U.S. Sole Proprietorships: A Gender Comparison, 1985-2000

"Between 1985 and 2000, female-owned sole proprietorships grew at a faster rate than those owned by men. Business earnings and activities are different among male and female business owners.... Nearly two thirds of female sole proprietors were in the services industry." Source: U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Advocacy

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Do Race, Gender, and Age Differences Affect Manager-Employee Relations? An Analysis of Quits, Dismissals, and Promotions at a Large Retail Firm

Using data from a large U.S. retail employer, we examine how demographic differences between manager and subordinate affect the subordinate’s rate of quits, dismissals, and promotions. We distinguish between two effects that demographic differences can produce: (1) the effects of dissimilarity per se, and (2) the effects of role breaking where the differences violate traditional social roles and status norms (e.g., non-whites managing whites). Our results suggest that both dissimilarity and role breaking can have statistically significant effects. Race: Dismissals and Promotions: Blacks and Hispanics with dissimilar managers are much more likely to be fired, and less likely to be promoted. We interpret these as dissimilarity effects. By contrast, white employees with non-white managers are less likely to be dismissed than whites with white managers, and more likely to be promoted. This suggests role breaking leads non-white managers to defer to white employees. Quits: While dissimilarity surprisingly has no effect on black quit rates, it does cause a moderate increase in Hispanic quits. Racial differences also cause a moderate rise in white quit rates. We expected the effect for whites to be larger because it is the sum of dissimilarity and role-breaking effects. Further analysis suggests the effect for whites is suppressed by pre-hire sorting; whites who dislike having non-white managers tend to avoid working for non-whites in the first place. Age: Age dissimilarity per se does not have effects. However, role breaking does; employees who are at least 20 percent older than their managers are much less likely to be dismissed, and more likely to be promoted. Gender: Gender differences have modest, adverse effects on all three employment outcomes. Source : Center for Responsible Business, U.C. Berkeley

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Census Bureau : Blacks in the United States

This report provides a portrait of the Black or African American population in the United States and discusses sex differences within this population at the national level. It is part of the Census 2000 Special Reports series that presents several demographic, social and economic characteristics collected from Census 2000.

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In the First Person

"In the First Person provides in-depth indexing of more than 2,500 collections of oral history in English from around the world. With future releases, the index will broaden to identify other first-person content, including letters, diaries, memoirs, and autobiographies, and other personal narratives."

"It allows for keyword searching of more than 260,000 pages of full-text by more than 9,000 individuals from all walks of life. It also contains pointers to at least 2,500 audio and video files and 16,000 bibliographic records."

The oral histories are browsable by collection, date, repository, place, and historical event.

[Link to site]

Iraqi constitution draft

Complete text of the draft Iraqi constitution, as translated from the Arabic by the Associated Press. Source : University of Pittsburg, School of Law

Available as online text or dowloadable PDF.

[link to site]

Internet Advertising and the Generalized Second Price Auction: Selling Billions of Dollars Worth of Keywords

Abstract : We investigate the generalized second price auction (GSP), a new auction mechanism, which is used by Internet search engines to sell online advertising. GSP is tailored to its unique environment, and neither the mechanism nor the environment have previously been studied in the auction literature. Although GSP looks similar to the Vickrey-Clarke-Groves (VCG) auction, its properties are very di erent. In particular, unlike the VCG auction, GSP generally does not have an equilibrium in dominant strategies, and truth-telling is not an equilibrium of GSP. To analyze the properties of GSP in dynamic environment we describe the generalized English auction that corresponds to the GSP and show that it has a unique equilibrium. This is an ex post equilibrium that results in the same payo s to all players as the dominant strategy equilibrium of VCG. Authors : Benjamin Edelman, Harvard University; Michael Ostrovsky, Stanford University; Michael Schwarz, U.C. Berkeley and NBER | Source : Institute of Business and Economic Research Department of Economics, U.C. Berkeley

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The Political Participation of Working Youth and College Students

Young people who both study and work are busier than students who do not work. However, student-workers report higher levels of interest in politics, newspaper reading, talking politics with friends, engaging or practicing civic skills, having been asked to vote, making their views known, and political participation. Many student-workers appear to be pursuing bachelor's degrees, but they are also more engaged, more open to politics, and less likely to feel dissuaded by potential barriers to participation than their peers who are attending college full-time. Whether they work or not, students between the ages of 19 and 23 tend to be more politically engaged than their peers who are out of school and college altogether. Source : The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement

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Personal Papers of Sarah Emily Davies

Online access to the writings of Sarah Emily Davies, a leading campaigner in the women’s suffrage movement. Includes correspondence, press cuttings, letters to the press, publications of women's suffrage societies, petitions, Parliamentary papers, etc. Papers date from 1907-1918. Source : Cambridge University


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Deciding to Distrust

Abstract : "We employ experiments to illustrate one factor contributing to the lack of distrust in the recent corporate scandals: Trust rather than no trust was the default. Holding the expected returns from trusting constant, people are more trusting when the default is trust than when it is no trust. In a new game, the Distrust Game (DTG), where the default is full trust, trust levels are higher and trustworthiness levels lower than in the BDM-Trust Game (TG), where the default is no trust. Agents punish distrust more in the DTG than in the TG but principals do not anticipate this." Authors : Iris Bohnet and Stephan Meier | Source: Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government, Faculty Research Working Paper Series

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Psychological and behavioural reactions to the bombings in London on 7 July 2005: cross sectional survey of a representative sample of Londoners

"Although the psychological needs of those intimately caught up in the attacks will require further assessment, we found no evidence of a widespread desire for professional counselling. The attacks have inflicted disproportionately high levels of distress among non-white and Muslim Londoners." Source : British Medical Journal

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On Death Row in Japan

"Iwao hakamada used to be a promising prizefighter. Crowds cheered his name. Nowadays, his only regular human contact is with prison guards, who address him by number. He spends his time pacing the floor of his nine-by-nine-foot cell at the Tokyo Detention Center. When his food comes, he stares at it for 30 minutes or so before taking a taste. He refuses most of the few visits he’s allowed. This is his life on death row in Japan, where Hakamada, now 69, has been for 25 years." Author : Charles Lane | Source : Hoover Institution Policy Review

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The Well-Being of Single-Mother Families After Welfare Reform

Abstract : "Trends in income and consumption tell very different stories about the well-being of single mothers and their children in recent years. On the one hand, data suggest that income fell noticeably for single mothers well below the poverty line, while income grew significantly for single mothers with higher incomes. On the other hand, data on how much these two groups of mothers and children consumed suggest that the material circumstances of both groups improved during the 1990s. We argue that the consumption data better reflect well-being for several reasons. First, consumption is probably measured with less error than income for poor families, and is more strongly associated with other measures of well-being such as health and housing conditions. Second, there is overwhelming evidence that income is underreported by these mothers and that the underreporting, especially of income from welfare and other transfer programs, has increased in recent years." Authors : Bruce D. Meyer and James X. Sullivan | Source : The Brookings Institution

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Stem Cell Research

"For a variety of reasons, many believe research advancement requires new embryonic stem cell lines, and for certain applications, stem cells derived from cloned embryos may offer the best hope for progress in understanding and treating disease. A significant cohort of pro-life advocates support stem cell research; those opposed are concerned that the isolation of stem cells requires the destruction of embryos. Some have argued that stem cell research be limited to adult stem cells obtained from tissues such as bone marrow or umbilical cord blood. They argue that adult stem cells should be pursued instead of embryonic stem cells because they believe the derivation of stem cells from either embryos or aborted fetuses is ethically unacceptable. Other scientists believe adult stem cells should not be the sole target of research because of important scientific and technical limitations. Some scientists are exploring the possibility of obtaining human embryonic stem cells that bypass the destruction of living human embryos." Source : Congressional Research Service

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Work Disability is a Pain in the *****, Especially in England, The Netherlands, and the United States

Abstract : This paper investigates the role of pain in determining self-reported work disability in the US, the UK and The Netherlands. Even if identical questions are asked, cross-country differences in reported work disability remain substantial. In the US and the Netherlands, respondent evaluations of work limitations of hypothetical persons described in pain vignettes are used to identify the extent to which differences in self-reports between countries or socio-economic groups are due to systematic variation in the response scales. Source : NBER

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Is the New Immigration Really So Bad?

