bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Color‐Line as Fault‐Line: Teaching Interethnic Relations in California in the 21st Century
Authors: Gaines Stanley O.
Published: February 2004

In this article, I describe an undergraduate course on interethnic relations that I taught at a small, predominantly White, liberal arts college during the 1990s. First, I present the intellectual heart of the course (similarities and differences between Allport's [1954/1979] mainstream perspective and Du Bois' [1903/1969] oft‐neglected, alternative perspective on race relations). Subsequently, I discuss the course background and a precipitating incident (verbal conflict between a White male student and a Black female student) that transformed the class. Finally, I reflect on my experiences, as well as individual and institutional factors (gender, institutional racism) that probably affected students' and faculty members' responses. Policy implications for courses on prejudice (and for teachers of such courses) are discussed.
Learning about Difference, Learning with Others, Learning to Transgress
Authors: Nagda Birenee (Ratnesh) A. , Kim Chan‐woo , Truelove Yaffa
Published: February 2004

Emerging work in intergroup contact has vitalized a focus on processes affecting the impact of interventions on outcomes. We theorized that intergroup learning—learning about other groups, educating others about one's own groups, intention to bridge intergroup differences, and reflecting on one's own group—mediates the effect of a combined enlightenment‐encounter curricular intervention on assessments of importance and confidence in taking action to reduce prejudice and promote diversity. Results from a pretest/posttest design with a diverse group of undergraduate social welfare majors (n = 175) show (a) increased motivation for intergroup learning, and importance of taking action, and confidence in doing so, and (b) intergroup learning partially or fully mediates the impact of enlightenment and/or encounter on taking action.
Thriving in the Face of Early Adversity
Authors: Bugental Daphne Blunt
Published: February 2004

Integrating theories drawn from biological, social, and developmental perspectives, Bugental's program of research tracked the outcomes experienced by children born with medical or physical disorders. At risk children who experienced harsh parenting manifested a low ability to cope with stress (e.g., they showed cortisol hyper‐reactivity and low habituation). In contrast, at risk children who experienced supportive parenting showed adaptive hormonal responses and an exceptional ability to habituate to stress. Children who were not at risk manifested significantly less reactivity to their parenting history. Harsh parenting, in response to at risk children, was found to be moderated by parents' perceived powerlessness. A cognitively‐based home visitation program yielded reductions in child maltreatment and the enhancement of health among infants born at medical risk.
Truth, Reconciliation, and the Creation of a Human Rights Culture in South Africa
Authors: Gibson James L.
Published: February 2004

One of the stated objectives of the truth and reconciliation process in South Africa was the creation of a political culture respectful of human rights. Thus, part of the “reconciliation” sought by the truth process was nurturing a set of cultural values among the populace that would make the gross human rights abuses that characterized the apartheid regime difficult if not impossible to reimplement in the future. Those creating the truth and reconciliation process assumed (hoped) that knowledge of the truth about the country's apartheid past would somehow contribute to the development of such a culture.

The purpose of this article is to investigate whether a culture respectful of human rights has been created in South Africa. Based on a survey of roughly 3,700 South Africans (concluded early in 2001), I begin by conceptualizing what it means for cultures and individuals to be supportive of human rights. This conceptual approach then provides guidance for operationalizing support for human rights—and in particular support for universalism in the rule of law—within the survey context. Thus, the first objective of my article is descriptive: To what extent has a human rights culture been created in South Africa?

But this article is about far more than describing the human rights culture of South Africa. The truth and reconciliation process hypothesizes that “truth” can contribute to this culture. But does it? With measures of the degree to which individual South Africans accept the truth about the country's apartheid past, this hypothesis can be rigorously tested. In addition, I explore a variety of additional explanations of support for human rights values, ranging from experiences under apartheid to attitudes toward South Africans of a different race. I conclude that whether a South African prefers a universalistic approach to the rule of law depends upon truth acceptance, interracial attitudes, and support for strong majoritarianism. Still, even with controls, racial differences in attitudes toward the rule of law persist in contemporary South Africa. Perhaps the most important contribution of this article is its evidence that the truth—participation in a country's collective memory—can affect the values that individual citizens hold.
Compliance Motivations: Affirmative and Negative Bases
Authors: May Peter J.
Published: February 2004

This research addresses affirmative and negative motivations for compliance with social and environmental regulations. Affirmative motivations emanate from good intentions and a sense of obligation to comply. Negative motivations arise from fears of the consequences of being found in violation of regulatory requirements. The relevance of these is examined for data concerning the motivations of homebuilders to comply with requirements of building codes. The findings highlight the importance of affirmative motivations for situations such as homebuilding for which regulation is better characterized as fulfillment of a social contract than solely as compliance with enforced directives.
An Examination of the Assumption that Adult Businesses Are Associated with Crime in Surrounding Areas: A Secondary Effects Study in Charlotte, North Carolina
Authors: Linz Daniel , Paul Bryant , Land Kenneth C. , Ezell Michael E. , Williams Jay R.
Published: February 2004

