboratory's approach is to challenge the nervous system, either directly with hormone and drug treatment, or indirectly through behavioral or environmental stimuli, and monitor biobehavioral changes in physiology, mood, and arousal. In particular, I am interested in how gonadal and pituitary hormones, chemical messengers important to the reproductive system, act to organize, mediate, and reinforce human sexual and aggressive behavior. At present, two main lines of inquiry have been opened to investigate different elements of human psychoendocrinology. First among these is an investigation into biological bases of human sexual differentiation and sexual orientation. The second involves studying the physiology of erotic arousal and competitive behavior.
Biology and the Concept of Natural Right: A Commentary on Masters's Article
Authors: Gruter Margaret W.
Published: February 2017

Roger Masters promises that efforts to bridge the gap between the social sciences and the life sciences will clarify our concept of human nature. He presents a number of propositions derived from his own work during the past 15 years in order to explore the scientific meaning of human nature, of political thought, and political leadership.
Reputed Changes in Social Scientists' Sympathies Regarding the Nature-Nurture Controversy: An Exploratory Comparison
Authors: Ellis Lee
Published: February 2017

Probably the most enduring question throughout the history of the social sciences pertains to how much human social behavior is a product of evolutionary, genetic, nonsocial, “natural” sorts of variables as opposed to learned sociocultural, environmental, “nurturing” variables (Hammond, 1983). Regardless of where individual social scientists themselves happen to have settled on this issue, many have offered an opinion about the prevailing position of social scientists generally on this question at various points in social science history. The present study compares these opinions, especially as they pertain to the twentieth century.
Biochemistry and Power-Seeking
Authors: Vatz Richard E. , Weinberg Lee S.
Published: February 2017

Efforts to link mental illness to biochemical events in the brain have recently been receiving greater attention by mental health professionals. Research linking political behaviors to chemical-neurological statuses could potentially revolutionize political science. In earlier writings, Douglas Madsen argued that power-seeking has been discovered to have a biological marker, and that this discovery portends “a major new direction in the behavioral study of power.” Madsen's research is seriously flawed by conceptual imprecision, inadequate operationalization, faulty premises and inferences, and misrepresentations of the earlier work of power theorists and Type A theorists who provide the central underpinnings on which his research is based. Until corrected, these flaws make meaningful testing of “power-seeking” and biochemical correlates impossible.
Politics and the Life Sciences: A Journal, A Mission, A Vision
Authors: Johnson Gary R.
Published: February 2017

Politics and the Life Sciences is about to enter its second pioneering decade. Its first decade has been exciting and productive; its second should prove even more so. I am honored to serve as editor as we enter that second decade. I hope I will be a worthy successor to Tom Wiegele, the extraordinary man who founded the journal and guided it for almost ten years. This issue is dedicated to Tom's memory, with affection, respect, and gratitude.
Toxic Weapons, Epidemiology, and Human Rights
Authors: Hu Howard
Published: February 2017

In June of 1991, a team of experts from the UN Special Commission (UNSCOM) inspected an Iraqi facility at Samarra, known as the “Muthanna State Enterprise for Pesticide Production.” Its inspection revealed a chemical weapons factory (United Nations, 1991). Inspectors found mustard gas and organophosphorus nerve agents, types GB and GF, as well as tabun—agent GA (CBW News, 1991). They estimated that the facility had the capacity to produce 2.5 tons of sarin and 5 tons of mustard gas per day. According to media reports, “dozens” of companies were implicated in the construction and production processes of the facility, including companies originating from Austria, France, Germany, India, Switzerland, the United States, and seven other countries (CBW News, 1991; Independent, July 17, 1991).
Don't Ignore the Cow in Field Investigations of Chemical, Biological, or Toxin Warfare
Authors: Huxsoll David L.
Published: February 2017