Abstract :

This paper reviews the recent evidence on U.S. immigration, focusing on two key questions: (1) Does immigration reduce the labor market opportunities of less-skilled natives? (2) Have immigrants who arrived after the 1965 Immigration Reform Act successfully assimilated? Looking across major cities, differential immigrant inflows are strongly correlated with the relative supply of high school dropouts. Nevertheless, data from the 2000 Census shows that relative wages of native dropouts are uncorrelated with the relative supply of less-educated workers, as they were in earlier years. At the aggregate level, the wage gap between dropouts and high school graduates has remained nearly constant since 1980, despite supply pressure from immigration and the rise of other education-related wage gaps. Overall, evidence that immigrants have harmed the opportunities of less educated natives is scant. On the question of assimilation, the success of the U.S.-born children of immigrants is a key yardstick. By this metric, post-1965 immigrants are doing reasonably well: second generation sons and daughters have higher education and wages than the children of natives. Even children of the least- educated immigrant origin groups have closed most of the education gap with the children of natives. Author : David Card | Source : NBER

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Oral Histories from Sept. 11 Compiled by the N.Y. Fire Department

The Sept. 11 Records
"A rich vein of city records from Sept. 11, including more than 12,000 pages of oral histories rendered in the voices of 503 firefighters, paramedics, and emergency medical technicians, were made public on Aug. 12. The New York Times has published all of them.

The oral histories of dispatch transmissions are transcribed verbatim. They have have not been edited to omit coarse language." Source : New York Times

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A Portrait of the Visual Arts: Meeting the Challenges Of A New Era

"The third in a series that examines the state of the arts in America, this analysis shows, in addition to lines around the block for special exhibits, well-paid superstar artists, flourishing university visual arts programs, and a global expansion of collectors, developments in the visual arts also tell a story of rapid, even seismic change, systemic imbalances, and dislocation." Source: RAND Corporation

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First two reports in series:

• The Performing Arts in a New Era
• From Celluloid to Cyberspace: The Media Arts and the Changing Arts World

Pre-9/11 U.S. Attempts to Drive Bin Laden Out of Afghanistan Repeatedly Unsuccessful

Update to National Security Archive Electronic Briefing Book No. 134

"The U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan told a top Taliban official in September 2000 that the U.S. "was not out to destroy the Taliban," but the "UBL [Osama bin Laden] issue is supremely important," according to declassified documents posted today by the National Security Archive. The documents, obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, show how years of U.S. diplomacy with the Taliban, combined with pressure on Pakistan, and attempts to employ Saudi cooperation still failed to compel the Taliban to expel bin Laden."

Link to site for download of declassified documents.

Approval Ratings for All 100 U.S. Senators as of August 2005

600 adults age 18+ in each of the 50 states were interviewed by SurveyUSA 8/12/05 to 8/14/05.

Results :
Sorted Alphabetically by State
Sorted Alphabetically by U.S. Senator's Last Name
Sorted from Highest "Net Approval" Score to Lowest
Sorted from Highest Approval Rating to Lowest

Also available for August : Approval Ratings for President George W. Bush

Information and Intellectual Property Protection: Evaluating the Claim that Information Should be Free

Abstract:
The claim “information should be free” (hereinafter ISBF) has become a rallying cry for those who believe intellectual property rights are illegitimately protected by the state. In this essay, I will attempt to (1) determine what ISBF means (which will require determining what the concept-term “information” means as used in ISBF); (2) evaluate what kind of support there is for ISBF; (3) determine whether ISBF conforms to ordinary views about the propriety of certain restrictions on the free flow of information; and (4) determine whether ISBF provides good reason for thinking that legal protection of intellectual property rights is illegitimate. I will argue that the most charitable interpretation of ISBF lacks adequate support in mainstream moral views and thus cannot ground a wholesale challenge to the legitimacy of intellectual property rights. Author : Kenneth Himma | Source : Berkeley Center for Law and Technology

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Social Security 70th Anniversary Survey Report: Trends Over Time

"The latest assessment of Social Security by the American public continues to reflect the strong support that has also characterized two earlier assessments. All three AARP surveys—conducted to celebrate the 50th (1985), 60th (1995) and 70th (2005) anniversaries of Social Security’s founding—have demonstrated the high regard that the American public has for Social Security as an important American institution, not only for America’s retired citizens, but for the entire American adult population." Source : AARP

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The Election after Reform: Money, Politics, and the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act

"The book is made up of eleven chapters by leading political scientists in the field on the impact of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law in its first election, the election of 2004." Forthcoming book from Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. "Under the terms of CFI's agreement with the book's publisher, Rowman and Littlefield, electronic versions (pdf) of all draft chapters will remain available on the CFI website until the book has been published. The edited, published version should be available through bookstores in early 2006." Edited by Michael J. Malbin | Source: The Campaign Finance Institute, affiliated with George Washington University

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Women Who Step Out of the Corporate World Find It Hard to Step Back In

Abstract :
In this study, we capture the experiences of women who voluntarily step out of the workforce for a hiatus and provide proactive recommendations that these women, as well as employers and universities, can use to facilitate their re-entry into the working world. This study was done under the advisement of the Wharton Center for Leadership and Change and through the support of the Forté Foundation, as well as several professional women s organizations. The research team constructed a survey to delve into the challenges women face when they are ready to return to work after stepping out for a period of time and to collect their advice about how to alleviate, or at least minimize, these challenges. In addition to the survey, we conducted one-on-one interviews with a select group of our survey respondents to explore their experiences in depth. We were interested in how these women manage the process of returning to work after their hiatuses, something we referred to as stepping back in. We discovered that women seem to face similar difficulties, whether their hiatuses spanned 2 years or 8. While ours is not an academic study, our survey and interviews do cast a light on the experiences these women encounter. We feel our respondents have something important to tell us about the stepping-out process and how the stepping-in process can be improved, and we hope our work enables their voices to be heard.

Source : Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania

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Census Data : Pacific Islanders in the United States

This report provides a portrait of the Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander population in the United States and discusses the largest detailed Pacific Islander groups at the national level: Native Hawaiian, Samoan, Guamanian or Chamorro, Fijian, Tongan, and Marshallese. It is part of the Census 2000 Special Reports series that presents several demographic, social, and economic characteristics collected from Census 2000. Source : U.S. Census Bureau

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The Atomic Bomb and the End of World War II: A Collection of Primary Sources

"With the material that follows, the National Security Archive publishes the most comprehensive on-line collection to date of declassified U.S. government documents on the atomic bomb and the end of the war in the Pacific. Besides material from the files of the Manhattan Project, this collection includes formerly "Top Secret Ultra" summaries and translations of Japanese diplomatic cable traffic intercepted under the 'Magic' program. Moreover, the collection includes for the first time translations from Japanese sources of high level meetings and discussions in Tokyo, including the conferences when Emperor Hirohito authorized the final decision to surrender." Source: National Security Archive

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Exploring the Value of Courage in the Workplace

Monica C. Worline, assistant professor of organization and management at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, discusses the need for courage in the contemporary workplace that is focused on knowledge work or service delivery. She says managers should encourage forthright and constructive criticism of the organization, whether it is in reaction to day-to-day-projects gone awry or a response to even more serious ethical breaches. In her groundbreaking research with front line employees and middle managers in high technology workplaces around the world, Worline investigates how courageous behavior can serve to benefit companies. She defines courage as the ability to act on a perceived good for the organization, even in the face of fear or reprisal. Source : Emory University

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Exploring Religious Conflict

Abstract : Reports the result of a workshop that brought together intelligence analysts and experts on religion with the goal of providing background and a frame of reference for assessing religious motivations in international politics and discovering what causes religiously rooted violence and how states have sought to take advantage of or contain religious violence — with emphasis on radical Islam. Source : RAND Corporation

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Unraveling the SES-Health Connection