Recent Supreme Court decisions have signaled the need for sound empirical studies of the secondary effects of adult businesses on the surrounding areas for use in conjunction with local zoning restrictions. This study seeks to determine whether a relationship exists between adult erotic dance clubs and negative secondary effects in the form of increased numbers of crimes reported in the areas surrounding the adult businesses, in Charlotte, North Carolina. For each of 20 businesses, a control site (matched on the basis of demographic characteristics related to crime risk) is compared for crime events over the period of three years (1998–2000) using data on crime incidents reported to the police. We find that the presence of an adult nightclub does not increase the number of crime incidents reported in localized areas surrounding the club (defined by circular areas of 500- and 1,000-foot radii) as compared to the number of crime incidents reported in comparable localized areas that do not contain such an adult business. Indeed, the analyses imply the opposite, namely, that the nearby areas surrounding the adult business sites have smaller numbers of reported crime incidents than do corresponding areas surrounding the three control sites studied. These findings are interpreted in terms of the business mandates of profitability and continuity of existence of the businesses.
Rethinking the Boundaries of Intimacy at the End of the Century: The Role of Victim-Defendant Relationship in Criminal Justice Decisionmaking Over Time
Authors: Dawson Myrna
Published: February 2004

I investigate whether the degree of intimacy between victims and defendants affects legal responses to violence and how this association has changed over time. Using data on homicides between 1974 and 1996, I examine court outcomes in more than 1,000 cases. I demonstrate that intimacy matters at three criminal justice stages: charging, mode of conviction, and sentencing. However, moving beyond the traditional conceptualization of intimacy, I show that defendants who kill intimates do not always receive the same treatment, nor are all defendants who kill nonintimates treated similarly. Finally, I show that criminal justice leniency toward intimate violence is less evident in recent years.
Revisiting Informal Justice: Restorative Justice and Democratic Professionalism
Authors: Olson Susan M. , Dzur Albert W.
Published: February 2004

Restorative justice is a form of informal justice growing rapidly among criminal justice practitioners. It decenters the focus of criminal justice from the offender breaking a law of the state to the harm caused the victim and community. Resolution is said to come from offenders taking responsibility and making amends for the harm done and from communities supporting the victim and providing offenders with opportunities and skills to reintegrate as contributing members.

Restorative justice theory largely ignores the role of professionals in the criminal justice process, and yet professionals have played a dominant part in initiating many restorative justice programs. Several theoretical traditions recognize professionals as being important intermediaries between citizens and the state. The theory of democratic professionalism argues that professionals can play crucial roles in increasing and improving democratic participation in public affairs. This article examines two functioning restorative justice programs to flesh out what democratic professionalism might look like in operation—what tasks professionals perform and what citizen involvement means to the professionals. We argue that restorative justice cannot get along without professionals and that democratic professionalism may help restorative justice to avoid some of the problems associated with other approaches to informal justice by increasing true community participation but balancing it with concern for individuals' rights.
Does Age Matter? Judicial Decision Making in Age Discrimination Cases*
Authors: Manning Kenneth L. , Carroll Bruce A. , Carp Robert A.
Published: February 2004

Objective. Drawing upon research that suggests that race and gender may shape judicial views about legal issues pertaining to these attributes, this study conducts an investigation of the influence of age on judicial decision making in age discrimination cases.

Methods. This research analyzed 544 age bias rulings and 1,592 decisions in racial and gender discrimination cases handed down in the federal district courts from 1984 to 1995. Descriptive statistics incorporating cross‐product ratios were analyzed, and logit models were developed. Predicted probabilities were utilized to isolate differences in predicted decision‐making patterns for different age cohorts.

Results. The youngest judges were least sympathetic to those who alleged that they were victims of age discrimination while the oldest judges were the most sympathetic to age discrimination claimants. This study also identified a generally more conservative decision‐making pattern in age cases compared to cases dealing with racial and gender discrimination.

Conclusions. The data support the hypothesis that increased age corresponds with increased pro‐elderly decision making in age bias cases, though the effects appear at the age extremes among the very oldest and youngest judges. These results provide new evidence to support the social attribute model of judicial decision making, with a clear suggestion that some socioeconomic variables may affect judges' decision making differently over time.
The Prison Industry: Carceral Expansion and Employment in U.S. Counties, 1969–1994*
Authors: Hooks Gregory , Mosher Clayton , Rotolo Thomas , Lobao Linda
Published: February 2004

Objectives.Despite the interest that social scientists have displayed in the rising rate of incarceration, little attention has been devoted to understanding its consequences for local areas. This is an important omission because prison construction has become a component of state and local economic development schemes. Indeed, there is a widespread belief that prison construction provides significant economic benefits to local areas.