Anyone interested in assessing an allegation of unconventional warfare would agree with the statement by Peter Barss that “the investigation of an alleged outbreak of CBTW should be conducted, whenever possible, in accordance with the well-tested steps that guide the standard epidemiologic investigation of an outbreak of disease or injuries.” In fact, during my tenure as commander of the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, response teams were organized in various configurations to deploy on short notice to carry out thorough epidemiological investigations should an incident occur in which the use of biological agents might be suspected or considered. The teams were equipped and organized with the appropriate mix of expertise to carry out the type of epidemiological investigations discussed by Barss.
Investigating Allegations of Chemical, Biological, or Toxin Warfare: A Response to Five Expert Commentaries
Authors: Barss Peter
Published: February 2017

The unique contributions of five experts with diverse professional backgrounds and interests substantially augment my article, for which I am grateful. In my response, I will briefly summarize what I see as the principal addition of each author to the original findings, and then comment upon any reservations I have concerning their conclusions.
Human Embryos and Genetic Testing: A Private Policy Model
Authors: Bonnicksen Andrea L.
Published: February 2017

The practice of medicine, which traditionally falls outside the sphere of substantive governmental control, poses challenges to political scientists who perceive the need for oversight regarding problematic new technologies. The challenge is even greater when the technologies involve reproduction, in which constitutional liberties are at stake. This article suggests a private policy model for overseeing one problematic emerging reproductive technology—the diagnosis of chromosomal and genetic disorders in human embryos. It bids political scientists to examine and recommend creative private sector policies appropriate to biomedicine. Rules developed in the private sector, if regarded as obligatory by clinicians, offer a theoretically interesting bridge between voluntary ethical principles and mandatory public sector rules.
Tom Wiegele: A Very Special Influence
Authors: Oots Kent L.
Published: February 2017

Tom Wiegele had a very special influence on my life, as he did on the lives of many. He was first my teacher, then my mentor, my colleague, and, most importantly, my friend. It was easy to be infected by Tom's enthusiasm for his work. Although trained in traditional international relations theory, Tom was convinced that all politics, including international relations, is fundamentally the behavior of human beings. The more one understands about humans as humans, the better one's explanations of political behavior will be.
Tom Wiegele: Man of Many Gifts
Authors: Wahlke John C.
Published: February 2017

I first met Tom Wiegele sometime in the early 1970s. Our chats about kindred interests became increasingly frequent thereafter, whether they occurred at professional meetings, by phone, or by letter. By 1976, when we spent some time together at the IPSA Congress in Edinburgh, I had become greatly impressed with his talents and dedication as a scholar, and with his commitment to promoting biopolitical study.
The Alfred Empirical Biopolitics Conference: Prospects for a Cohesive Frame of Reference for Inquiry
Authors: Kort Fred
Published: February 2017

As a result of the initiative, ingenuity, and dedicated efforts of Steven Peterson and James Schubert, and the generous support of Alfred University, the Conference on Empirical Biopolitics was held from July 18 to July 22, 1990, on the campus of Alfred University. Six empirical studies were presented and extensively discussed at this small and intimate conference, with two or more hours devoted to each. Discussion focused not only on the specific research questions under investigation, but also on the ramifications for inquiry in the entire field of biopolitics. Odelia Funke and Fred Kort were the designated discussants, but all presenters took part in the stimulating discussions of each paper.
Book Reviews: Wiegele
Authors: Barner-Barry Carol
Published: February 2017

Précis. In this volume, Thomas Wiegele addresses “current developments in biotechnology which in turn can be used to fashion a meaningful inclusion of biotechnology into theories about the behavior of nations” (p. 3). The primary audience is scholars of international relations. There are, however, two other intended audiences: foreign policy-makers and students (both graduate and undergraduate). The general tone aims to be objective, rather than polemical, despite the “political contentiousness” (p. 5) of the subject. The author's assumptions are that most readers will be “conversant with established theoretical and policy approaches in international relations” (p. 4) and that the book will not be used as a general textbook for the study of international relations.
On the Global Dimension of Environmental Challenges
Authors: Wapner Paul
Published: February 2017

