bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Aesthetics and the Problem of Evil
Authors: Nussbaum Charles
Published: November 2003

Much of Western speculative metaphysics has subscribed to what has been called “explanatory rationalism,” which holds that there is a reason for everything that is and for the way everything is. Theodicies, or metaphysical attempts to solve the problem of evil, have relied on a special application of this principle of explanatory rationalism, namely, the principle of plenitude, which holds that the evil in the world is a necessary ingredient in the world's overall perfection or degree of reality. This essay argues that the principle of plenitude is aesthetically motivated, and that only in art and perhaps in revealed religion can the demands of explanatory rationalism be satisfied.
What do we Want from a Theory of Happiness?
Authors: Haybron Daniel M.
Published: November 2003

I defend a methodology for theorizing about happiness. I reject three methods: conceptual analysis; scientific naturalism; and the “pure normative adequacy” approach, where the best conception of happiness is the one that best fills a role in moral theory. The concept of happiness is a folk notion employed by laypersons who have various practical interests in the matter, and theories of happiness should respect this fact. I identify four such interests in broad terms and then argue for a set of desiderata that theories of happiness ought to satisfy. The theory of happiness falls within the province of ethics. It should, however, be viewed as autonomous and not merely secondary to moral theory.
The Conflation of Moral and Epistemic Virtue
Authors: Driver Julia
Published: November 2003

Abstract: Accounts of virtue suffer a conflation problem when they appear unable to preserve intuitive distinctions between types of virtue. In this essay I argue that a number of influential attempts to preserve the distinction between moral and epistemic virtues fail, on the grounds that they characterize virtuous traits in terms of ‘characteristic motivation’. I claim that this does not distinguish virtuous traits at the level of value‐conferring quality, and I propose that the best alternative is to distinguish them at the level of good produced. It follows from this that a consequentialist account is best placed to avoid a conflation of moral and epistemic virtue.
Anecdote And History
Authors: Gossman Lionel
Published: November 2003

Although the term “anecdote” entered the modern European languages fairly recently and remains to this day ill‐defined, the short, freestanding accounts of particular events, true or invented, that are usually referred to as anecdotes have been around from time immemorial. They have also always stood in a close relation to the longer, more elaborate narratives of history, sometimes in a supportive role, as examples and illustrations, sometimes in a challenging role, as the repressed of history —“la petite histoire.” Historians' relation to them, in turn, varied from appreciative to dismissive in accordance with their own objectives in writing history. It appears that highly structured anecdotes of the kind that are remembered and find their way into anecdote collections depend on and tend to confirm established views of history, the world, and human nature. In contrast, loosely structured anecdotes akin to the modern fait divers have usually worked to undermine established views and stimulate new ones, either by presenting material known to few and excluded from officially authorized histories, or by reporting “odd” occurrences for which the established views of history, the world, and human nature do not easily account.
Actualism and the Fascist Historic Imaginary
Authors: Fogu Claudio
Published: November 2003

This essay argues that, just like liberalism and communism, fascist ideology was based on a specific philosophy of history articulated by Giovanni Gentile in the aftermath of World War I. Gentile's actualist notion that history “belongs to the present” articulated an immanent vision of the relationship between historical agency, representation, and consciousness against all transcendental conceptions of history. I define this vision as historic (as opposed to “historical”) because it translated the popular notion of historic eventfulness into the idea of the reciprocal immanence of the historical and the historiographical act. I further show that the actualist philosophy of history was historically resonant with the Italian experience of the Great War and was culturally modernist. I insist, however, that the actualist catastrophe of the histori(ographi)cal act was also genealogically connected to the Latin‐Catholic rhetorical signification of “presence” that had sustained the development of Italian visual culture for centuries. Accordingly, I argue that the fascist translation of actualism into a historic imaginary was at the root of Italian fascism's appeal to both masses and intellectuals. Fascism presented itself as a historic agent that not only “made history,” but also made it present to mass consciousness. In fact, I conclude by suggesting that the fascist success in institutionalizing a proper mode of historic representation in the 1920s, and a full‐blown historic culture in the 1930s, may have also constituted a fundamental laboratory for the formation of posthistoric(al) imaginaries.
Toward an appropriate EIL pedagogy: re‐examining common ELT assumptions
Authors: McKay Sandra Lee
Published: November 2003