Methods.We analyze data on all existing and new prisons in the United States since 1960 and examine the impact of these prisons on the pace of growth (as measured by public, private, and total employment growth) in U.S. counties from 1969 to 1994. To our knowledge, our study is the first comprehensive and longitudinal assessment of the impact of prison construction on local areas.

Results.We find no evidence that prison expansion has stimulated economic growth. In fact, we provide evidence that prison construction has impeded economic growth in rural counties that have been growing at a slow pace.

Conclusion.Despite sharp ideological and intellectual differences, the critics and the advocates of the prison construction boom share the assumption that prisons can contribute to local growth, especially in hard‐pressed local areas. This belief flies in the face of mounting evidence that state and local initiatives rarely have a significant impact on growth; this belief is also contradicted by our analyses.
Attribution Style and Public Policy Attitudes Toward Gay Rights*
Authors: Wood Peter B. , Bartkowski John P.
Published: February 2004

Objective.This study examines the influence of beliefs about the cause of homo‐sexuality on public policy attitudes concerning gay rights.

Methods.Using data from the 1995 Oklahoma City Survey, we examine how beliefs about homosexuality as either a lifestyle choice or biological predisposition affect levels of support for gay rights.

Results.Consistent with current debates over gay rights, our study reveals a strong positive association between biological attributions of homosexuality and support for gay rights. Opposition to gay rights is most pronounced among political conservatives, fundamentalist Protestants, persons with little or no favorable contact with gays, individuals who embrace negative stereotypes about gays, and persons with high scores on an index of homophobia.

Conclusions.Etiological beliefs about homosexuality have a strong influence on public policy attitudes toward gay rights.
Adult Social Bonds and Use of Internet Pornography*
Authors: Stack Steven , Wasserman Ira , Kern Roger
Published: February 2004

Objective. Sociological theories of deviant behavior have not been systematically applied to the problem of who uses and who does not use cyberpornography on the Internet. The present study contributes to the literature by providing the first systematic application of selected sociological theories of deviance to the problem of explaining use of cyberpornography. It tests a blended theoretical perspective, which includes measures from social control and opportunity theories of deviance, as well as measures of broader deviant lifestyles, as possible predictors of use of cyberporn. A key hypothesis is that persons with the strongest ties to conventional society will be less likely than others to use cyberporn.

Methods. Complete data on 531 Internet users are taken from the General Social Surveys for 2000. Social bonds measures include religious, marital, and political ties. Measures of participation in sexual and drug‐related deviant lifestyles, and demographic controls are included.

Results. The results of a logistic regression analysis found that among the strongest predictors of use of cyberporn were weak ties to religion and lack of a happy marriage. However, past sexual deviance (e.g., involvement in paid sex) was also a strong predictor of cyberporn use. Overall the model explained 40 percent of the variance in porn use on the Internet.

Conclusion. Traditional theoretical perspectives on deviance are apparently applicable to this new form of deviant behavior.
Race/Ethnic Differences in Female Headship: Exploring the Assumptions of Assimilation Theory*
Authors: Wildsmith Elizabeth
Published: February 2004

Objective. This article conducts a comparative analysis of temporal and generational patterns in Mexican‐American female headship compared to patterns for non‐Hispanic whites and non‐Hispanic blacks. These patterns are explored within two frameworks of assimilation, the more general assimilation perspective and the “segmented” assimilation perspective.

Methods. Logistic regression analysis looking at female headship is conducted using the 1960–1990 IPUMS. Additional analyses use the 1995 CPS to look at intergenerational patterns of female headship, divorce, and nonmarital fertility among Mexican‐origin women relative to other groups of women.

Results. Analysis using the IPUMS finds that U.S.‐born Mexican‐origin women have higher levels of female headship in every year compared to white women, and this difference has actually increased over time. Additionally, analysis using the 1995 CPS finds that while levels of female headship for second‐generation Mexican‐origin women are no higher, levels for third‐generation Mexican‐origin women far surpass those of white women. The high levels of female headship and the proportion of never married women with children in the household among third‐generation Mexican‐American women are startling and lend more support to a “segmented” assimilation framework.
State Parties in the 2000 Senate Elections*
Authors: Brox Brian J.
Published: February 2004

Objective. This article examines state party activity in support of U.S. Senate candidates during the 2000 election. The literature on the service role of parties suggests that national parties will be active in support of candidates, while state parties will be inclined to provide mobilization services. However, state parties are also in a good position to provide campaign contributions and technical services usually supplied by national party organizations.

Methods. Focusing on the 2000 elections, I use campaign finance data from the Federal Election Commission as well as original data derived from a survey of the state parties to investigate the relationship between state parties and U.S. Senate candidates.

Results. The results indicate not only that state parties were remarkably active in support of U.S. Senate candidates, but also that Republican state parties appeared to better target their support to more deserving candidates than did Democratic state parties. Closer scrutiny, however, reveals that the Democrats, by using state party organizations as the conduit of coordinated expenditures, were more successful in providing resources to candidates who would win.

