Baseball, Steroids and Business Ethics: How Breaches of Trust Can Change the Game

"The day after former Senator George Mitchell released his damning report on performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball last December, President George Bush, a former baseball-team owner himself, seemed to speak for many disgusted fans when he pronounced, 'Steroids have sullied the game.'" Source: Knowledge@Wharton University of Pennsylvania

Download pdf article | link to online article

Islam: Portability and Exportability

"This paper is the outcome of a collaborative effort between the UCLA Centers for Near Eastern Studies and European and Eurasian Studies to combine an annual seminar with a public lecture series. The program was funded by the U.S. Department of Education and supported by the UCLA International Institute and other research units and organizations in Southern California. The objective was to explore some of the issues facing Muslim communities in Europe and North America and to examine the ways in which such issues contribute to the (re)construction of (new) diasporic Muslim identities. There was a felt need to pursue inquiries and areas of research with descriptive and comparative nature. A second type of inquiry was concerned with broader international developments and their impact on diasporic identities. A third category of inquiries dealt with future paradigms as the technological and post-Enlightenment age continues to unfold in the coming decades. In this paper, 17 scholars present summaries of their lectures. The paper includes a Preface, Conclusions, and a Selected Bibliography." Source: G E von Grunebaum Center for Near Eastern Studies, UCLA

Download full pdf report | Link to eScholarship Repository

Current Population Reports, Living Arrangements of Children: 2004

"This report provides a detailed overview of children's living arrangements in the United States in 2004. Data in the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) that allow the identification of detailed relationships among all household members show a variety of living arrangements for children by their race and Hispanic origin, by the number of parents with whom they live, and other characteristics."
Source: U.S. Census Bureau

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Which California School Districts Have the Most Dropouts?

"A study released... indicates that a relatively small group of California schools account for a significant number of high school dropouts. Based on data from the California Basic Educational Data System (CBEDS), the study conducted by the California Dropout Research Project (CDRP) shows that just 100 high schools--out of 2,462 high schools in California--account for more than 40 percent of the state’s dropouts."

Source: California Dropout Research Project, U.C. Santa Barbara

Download pdf publication | Sortable list of schools and counties

Presidential Fundraising in 2007 Doubles 2003

"The presidential candidates raised a combined total of nearly $552 million in 2007 for the 2008 primaries, according to year-end reports filed with the Federal Election Commission on January 31. This more than doubles the previous off-year record of $273 million that the 2004 candidates raised in 2003.

* Democrats in 2007 raised $292 million for the primaries, with $253 million coming from individuals and most of the rest from candidates’ Senate campaign committees and loans.

* Republicans in 2007 raised $260 million for the primaries, with $208 million coming from individuals and most of the rest from Senate campaign committees and from self-financing.

* After starting the year slowly, Republicans raised more from individuals in the fourth quarter ($65 million, including $20 million by Ron Paul) than the Democrats ($58 million)."

Source: Campaign Finance Institute

Download detailed tables:
Table 1: Presidential Candidates Fundraising Activity in the 4th Quarter, 2007

Table 2: Presidential Candidates Fundraising Activity Jan. 1 - Dec. 31, 2007

Table 3: Historical Presidential Elections, Odd Years, 1995-2007

Link to summary tables

Mental Exercising Through Simple Socializing: Social Interaction Promotes General Cognitive Functioning

"Social interaction is a central feature of people's life and engages a variety of cognitive resources. Thus, social interaction should facilitate general cognitive functioning. Previous studies suggest such a link, but they used special populations (e.g., elderly with cognitive impairment), measured social interaction indirectly (e.g., via marital status), and only assessed effects of extended interaction in correlational designs. Here the relation between mental functioning and direct indicators of social interaction was examined in a younger and healthier population. Study 1 using survey methodology found a positive relationship between social interaction, assessed via amount of actual social contact, and cognitive functioning in people from three age groups including younger adults. Study 2 using an experimental design found that a small amount of social interaction (10 min) can facilitate cognitive performance. The findings are discussed in the context of the benefits social relationships have for so many aspects of people's lives." Source: Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Vol. 34, No. 2, 248-259 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/0146167207310454