This article argues that the teaching of English as an international language (EIL) should be based on an entirely different set of assumptions than has typically informed English language teaching (ELT) pedagogy. To begin, several defining features of an international language are described. Because these features have altered the nature of English itself, the author maintains that the pedagogy for teaching English must also change. The author then describes how two developments – a dramatic increase in the number of second language speakers of English and a shift in the cultural basis of English – have significantly altered the nature of English. These changes challenge several common assumptions of ELT pedagogy, namely that: interest in learning of English is largely the result of linguistic imperialism; ELT research and pedagogy should be informed by native speaker models; the cultural content for ELT should be derived from the cultures of native English speakers; the culture of learning that informs communicative language teaching (CLT) provides the most productive method for ELT. The article ends by positing major assumptions that should inform a comprehensive theory of EIL pedagogy.
Code‐switching as a communication, learning, and social negotiation strategy in first‐year learners of Danish
Authors: Söderberg Arnfast Juni , Jørgensen J. Normann
Published: November 2003

The term ‘code‐switching’ is used in two related yet different fields of linguistics: second language acquisition and bilingual studies. In the former, code‐switching is analyzed in terms of learning strategies, whereas the latter applies a competence view. This article intends to detect the borderline between the two concepts by investigating the use of code‐switching in first‐year learners of Danish. Our study points out that code‐switching appears as a skill used in early attempts of playing with the languages involved in the conversation (Danish/English and Danish/Polish/German/English). Thus we have to acknowledge code‐switching as an increasingly sophisticated language skill even at an early stage of SLA.
The explicitation of proper names in expository news texts
Authors: Bjørge Anne Kari
Published: November 2003

This article addresses the combination of proper name and descriptive appositive in expository news texts, e.g. Thorn EMI, the music and rental group. This apposition construction is particularly frequent in news texts. It may well be that, like translators, journalists have to make assumptions concerning the situational and cultural context they share with their readership, and, as a result, feel compelled to add information if they consider this necessary for identifying the reference of the proper name in question. Thus, the term explicitation taken from translation theory can also be applied to news texts. It is argued that the construction is more typical of news items than of other kinds of newspaper prose, such as feature material. In addition to identification, the construction also serves to establish the newsworthiness of the person or entity referred to. Unlike previous research, this article focuses on proper names in general, not only on those with personal reference. The analysis is based on a corpus of 3,039 examples taken from two British quality newspapers, The Times and the Financial Times.
Best L1 Piecewise Monotonic Data Modelling
Authors: Demetriou I.C.
Published: November 2003

Let us consider n data measurements of a univariate process that have been altered by random errors. We assume that an underlying model function has a substantially smaller number of turning points than the observed ones. We propose algorithms that make least the sum of the moduli of the errors by requiring k monotonic sections, alternately increasing and decreasing, in the sequence of the smoothed values. The main difficulty in this calculation is that the optimal positions of the joins of the monotonic sections have to be found automatically among so many combinations that it is impossible to test each one separately. Moreover, the calculation seems to be very intractable to general optimization techniques because O(nk) local minima can occur. It is shown that dynamic programming can be used for separating the data into optimal disjoint sections of adjacent data, where each section requires a single L1 monotonic calculation. This procedure is highly efficient, requiring at most O(kn2) computer operations and O(n) best L1 monotonic calculations to subranges of data for a global minimum.
Awarding Health: Contracts at the National Institutes of a Sensitivity Analysis of the Critical Parameters
Authors: Stotts R. Craig , Kessler Larry G. , Hershey John C. , Hall Nicholas G. , Gruman Jessie G.
Published: November 2003

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) at the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) developed an initiative that will support tobacco prevention and control research in 17 states. The model that NCI used for choosing those states that would be funded is described in Hall et al. (Operations Research, Vol. 40, pp. 1040–1052, 1992). In this paper, we present sensitivity analyses of the critical parameters of that model, and we discuss the policy implications for nationwide tobacco control efforts.
The Netherlands National Model: a Review of Seven Years of Application
Authors: Gunn Hugh
Published: November 2003

Disaggregate modelling is now firmly established as a powerful and practical alternative to the traditional four‐stage models originally developed in the sixties. The disaggregate methodology was originally pioneered in the United States, but much important development has taken place in Europe in the 1980s. The basis of the modelling and the scope of the models both broadened and developed. A substantial advance was made by establishing a link between the models and classical theories of micro‐economics, allowing the development of ‘behavioural’ models consistent with rational decision‐making. The competitive, or sometimes complementary, roles of other modes of travel have been recognised and brought into the modelling framework.

In recent years, forecasts of travel demand have been generated in studies in a number of countries in Northern Europe. These studies have encountered a common problem, which is that the assumptions and capabilities of the standard methodology have not been appropriate to address the problems of planning facilities in the early twenty‐first century. Amongst the principal difficulties are:

1. the population base is expected to change radically in terms of its age distribution — this the legacy of the Second World War, increased life expectancy and the aftermath of altered behaviour concerning family formation, linked to an increased participation of women in the work force;

2. the work force itself is expected to be radically different, also due to increased female participation;

3. there is an increasing pressure to suppress travel by private car, by any means politically feasible, in the anticipation of growing damage to the environment;

4. in consequence to the previous remark, there is the emergence of new types of travel (in particular, organised car‐pooling) and new types of regulation of movement (‘demand management’ measures to control car commuters, and road‐pricing policies to reduce peak‐hour demand).