"People of lower socio-economic status (SES) appear to always have much worse health outcomes. At least until the end of life, at each age every movement down in income is associated with being in poorer health. While a debate rages on about competing reasons why SES may affect health, there is little recognition that the so-called reverse causation from health to economic status may be pretty fundamental as well. Even if the direction of causation is that SES mainly affects health, what dimensions of SES actually matter — the financial aspects such as income or wealth or non-financial dimensions like education? Finally, is there a life course component to the health gradient so that we may be mislead in trying to answer these questions by only looking at people of a certain age — say those past 50. This paper, which is divided into four sections, provides my answers to these questions." Source: RAND Corporation

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First Generation Students in Postsecondary Education

Abstract : This report uses data from the Postsecondary Education Transcript Study (PETS) of the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88) to examine the majors and coursetaking patterns of students who are the first members of their families to attend college (referred to as “first-generation students” in this report) and compare their postsecondary experiences and outcomes with those of students whose parents attended or completed college. The results indicate that first-generation students were at a disadvantage in terms of their access to, persistence through, and completion of postsecondary education. Once in college, their relative disadvantage continued with respect to coursetaking and academic performance. First-generation status was significantly and negatively associated with lower bachelor’s degree completion rates even after controlling for a wide range of interrelated factors, including students’ demographic backgrounds, academic preparation, enrollment characteristics, postsecondary coursetaking, and academic performance. This report also demonstrates that more credits and higher grades in the first year and fewer withdrawn or repeated courses were strongly related to the chances of students (regardless of generation status) persisting in postsecondary education and earning a bachelor’s degree. Source : National Center for Education Statistics (U.S.)

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Polarized America: The Dance of Ideology and Unequal Riches

The fundamental transformation of American politics can be summed up by the recent history of a single Senate seat. In 1991, Pennsylvania's three-term senator John Heinz was killed in a light plane accident. A Republican, he compiled a moderate record as his party's leading supporter of environmental and labor union causes. In the special election that followed, the Republicans ran another relatively moderate candidate, Richard Thornburgh a former governor and US attorney general, against Harris Wofford, the interim senator. Wofford, who began his career as the first associate director of the Peace Corps, was significantly more liberal than Heinz or Thornburgh was conservative. In a campaign orchestrated by the then relatively unknown James Carville, Wofford ran a platform of fundamental reform of the U.S. Healthcare system. This electoral strategy was wildly successful as Thornburgh was beaten easily and healthcare became the "hot" issue going into the 1992 presidential elections. Authors : Nolan McCarty (fellow 2005), Keith T. Poole (fellow 2004), and Howard Rosenthal (fellow 1992, 1999. Source : Institute of Governmental Studies, U.C. Berkeley

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Terrorist Financing: U.S. Agency Efforts and Inter-Agency Coordination

"Stopping the ability of terrorists to finance their operations is a key component of the U.S. counterterrorism strategy. To accomplish this, the Administration has implemented a three-tiered approach based on (1) intelligence and domestic legal and regulatory efforts; (2) technical assistance to provide capacity-building programs for U.S. allies; and (3) global efforts to create international norms and guidelines. Effective implementation of this strategy requires the participation of, and coordination among, several elements of the U.S. Government. This report provides an agency-by-agency survey of U.S. efforts." Source : Congressional Research Service

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The Elasticity of Trust

Evidence from Kuwait, Oman, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates and the United States Abstract : "This paper employs experiments to determine how effectively arrangements decreasing the expected cost of trust betrayal foster trust in three Gulf countries (Kuwait, Oman and the United Arab Emirates), and two Western countries (Switzerland and the United States). Our basic instrument elicits subjects' minimum acceptable probabilities for trustworthiness that would make them just willing to trust. Trust proves more elastic to the likelihood and the cost of betrayal in the West than in the Gulf. Risk aversion and betrayal aversion contribute to this difference. The disparities between the West and the Gulf are driven more by men than by women." Authors : Iris Bohnet, Benedikt Herrmann and Richard Zeckhauser | Source : Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government, Faculty Research Working Paper Series.

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Public Agenda Confidence in U.S. Foreign Policy Index

"The American public sees the web of issues surrounding relations with the Islamic world as the fundamental foreign policy problem facing the nation – but they have little idea what to do about it. So far, public thinking is a disquieting mix of high anxiety, growing uncertainly about current policy, and virtually no consensus about what else the country might do." Source: Public Agenda

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Truth and consequences of offshoring

"This briefing paper examines three studies claiming that the offshoring of white-collar work will result in large benefits to the U.S. economy. These studies—written by McKinsey Global Institute (MGI), Global Insight (GI), and Catherine Mann in a policy brief for the Institute for International Economics (IIE)—have been cited often in business reporting about the overall impact of white-collar offshoring on the American economy. However, these findings do not hold up to scrutiny, and in fact, each paper makes excessive claims about the benefits of white-collar offshoring." Source: Economic Policy Institute

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How Do Friendships Form?

Abstract : We examine how people form social networks among their peers. We use a unique dataset that tells us the volume of email between any two people in the sample. The data are from students and recent graduates of Dartmouth College. First year students interact with peers in their immediate proximity and form long term friendships with a subset of these people. This result is consistent with a model in which the expected value of interacting with an unknown person is low (making traveling solely to meet new people unlikely), while the benefits from interacting with the same person repeatedly are high. Geographic proximity and race are greater determinants of social interaction than are common interests, majors, or family background. Two randomly chosen white students interact three times more often than do a black student and a white student. However, placing the black and white student in the same freshman dorm increases their frequency of interaction by a factor of three. A traditional "linear in group means" model of peer ability is only a reasonable approximation to the ability of actual peers chosen when we form the groups around all key factors including distance, race and cohort. Source : NBER

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Behavioral Public Economics: Welfare and Policy Analysis with Non-Standard Decision-Makers

Abstract : This paper has two goals. First, we discuss several emerging approaches to applied welfare analysis under non-standard ("behavioral") assumptions concerning consumer choice. This provides a foundation for Behavioral Public Economics. Second, we illustrate applications of these approaches by surveying behavioral studies of policy problems involving saving, addiction, and public goods. We argue that the literature on behavioral public economics, though in its infancy, has already fundamentally changed our understanding of public policy in each of these domains. Source : NBER

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Gender and Assimilation Among Mexican Americans

Abstract : Using 1994-2003 CPS data, we study gender and assimilation of Mexican Americans. Source country patterns, particularly the more traditional gender division of labor in the family in Mexico, strongly influence the outcomes and behavior of Mexican immigrants. On arrival in the United States, immigrant women have a higher incidence of marriage (spouse present), higher fertility, and much lower labor supply than comparable white natives; wage differences are smaller than labor supply differences, and smaller than comparable wage gaps for men. Immigrant women's labor supply assimilates dramatically: the ceteris paribus immigrant shortfall is virtually eliminated after twenty years. While men experience moderate wage assimilation, evidence is mixed for women. Rising education in the second generation considerably reduces raw labor supply (especially for women) and wage gaps with nonhispanic whites. Female immigrants' high marriage rates assimilate towards comparable natives', but immigrant women and men remain more likely to be married even after long residence. The remaining ceteris paribus marriage gap is eliminated in the second generation. Immigrants' higher fertility does not assimilate toward the native level, and, while the size of the Mexican American- white native fertility differential declines across generations, it is not eliminated. Source : NBER

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Are There Real Effects of Licensing on Academic Research? A Life Cycle View.