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The Work-Family Conflict: An Essay on Employers, Men and Responsibility

"This paper, prepared for a symposium held at the University of St. Thomas Law School, explores an issue that has been largely neglected in the work-family debate, namely why the burden should be on employers to change their practices rather than on men to change theirs. Many of the policy proposals designed to facilitate the balancing of work and family demands require employers to alter their practices by creating part-time work, providing paid leave, or devising ways to limit the penalties women face for taking extended leave. At the same time, the reluctance of men to change their behavior, which could go a significant way to altering the dynamics of work-family issues, has been largely ignored. This essay first explores the rationales for focusing on employers, including what is now defined as the business case for work-life benefits. The paper then critiques the various excuses that are typically raised for why men do not take more responsibility for work-family balance issues, including that (1) they are penalized to a greater extent than woman, that (2) it is economically rational for the burden to fall on women and that (3) men's behavior has changed significantly, none of which is empirically supported in the literature. Finally, I suggest that it is important to have a more theoretically targeted policy focus that is premised on workplace equality rather than trying to support all choices for all women." Source: Social Science Resource Network (SSRN)

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Lifetime Medical Costs of Obesity: Prevention No Cure for Increasing Health Expenditure

"Obesity is a major cause of morbidity and mortality and is associated with high medical expenditures. It has been suggested that obesity prevention could result in cost savings. The objective of this study was to estimate the annual and lifetime medical costs attributable to obesity, to compare those to similar costs attributable to smoking, and to discuss the implications for prevention." Source: Public Library of Science

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Lady Madonna, Children at Your Feet: The Criminal Justice System's Romanticization of the Parent-Child Relationship

Abstract:
"This Article is an attempt to begin a conversation about the way children who have been victimized by their parents are treated by the criminal justice system. I suggest that even though as a society we are obsessed with our children, that obsession has not translated into criminal justice policies that adequately protect them. Parental offenders are systematically treated better by the criminal justice system than are extrafamilial offenders, and we need to grapple with whether that preferential treatment is appropriate. I suggest that in many instances it is not, and I therefore propose some principles that I hope provide some guidance for the future formulation of criminal justice policy. The Article unfolds in five Parts. Part I describes the romanticization phenomenon, drawing on sources both from law and from popular culture to demonstrate how we idealize the parent-child bond. As a result, we have come to believe that we can ordinarily rely upon the strength of that bond, without messy interference from the criminal justice system, to protect our children from harm. In other words, the belief that love, not law, is sufficient to protect our children permeates our approach to family violence. Part II gives concrete examples of the adverse consequences of this phenomenon and demonstrates how this phenomenon has harmed children. I have chosen in this Part to focus on the most serious crimes that parents can commit against their children: the crimes of murder and rape. These crimes are the focus of the Article because the conduct at issue without question can be characterized as criminal; indeed, these crimes receive our greatest wrath outside the realm of the family. Unfortunately, the romanticization phenomenon affects the criminal justice system's treatment of even these most serious of crimes. This Part also includes a discussion of the parental discipline defense, both because defendants often raise that issue in child homicide cases and because I believe that our continued willingness to endorse the use of corporal punishment against children is contributing to the larger problems discussed in this Article. Part III addresses some of the objections raised to using the criminal justice system more vigorously to protect children from parental violence. For example, perhaps parental offenders simply are less dangerous than stranger offenders. Other objections include the idea that we do not need the incentives of the criminal law to protect children because the fear of losing a child is incentive enough to induce appropriate parental behavior, or that parents who have lost a child are suffering enough and the infliction of additional punishment through the criminal justice system is simply gratuitous and cruel. This Part also grapples with the very real harms that greater use of the criminal justice system could potentially create, such as disruption of families or a disproportionate impact on families of color. Part IV sets forth some principles that hopefully can better guide policymakers and practitioners in the future as they grapple with how best to protect our children from harm. This Part argues that if we are serious about protecting children as a class from physical injury, we must reorient our thinking about criminal justice policy toward the home, rather than away from it. This Part also addresses some of the particular issues related to motherhood and child abuse. Finally, Part V offers some brief concluding thoughts." Iowa Law Review, Vol. 93, No. 1, 2007 Available at SSRN (Social Science Research Network)