Increasingly, the modellers are asked to look at very different futures to the present day, and the models themselves are required to perform a role very much more demanding than the mere extrapolation of present day trends.

This paper reviews the performance of one particular disaggregate demand model system. the Netherlands National Model, used over a period of seven years to address the problem of producing forecasts appropriate to these new circumstances. The emphasis is on the results of the work, and the lessons that have been learned in the application of the system. Some discussion is given around the extension planned to the system in coming years.
Using Multiple Correspondence Analysis in the Analysis of Simulation Experiments: a Study of Dynamic Scheduling Strategies
Authors: Pierreval Henri
Published: November 2003

In many cases, simulation is used to compare several scheduling strategies that may be applied to a system (considered as possible scenarios), with regard to several performance criteria. The simulation study of dispatching rules to job shop systems is a classical example. Unfortunately, simulation runs provide various tables of data, which can be difficult to read and to interpret. We discuss the use of multiple correspondence analysis to address this problem. This multivariate statistical technique allows certain relations between variables to be pointed out. The graphical overview of the available information which is provided facilitates the results interpretation and the comparison of strategies. To illustrate this approach, multiple correspondence analysis is used to study the application of well known dispatching rules to a simplified now shop.
New Approaches in Operations Research Education
Authors: Liebman Judith S.
Published: November 2003

Cognitive research shows that student motivation, perception, comprehension, and recall is improved by using a variety of instructional strategies. After a discussion of how individuals learn through cognitive processing, this paper suggests the use of a variety of strategies for motivating students and enhancing learning. As a particular example, cooperative learning groups are described in detail. In these groups students assume responsibility not only for their own learning but also the learning of others.
Project Management: an Evaluation of Software Quality
Authors: Maroto Concepion , Tormos Pilar
Published: November 2003

Widespread use of microcomputers with the latest project management systems offers a new horizon whose starting point may be located in the 1990s. Therefore an evaluation of software is needed. Here we present a comparative study of a representative sample of packages: CA‐Super project, Instaplan. Micro Planner, Microsoft Project and Project Scheduler. through the evaluation of quality features such as user‐friendliness, documentation, resource allocation. A discussion of the performance of this kind of software is included.
Point Monotonicity and Radial Convexity of First Order Approximation Mappings
Authors: Sutti C.
Published: November 2003

In non‐smooth optimization a central role is performed by the concept which replaces the gradient. Several notions of generalized differentiability have been introduced and, within these frameworks, some attempts have been made to characterize non‐differentiable functions, by different concepts of generalized monotonicity related to the generalized convexity of the functions. Our purpose is to approach this topic by some kinds of generalized monotonicity and convexity of the first order approximation mappings for the functions, suitable from theoretical and computational points of view.
Inventory Minimization and Production Scheduling: the Case of a Large Hong Kong Company
Authors: Chu Sydney C.K.
Published: November 2003

The background of this study is a rather classical but complex inventory control/production planning/line scheduling problem of a major soft‐drink company in Hong Kong. The issue that stands out for this many‐product high‐sales manufacturer is the storage space of its central warehouse, which often finds itself in the state of overflow or near capacity with finished goods and work‐in‐process inventory. This phenomenon can create immediate interruptions of production, capital tie‐ups and subsequent potential of lost sales. Another obviously important concern is the meeting of forecast demands. A mathematical modelling approach that entails techniques of multi‐period aggregate optimization is proposed to tackle the overall problem. The dual objectives are to achieve better production planning and line scheduling in order to minimize inventory build‐up and maximize demand satisfaction. Numerical results for a sample problem are reported as an illustration to this proposed two‐phase approach.
A Linear Programming Model for Distribution of Electrical Energy in a Steel Plant
Authors: Dutta Goutam , Sinha Gopal P. , Roy P.N. , Mitter Niloy
Published: November 2003

The energy crisis is one of the deterrents of economic growth in a developing country like India. Rapid industrialization and poor capacity utilization of power plants make the operations of energy consuming industries like integrated steel plants extremely difficult. This case study discusses the development and implementation of a mixed integer linear programming model for optimal distribution of electrical energy in an integrated steel plant. The model considers the balance equations of capacity, material, thermal and electrical energy, oxygen. It also considers the constraints of yields, product routes, net realizations, variable costs, market demands and commitments to decide not only the hierarchy of shutdowns in the event of a power crisis but also the optimal product mix in each level of power availability. The round‐the‐clock implementation of the model increased the net profit per ton of saleable steel by 58% in 1986. Since then, the model, which is generic in nature, has been successfully integrated into the decision‐making process. The cumulative benefit from this work will be at least 73 million US dollars.
Getting Something for Nothing: Estimating Service Level Improvements Possible in Hospitals
Authors: Morey Richard C. , Retzlaff‐Roberts Donna L. , Fine David J.
Published: November 2003