Abstract : Whether financial returns to university licensing divert faculty from basic research is examined in a life cycle context. As in traditional life cycle models, faculty devote more time to research, which can be either basic or applied, early and more time to leisure as they age. Licensing has real effects by increasing the ratio of applied to basic effort and reducing leisure throughout the life cycle, but basic research need not suffer. When applied effort adds nothing to the stock of knowledge, licensing reduces research output, but if applied effort leads to publishable output as well as licenses, then research output and the stock of knowledge are higher with licensing than without. When tenure is added to the system, licensing has a positive effect on research output except when the incentives to license are very high. Source : NBER

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America’s Deficit, the World’s Problem

Abstract : The United States deficit on current account, now running at an annual rate of over $700 billion, has reached levels (as a percent of U.S. GDP) not seen since the first decades of the nineteenth century. The deficit is soaking up roughly three-quarters of the world's available external surpluses. Were the deficit to continue at this pace, the U.S. could ultimately converge to an external debt/GDP ratio around 1. Several analyses suggest that a rapid adjustment of the deficit toward balance would require a very sharp real depreciation of the U.S. dollar. This paper reviews the limitations of some optimistic arguments that predict instead a "soft landing" for the dollar. I focus in particular on the view that greater financial globalization allows the U.S. easily to run much bigger deficits for much longer periods. Some simple calculations based on real interest rate differentials suggest that markets could be underestimating the extent of necessary dollar depreciation. Author : Maurice Obstfeld, University of California, Berkeley | Source : Center for International and Development Economics Research

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Youths' Exposure to Substance Use Prevention Messages

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) asks youths aged 12 to 17 whether they have talked with at least one of their parents1,2 during the past year about the dangers of tobacco, alcohol, or drug use. Youths are also asked whether they have seen or heard any alcohol or drug prevention messages from sources such as posters, pamphlets, radio, or TV in the past 12 months. (updated on July 27, 2005) Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

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The Creation of a New Underclass in China and its Implications

"This paper examines the causes of a new underclass in China. The paper has three main objectives. The first objective is to demonstrate that economic reforms are the force that brought about this poverty and marginalization--in their several forms--that now so bedevil the Party rulers, and to examine the background and nature of the associated problems. The next objective is to show how "weapons of the state" have been forged or enhanced by the turn to marketization and the affluence this afforded the state, and how these tools are being put to use to quiet the discontented. And last, the paper offers a few policy suggestions--possibilities that either have not yet been attempted, or that have not yet yielded optimal effects." Author : Dorothy Solinger, U.C. Irvine | Source : Center for the Study of Democracy

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Living Arrangments of Children

"Children live in a variety of family arrangements that usually reflect the marriage, divorce, and remarriage patterns of their parents. In addition, one third of children today are born out-of-wedlock and may grow up in single parent families or spend significant portions of their lives with other relatives or stepparents. This report examines the diversity of children's living arrangements in American households." Source : U.S. Census Bureau

Download PDF Report | Link to site with downloadable table data

U.S. Trade Deficit and the Impact of Rising Oil Prices

"Petroleum prices have risen sharply since early 2004. At the same time, however, the average amount of imports of energy-related petroleum products has risen slightly. The combination of sharply rising prices and a slightly elevated level of demand for imports of energy-related petroleum products translates into an escalating cost for those imports. This rising cost could add an estimated $60 to $90 billion to the Nation's trade deficit in 2005, depending on how sustainable are the recent price increases."

This report provides an estimate of the initial impact of the rising oil prices on the Nation's merchandise trade deficit. This report will be updated as warranted by events.

Source : Congressional Research Service

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Central Asia: Regional Developments and Implications for U.S. Interests

"After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the United States recognized the independence of all the former Central Asian republics, supported their admission into Western organizations, and elicited Turkish support in countering Iranian influence in the region. Congress was at the forefront in urging the formation of coherent U.S. policies for aiding these and other Eurasian states of the former Soviet Union."

"Soon after the terrorist attacks on America on September 11, 2001, all the Central Asian states offered overflight and other support to coalition anti-terrorist efforts in Afghanistan. Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan have hosted coalition troops and provided access to airbases. In 2003, Uzbekistan endorsed coalition military action in Iraq and Kazakhstan provided about two dozen troops for rebuilding. After September 11, 2001, U.S. policy emphasized bolstering the security of the Central Asian states to help them combat terrorism, proliferation, and arms trafficking."

"Some observers call for different emphases or levels of U.S. involvement in Central Asia. Some have called for strengthening conditions linking aid to progress in improving human rights or in making adequate progress in democratization and the creation of free markets. Some have disputed the importance of energy resources to U.S. national security. Others point to civil and ethnic tensions in the region as possibly endangering U.S. lives and investments. Heightened congressional interest in Central Asia was reflected in passage of "Silk Road" language in late 1999 (P.L. 106-113) authorizing enhanced U.S. policy attention and aid to support conflict amelioration, humanitarian needs, economic development, transport (including energy pipelines) and communications, border controls, democracy, and the creation of civil societies in the South Caucasian and Central Asian states." Source : Congressional Research Service

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The Wilson-Plame-Novak-Rove Blame Game

"Both sides twist and hype the case of a CIA agent’s leaked identity. We document what’s known so far."

"Here we won’t attempt to debunk every false or misleading claim. We thought our readers would be better served by a timeline documenting what is publicly known so far, with citations for each fact and links to original source whenever possible."

Source: FactCheck.org (Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania)

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Supreme Court Nominations Not Confirmed, 1789-2004

"Of the 154 nominations to the U.S. Supreme Court between 1789 and 2004, 34 were not confirmed by the Senate. The 34 nominations represent 29 individuals whose names were sent forward to the Senate by Presidents (some individuals were nominated more than once). Of the 29 individuals who failed to be confirmed the first time they were nominated, however, five were later nominated again and confirmed. The Supreme Court nominations discussed here were not confirmed for a variety of reasons, including Senate opposition to the nominating President, nominee’s views, or incumbent Court; senatorial courtesy; perceived political unreliability of the nominee; perceived lack of ability; interest group opposition; and fear of altering the balance of the Court." Source: Congressional Research Service

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101 Facts on the Status of Workingwomen

"While women have made progress in several areas, some numbers are changing much too slowly. The wage gap has narrowed by only a half a penny a year for the past 40 years. The gap between median earnings of full-time, year-round workers widened last year, with women’s earnings currently 76% of men’s, down from 77% in 2004. At this rate, it will take another 40 years for women to reach wage parity with men, and over the course of a working lifetime, the average women loses approximately $523,000 due to the wage gap. 101 Facts on the Status of Workingwomen gathers facts on the status of women in the labor force, the wage gap, women entrepreneurs, women in the Fortune 500 & 1000, women in the government, women and higher education, women’s buying power, women and philanthropy, women and families, women and care giving, domestic violence and the workplace, women and retirement, and women’s health." Source: Business and Professional Women’s (BPW) Foundation

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Overview of the Chinese Economy

"The economy of the People’s Republic of China is strongly influenced by the Chinese government through its extensive ownership, control, and financing of major businesses, according to a new Joint Economic Committee (JEC) study released today by Chairman Jim Saxton. The new study, Overview of the Chinese Economy, examines the evolution of Chinese economic policy in recent decades and its impact on the structure of the Chinese economy." Source: U.S. Congress, Joint Economic Committee

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Parental Reports of Emotional and Behavioral Difficulties

"Good emotional and behavioral health enhances a child's sense of well-being, leads to satisfying social relationships at home and with peers, and leads to achievement of full academic potential. Children with emotional and behavioral difficulties may have problems managing their emotions, focusing on tasks, and/or controlling their behavior. These difficulties, which may persist throughout a child’s development and can lead to lifelong disability, are usually first noticed by parents. Parents’ reports are crucial to alerting doctors about their child’s emotional and behavioral difficulties and to obtaining mental health services." Source: National Institute of Mental Health and 2005 Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics

Link to online report (data tables also available)

Archive of Early American Images

The Archive of Early American Images is drawn entirely from the holdings of the John Carter Brown Library, an independently funded and administered institution for advanced research in history and the humanities, founded in 1846, and located at Brown University since 1901. The Library houses one of the world’s outstanding collections of books, maps, and manuscripts relating to the colonial period of the Americas, North and South, from 1492 to ca. 1825.

The database is intended to assist historians in their quest for contemporary images to illustrate their research findings and to facilitate the study of historical images in their own right and in proper context. It is also intended to be a unique resource for picture researchers, documentary filmmakers, and others looking for material for commercial use. The database, still in the process of compilation, will have ultimately about 6,000 images.