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Minds on Fire: Open Education, the Long Tail, and Learning 2.0

"The building blocks provided by the Open Educational Resources movement, along with e-Science and e-Humanities and the resources of the Web 2.0, are creating the conditions for the emergence of new kinds of open participatory learning ecosystems that will support active, passion-based learning: Learning 2.0." Source: Educause Review

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Educause: 2008 Horizon Report

The New Media Consortium (NMC) and the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI) jointly produced Horizon Report describes six areas of emerging technology that will have significant impact on higher education within three adoption horizons over the next one to five years. The 2008 report focuses on the following topics;

* Grassroots Video
* Collaboration Webs
* Mobile Broadband
* Data Mashups
* Collective Intelligence
* Social Operating Systems

Download pdf report | Link to Educause

Ghana: Background and U.S. Relations

"This short report, which will be updated as events warrant, provides background information on current developments in Ghana and U.S. bilateral relations with Ghana. Introduction. In mid-February 2008, President and Mrs. Bush are slated to travel to five African countries, including the West African country of Ghana, which in 2006 signed a $547 million Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact. They are to "review firsthand" U.S. AIDS and healthcare assistance and to "discuss how the United States can continue to partner with African countries to support continued democratic reform, respect for human rights, free trade, open investment regimes, and economic opportunity" in Africa.1 The Bushes are visiting Ghana, in part, because it is widely seen as a key U.S. partner and as an African "success story." " Source: Congressional Research Service

Download pdf report | Link to online summary

How Large is China's Economy? Does it Matter?

"China's rapid economic growth since 1979 has transformed it into a major economic power. Over the past few years, many analysts have contended that China could soon overtake the United States to become the world's largest economy, based on estimates of China's economy on a "purchasing power parity" (PPP) basis, which attempts to factor in price differences across countries when estimating the size of a foreign economy in U.S. dollars. However, in December 2007, the World Bank issued a study that lowered its previous 2005 PPP estimate of the size of China's economy by 40%. If these new estimates are accurate, it will likely be many years before China's economy reaches U.S. levels. The new PPP data could also have an impact on U.S. and international perceptions over other aspects of China's economy, including its living standards, poverty levels, and government expenditures, such as on the military. This report will not be updated." Source: Congressional Research Service

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Obama Inspiring But Inexperienced, Clinton Prepared to Lead But "Hard To Like"

"Barack Obama is seen by most Democrats as inspiring and as most likely to bring about change. Hillary Clinton is widely viewed as prepared to lead the country, but also hard to like. These are some of the major themes in campaign news coverage – identified by the Project for Excellence in Journalism (PEJ) – which are registering with the public." Source: Pew Project for Excellence in Journalism

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U.S. Population Projections: 2005-2050

"If current trends continue, the population of the United States will rise to 438 million in 2050, from 296 million in 2005, and 82% of the increase will be due to immigrants arriving from 2005 to 2050 and their U.S.-born descendants, according to new projections developed by the Pew Research Center." Source: Pew Hispanic Center

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U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF): Background and Issues for Congress

"Special Operations Forces (SOF) play a significant role in U.S. military operations and the Administration has given U.S. SOF greater responsibility for planning and conducting worldwide counterterrorism operations. Potential increased SOF involvement in Pakistan and achieving the proper balance between direct and indirect SOF missions might be issues for congressional consideration. This report will be updated as events warrant." Source: Congressional Research Service

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Economic Stimulus Proposals for 2008: An Analysis

"In response to fears of an economic downturn, legislators and the President have proposed economic stimulus packages. After negotiations with the Administration, the Recovery Rebates and Economic Stimulus for the American People Act of 2008 (H.R. 5140) was introduced and passed by the House on January 29. On January 30, the Senate Committee on Finance reported the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008, which contains provisions not included in the House bill, as well as elements that are similar. The Senate committee bill is set for consideration on the Senate floor. The estimated budget cost of the House bill is $145.9 billion for FY2008 and $14.8 billion for FY2009, and $117.2 billion over 10 years. The Senate Finance Committee bill's estimated budget cost is $158.1 billion for FY2008 -- about 8% higher than H.R. 5140 -- and $155.7 billion over 10 years. The largest provisions in both bills (in terms of budgetary cost) are a tax rebate for individuals and business tax provisions. Both bills contain these provisions, but differ in their details." Source: Congressional Research Service