While human beings have always been able to visualize and seemingly care about the entire globe, it is only recently that the world has come to know genuinely global problems. Global warming, ozone depletion, and threats to biological diversity represent the first, bona fide global challenges, because they threaten the fundamental organic infrastructure that supports life on earth. If they come to pass, they will have universal physical consequences, in contrast to the more circumscribed consequences of non-global issues. This understanding conflicts with much contemporary thinking, which tends to see all problems—from poverty and hunger to war and human rights abuses—as global in character and thus in need of globalist responses. Proper understanding of what constitutes a genuinely global challenge will work against this tendency, and thus encourage addressing problems at the most appropriate level of governance. This article tries to provide such an understanding. It delineates the global dimension of global warming, ozone depletion, and threats to biological diversity and—after differentiating local, regional, and global issues—argues against addressing all common, transboundary challenges at the global level.
Office for Protection from Research Risks (OPRR)
Authors: Ellis Gary B.
Published: February 2017

The Office for Protection from Research Risks (OPRR) has primary responsibility within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) for developing and implementing policies, procedures, and regulations for the protection of human subjects involved in research. It also has primary responsibility within the U.S. Public Health Service for developing and implementing policies and procedures for the care and use of laboratory animals. And, it has responsibility for coordinating the development and implementation of policies, procedures, and regulations for the protection of human subjects involved in research for all U.S. federal departments and agencies that conduct or support such research.
Feminism and the Politics of Reproductive Strategies
Authors: Liesen Laurette T.
Published: February 2017

Feminists have often been among the most outspoken critics of sociobiology, maintaining that sociobiology is inherently sexist and that it is used to uphold patriarchy. This article examines the latest research by scholars—many of them women—who have used a sociobiological approach to expand our understanding of female behavior. It shows that sociobiology recognizes complexity in human reproductive behavior and that members of both sexes employ a variety of reproductive strategies, depending upon their environments. Women are not necessarily sexually passive within the sociobiological paradigm, and they are not “naturally” parents; moreover, men clearly play a necessary and significant role in parenting. Women do have reproductive interests that are separate from those of men, and these interests clash. Despite these conflicts of reproductive interest, however, men and women can develop cooperative relationships to achieve their mutual goal of raising children to maturity. Patriarchy is not—within the sociobiological paradigm—a natural order between males and females. Sociobiology also does not suggest that women should be restricted to parenting roles; indeed, sociobiological research can provide the basis for greater freedom for both men and women in reproduction and resource acquisition.
From Verification to Strengthening Compliance: Prospects and Challenges of the Biological Weapons Convention
Authors: Chevrier Marie Isabelle
Published: February 2017

International concern with the ability of the 1972 Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention to fulfill its purpose induced the treaty parties to explore the means to promote compliance with the treaty and to detect noncompliance. In September 1995, the Conference on Disarmament hosted a Special Conference to discuss the findings of the ad hoc group of governmental experts to identify and examine potential verification measures from a scientific and technical standpoint. This article analyzes the work of the Special Conference and the most contentious issues raised there, especially (1) objective criteria for permitted and prohibited activities; (2) the concept of a threshold quantity of agent; (3) technical assistance to States Parties; (4) export controls; (5) the use of a list of agents and toxins for facility declarations; (6) on-site measures to promote compliance; (7) the intrusiveness of these measures; and (8) the protection of sensitive information. Ultimately, the conference delegates endorsed a legally binding protocol to strengthen the treaty. The article concludes with a discussion of the trade-offs necessary to achieve consensus on such a protocol.
Symposium of United Nations Biological Weapons Inspectors: Implications of the Iraqi Experience for Biological Arms Control
Authors: Zilinskas Raymond A.
Published: February 2017

As part of the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), David L. Huxsoll and Raymond A. Zilinskas convened a roundtable of biological weapons inspectors who have served in recent United Nations inspections in Iraq. The roundtable was presented over a three-hour period on May 22, 1995. To give the audience a “feel” for what inspectors do and the conditions under which they work, the roundtable session opened with a 35 mm slide presentation. The photos were taken by Zilinskas in the course of two 1994 inspections of Iraqi biological research and production facilities.
The Role of Declarations in UNSCOM's Program in Iraq
Authors: Johnson-Winegar Anna
Published: February 2017