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Iraq’s Constitution at a Crossroads

"Both Iraq’s and America’s leaders have stressed their determination that Iraq meet the August 15th deadline for a draft constitution. Yet, the original political logic underlying the deadline has lost much of its relevance, argues Carnegie Arab constitutional expert Nathan Brown, and Iraq should consider using the six-month allowance for an extension to ensure the constitution is a viable, unifying document. Brown cautions that rushing to meet the deadline could result in a draft constitution that embodies the varying interests of Iraq’s contending groups but fails to resolve their differences. In his new Policy Outlook, Iraq’s Constitutional Process Plunges Ahead, Brown explains the constitutional process, its pitfalls and potential outcomes." Source: Carnegie Endowmnent for International Peace

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Annual Report to Congress: The Military Power of the People's Republic of China 2005

"This report outlines what we know of China’s national and military strategies, progress and trends in its military modernization, and their implications for regional security and stability. But, secrecy envelops most aspects of Chinese security affairs. The outside world has little knowledge of Chinese motivations and decision-making and of key capabilities supporting PLA modernization. Hence, the findings and conclusions are based on incomplete data. These gaps are, of necessity, bridged by informed judgment." Source: Office of the Secretary of Defense

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Establishing Law and Order After Conflict

"In a nation-building operation, outside states invest much of their resources in establishing and maintaining the host country’s police, internal security forces, and justice system. This book examines post-Cold War reconstruction efforts, such as those in Iraq and Afghanistan, and assesses the success of U.S. and allied efforts in reconstructing internal security institutions." Source: RAND Corporation

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The leaked Iraq war documents

"Designed to give our readers access to all the stories we have written about three highly classified documents on the Iraq war that were leaked to The Sunday Times ahead of the British General Election on May 5, 2005.

These three documents include the now famous “Downing Street Memo”, which contains the minutes of a meeting of what was effectively Tony Blair’s war cabinet held in Downing Street on July 23, 2002."

Source : The Sunday Times - Britain

Link to online articles and documents

Watching America

"Discover what the world thinks about the US" with "Translated Foreign News Available NOWHERE Else In English." Includes text, videos, and other media from Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas.

Link to site

Economic Integration and the Environment in Mexico

"This paper examines the extent to which economic integration affected levels of environmental degradation in Mexico during the period 1985 to 2000. During that time, Mexico transformed itself from one of the most closed to one of the most open economies in the world.

To answer this question, the paper draws on two theories from the economics literature: the so-called environmental kuznets curve (EKC) and the pollution haven hypothesis. During the often contentious debates over the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), proponents of free trade drew from the EKC to argue that in nations like Mexico economic integration would eventually lead to environmental improvements. Conversely, opponents of free trade evoked the pollution haven hypothesis to argue that free trade would automatically worsen environmental conditions in developing countries."
Source : U.C. Berkeley Center for Latin American Studies. CLAS Working Papers. Paper 13.

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The Women of Ciudad Juárez

"According to recent estimates published by the federal Attorney General s Office in Mexico, approximately 340 women, most of them young and poor, have been the victims of violent homicide in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua since 1993. Although many of these killings appear to have been caused by domestic violence, a disturbingly large number of cases seem to be the work of sexually motivated serial killers.

A common pattern has emerged in these killings: victims are kidnapped, raped and tortured, and their mutilated bodies are left in garbage dumps or in the outlying desert areas of the city. In spite of the gravity and frequency of these crimes, the problem of the women of Juárez was barely acknowledged in Mexico until quite recently and no serious action was taken to prosecute the killers or ensure women s safety." Source : U.C. Berkeley Center for Latin American Studies. CLAS Policy Papers.

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Supreme Court Nomination Blog

This weblog is collecting news, legal and opinion pieces about the Supreme Court Nomination. Also valuable at this site is a collection of the selected opinions by Judge John G. Roberts.

Link to Supreme Court Nomination Blog

Link to selected opinions by Judge Roberts

Also related from Inside Higher Ed : A Bush Choice With College Ties

Optimism and Pessimism as Predictors of Change in Health After Death or Onset of Severe Illness in Family

From press release: "In the first large-scale prospective study, researchers demonstrate the protective effects of an optimistic life orientation on health after experiencing a specific life stress situation. This effect was found to occur independently of a person’s actions compared to other life events that can be caused by a person’s actions, like some accidents. Furthermore, this study assessed a person’s level of optimism and pessimism before the event, which lessens the possibility of the event actually changing a person’s level of optimism." Source: Health Psychology/American Psychological Association

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Social Incentives for Sex Differences in the Propensity to Initiate Negotiation

Abstract : Two experiments show that sex differences in the propensity to initiate negotiations may be explained by differential treatment of men and women when they attempt to negotiate. In Experiment 1, participants evaluated candidates who either accepted compensation offers without comment or attempted to negotiate higher compensation. Men only penalized female candidates for attempting to negotiate whereas women penalized both male and female candidates. Perceptions of niceness and demandingness mediated these effects. In Experiment 2, participants adopted candidates’ role in same scenario and assessed whether to accept the compensation offer or attempt to negotiate for more. Women were less likely than men to choose to negotiate when the evaluator was male, but not when the evaluator was female. This effect was mediated by women’s nervousness about negotiating with male evaluators. This work illuminates how differential treatment may influence the distribution of organizational resources through sex differences in the propensity to negotiate" Authors : Hannah Riley Bowles, Linda Babcock and Lei Lai | Source: Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government, Faculty Research Working Paper Series.

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Iraq: U.S. Regime Change Efforts and Post-Saddam Governance

"Operation Iraqi Freedom accomplished a long-standing U.S. objective, the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, but replacing his regime with a stable, moderate, democratic political structure has been complicated by a persistent Sunni Arab-led insurgency. The Bush Administration asserts that establishing democracy in Iraq will catalyze the promotion of democracy throughout the Middle East and would also likely prevent Iraq from becoming a sanctuary or incubator for terrorists, a key recommendation of the July 2004 report of the 9/11 Commission. The Bush Administration asserts that U.S. policy in Iraq is now showing substantial success, demonstrated by January 30, 2005, elections that chose a National Assembly, and progress in building Iraq's various security forces. The Administration says it expects that the current transition roadmap -- including votes on a permanent constitution by October 31, 2005, and for a permanent government by December 15, 2005 -- will be implemented. The Administration believes that it has largely healed a rift with some European countries over the decision to invade Iraq, and it points to NATO and other nations' contributions of training for Iraqi security forces and government personnel." Source : Congressional Research Service [via open CRS]

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Technorati tag : iraq war

Feeling and Believing: The Influence of Emotion on Trust

Abstract : "We report results from five experiments that describe the influence of emotional states on trust. We find that incidental emotions significantly influence trust in unrelated settings. Happiness and gratitude, emotions with positive valence, increase trust, and anger, an emotion with negative valence, decreases trust. Specifically, we find that emotions characterized by other-person control (anger and gratitude) and weak control appraisals (happiness) influence trust significantly more than emotions characterized by personal control (pride and guilt) or situational control (sadness). These findings suggest that emotions may be more likely to be misattributed when the appraisals of the emotion are consistent with the judgment task than when the appraisals of the emotion are inconsistent with the judgment task. Salience of the emotion s cause and target familiarity moderate the relationship between incidental emotions and trust. Emotions do not influence trust when individuals are aware of the source of their emotions or when individuals are very familiar with the trustee." Authors : Jennifer R. Dunn and Maurice E. Schweitzer | Source : University of Pennsylvania

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Academic Journal Policy Database

"Experience shows that violating publishers' publication policies is one of the main concerns of faculty and students embarking on electronic submission of a thesis or dissertation (ETDs). It is often difficult to discover the publishers' policies and thus even more difficult to properly inform faculty and students about these policies."

"In response to this problem, the University of Cincinnati has developed a database of links to publishers' journal policies called the Academic Journal Policy Database (AJPD). Our goal is to provide a global mechanism for students, faculty, administrators, and publishers to share information and facilitate electronic publishing education."

Link to site

Getting a Job: Is There a Motherhood Penalty?

"Relative to other kinds of applicants, mothers were rated as less competent, less committed, less suitable for hire, promotion, and management training, and deserving of lower salaries. Mothers were also held to higher performance and punctuality standards. Men were not penalized for being a parent, and in fact, appeared to benefit from having children on some measures. We discuss the implications of these findings for the theory presented and for enduring patterns of gender inequality in paid work." Authors : Shelley J. Correll, Stephan Bernard Cornell University, Department of Sociology

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technorati tags : gender issues,employment

Do Women Shy Away From Competition? Do Men Compete Too Much?