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Analysis of the Personality of Adolph Hitler

"In 1943, the Allied forces wanted to understand Hitler's psychological makeup in order to predict, to the extent possible, his behavior as the Allies continued their prosecution of the war and to anticipate his response to Germany's defeat. The Allies were also seeking to understand the German national psyche to gain an understanding of how to convert them into a "peace-loving nation." This report was written for the OSS by Dr. Henry A. Murray, pre-war Director of the Harvard Psychological Clinic. Dr. Murray obviously was forced by circumstances to psychoanalyze his subject from a distance. He gathered information from a variety of second-hand sources, such as Hitler's genealogy; school and military records; public reports of events in print and on film; OSS information; Hitler's own writings; Hitler biographies; and "Hitler the Man - Notes for a Case History," an article written by W.H.D. Vernon under Dr. Murray's supervision. From these resources and his "needs theory" of personality, Dr. Murray created a psychological profile that correctly predicted the Nazi leader's suicide in the face of Germany's defeat." Cornell Law Library (part of their Donovan Nuremberg Trials Collection)
Downloadable in Sections - Link to download site

The Discourse on the Digital Divide: Are We Being Co-opted?

"This paper strives to reconstruct the digital divide discourse from a Gramscian perspective in relation to educators’ role in cultural force in the process of hegemonic dominance. Educators either serve the interest of ruling elites and help the maintenance of ideological hegemony or counter-serve hegemonic forces by breaking the cycle of dehumanization and oppression. In essence, the digital divide discourse and its popularization were perceived as a product of ideological hegemony. In order to analyze the digital divide discourse, this paper looked at the current literature related to digital divide, and then examined technology’s historical relations with the hegemonic power structure. The contemporary United States society and its dominant discourse on the digital divide and how other social determinants related to the class structure are being ignored in the process of approaching this social problem are also analyzed. Finally the paper discussed how educators need to deal with and challenge educational inequities in the new alteration process of hegemonic structure that has a strong dialectical relation with the new technological advancement. This discussion is one attempt to participate in its rearrangement." Source: InterActions: UCLA Journal of Education and Information Studies.[via eScholarship Repository]

Download full pdf publication | Link to eScholarship repository

Information Economy Report 2007-2008

From the Press Release:

"The open character of the way knowledge is spread over the Internet, and the way electronic communications make distance and national borders much less relevant in carrying out business and related financial transactions, holds promise for economic progress in poor countries, a new UNCTAD report says.

Information and communication technology (ICT) can deliver such vital efficiency gains that it is changing the basic patterns by which businesses operate and economies grow, the Information Economy Report 2007-2008(1) concludes. ICT allows new modes of organization of production and consumption through wireless communication largely independent of distance, resulting in more flexibility, less-expensive transactions, and faster and more accurate communication between economic agents." Source: United Nations

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Many Democrats Say Media Tougher on Clinton than Obama

"Majorities of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents say news organizations have been fair in the way they have treated both Barack Obama (71% fair) and Hillary Clinton (53% fair). However, nearly a third (31%) say the press has been too tough on Clinton; just 8% believe the press has been too tough on Obama. Roughly equal numbers of Democrats say that the press has gone too easy on Obama (15%) and Clinton(12%)." Source: Pew Research Center for People and the Press

Download full pdf report | Download topline questionnaire | Link to online Summary

At the Tipping Point: The Mortgage Meltdown and Its Implications for California and the Nation

"California, including the Bay, has bounced back since the tech bust and continues to grow faster than the U.S. overall. This faster growth has occurred despite claims that the state has lost its competitive edge due to high business costs. Yet even as recovery has been achieved, an old issue has emerged as a substantial threat – housing. As far as real estate bubbles go, this past cycle has no precedent even in California’s turbulent housing history." Source: UCLA School of Public Affairs. California Policy Options.