Conclusions. Although much of the activity of state party organizations is explained by money transfers from national party organizations, it is the transfer of hard money that accounts for state party activity in U.S. Senate campaigns. This brings into question the impact of recent campaign finance reforms on the relationship between state parties and U.S. Senate candidates.
Competition and Wage Discrimination: The Effects of Interindustry Concentration and Import Penetration*
Authors: Agesa Jacqueline , Hamilton Darrick
Published: February 2004

Objective. Economic theory suggests that competition reduces employers' latitude to engage in wage discrimination (Becker, 1957). This study investigates the impact of foreign and domestic competition on wage discrimination.

Method. Utilizing the sample of males in U.S. manufacturing industries from the 1990 Public Use Micro Sample (PUMS), industry wage equations are estimated. In a second stage, the impact of domestic and foreign competition on racial wage disparity is assessed.

Results. We find little evidence to support our hypothesis.

Conclusions. Notwithstanding, the failure of conventional economic theory to satisfactorily explain racial wage disparity reiterates the need to incorporate alternative theories of discrimination into mainstream economic theory.
Social Identity Theory and Party Identification*
Authors: Greene Steven
Published: February 2004

Objective.Given that the group aspect of party identification forms a central, yet largely unexplored element of American partisanship, social identity theory presents a compelling social‐psychological theory of group belonging through which to reinterpret the contemporary understanding of partisanship.

Methods.Using a mail survey of 302 randomly selected Franklin County, Ohio residents, levels of social identification with the Democratic Party, the Republican Party, and political independents are measured using the Identification with a Psychological Group (IDPG) scale. Scores on the IDPG are used to predict attitudes toward parties and the consistency of partisan behavior.

Results.Levels of partisan social identity proved to be significant predictors of political party ratings, ideology, and party activities, even when taking traditional measures of partisan strength into account.

Conclusions.Social identity is a fundamental aspect of partisanship, which, when measured, can lead to superior prediction and understanding of related political attitudes and behaviors.
More Daughters in Child Care? Child Gender and the Use of Nonrelative Child Care Arrangements*
Authors: Hiedemann Bridget , Joesch Jutta M. , Rose Elaina
Published: February 2004

Objectives. This article examines whether families with white mothers make different child care decisions for sons than for daughters before the children start school.

Methods. We estimate logistic regressions of the use of nonrelative child care for the youngest child in the family six years old or younger with data from the 1990 National Child Care Survey.

Results. We find that girls are significantly more likely than boys to be in regular, nonrelative care when they are between three and six years old.

Conclusions. Recent evidence from the United States indicates that child gender influences various aspects of family dynamics. These differences tend to put boys at an advantage. Our findings add to this literature by showing that child care decisions are also related to child gender. Gender differences in the use of child care may reflect appropriate responses to children's developmental needs. However, they may contribute to gender differences in children's well‐being.
What Are the Determinants of Open‐Space Ballot Measures? An Extension of the Research*
Authors: Howell‐Moroney Michael
Published: February 2004

Objective. This article comments on the findings of Romero and Liserio's “Saving Open Spaces.” Their primary claim is that open‐space ballots are not related in any way to actual land‐use patterns.

Methods. First, I present a number of methodological problems with their approach and demonstrate a sample selection bias using their original data. Second, I present some alternate models using data from 350 municipalities in the greater Philadelphia area.

Results. I demonstrate that the sample selection bias in Romero and Liserio's model is so acute that all their parameter estimates are jointly zero. With other data, I find that sprawl votes are related to land‐use patterns using a number of different measures.

Conclusions. I conclude that open‐space votes are related to land‐use patterns and that this may be explained as a rational response to sprawl by community planning bureaucracies.
Community Mobilization and Credit: The Impact of Nonprofits and Social Capital on Community Reinvestment Act Lending*
Authors: Holyoke Thomas T.
Published: February 2004

Objective.Recent trends in urban research emphasize the importance of local nonprofits and social capital in the revitalization of poor and minority neighborhoods. This article tests the idea that urban communities able to mobilize themselves by establishing development nonprofits and overcoming collective action problems will be better able to make use of urban‐development policies.

Methods.Measures operationalizing nonprofit presence and social capital are used in an empirical test to see if they can, through the medium of the Community Reinvestment Act, increase the number of mortgage and business loans in Washington, D.C.

Results.These variables show only weak effects on mortgage lending, but very strong results for small‐business lending in all types of communities.

Conclusions.The results suggest that nonprofits and social capital may have only limited benefit in the revitalization of urban neighborhoods and researchers and practitioners should be careful when relying on them.
The Impact of Candidate Sex on Evaluations of Candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives*
Authors: Dolan Kathleen
Published: February 2004

Objectives. To examine how voters and the general public evaluate women candidates by examining ideological and issue‐based evaluations of women candidates for the House of Representatives.

Methods. Data are drawn from the National Election Study for all U.S. House elections from 1990 to 2000. OLS and logistic regression models examining the role of candidate sex in evaluations are tested.