One of the focal points of discussion among firms in the service sector concerns the level of service delivered and its value. In the hospital sector, an important aspect of the level of service relates to the level of quality of care delivered. We undertake an empirical study of 300 U.S. hospitals to evaluate their relative ‘service efficiency’ using the techniques of so‐called allocative efficiency. This method estimates the potential improvement in service, estimates the ideal cost shares of the various resources, and provides the ‘peer group’ members to which the unit is being compared. Utilizing this information, the method proposed for units to improve involves two chief mechanisms. The first is a reallocation of cost shares among the various resource or input types (e.g. no increase in hospital budget). The second involves adopting the management practices used by peer group members. Over all 300 hospitals, a marked improvement potential was found for well over half. Of the poorest performers there appears to be some indication that a larger cost share was needed for face‐to‐face contact with patients (nursing) and a smaller share for personnel who do not deal with patients directly (lab technicians, non‐physician administrators, etc.).
Capacitated Clustering Problems by Hybrid Simulated Annealing and Tabu Search
Authors: Osman Ibrahim H. , Christofides Nicos
Published: November 2003

The capacitated clustering problem (CCP) is the problem in which a given set of weighted objects is to be partitioned into clusters so that the total weight of objects in each cluster is less than a given value (cluster ‘capacity’). The objective is to minimize the total scatter of objects from the ‘centre’ of the cluster to which they have been allocated. A simple constructive heuristic, a R‐interchange generation mechanism, a hybrid simulated annealing (SA) and tabu search (TS) algorithm which has computationally desirable features using a new non‐monotonic cooling schedule, are developed. A classification of the existing SA cooling schedules is presented. The effects on the final solution quality of the initial solutions, the cooling schedule parameters and the neighbourhood search strategies are investigated. Computational results on randomly generated problems with size ranging from 50 to 100 customers indicate that the hybrid SA/TS algorithm out‐performs previous simulated annealing algorithms, a simple tabu search and local descent algorithms.
Automated Manpower Rostering: Techniques and Experience
Authors: Khoong C.M. , Lau H.C. , Chew L.W.
Published: November 2003

We present ROMAN, a comprehensive, generic manpower rostering toolkit that successfully handles a wide spectrum of work policies found in service organizations. We review the use of various techniques and methodologies in the toolkit that contribute to its robustness and efficiency, and relate experience gained in addressing manpower rostering problems in industry.
A Fuzzy Approach to Natural Resource Management from a Regional Perspective
Authors: Bare B. Bruce , Mendozat Guillermo A.
Published: November 2003

This paper describes an approach to regional natural resource management that explicitly incorporates both the uncertainty and the multi‐objective nature of such large‐scale systems. A fuzzy linear programming algorithm is used to analyze sets of land management alternatives designed for individual forests within a region. Fuzzinessis introduced in recognition that regional goal aspiration levels, interactions among resources, and cost estimates are imprecise and uncertain. An illustrative example, based on the 1989 RPA National Assessment Resource Interactions Model of the USDA Forest Service, is applied to the California Region and is used to test various fuzzy modelling approaches. Results show that: (a) regional optimization produces significant cost savings when compared with the solution obtained by aggregating individually optimized forest plans for the region, and (b) fuzzy‐based regional solutions may offer decision makers a wider range of preferable solutions than those based solely on linear programming.
Globalization, government spending and taxation in the OECD
Authors: GARRETT GEOFFREY , MITCHELL DEBORAH
Published: November 2003

Abstract. This article assesses the impact of globalization on welfare state effort in the OECD countries. Globalization is defined in terms of total trade, imports from low wage economies, foreign direct investment, and financial market integration. Welfare effort is analyzed in terms both of public spending (and separately on social service provision and income transfer programs) and taxation (effective rates of capital taxation and the ratio of capital to labor and consumption taxes). Year–to–year increases in total trade and international financial openness in the past three decades have been associated with less government spending. In contrast, integration into global markets has not been associated either with reductions in capital tax rates, or with shifts in the burden of taxation from capital to consumption and labor income. Moreover, countries with greater inflows and outflows of foreign direct investment tend to tax capital more heavily.
Institutions, distributional concerns, and public sector reform
Authors: CHRISTENSEN JØRGEN GRØNNEGÅRD , PALLESEN THOMAS
Published: November 2003

Abstract. As in otherWestern countries, a wave of reform has swept the Danish public sector. The record of these reforms is mixed and paradoxical; an ambiguous delegation of executive authority and radical privatization have been successfully implemented, while other measures, especially contracting out and user democracy or the introduction of greater choice, turn out to have failed. The paper argues that this experience offers two general lessons. First, shortterm costs and benefits are decisive to those who enact and implement public sector reform. Second, institutional factors specific to each type of reorganization have a major impact on the political distribution of costs and benefits.
The choice for EU theorists: Establishing a common framework for analysis
Authors: PETERSON JOHN
Published: November 2003