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The State of Black California

"In 2007, the State of California’s Legislative Black Caucus sponsored a report on the status of black Californians. The report was intended to be used as an information source to develop a public policy agenda, including legislative and non­legislative act ions, to address the lingering racial and ethnic disparities in key social, economic, and health outcomes. This chapter summarizes the main findings of the State of Black California and offers some policy proposals to close racial and ethnic disparities in key outcomes." Source: Steven Raphael and Michael Stoll, UCLA School of Public Affairs. California Policy Options.

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Playing Catch-Up: The Labor Movement in Los Angeles and San Francisco, 1985-2005

"Social commentators have often counter­posed Los Angeles with San Francisco, no more so than in the area of working class history. Besides being a “fragmented metropolis” with no tradition of working class protest, Los Angeles has traditionally been seen as an “open shop” town where unions are weak and the civic culture parochial and conservative San Francisco, on the other hand – with its powerful building trades council and its militant Longshoremen’s Union – is usually described as an open, class­conscious, and politically liberal city" Source: UCLA School of Public Affairs

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On the Morality of Immigration

Abstract: "My goal here is twofold: First, I wish to make a plea for the relevance of moral considerations in debates about immigration. Too often, immigration debates are conducted solely from the standpoint of “what is good for us,” without regard for the justifiability of immigration policies to those excluded. Second, I wish to offer a standpoint that demonstrates why one should think of immigration as a moral problem that must be considered in the context of global justice. More specifically, I will argue that the earth belongs to humanity in common and that this matters for assessing immigration policy. The case I will be particularly interested in is immigration into the United States, where immigration policy continues to be a hotly debated topic. The approach of this paper implies that illegal immigrants should be naturalized and more widespread immigration should be permitted. However, that discussion takes the form of a case study: the relevant considerations apply generally." Source: Mathias Risse
Working Paper Number:RWP08-007 Kennedy School of Government Harvard.

Download full pdf publication | Link to online abstract

Learning Unethical Practices from a Co-worker: The Peer Effect of Jose Canseco

"This paper examines the issue of whether workers learn productive skills from their co-workers, even if those skills are unethical. Specifically, we estimate whether Jose Canseco, one of the best baseball players in the last few decades, affected the performance of his teammates. In his autobiography, Canseco claims that he improved the productivity of his teammates by introducing them to steroids. Using panel data on baseball players, we show that a player’s performance increases significantly after they played with Jose Canseco. After checking 30 comparable players from the same era, we find that no other baseball player produced a similar effect. Clearly, Jose Canseco had an unusual influence on the productivity of his peers. These results are consistent with Canseco’s controversial claims, and suggest that workers not only learn productive skills from their co-workers, but sometimes those skills may derive from unethical practices. These findings may be relevant to many workplaces where competitive pressures create incentives to adopt unethical means to boost productivity and profits" Source: Institute for the study of Labor

Download pdf publication | Link to online abstract

Medical School Expansion: Challenges and Strategies

"As of 2006, 93 of the nation's 126 medical schools increased or were planning to increase enrollment over 2002 levels. Several U.S. medical schools are increasing their class size by 10 percent or more in response to the AAMC's call for a 30 percent increase in enrollment by 2015 to address an anticipated national physician shortage. Six of these institutions were selected for this study, which was conducted through site visits, focus groups, and extensive interviews with medical school and university officials, staff, and faculty; community leaders; and medical students. The six participating institutions were: Boston University School of Medicine; Michigan State University College of Human Medicine; Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine; Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine; University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Medicine; and University of Texas Medical School at Houston." Source: Association of American Medical Colleges

Download Pdf publication | Link to online press release

Globalization of Innovation: The Personal Computing Industry

"In order to assure continued leadership in innovation for U.S. companies, and a vital role for U.S. workers in the innovation process, industry executives and educators should identify skills needed for the dynamic, high value design and engineering work that is now done in the U.S. and take action to develop them. The key to innovation capacity lies in creating and developing talented individuals in areas such as concept design, system architecture, industrial design, and product management. For technology workers specifically, there is a great need for people who can work at the interface of engineering with computer science, or in functional terms, at the interface of hardware and software. There is also a need for people comfortable working in teams, across disciplines, and in a global environment. Training of such talented people is initially the responsibility of universities, colleges, and even earlier levels of education, whereas their ongoing development depends on industry. Given the offshore shift of lower skilled knowledge jobs, both academia and industry need to develop new ways for young people to gain experience and move up the career ladder." Source: Personal Computing Industry Center. Paper 392. U.C. Irvine

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United Nations Treaty Collection

Online Database containing:
* All multilateral treaties deposited with the Secretary- General of the United Nations and those formerly deposited with the League of Nations - their latest status and a link to the full texts.