Results. When evaluating Democratic candidates, people see them as more liberal and utilize more female issues in their evaluations when the candidate is a woman. For Republican candidates, candidate sex is much less likely to be related to how people evaluate them.

Conclusion. The central role of party in public evaluations of women candidates suggests that the impact of candidate sex on voters is more complex than previous works have suggested.
Skill in Context: A Comparison of Politicians
Authors: Bell David S. , Hargrove Erwin C. , Theakston Kevin
Published: February 2004

The article compares the efficacy of political leadership of three executive politicians: George Bush, John Major, and Jacques Chirac. Their leadership styles and skills are analyzed according to a model of skill in historical and political content. The three men held office at approximately the same time, following a politically strong predecessor. Their main task was to put their stamp on politics and policy. Bush and Major lost general elections to “reform” parties, and Chirac lost a legislative election that he called and is now serving in “cohabitation” with a “reform” premier. The objective of the article is to assess the relative importance of personal political skill in policy achievements in relation to contextual factors. The article is the first step in a larger comparative study of top political executives in the three countries, which will begin in the early 1970s and end in the present time.
Jim Crow's Coming Out: Race Relations and American Foreign Policy in the Truman Years
Authors: Borstelmann Thomas
Published: February 2004

This article examines the ways in which race relations and foreign affairs intersected for the United States between 1945 and 1952. It draws on an array of archival and other primary as well as secondary sources to focus on the manner in which the Truman administration responded to pressures for racial reform both in the international sphere (decolonization) and in the domestic sphere (civil rights organizing). It finds that the segregationist backgrounds of elite American policy makers were a crucial element in official U.S. policies regarding civil rights and decolonization. It places postwar struggles over segregation and racial equality at home in the context of similar global struggles. And it argues that there was a surprising malleability to the concept of “race” and to racial designations in these years. It concludes that much, but not all, changed along the color line in the Truman years.
Fire, Flood, and Red Fever: Motivating Metaphors of Global Emergency in the Truman Doctrine Speech
Authors: Ivie Robert L.
Published: February 2004

The Truman doctrine speech, as a rhetorical configuration of cold war motives, is examined closely for its terministic incentives to exaggerate American insecurity and contain the spread of world communism. Metaphors of disease, strategically embedded in the design of the speech, converged with existing images of fire and flood to construct a sense of epidemic and impending disaster. This disease metaphor is traced from the genesis of the speech through multiple drafts and revisions to its presentation, reception, and cultural legacy of a heroic vision of recurring global threat and mythic promise of achieving total security by eradicating the communist infestation.
Lyndon Johnson, Vietnam, and Public Opinion: Rethinking Realist Theory of Leadership
Authors: Jacobs Lawrence R. , Shapiro Robert Y.
Published: February 2004

The authors use primary archival records from Lyndon Johnson's presidency to rethink realist theory in international relations concerning leadership of public opinion in foreign policy. Much as the realists expect, Johnson pursued a strategy of opinion leadership that was intended to direct public opinion as he and his administration reacted to the country's international position. Using archival evidence and statistical analysis, the authors examine the relationship between public opinion information that was privately channeled to the White House and several measures of Johnson's behavior including presidential statements and military decisions about bombing and troop deployments. They find that Johnson was unresponsive to public opinion and also generally ineffective in directing public opinion. They conclude that realists' analysis of opinion leadership in representative democracies is inadequate and can lead to impractical prescriptions. What is needed is a theory of foreign policy making that incorporates the complexities of opinion leadership.
The Limits of Rational Choice: Bush and Clinton Budget Summitry
Authors: Pious Richard M.
Published: February 2004

Outcomes of summit budgeting in 1990, 1995, and 1998 demonstrate the limitations of two rational choice methodologies—spatial positioning and game payoffs. They also call into question some axioms of budget politics, to wit, that maintaining the integrity of the process itself is an important value, that it is better to conclude an agreement that can be reached when the other side goes more than halfway than it would be to walk away from the deal, and that it is better to get something done and act in a bipartisan manner than it is to act confrontationally and rely on presidential prerogative.
White House Staff Size: Explanations and Implications
Authors: Walcott Charles E. , Hult Karen M.
Published: February 2004

This article explores issues related to the size and complexity of the White House Office (WHO). Overall numbers from the Roosevelt through the Carter administrations show uneven growth (and decline) in the White House staff and point to the need for more disaggregated analysis. Attention focuses on three offices (congressional relations, speechwriting, and public liaison) in the Nixon, Ford, and Carter administrations as illustrations of the varying patterns in and explanations of changes in staff size. One implication of this analysis is that efforts to restrict the size of the WHO may undermine presidential capacity and accountability.
The Politics of Politics: Skowronek and Presidential Research
Authors: Hoekstra Douglas J.
Published: February 2004