Abstract. European Union (EU) studies have entered a highly contentious and, arguably, creative phase. A range of theoretical perspectives, seemingly quite highly differentiated from one another, now compete for influence and ‘space’. However, the questions remain: is EU studies developing theories which are truly competing theories? Or is it developing theories that do not compete so much as they aim to explain distinctly different pieces of the EU puzzle? This paper responds directly to these two questions, while reviewing recent literature on EU governance. It argues, first, that we lack theories of EU governance that are true rivals; and, second, that leading models explain different outcomes at different levels in a multilevel system of governance. The result is somewhat phoney debates between compatible theories masquerading as rivals, and between ‘comparative politics’ and ‘international relations’ approaches. Above all, perhaps, we find middle range theories posing as general or ‘metatheories’. In the absence of a plausible general theory of EU governance, theorists must choose precisely which type of outcome they wish to explain.
The 1983 Federal Budget
Authors: Pechman Joseph A.
Published: November 2003

Editors' Note: The following material is taken, with permission of the author, from the first chapter of The Brookings Institution's Setting National Priorities: The 1983 Budget.
A National Survey: Municipal Budget Directors View Budgetary Control
Authors: Kane Thomas J.
Published: November 2003

This article is based on a survey of budget directors' views concerning control. Responsible for control on a daily basis, the budget director knows its many components first hand. Budget directors in all municipalities with populations from 100,000 to 1,000,000 received a mail questionnaire in June 1981. Of the 158 directors surveyed, 127 or 80 percent responded. The discussion which follows is organized into the five key areas covered in the survey: functions of control, time commitment and degree of difficulty in performing the control function, relationship between control and other aspects of management, current control techniques, and recent developments affecting control.
The Evolution of Accounting for Receipts in the Federal Budget
Authors: Cuny Thomas J.
Published: November 2003

This article discusses the fundamental concepts governing budget scorekeeping of federal receipts. It is a companion to a previous article that discussed “offsetting collections,” which is income that is recorded as offsets to federal outlays rather than as federal receipts. This article begins by showing the structure of the receipts table in the first presidential budget, which was the 1923 budget, and it provides a chronological discussion of how the budget presentation of receipts has evolved since then. The article then recapitulates the present budget concepts for receipts and lists the five most common challenges to them. It ends with a brief reference to the best sources for data on federal receipts, and two appendices that discuss technical issues that arise in the course of the article.
Federal and Local Interests in the Nation's Capital: Congress and District of Columbia Appropriations
Authors: Harris Charles W.
Published: November 2003

Canadian political scientist Donald C. Rowat posits the thesis that there is a “conflict of interest” in all federal capital cities between the national government and the local residents. Federal and local interests in the nation's capital have been so intertwined that it is difficult to define or separate them. Congress has used the appropriations process to intervene in local policy matters even when the federal interest is not involved.
Strategic Nuclear Forces: Unrealistic Planning
Authors: Cain Stephen Alexis
Published: November 2003

The Department of Defense has embarked on a program of strategic modernization that will demand substantial budgetary growth for strategic forces—roughly 29 percent after inflation—during the 1990s. However, defense funding overall is unlikely to grow during the next several years. This article projects the funding that the Bush Administration's strategic modernization plans would demand, assesses the feasibility of these plans given budgetary limits, and describes some options which would reduce this funding.
Certificates of Participation and Capital Markets: Lessons from Brevard County and Richmond Unified School District
Authors: Johnson Craig L. , Mikesell John
Published: November 2003

This article analyzes the genesis of certificates of participation (COP) in the municipal securities market. We document the trend in the use of COPs and illustrate problems in the market through case studies of the Richmond Unified School District default and the Brevard County referendum crisis. The valuable fiscal administration lessons drawn from the growing pains of a maturing sector of the municipal securities market can help municipal governments and investors avoid the tragic consequences that seem to inevitably accompany the circumvention of legal debt restrictions and public accountability.
Public Expenditure Research: What Have We Learned?
Authors: Duncombe William
Published: November 2003

This article will examine progress made in the field of public expenditure theory in the quarter century since Burkhead and Miner (1971). First, normative expenditure theory will be examined along with its influence on analytic techniques, such as cost‐benefit analysis. The second area of analysis will be empirical research on public expenditure decisions. Finally, areas for future research will be identified.
Jesse Burkhead and the Multiple Uses of Federal Budgets: A Contemporary Perspective
Authors: Joyce Philip G.
Published: November 2003