Written declarations have been identified as one of the most useful tools in determining a nation's potential for a biological warfare capability. Declarations are defined as mandatory reports (provided on a periodic basis) that describe various aspects of a state's biological infrastructure, including both academic and governmental programs. Specifically included are descriptions of facilities, summaries of research projects, and other information considered relevant to making an evaluation of that country's capabilities. Notifications of specific events of interest are also considered as part of the required declaration. As part of the confidence-building measures (CBMs) of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BWC), between 25 and 30 of the State Parties have been providing written declarations for a number of years. With specific regard to the Iraqi experience, the government of Iraq was required (under the auspices of United Nations Security Council Resolution 687) to provide specific declarations about any and all facilities potentially associated with their biological warfare program. UNSCOM inspectors have the responsibility of verifying the accuracy of the information provided by Iraq in declarations.
Nuffield Council on Bioethics
Authors: Shapiro David
Published: February 2017

The Nuffield Council on Bioethics (NCoB) published its latest major report, Human Tissue: Ethical and Legal Issues on April 20, 1995. The news item in Nature described the NCoB as “widely seen as the United Kingdom's national bioethics council” (vol. 374:665). This is exactly what the trustees of the Nuffield Foundation had in mind when they established the council in July 1991.
Adolescent Sexuality and Public Policy: ALiberalResponse
Authors: Ross Lainie Friedman
Published: February 2017

Conflicting U.S. statutes exist governing adolescent sexuality. While parents are allowed to remove their children from sex education, they cannot prevent their children from procuring medical care and contraception without parental awareness or consent. I argue that specialized consent statutes—statutes which empower adolescents to seek confidential reproductive and sexual health care—are an inappropriate solution to adolescent sexuality because (1) they empower individuals whom we otherwise believe are not ready for autonomous decision-making; (2) they endorse deception, which is the wrong message to be sending to our children; and (3) they are illiberal in that they circumvent parental decision-making authority to promote a particular conception of the good life. I argue that we should rescind these statutes and return these decisions to the family.
The Chemical and Biological Arms Control Institute (CBACI)
Authors: Moodie Michael
Published: February 2017

The Chemical and Biological Arms Control Institute (CBACI) is an independent, nonprofit corporation established to promote the goals of arms control and nonproliferation, with a special, although not exclusive focus on the elimination of chemical and biological weapons. Established in late 1993, CBACI fosters its goals through an innovative program of research, analysis, technical support, and education designed to provide a strategic perspective and deepened understanding of contemporary arms control challenges to government, industry, and others. The institute's program is intended to alert decision-makers in government, industry, the media, and elsewhere to problems before they become crises, challenge conventional wisdom in light of new realities, and promote the integration of diverse perspectives into decision options that effectively balance competing interests. CBACI stresses, therefore, analyses and activities whose hallmarks are their anticipatory nature, action orientation, integrative approach, policy focus, and political realism.
“What About Your Genes?” Ethical, Legal, and Policy Dimensions of Genetics in the Workplace
Authors: Lemmens Trudo
Published: February 2017

Although few companies are currently applying genetic tests or using genetic data, further developments in genetics will likely increase the role of genetics in the workplace. This article discusses the complex ethical issues raised by the variety of genetic tests that could become available and proposes guidelines for dealing with genetics in the workplace. It discusses how the results of genetic testing could be used for employment purposes, and argues that the existence of unequal bargaining power in the workplace limits the validity of consent as a basis for policymaking. Instead, two specific justifications for genetic testing in the workplace are proposed: the protection of health and the avoidance of harm to others. The author suggests that genetic testing should be permitted only in exceptional circumstances and that every genetic test should be evaluated on its scientific validity and submitted to rigorous review. Existing antidiscrimination law proves to be a useful model for examining the rationality and proportionality of genetic testing in the workplace.