This article joins the emerging discussion of Stephen Skowronek's ambitious retheorizing of the presidency in The Politics Presidents Make. The analysis begins by examining the ways in which Skowronek's understanding challenges the tenets of much post‐Neustadtian scholarship and then examines the cyclical forms of “political time” at the heart of Skowronek's approach to the presidency. Examining a series of cases, the article focuses on conceptual problems and the relation of theory to presidential history. The article argues that Politics posits states of political knowledge and conditions of historical stability less likely in a more fluid office and more contingent circumstances and concludes with a discussion of the implications of Skowronek's work for future scholarship.
Theory and History, Structure and Agency
Authors: Skowronek Stephen
Published: February 2004

Exposing and explaining patterns in presidential history will indicate that outcomes are not entirely open‐ended, but it is a long way from there to a claim that everything of significance is determined. It is arguable that studies of presidential leadership have been far more attentive to contingencies than to regularities and that there is more to be gained at present from closer attention to those features of our politics that structure the latter. The goal, however, remains a more balanced assessment of the play of structure and agent. The Politics Presidents Make sought to illuminate and explain hitherto unattended patterns in national political leadership, but it did not foreclose the significance of individual efforts, and in many particulars, it invited closer attention to the leader's formative role.
The Democrats' Decline in the House during the Clinton Presidency: An Analysis of Partisan Swings
Authors: Wattenberg Martin P.
Published: February 2004

This research note analyzes changes in the congressional district vote during the three sets of House elections held during the Clinton presidency. An in‐depth picture of how House members interpreted these elections is drawn by examining the percentage vote swing in each election by incumbency type. In particular, such a perspective sheds light on why Republican House members overestimated their mandate after 1994 and were not discouraged from pursuing impeachment by the 1998 election results.
The Law: Legal Disputes in the Clinton Years
Authors: Fisher Louis
Published: February 2004

The first six years of the Clinton administration were packed with legal controversies, ranging from presidential immunity (the Paula Jones case) to the item veto. When the Jones case widened to include Monica Lewinsky, the investigation by Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr led to repeated litigation and a narrowing of the concept of executive privilege. President Clinton's use of an executive order to carry out presidential power in the absence of congressional action was struck down in the courts. Although many of these disputes were resolved by the Supreme Court and lower courts, some were worked out between theWhite House and Congress, and still others await further judicial and legislative action.
Weasel words and straight talking: AAA 2003
Authors: Lindisfarne Nancy
Published: February 2004

Conference reviewed in this article:

102nd Annual Meetings of the American Anthropological Association, 19–23 November 2003, Chicago
Periocular Hemangiomas: What Every Physician Should Know
Authors: Ceisler Emily J. , Santos Laura , Blei Francine
Published: February 2004

Abstract:  Hemangiomas are the most common benign tumor of infancy. Most hemangiomas remain asymptomatic and can be managed by close observation; however, immediate treatment is indicated for hemangiomas that may cause significant complications. Periocular hemangiomas warrant close evaluation and early, active treatment of those with the potential to threaten or permanently compromise vision. Herein we review the clinical features of periocular hemangiomas, differential diagnosis, possible ophthalmologic complications and sequelae, and therapeutic modalities.
Pyogenic Granuloma in Children
Authors: Pagliai Kelley A. , Cohen Bernard A.
Published: February 2004

Abstract:  Pyogenic granuloma, also known as lobular capillary hemangioma, is a common, benign, acquired, vascular neoplasm of the skin and mucous membranes characterized by an erythematous, dome‐shaped papule that bleeds easily. This is a retrospective study of 128 children with pyogenic granuloma treated at the Johns Hopkins pediatric dermatology clinic between 1991 and 2001. This study was undertaken to analyze the clinical characteristics, natural history, treatment options, recurrence risk, and outcome of this entity in children. The majority of the patients had uncomplicated pyogenic granuloma and were treated with a single shave excision and electrocautery, with no recurrences and good cosmetic results.
Keratosis Pilaris Atrophicans: Case Series and Review
Authors: Callaway Sanders R. , Lesher Jack L.
Published: February 2004

Abstract:  Keratosis pilaris atrophicans is a group of three rare and distinct clinical entities representing the scarring types of keratosis pilaris. To date, our complete understanding of these processes and therapeutics are suboptimal. This case series illustrates unique aspects of each entity and offers a review of the literature.
Revisiting Childhood Herpes Zoster
Authors: Nikkels Arjen F. , Nikkels‐Tassoudji Nazli , Piérard Gérald E.
Published: February 2004