The work of Jesse Burkhead continues to have great relevance today. Its germaneness could be taken as an indictment of how little progress has been made in federal budgeting in the past half century, but it also says a great deal about Burkhead's insights and the lasting legacy of his work. This article discusses some of Burkhead's ideas on the use of the federal budget and their pertinence to the budget issues of today, including the role of the federal government in the economy, budgetary relations between presidents and Congresses, and the role of performance information in budgeting.
The Line‐Item Veto in Government Budgeting
Authors: Lauth Thomas P.
Published: November 2003

Beginning in January 1997, the president will have the power to veto line‐items in appropriations bills This article examines four paragraphs about the line‐item veto from Jesse Burkhead's Government Budgeting. Eight themes from Burkhead's writing are identified and compared to practice by the states.
Budgeting for Accountability: Municipal Budgeting for the 1990s
Authors: Rubin Irene
Published: November 2003

The emphasis of a public budget depends on the time and circumstances in which it is developed. During the 1990s, for example, the emphasis has increasingly been on accountability due to widespread public belief in recent years that government is uncontrollable and responds only to special interests. Over the past few years, local budgeters have begun to adapt to this new environment by improving the accountability of the budget to the public. This article summarizes some of the changes taking place and suggests some additional changes that could be adopted to make local budgeting more accountable.
Municipal Bond Sales in Foreign Markets: Experience and Results
Authors: Ramsey Jim , Hackbart Merl
Published: November 2003

This article reviews the issue of state economic development financial incentives and the more development specific issue of engaging foreign capital markets as a source of funds for state industrial incentive in the post‐TRA86 environment. An ex post empirical analysis of such a transaction is provided by revisiting the KDFA yen bond transaction. Observations and policy conclusions are also discussed.
Searching for Efficiency in the Public Sector: Interim Evaluation of Performance Budgeting in New Zealand
Authors: Mascarenhas R.C.
Published: November 2003

In this article I examine the efforts to promote performance measurement in the public sector with particular reference to New Zealand. In section two I examine the State Sector Act of 1988 and the Public Finance Act of 1989, which together brought about changes in the New Zealand public sector. In section three I examine the problems of implementing the reform. In section four I discuss the experience of developing statements of performance measurement required under the Financial Administration Act of 1989 and in section five I develop an alternative scheme on the basis that a uniform approach is less likely to be applicable to a range of public sector agencies. The final section contains a brief conclusion.
An Evaluation of the Recent Move to Centralize the Finance of Public Schools in Michigan
Authors: Wassmer Robert W. , Fisher Ronald C.
Published: November 2003

This article examines Michigan's 1994–95 shift from its system of K–12 public education being funded largely by local property taxes, to it being funded predominately by statewide revenue sources. We briefly describe events that led up to the adoption of Michigan's school finance reform and then go into some detail about the tax and revenue‐sharing specifics. Since the structure of Michigan's school finance reform is complex, somewhat unique, and likely to be considered as a model for other states to duplicate, this examination will assist policy analysts and policymakers throughout the United States. Other states considering similar reforms will benefit from the simulations we provide with regard to the likely long‐run results of Michigan's school finance reform.
How Weak Recognition and Measurement in the Federal Budget Encouraged Costly Policy: The Case of “Supervisory Goodwill”
Authors: Feldman Ron
Published: November 2003

The budget process is the primary means by which federal policymakers allocate resources. The failure of the budget to recognize and measure the full cost of federal programs encourages the Congress and president to skew resource allocation toward policies whose budgetary costs are underestimated. These “low‐cost” policies often increase costs to taxpayers without providing taxpayers with benefits. Recent examples of this phenomenon are found in the “supervisory goodwill” cases. This article reviews these cases, the budgetary weaknesses they identify, the influence these weaknesses had on legislators, and the unnecessary costs for taxpayers that result from the supervisory goodwill policy. Specifically, the federal budget did not recognize the cost that would result from encouraging financial institutions to assume the assets and liabilities of insolvent savings and loans. The budget's recognition of costs failed a second time by not recording expenditures when the government abrogated its contracts with acquirers. Both actions raised costs to taxpayers unnecessarily. In addition to analyzing budgetary weaknesses and their potential costs, this article also reviews two proposed budgetary reforms that could address the budgetary failures highlighted by the supervisory goodwill cases.
The Evolution of Lease‐Purchase Guidelines in the State of Texas
Authors: Bunch Beverly S.
Published: November 2003

Lease purchases, if used effectively, can be a viable means for governments to finance real property. This article describes the state of Texas' experiences with lease purchases of real property and the guidelines that the state has developed in attempts to improve the management of lease purchases. The article also discusses lessons learned in Texas that may be applicable to other governments and presents a framework for the effective management of lease purchases.
The Optimal Size of Countercyclical Budget Stabilization Funds: A Case Study of Ohio
Authors: Navin John C. , Navin Leo J.
Published: November 2003