Abstract : "Competitive high ranking positions are largely occupied by men, and women remain scarce in engineering and sciences. Explanations for these occupational differences focus on discrimination and preferences for work hours and field of study. We examine if absent these factors gender differences in occupations may still occur. Specifically we explore whether women and men, on a leveled playing field, differ in their selection into competitive environments. Men and women in a laboratory experiment perform a real task under a non-competitive piece rate and a competitive tournament scheme. Although there are no gender differences in performance under either compensation, there is a substantial gender difference when participants subsequently choose the scheme they want to apply to their next performance. Twice as many men as women choose the tournament over the piece rate. This gender gap in tournament entry is not explained by performance either before or after the entry decision. Furthermore, while men are more optimistic about their relative performance, differences in beliefs only explain a small share of the gap in tournament entry. In a final task we assess the impact of non-tournament-specific factors, such as risk and feedback aversion, on the gender difference in compensation choice. We conclude that even controlling for these general factors, there is a large residual gender gap in tournament entry." Authors : Muriel Niederle, Lise Vesterlund | Source : NBER

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Technorati Tags : gender issues, competition, economics

Layoffs, Lemons, Race, and Gender

"This paper expands on Gibbons and Katz (1991) by looking at how the difference in wage losses across plant closing and layoff varies with race and gender. We find that the differences between white males and the other groups are striking and complex. The lemons effect of layoff holds for white males as in Gibbons and Katz model, but not for the other three demographic groups (white females, black females, and black males). These three all experience a greater decline in earnings at plant closings than at layoffs. This results from two reinforcing effects. First, plant closings have substantially more negative effects on minorities than on whites. Second, layoffs seem to have more negative consequences for white men than the other groups. We also find that the relative wage losses of blacks following layoffs increased after the Civil Rights Act of 1991 which we take as suggestive of an informational effect of layoff as in Gibbons and Katz. The results are suggestive that the large losses that African Americans experience at plant closing could result from heterogeneity in taste discrimination across firms." Authors : Luojia Hu, Christopher Taber | Source : NBER

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Technorati Tag : economics

Patients' perceptions of cultural factors affecting the quality of their medical encounters

Abstract : Objective The aim of this study was to identify key domains of cultural competence from the perspective of ethnically and linguistically diverse patients. Design The study involved one-time focus groups in community settings with 61 African-Americans, 45 Latinos and 55 non-Latino Whites. Participants' mean age was 48 years, 45% were women, and 47% had less than a high school education. Participants in 19 groups were asked the meaning of 'culture' and what cultural factors influenced the quality of their medical encounters. Each text unit (TU or identifiable continuous verbal utterance) of focus group transcripts was content analysed to identify key dimensions using inductive and deductive methods. The proportion of TUs was calculated for each dimension by ethnic group. Results Definitions of culture common to all three ethnic groups included value systems (25% of TUs), customs (17%), self-identified ethnicity (15%), nationality (11%) and stereotypes (4%). Factors influencing the quality of medical encounters common to all ethnic groups included sensitivity to complementary/alternative medicine (17%), health insurance-based discrimination (12%), social class-based discrimination (9%), ethnic concordance of physician and patient (8%), and age-based discrimination (4%). Physicians' acceptance of the role of spirtuality (2%) and of family (2%), and ethnicity-based discrimination (11%) were cultural factors specific to non-Whites. Language issues (21%) and immigration status (5%) were Latino-specific factors. Conclusions Providing quality health care to ethnically diverse patients requires cultural flexibility to elicit and respond to cultural factors in medical encounters. Interventions to reduce disparities in health and health care in the USA need to address cultural factors that affect the quality of medical encounters. Authors : A M. Napoles-Springer, J Santoyo, K Houston, E J. Perez-Stable, and A L. Stewart | U.C. eScholarship Repository. This is an electronic version of an Article published in Health Expectations (2005), 8, pp.4–17.

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Technorati Tag : health care

Race, Ethnicity, and Youth Perceptions of Criminal Justice

"A study of Chicago public high school students suggests that American minority groups’ widespread belief that the police and the courts treat them unfairly may begin to solidify in the 9th and 10th grades. That is a transitional time when African-American and Latino youth are likely to have more exposure to whites and compare their treatment to that of other groups in the larger society. Because the police are a great presence in Chicago public schools with increasing authority to confront students the minority youth also are likely to interact more with police at that age." Authors : John Hagan, Carla Shedd, and Monique R. Payne | Source: American Sociological Review

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A Survey of Online Research Habits of Stanford Law Students

"The reference librarians have long observed that students strongly favor electronic resources, and the survey results bear out this observation. When helping students with their research, we often will generate a bibliography of citations, some of which are available electronically and others of which exist only in print. Many students will only look at the online resources." Source: Robert Crown Law Library, Stanford Law School

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What don't we know? : 125 questions

"In a special collection of articles published beginning 1 July 2005, Science Magazine and its online companion sites celebrate the journal's 125th anniversary with a look forward -- at the most compelling puzzles and questions facing scientists today. A special, free news feature in Science explores 125 big questions that face scientific inquiry over the next quarter-century; accompanying the feature are several online extras including a reader's forum on the big questions." Source : Science Magazine

Link to site

Tecnorati tags : science

What Do Parents Value in Education? An Investigation of Parents' Revealed Preferences for Teachers

Abstract : This paper examines revealed parent preferences for their children’s education using a unique data set that includes the number of parent requests for individual elementary school teachers along with information on teacher attributes including principal reports of teacher characteristics that are typically unobservable. We find that, on average, parents strongly prefer teachers that principals describe as good at promoting student satisfaction and place relatively less value on a teacher’s ability to raise standardized math or reading achievement. These aggregate effects, however, mask striking differences across family demographics. Families in higher poverty schools strongly value student achievement and are essentially indifferent to the principal’s report of a teacher’s ability to promote student satisfaction. The results are reversed for families in higher-income schools. Authors : Brian A. Jacob and Lars Lefgren | Source: Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government, Faculty Research Working Paper Series

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Technorati Tags : education | culture

Canine Legislation

"In conjunction with our network of Legislative Liaisons, the American Kennel Club's Canine Legislation Department monitors and provides input for federal, state and local legislation governing responsible dog ownership. AKC Canine Legislation also provides position statements." Information includes position statements on air travel, pet and animal welfare statutes, and breed specific legislation. Source : American Kennel Club

Link to site

Technorati Tags: dogs | legislation

What's Behind BoA's Bold Move into China?

"Wharton faculty members and others who follow China say BoA's high-profile move gives it a foothold in a country with a Wild West business culture -- where the potential for both profitability and missteps is apportioned in equal measure. The deal gives CCB much-needed cash and a measure of respectability as it prepares for major changes in China's competitive environment. But some observers say BoA executives may have bitten off more than they can chew if they think the company's equity position will give it a significant amount of influence in reforming CCB." Source : Knowledge@Wharton

Link to online article

Justice O'Connor's Retirement

Chronicle of Higher Education's coverage of Sandra Day O'Connor's resignation:

• Justice O'Connor, Author of Key Rulings in Higher-Education Cases, Announces Retirement From Supreme Court by By Peter Schmidt [link]
• The Politics of Retirement From the Supreme Court: Reflections of a Court Watcher [link]
• Opinion: The Court Begins to Shift by Mark Rahdert, Temple University and Lawrence White,chief legal counsel of the Pennsylvania Department of Education. [link]

NPR has a collection of related online news stories including a 2002 interview with justice O'Connor [link]

PBS companion site from the News Hour includes audio and video clips [link]
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Technorati Tags : Justice O'Connor | Supreme Court | News

Wages in Profit and Nonprofit Hospitals and Universities

"This article compares average hourly earnings in private for-profit hospitals to those in private nonprofit hospitals. It then compares those rates to the rates in State and local government hospitals, which by definition are nonprofit. The comparisons include average hourly rates for all workers, full-time workers, part-time workers, registered nurses, and licensed practical nurses. Next, the article compares average hourly rates in State and local government colleges and universities to those in private nonprofit colleges and universities. In addition to comparing the rates for all workers, full-time workers, and part-time workers, the study compares the average hourly rates for all teachers." Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Link to online report

Report Of The APA Presidential Task Force On Psychological Ethics And National Security