Abstract:  Herpes zoster is rare in otherwise healthy children, but it is more common in association with immunosuppression. Maternal varicella infection during pregnancy and varicella occurring in the newborn represent risk factors for childhood herpes zoster. However, some controversies persist about risk factors, diagnosis, and the natural history of childhood disease. In a 2‐year prospective study, 18 children with herpes zoster were clinically diagnosed in outpatient consultations in a hospital dermatology unit. Data about age, dermatome involvement, underlying disease, and history of previous varicella were recorded. Tzanck smears, biopsy specimens, and sera were obtained from 18, 4, and 10 children, respectively. The varicella zoster virus major envelope glycoprotein gE was detected in 16 of 18 smears and all four biopsies. Herpes simplex virus I was demonstrated in one of the smears. The established risk factors for childhood herpes zoster were only found in one child. Evidence for previous full‐blown varicella and varicella with few lesions was recorded in 7 and 4 of the 17 immunocompetent children, respectively. No history of varicella was recalled in 6 of 17 cases, although a serologic clue of past varicella infection (IgM negative, IgG positive) was disclosed. Recurrent herpes zoster was diagnosed in one immunocompromised child. Zoster‐associated pain was localized and the disease severity remained mild in all children. Established risk factors for childhood herpes zoster were only rarely found in our series of patients. In contrast, unrecognized varicella and varicella with few lesions were frequently recorded and may represent additional risk factors for shingles in childhood. Zosteriform herpes simplex virus infections should be differentiated from childhood herpes zoster, emphasizing the importance of precise viral identification.
Recurrent Palmoplantar Hidradenitis with Exclusive Palmar Involvement and an Association with Trauma and Exposure to Aluminum Dust
Authors: Shehan James M. , Clowers‐Webb Holly E. , Kalaaji Amer N.
Published: February 2004

Abstract:  Recurrent palmoplantar hidradenitis is a benign, self‐limited inflammatory skin condition that has been reported to occur on the soles and palms of otherwise healthy children and young adults. Patients with the disease present with tender, erythematous and edematous plaques and nodules on the palmoplantar skin. We describe a child who had recurrent palmoplantar hidradenitis that occurred after trauma and exposure to aluminum dust and manifested as lesions localized to only the palmar surfaces. This case is presented to add exclusive palmar involvement to the diagnostic spectrum of recurrent palmoplantar hidradenitis and to review the proposed pathogenesis of the disease.
Familial Cutaneous Collagenoma: A Clinicopathologic Study of Two New Cases
Authors: Boente María del C. , Primc Norma B. , Asial Raúl A. , Winik Beatriz C.
Published: February 2004

Abstract:  Two siblings with familial cutaneous collagenoma syndrome had the essential clinical features of multiple skin‐colored nodules on the trunk and upper arms. On light microscopy, histopathologic findings included excessive accumulation of dense, coarse collagen in the dermis. Elastic tissue stains demonstrated a proportionately diminished number of abnormal elastic fibers intermingled with the collagen bundles. A predominance of densely packed collagen bundles of normal morphology with a marked decrease in abnormal elastic tissue were the major ultrastructural features. The diagnosis was therefore confirmed to be connective tissue nevi of the collagen type. The differential diagnosis of connective tissue nevi disorders is delineated.
Cutaneous Sarcoid‐like Granulomas in a Patient with X‐Linked Hyper‐IgM Syndrome
Authors: Gallerani Isabella , Innocenti Damiano Degli , Coronella Giordana , Berti Samantha , Amato Laura , Moretti Silvia , Fabbri Paolo
Published: February 2004

Abstract:  We describe a 5‐year‐old boy with red‐pink, firm, nodular lesions, with central resolution and prominent borders, localized to the face, backs of the hands, extensor surfaces of the arms and legs, and the buttocks. He also had recurrent bacterial respiratory infections. Quantitative immunoglobulin levels revealed hypogammaglobulinemia and increased IgM levels. Histopathologic examination of a nodular lesion revealed perivascular and periadnexal granulomas composed of epithelioid cells surrounded by a mantle of lymphocytes; three cultures for fungi and acid‐fast bacilli were negative. Clinical, histopathologic, and immunologic studies supported a diagnosis of hyper‐IgM (HIM) syndrome. The boy was treated with pulsed‐dose antibiotics and intravenous gamma globulin every 3 weeks, with improvement of clinical symptoms. Skin lesions were treated with topical corticosteroids, with immediate recurrence upon cessation of therapy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first description of cutaneous granulomas in HIM syndrome.
A 15‐Year‐Old Boy with Rubinstein‐Taybi Syndrome Associated with Severe Congenital Malalignment of the Toenails
Authors: Balci Sevim , Bostanci Seher , Ekmekci Pelin , Cebeci Ilker , Bokesoy Işik , Bartsch Oliver , Gurgey Erbak
Published: February 2004

Abstract:  Rubinstein‐Taybi syndrome (RTS) is a well‐known disorder characterized by growth and mental retardation, typical facial features, short stature, and broad thumbs and toes. Although several cutaneous manifestations are observed in these patients, they are not diagnostic and are usually considered to be coincidental. Congenital malalignment of the great toenails is a very rare disorder that is characterized by lateral deviation of the nail plate along its longitudinal axis. The nail plate grows into the lateral nail fold resulting in pain and infection. It is usually present at birth or begins in early childhood. We report a patient with characteristic manifestations of RTS and congenital malalignment of the great toenails. The association of these two entities has not been reported previously.
Subdural Hygroma in a Patient with Parry‐Romberg Syndrome
Authors: Sandhu Kamaldeep , Handa Sanjeev
Published: February 2004