Ohio is one of several states that has instituted a Budget Stabilization Fund to serve as a tool to fight the impacts of economic fluctuations on state finances. The optimal size and rate of contribution to the fund are explored in this study. A widely accepted target of 5 percent of general fund revenue for the budget stabilization fund is found inadequate to provide any degree of normalization of state general fund revenue when Ohio's recent fiscal experiences are examined. An optimal size of close to 13 percent emerges as a more likely target for Ohio along with an annual contribution rate approaching 4 percent of revenues in average non‐contractionary years.
Introduction: Reflections on Two Decades of Congressional Budgeting
Authors: Fisher Louis , Joyce Philip
Published: November 2003

Even casual observers of federal policy making cannot help but notice the increasing preeminence of the Congressional budget process. The Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974, which created this process, brought forth profound changes in budgeting practices, both within Congress and between Congress and the president. In addition, the last decade has seen numerous attempts to use the process for deficit control. The goal of this special symposium is how congressional procedures‐adapted over time‐have affected the federal budgeting process. Each article examines the original purpose of the 1974 statute and analyzes the statute's impact over more than two decades.
Public Sector Land Banking: A Decision Model for Local Governments
Authors: Johnson Don T. , Cowart Lary B.
Published: November 2003

Local governments frequently face land banking decisions concerning real properties that they may acquire now in open market transactions or later via their power of eminent domain. After construction of a practical local government land banking example, a theoretically correct cash flow and cost‐benefit analysis is presented. Then a buy‐now or buy‐later decision model is developed explaining when to exercise the free American Call Option provided to governments through their power of eminent domain.
Spending for Spies: Intelligence Budgeting in the Aftermath of the Cold War
Authors: Johnson Loch K. , Scheid Kevin J.
Published: November 2003

This article examines the funding of America's intelligence agencies in an effort to shed light on the politics of spending for spies since the end of the cold war. A study of U.S. intelligence spending is conducted from public records and interviews with intelligence officials. This study begins with a descriptive presentation of the intelligence budget process. Next, we address a number of myths about America's secret budgets, and then we examine the current dynamics of intelligence funding in the aftermath of the Cold War.
President Clinton's Fiscal 1998 Budget: Political and Constitutional Paths to Balance
Authors: LeLoup Lance T. , Long Carolyn N. , Giordano James N.
Published: November 2003

This article examines President Clinton's FY 98 budget proposals and the political and economic factors that led to the balanced budget agreement. Also explored are the constitutional approaches to fiscal discipline: the balanced budget amendment, the tax supermajority amendment, and the line item veto that was used 80 times by President Clinton to delete over a billion dollars. The analysis reveals that budget bargaining was continuous before and after the budget agreement was reached, moving downward from decisions on macro‐budgetary totals to micro‐budgetary choices on tax cuts and appropriations. The study concludes that President Clinton was relatively successful in achieving budgetary goals under divided government, that the agreement was significant despite the economic growth that made it easier, and that constitutional remedies will continue to be important in the coming years.
The Balanced Budget Amendment: How Would It Be Enforced?
Authors: Saturno James V. , Forgette Richard G.
Published: November 2003

In this article we evaluate the likely effect of enforcement provisions to congressional proposals for a constitutional balanced budget amendment. We define four general areas of enforcement: legislative, executive, judicial, and public opinion. Each of these areas is in turn evaluated along three criteria: political feasibility (can it be enacted and consistently implemented?), effectiveness (is it likely to result in “balance”?), and implications for redistribution of power across branches. We conclude from this analysis that there are limits associated with all balanced budget enforcement provisions. A reliance on one or no explicit enforcement provision would limit the credibility of any constitutional amendment. Ultimately, the enforcement of the amendment would inevitably rest on the commitment of legislators to producing a balanced budget, and in the absence of such a commitment, any enforcement provision would not likely succeed.
Reconciling Differences in Federal and Private Sector Pay Comparisons
Authors: Musell Mark , Masia Neal
Published: November 2003

Many comparisons of federal and private sector pay have found large federal pay premiums. Those studies have focused on individuals with similar pay‐related characteristics, such as education and experience. Comparisons conducted by the federal government for purposes of determining the pay raises of federal white collar employees, however, find large federal pay disadvantages. Those comparisons focus on similar jobs. This article offers one possible explanation for the differences in results.
Protein kinase C and A sites on troponin I regulate myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity and ATPase activity in the mouse myocardium
Authors: Pi YeQing , Zhang Dahua , Kemnitz Kara R. , Wang Hao , Walker Jeffery W.
Published: November 2003