"The American Psychological Association Presidential Task Force on Psychological Ethics and National Security today released its report affirming the adequacy of the current APA Ethics Code in addressing the ethical dimensions of psychologists’ involvement in national security-related activities and affirming APA’s continuing central role and commitment to developing policies that address the role of psychology and psychologists in investigations related to national security. The Task Force report also called for APA to develop further its resources to provide ethics consultation to psychologists who work with classified information in national security-related settings." Source: American Psychological Association

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Ambient Odors Influence the Amplitude and Time Course of Visual Distraction

"Experimental participants became far more visually attentive to environmental distractions when, unaware, they were exposed to an odor that stimulates the facial trigeminal nerve. Because this nerve travels to the brain’s 'danger' center, the researchers suspect that certain odors may signal the nervous system to put the other senses on guard." Source: Behavioral Neuroscience (APA)

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Unauthorized Employment of Aliens: Basics of Employer Sanctions

"The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 19861 (IRCA) sought to end unauthorized employment by imposing penalties on employers who knowingly hire or continue to employ aliens not authorized to work in the United States (e.g., illegal aliens and foreign tourists). The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 19962 (IIRIRA) amended some of the provisions of IRCA by reducing the number of acceptable documents for completion of the Employment Eligibility Verification form (I-9) purposes, providing employers with the possibility of a good-faith defense against technical paperwork violations and providing some protection for employers who are part of multi-employer associations. This report summarizes the employer sanctions." Source : Congressional Research Service (CRS)

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U.K. National Advisory Centre on Early Language Learning (NACELL)

"Nacell is a Department for Education and Skills Initiative to promote and develop the provision and quality of Modern Foreign Language learning in the Primary sector." The site includes a best practice guide, professional development information, online resources including a Teaching Materials Database and networking information.

Link to Site

Aptitude for Destruction, Volume 1

Organizational Learning in Terrorist Groups and Its Implications for Combating Terrorism.

Abstract:
Better ways are needed to understand how terrorist groups become more effective and dangerous. Learning is the link between what a group wants to do and its ability to actually do it; therefore, a better understanding of group learning might contribute to the design of better measures for combating terrorism. This study analyzes current understanding of group learning and the factors that influence it and outlines a framework that should be useful in present analytical efforts and for identifying areas requiring further study. Authors : Brian A. Jackson, John C. Baker, Peter Chalk, R. Kim Cragin, John V. Parachini and Horacio R. Trujillo | Source : RAND Corporation

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Travel Journal : The Hidden Tokyo

From Yahoo : "Marco Silvestri, a young Italian who works for 'various multinational companies active in the IT sector,' presents this strangely captivating travel portfolio. How could hundreds of pictures of Japanese airline food, appliances, public signs, and store fronts prove interesting? Because the real star of the show is Marco himself, who appears quite fond of stoic self-portraits and stunningly obvious captions. Every few pages he pops up, always sporting the same look: Head positioned at the bottom of the frame, eyes gazing outward, glazed expression. Sometimes he allows himself a wistful smile. The captions can be hypnotic and strangely soothing. Describing a vending machine: 'Note: hot drinks will come out HOT, probably warmed inside the machine.' Describing a sculpture of a large whale: 'Outside - a giant whale.' Marco has unwittingly turned a travel portfolio about Japan into a portfolio about himself."

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Seeding science, courting conclusions: Reexamining the intersection of science, corporate cash, and the law

Abstract : Social scientists have expressed strong views on corporate influences over science, but most attention has been devoted to broad, Black/White arguments, rather than to actual mechanisms of influence. This paper summarizes an experience where involvement in a lawsuit led to the discovery of an unexpected mechanism: A large corporation facing a multibillion-dollar court judgment quietly provided generous funding to well-known scientists (including at least one Nobel prize winner) who would submit articles to "open," peer-reviewed journals, so that their "unbiased science" could be cited in an appeal to the Supreme Court. On balance, the corporation's most effective techniques of influence may have been provided not by overt pressure, but by encouraging scientists to continue thinking of themselves as independent and impartial. Author : W R. Freudenburg, UCSB | Source : Sociological Forum

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Race, Income, and College in 25 Years: The Continuing Legacy of Segregation and Discrimination

Abstract : The rate at which racial gaps in pre-collegiate academic achievement can plausibly be expected to erode is a matter of great interest and much uncertainty. In her opinion in Grutter v. Bollinger, Supreme Court Justice O'Connor took a firm stand: "We expect that 25 years from now, the use of racial preferences will no longer be necessary . . ." We evaluate the plausibility of Justice O'Connor's forecast, by projecting the racial composition and SAT distribution of the elite college applicant pool 25 years from now. We focus on two important margins: First, changes in the black-white relative distribution of income, and second, narrowing of the test score gap between black and white students within family income groups. Other things equal, progress on each margin can be expected to reduce the racial gap in qualifications among students pursuing admission to the most selective colleges. Under plausible assumptions, however, projected economic progress will not yield nearly as much racial diversity as is currently obtained with race-sensitive admissions. Simulations that assume additional increases in black students' test scores, beyond those deriving from changes in family income, yield more optimistic estimates. In this scenario, race-blind rules approach the black representation among admitted students seen today at moderately selective institutions, but continue to fall short at the most selective schools. Maintaining a critical mass of African American students at the most selective institutions would require policies at the elementary and secondary levels or changes in parenting practices that deliver unprecedented success in narrowing the test score gap in the next quarter century. Source : NBER

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The Growth of Executive Pay

Abstract : This paper examines both empirically and theoretically the growth of U.S. executive pay during the period 1993-2003. During this period, pay has grown much beyond the increase that could be explained by changes in firm size, performance and industry classification. Had the relationship of compensation to size, performance and industry classification remained the same in 2003 as it was in 1993, mean compensation in 2003 would have been only about half of its actual size. During the 1993-2003 period, equity-based compensation has increased considerably in both new economy and old economy firms, but this growth has not been accompanied by a substitution effect, i.e., a reduction in non-equity compensation. The aggregate compensation paid by public companies to their top-five executives during the considered period added up to about $350 billion, and the ratio of this aggregate top-five compensation to the aggregate earnings of these firms increased from 5% in 1993-1995 to about 10% in 2001-2003. After presenting evidence about the growth of pay, we discuss alternative explanations for it. We examine how this growth could be explained under either the arm's length bargaining model of executive compensation or the managerial power model. Among other things, we discuss the relevance of the parallel rise in market capitalizations and in the use of equity-based compensation. Source : NBER

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Age, Women, and Hiring: An Experimental Study

Abstract : As the baby boom cohort reaches retirement age, demographic pressures on public programs such as social security may cause policy makers to cut benefits and encourage employment at later ages. This paper reports on a labor market experiment to determine the hiring conditions for older women in entry-level jobs in Boston, MA and St. Petersburg, FL. Differential interviewing by age is found for these jobs. A younger worker is more than 40% more likely to be offered an interview than an older worker. No evidence is found to support taste-based discrimination as a reason for this differential and some suggestive evidence is found to support statistical discrimination. Source : NBER

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Census Bureau : Fourth of July Statistics

"On this day in 1776, the Declaration of Independence was approved by the Continental Congress, starting the 13 colonies on the road to freedom as a sovereign nation. As always, this most American of holidays will be marked by parades, fireworks and backyard barbecues across the country."

This "Facts for Features" special report provides interesting statistics about the U.S. population and celebrations on the Fourth of July. Did you know...

The number of hot dogs (all varieties) expected to be consumed by Americans on the Fourth is 150 million! (That’s one frankfurter for every two people.)

Read more...[link to site]

U.S. Image Up Slightly, But Still Negative

"American Character Gets Mixed Reviews: Anti-Americanism in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, which surged as a result of the U.S. war in Iraq, shows modest signs of abating. But the United States remains broadly disliked in most countries surveyed, and the opinion of the American people is not as positive as it once was." Source: Pew Global Attitudes Project

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Why Do Field Differentials In Average Faculty Salary Vary Across Universities?