Abstract:  Parry‐Romberg syndrome (PRS) is a poorly understood disorder characterized by progressive hemifacial atrophy. A number of neurologic associations have been reported. We describe a rare association of seizures, PRS, and subdural hygroma. To the best of our knowledge, this association has not been reported in the literature.
Vulvar Cicatricial Pemphigoid of Childhood
Authors: Schoeffler A. , Roth B. , Causeret A. , Kanitakis J. , Faure M. , Claudy A.
Published: February 2004

Abstract:  We report a 9‐year‐old girl with a vulvar autoimmune bullous dermatosis. A diagnosis of localized bullous pemphigoid or cicatricial pemphigoid was made on the basis of immunohistologic data. Since the lesions were unresponsive to topical corticosteroids but healed completely on dapsone at a dosage of 1.5 mg/kg/day, we favor the diagnosis of vulvar cicatricial pemphigoid. Only two such cases have been reported thus far. The diagnostic criteria and therapeutic modalities are discussed.
Cervicofacial Lymphadenitis Due to Atypical Mycobacteria: A Surgical Disease
Authors: Pumberger Wolfgang , Hallwirth Ulrike , Pawlowsky Johanna , Pomberger Gerhard
Published: February 2004

Abstract:  Despite the increasing prevalence of cervicofacial lymphadenitis due to atypical mycobacteria (AMB) in children, the true nature of AMB infection in clinical practice is poorly understood. The purpose of our study was to define the most common signs and symptoms, and to establish a workable scheme of diagnosis and treatment. Patients fulfilling the criteria of AMB infection (i.e., clinical signs, positive cultures or polymerase chain reaction, histologic features) were included in the study. All children underwent a standard surgical procedure, depending on pretreatment and the course of the disease. Sixteen infants presented with characteristic unilateral lymphadenopathy predominantly involving the submandibular area (13/16). Eight children had been initially treated at various institutions by fine‐needle puncture or incision, and 7 of the 16 patients had received antituberculous multidrug treatment for a varying length of time. Complete excision of the affected lymph nodes was the definitive treatment in all patients. Three children had transient marginal mandibular nerve paralysis that resolved within a few months in all cases. Recognition of the characteristic features of AMB adenitis may permit early diagnosis and appropriate surgical treatment.
Eruptive Vellus Hair Cysts in a Patient with Lowe Syndrome
Authors: Nandedkar Maithily A. , Minus Harold , Nandedkar Meenakshi A.
Published: February 2004

Abstract:   We present a 20‐year‐old patient with Lowe syndrome and eruptive vellus hair cysts. Also known as oculocerebrorenal syndrome, it is an X‐linked recessive disorder localized to Xq24‐26.1. The phenotypic features of this disorder are Fanconi‐type renal failure, mental retardation, and various eye abnormalities. The causative gene, oculocerebrorenal‐Lowe 1 (OCRL1), encodes a phosphatase whose function is to regulate the phosphatidylinositol pool of intracellular signaling molecules that regulate the release of lysosomal enzymes in tissues. Low levels of this phosphatase lead to the extracellular release of lysosomal enzymes in organs such as the eye, brain, and kidney, with the resulting tissue damage most likely accounting for the characteristic phenotype. Our patient with Lowe syndrome had several discrete, dome‐shaped papules on his midchest. They clinically resembled either eruptive vellus hair cysts or steatocystoma multiplex. Histologically they were most diagnostic of eruptive vellus hair cysts, which are not a known feature of Lowe syndrome. We present a hypothesis based on the known biochemical deficiencies resulting from the mutations in the OCRL1 gene, which may account for the cyst formation. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of skin findings associated with this disorder.
Sarcoptes scabiei Infestation Misdiagnosed and Treated as Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis
Authors: Burch Joanna M. , Krol Alfons , Weston William L.
Published: February 2004

Abstract:  The inflammatory cell infiltrate in Sarcoptes scabiei infestations often includes Langerhans cells. Scabies infestations in children may mimic Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) clinically as well. We report two children with scabies who were misdiagnosed clinically and histologically as LCH and treated with systemic chemotherapy. Scabies must always be ruled out in infants and children with eczematous eruptions and inflammatory infiltrates that include histiocytes on histologic examination.
Trichophyton rubrum Tinea Capitis in a Young Child
Authors: Abdel‐Rahman Susan M. , Penny Jami , Alander Sarah W.
Published: February 2004

Abstract:  While the primary etiologic agent of tinea capitis in the United States has varied over the past century, the last several decades have been marked by a predominance of infection with Trichophyton tonsurans. Related anthropophilic organisms commonly isolated in other dermatophytoses are infrequently observed in tinea capitis. We report the unusual occurrence of tinea capitis in a young boy infected with Trichophyton rubrum.