Cardiac troponin I (cTnI) is a phosphoprotein subunit of the troponin‐tropomyosin complex that is thought to inhibit cardiac muscle contraction during diastole. To investigate the contributions of cTnI phosphorylation to cardiac regulation, transgenic mice were created with the phosphorylation sites of cTnI mutated to alanine. Activation of protein kinase C (PKC) by perfusion of hearts with phorbol‐12‐myristate‐13‐acetate (PMA) or endothelin‐1 (ET‐1) inhibited the maximum ATPase rate by up to 25 % and increased the Ca2+ sensitivity of ATPase activity and of isometric tension by up to 0.15 pCa units. PKC activation no longer altered cTnI phosphorylation, depressed ATPase rates or enhanced myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity in transgenic mice expressing cTnI that could not be phosphorylated on serines43/45 and threonine144 (PKC sites). Modest changes in myosin regulatory light chain phosphorylation occurred in all mouse lines, but increases in myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity required the presence of phosphorylatable cTnI. For comparison, the β‐adrenergic agonist isoproterenol caused a 38 % increase in maximum ATPase rate and a 0.12 pCa unit decrease in myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity. These β‐adrenergic effects were absent in transgenic mice expressing cTnI that could not be phosphorylated on serines23/24 (protein kinase A, PKA, sites). Overall, the results indicate that PKC and PKA exert opposing effects on actomyosin function by phosphorylating cTnI on distinct sites. A primary role of PKC phosphorylation of cTnI may be to reduce the requirements of the contractile apparatus for both Ca2+ and ATP, thereby promoting efficient ATP utilisation during contraction.
Temperature dependence of Na+−H+ exchange, Na+−HCO3− co‐transport, intracellular buffering and intracellular pH in guinea‐pig ventricular myocytes
Authors: Ch'en Frederick F.‐T. , Dilworth Emma , Swietach Pawel , Goddard Ruth S. , Vaughan‐Jones Richard D.
Published: November 2003

Almost all aspects of cardiac function are sensitive to modest changes of temperature. We have examined the thermal sensitivity of intracellular pH regulation in the heart. To do this we determined the temperature sensitivity of pHi, intracellular buffering capacity, and the activity of sarcolemmal acid‐extrusion proteins, Na+‐H+ exchange (NHE) and Na+‐HCO3− co‐transport (NBC) in guinea‐pig isolated ventricular myocytes. pHi was recorded fluorimetrically with acetoxymethyl (AM)‐loaded carboxy‐SNARF‐1 at either 27 or 37°C. At 27°C, intrinsic (non‐CO2‐dependent) buffering power (βi) was ˜60 % of that at 37°C. Acid‐extrusion (Je) through NHE was ˜50 % slower than at 37°C, consistent with a Q10 of ˜2. In 5 % CO2/HCO3−‐buffered conditions, in the presence of 30 μm cariporide to inhibit NHE, acid extrusion via NBC was also slowed at 27°C, suggestive of a comparable Q10. Resting pHi at 27°C was similar in Hepes‐ or 5 % CO2/HCO3−‐buffered superfusates but, in both cases, was ˜0.1 pH units lower at 37°C. The higher the starting pHi, the larger was the thermally induced fall of pHi, consistent with a mathematical model where intrinsic buffers with a low principal pKa (e.g. close to 6.0) are less temperature‐sensitive than those with a higher pKa. The high temperature sensitivity of pHi regulation in mammalian cardiac cells has implications for experimental work conducted at room temperature. It also has implications for the ability of intracellular acidosis to generate intracellular Na+ and Ca2+ overload, cardiac injury and arrhythmia in the heart.
Negative Osmoregulation of the
Salmonella ompS1
Porin Gene Independently of OmpR in an
hns
Background
Authors: Flores-Valdez Mario Alberto , Puente José Luis , Calva Edmundo
Published: November 2003

The
ompS1
gene encodes a quiescent porin in
Salmonella enterica
serovars Typhi and Typhimurium. By using random
mariner
transposon mutagenesis, mutations that caused derepression of
ompS1
expression were isolated, one in
S. enterica
serovar Typhi and two in
S. enterica
serovar Typhimurium. All of them mapped in the
hns
gene in the region coding for the carboxy terminus of the H-NS nucleoid protein. The derepressed
ompS1
expression was subject to negative regulation at high osmolarity, both in the presence and in the absence of OmpR. This observation was possible due to the fact that there are two promoters: P1, which is OmpR dependent, and P2, which does not require OmpR for activation (rather, OmpR represses P2). The sequences upstream from position −88, a region previously shown to be involved in the negative regulation of
ompS1
, can form a static bend, and the integrity of this region was required for function and binding of H-NS and for osmoregulation, as determined with gene reporter fusions of different lengths and with a 31-bp deletion mutant. This is consistent with the notion that this region determines a structure required for repression. Hence,
ompS1
shares negative regulation by H-NS with other loci, such as the
bgl
operon and the
ade
gene.