"Our main finding is that differences in the quality of faculty present in different fields at a university, as measured by differences in the National Research Council ratings of graduate programs at the university, are important predictors of the field differences in average faculty salaries that exist at the full professor level at the university." (Forthcoming in the Economics of Education Review)
Source: Cornell Higher Education Research Institute

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Violence by Gang Members, 1993-2003

"Provides estimates of the number and rate of violent crimes committed by offenders that victims perceived to be members of gangs based on the National Crime Victimization Survey data. This Crime Data Brief also presents information on demographic characteristics of the victims of violence by gang members such as race, age, and gender, and characteristics of the incident such as police notification and number of offenders. Trends in violence by gang members are also examined."
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics

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Three Years After: Next Steps in the War on Terror

"The RAND Corporation held a conference three years after 9/11 to share results from recent terrorism studies with government and military officials, congressional staff, foundations, NGOs, foreign embassy representatives, and the public. Participants discuss understanding the nature of the terrorist threat; taking direct action against terrorists and terrorist organizations; seeking to reduce support for terrorists; and protecting the homeland." Source: RAND Corporation

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One Face at the Border: Behind the Slogan

"In less than two years, the Department of Homeland Security’s ambitious One Face at the Border initiative has made strides toward creating a unified agency to inspect people and goods at U.S. air, land and sea ports, according to a new report from the Migration Policy Institute. However, author Deborah Meyers finds that the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) still has significant weaknesses that could undermine border security if they are not confronted squarely and soon." Source: Migration Policy Institute

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Red States Benefit from Economic Freedom, Says Study

"States that voted for George W. Bush in the last election tend to have less government regulation and more economic freedom than states that voted for Sen. John Kerry, according to a report released today by the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA) and Canada’s Fraser Institute. Ten of the 12 states with the most economic freedom were carried by President Bush (Red states), and 7 of the 12 least economically free states were carried by Sen. Kerry (Blue states)." Source: National Center for Policy Analysis/Fraser Institute

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Report Details Civil Liberties Implications of Faulty Policies

"Academic freedom and scientific inquiry have come under sustained assault since September 11, 2001. Spurred by misguided and often disingenuous security concerns, the Bush Administration has sought to impose growing restrictions on the free flow of scientific information, unreasonable barriers to the use of scientific materials, and increased monitoring of and restrictions on foreign university students." Source : ACLU

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Highlights of the Foundation Center's Foundations Yearbook

"Giving by the nation’s over 66,000 grantmaking foundations slipped 0.4 percent to $30.3 billion in 2003, following a 0.2 percent dip in the prior year. Nonetheless, foundations in the Northeast raised their level of giving 3.1 percent in the latest year, led by strong growth in funding by foundations based in Maine and New Jersey. Similarly, grantmakers in theWest managed a 1.3 percent increase in their giving, buoyed by gains in giving by foundations in Wyoming and California. In contrast, Midwestern and Southern foundations registered declines of 5.4 percent and 2.4 percent, respectively. By share of overall giving, the Northeast continued to lead, followed by the South. The West ranked third, surpassing the Midwest for the first time on record." Source: Foundation Center

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The full report can be purchased from the Foundation Center

The Deep Throat File

FBI Memos Detail Mark Felt's Involvement in Efforts to Identify Secret Watergate Source

"The senior FBI official now revealed as "Deep Throat" - the Watergate source for Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward - ordered his subordinates to "forcibly remind all agents of the need to be most circumspect in talking about this case with anyone outside the Bureau" according to declassified FBI documents posted today by the National Security Archive at George Washington University. Many of these documents - which were declassified in 1980 - have been cited in recent articles in The Nation magazine and the Washington Post."

"The documents show that Mark Felt, as the FBI's number two man in 1972, had intimate access to files pertaining to the FBI's Watergate investigation, putting him in a position where he was both leaking crucial information to Woodward and overseeing an FBI probe into the source of these leaks." Source: National Security Archive

Link to site containing declassified documents

Ethnic Identification, Intermarriage, and Unmeasured Progress by Mexican Americans

Abstract : Using Census and CPS data, we show that U.S.-born Mexican Americans who marry non-Mexicans are substantially more educated and English proficient, on average, than are Mexican Americans who marry co-ethnics (whether they be Mexican Americans or Mexican immigrants). In addition, the non-Mexican spouses of intermarried Mexican Americans possess relatively high levels of schooling and English proficiency, compared to the spouses of endogamously married Mexican Americans. The human capital selectivity of Mexican intermarriage generates corresponding differences in the employment and earnings of Mexican Americans and their spouses. Moreover, the children of intermarried Mexican Americans are much less likely to be identified as Mexican than are the children of endogamous Mexican marriages. These forces combine to produce strong negative correlations between the education, English proficiency, employment, and earnings of Mexican-American parents and the chances that their children retain a Mexican ethnicity. Such findings raise the possibility that selective ethnic attrition might bias observed measures of intergenerational progress for Mexican Americans. Authors : Brian Duncan, Stephen J. Trejo | Source : NBER

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Zero Returns to Compulsory Schooling In Germany: Evidence and Interpretation

Abstract : We estimate the impact of compulsory schooling on earnings using the changes in compulsory schooling laws for secondary schools in West German states during the period from 1948 to 1970. While our research design is very similar to studies for various other countries, we find very different estimates of the returns. Most estimates in the literature indicate returns in the range of 10 to 15 percent. We find no return to compulsory schooling in Germany in terms of higher wages. We investigate whether this is due to labor market institutions or the existence of the apprenticeship training system in Germany, but find no evidence for these explanations. We conjecture that the result might be due to the fact that the basic skills most relevant for the labor market are learned earlier in Germany than in other countries. Authors : Jorn-Steffen Pischke, Till von Wachter | Source : NBER

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The Social Context of Childrearing: Public Spending in Oakland, 1970-2000

This paper takes stock of spending in Oakland on children from 1970-2000, in order to gauge the trends in families’ “collective consumption.” Using funding for schools, parks, libraries, museum and the police as a proxy for public spending on children’s lives generally, I find that while monies for parks and the museum declined, funding for police and libraries stayed level. Schools offer a more complex case, in which increases in per-pupil expenditures may be mitigated by ballooning needs for special education services, and in which parent-raised funds contribute further to intra- and inter-district inequality. I propose the notion of “concentric rings of consumption” to analytically treat these parent-raised funds, which are not quite private but not quite public either. After reviewing a case of privatized educational services, I suggest that public spending decreases lead to three linked and overlapping outcomes: “compensatory spending,” or the individual’s choice to buy goods and services, “public squalor,” or the fraying of public services left to those who have no other option, and “ambient privatization,” or the perception of the first two of these trends. Author : Allison Pugh, University of California, Berkeley | Source : Institute for the Study of Social Change. ISSC Fellows Working Papers.

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How Objective is Objectivity? A Critique of Current Trends in Educational Research

Abstract : This paper explores the question of objectivity, focusing considerable attention on its explicit and implicit goals. It engages the critiques of positivism and objectivity from a variety of theoretical lenses including critical theory, poststructuralism, critical pedagogy, postcolonialism and feminism. It then explores recent trends in educational research that tend to fit within the positivist framework, including the recent National Research Council report Scientific Research in Education. It concludes by offering an alternative vision of critical educational research, where objectivity is abandoned as a goal and standpoint theory and critical hermeneutics are combined to create a more reflexive, phenomenological and dialogical epistemology founded on clear ethical and political positionality. Author : Richard Van Heertum, University of California, Los Angeles | Source : InterActions: UCLA Journal of Education and Information Studies. Vol. 1, Issue 2, Article 5.

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Memory Slain: Recovering Cultural Heritage in Post-war Bosnia

Abstract : Violent conflicts between ethnic and religious groups in Bosnia-Herzegovina in the first half of the 1990s found both civilians and cultural heritage targeted for destruction. By attacking cultural heritage such as libraries, archives, museums, religious sites, and historic architecture, factions attempted to manipulate the collective memory of the region. Once the conflict ended, the people of Bosnia and others have made efforts to preserve remnants and reconstruct what was lost. Other routes to regaining the collective memory, including evidence presented in the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, should also be considered to supplement the documentary record. In this way, a more fully realized collective memory can be constructed, so that voices that were once silenced may be heard again. Author : Shannon Supple, University of California, Los Angeles | Source : InterActions: UCLA Journal of Education and Information Studies. Vol. 1, Issue 2, Article 8.

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