* Bilateral and multilateral treaties registered with and published by the United Nations Secretariat in accordance with Article 102 up to a certain date - Detailed treaty references and full texts in all authentic language(s).

* Recently Deposited Multilateral Treaties that have been deposited but not yet published - available for viewing and downloading in some or all of their authentic languages.

Link to UN Treaty Collection

How Crime in the United States Is Measured

"Crime data collected through the Uniform Crime Reports (UCR), the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), and the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) are used by Congress to inform policy decisions and allocate federal criminal justice funding to states. As such, it is important to understand how each program collects and reports crime data, and the limitations associated with the data. This report reviews (1) the history of the UCR, the NIBRS, and the NCVS; (2) the methods each program uses to collect crime data; and (3) the limitations of the data collected by each program. The report then compares the similarities and differences of UCR and NCVS data. It concludes by reviewing issues related to the NIBRS and the NCVS." Source: Congressional Research Service

Download full pdf report | Link to online summary

Does the Army Need a Full-Spectrum Force or Specialized Units? Background and Issues for Congress

"This report is intended to provide information that might be of interest to Congress on the current debate surrounding the creation of special U.S. Army units and organizations, which some believe are needed to address current and future security requirements. While the Army has recently changed from a division-based force to a brigade-centric force, it has resisted the creation of special units to deal with counterinsurgency, stabilization, and training/advisory operations. In contrast, there have been a number of proposals to create new units and organizations better suited to address the challenges of these mission areas. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates's recent challenge to the Army to organize and prepare for asymmetric warfare and advising and training foreign armies could renew and elevate this debate. The Army began reorganizing to a brigade-based, full-spectrum force in 2003 primarily to provide a larger pool of deployable units. Based on lessons learned from Afghanistan and Iraq, the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Army have initiated significant changes in doctrine, education, and training, focusing on counterinsurgency, stabilization, and training/advising foreign militaries." Source: Congressional Research Service

Download full pdf report | Link to online Summary

What is a Recession, Who Decides When It Starts, and When Do They Decide?

"A recession is one of several discrete phases in the overall business cycle. The term may often be used loosely to describe an economy that is slowing down or characterized by weakness in at least one major sector like the housing market. When used by economists, "recession" means a significant decline in overall economic activity that lasts more than a few months. The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) business cycle dating committee is the generally recognized arbiter of the dates of the beginnings and ends of recessions. As with all statistics, it takes some time to compile the data, which means they are only available after the events they describe. Moreover, because it takes time to discern changes in trends given the usual month-to-month volatility in economic indicators, and because the data are subject to revision, it takes some time before the dating committee can agree that a recession began at a certain date. It can be a year or more after the fact that the dating committee announces the date of the beginning of a recession." Source: Congressional Research Service

Download full pdf report | Link to Online Summary

The Impact Of "Cell-Onlys" On Public Opinion Polling

The proportion of Americans who rely solely on a cell phone for their telephone service continues to grow, as does the share who still have a landline phone but do most of their calling on their cell phone. With these changes, there is an increased concern that polls conducted only on landline telephones may not accurately measure public opinion. A new Pew Research Center study finds that, while different demographically, Americans who mostly or exclusively rely on cell phones are not substantially different from the landline population in their basic political attitudes and preferences. Source: Pew Research Center for People and the Press

Download full pdf report | Download topline questionnaire | Link to online summary

Hispanics in the 2008 Election

"The Hispanics in the 2008 Election fact sheets contain data on the size and social and economic characteristics of the Hispanic and non-Hispanic eligible voter populations. These fact sheets are based on the Center's tabulations of the Census Bureau's 2006 American Community Survey. The eight fact sheets include those states that will be holding primaries or caucuses on "Super Tuesday" and that have a relatively high concentration of Latino voters: Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico and New York." Source: Pew Hispanic Center

Link to State fact sheets and online summaries

Recent Participation in Formal Learning Among Working-Age Adults with Different Levels of Education

"This issue brief uses data from the 2001 and 2005 adult education surveys of the National Household Education Surveys Program (NHES) to examine the participation of adults in formal learning activities during the 12 months preceding the survey, focusing on the participation of adults who at the end of the survey had the lowest levels of education (no high school diploma, or a GED). These adults with low levels of education were found to have participated at relatively high rates in adult basic education, ESL, and GED classes. However, for the most common types of formal learning activities—work-related courses and personal interest courses—adults with low levels of education participated at lower rates and for shorter periods of time than did adults with higher levels of education. Among the adults who did participate in these activities, those with lower levels of education at the end of the survey were less likely than those with higher levels of education to pay at least some course expenses themselves." Source: National Center for Education Statistics

Download pdf report | Link to online abstract

U.S. Key to Building Prosperity and Opportunity in Latin America

"The Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration (ITA) released new data demonstrating the United States’ contribution to prosperity in the Western Hemisphere. In conjunction with the Association of American Chambers of Commerce in Latin America (AACCLA), ITA issued fact sheets which highlight the trade, investment and social development provided by the U.S. to countries in the hemisphere from Mexico to Argentina." Source: US Dept. of Commerce International Trade Administration.

Link to Fact Sheet download site | Link to online annoucement

The Economic Approach to Cities

Abstract: "The economic approach to cities relies on a spatial equilibrium for workers, employers and builders. The worker’s equilibrium implies that positive attributes in one location, like access to downtown or high wages, are offset by negative attributes, like high housing prices. The employer’s equilibrium requires that high wages be offset by a high level of productivity, perhaps due to easy access to customers or suppliers. The search for the sources of productivity differences that can justify high wages is the basis for the study of agglomeration economies which has been a significant branch of urban economics in the past 20 years. The builder’s equilibrium condition pushes us to understand the causes of supply differences across space that can explain why some places have abundant construction and low prices while others have little construction and high prices. Since the economic theory of cities emphasizes a search for exogenous causes of endogenous outcomes like local wages, housing prices and city growth, it is unsurprising that the economic empirics on cities have increasingly focused on the quest for exogenous sources of variation. The economic approach to urban policy emphasizes the need to focus on people, rather than places, as the ultimate objects of policy concern and the need for policy to anticipate the mobility of people and firms." Source: Harvard JFK School of Gov't Faculty Working Papers


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ACE Releases Working Paper to Guide Campuses on Conflict of Interest

"The American Council on Education (ACE) today released a working paper to guide trustees, presidents, administrators and faculty in strengthening institutional policies and practices in the area of conflict of interest.

The paper, which is a working document, proposes basic principles and identifies questions and criteria to guide review of policies and situations that may raise ethical concerns. The paper also includes a list of resources on this topic to which institutions may refer."

Source: American Council on Education

Download full pdf report | link to online Press release

"Playing in the Doll's House of Revolution": White Students and Activists Involved in the Black Power Movement

Abstract: When Stokey Charmichael first uttered the words “black power” to a crowd of civil rights supporters during the “March Against Fear” on June 16th, 1966, it marked an important – and disillusioning – moment for white students and activists involved in the movement, a shift from a civil rights struggle fought not only through nonviolent methods but also through coalitions between whites and blacks. In the years that followed, many of these white activists struggled to find a place in the burgeoning black power movement that often shunned them and the more pacifist approach to rights struggles associated with them. Many dropped out of the movement following this shift, or transferred their energies to other causes; others, however, found themselves involved in Black Power organizations such as the Black Panthers, or supporting their activities despite qualms about their policies and often-violent actions. The question thus must be asked: why did many whites join and support a movement that often excluded or devalued them as a matter of policy? This paper explores the complex social and psychological reasons behind many of these activists’ support for Black Power – as well as the implications of their involvement for race relations to this day.

Source: Siobhan C. Atkins,CUREJ: College Undergraduate Research Electronic Journal, University of Pennsylvania, http://repository.upenn.edu/curej/75

Download full pdf publication | Link to online Abstract

American Community Survey and Census Data on the Foreign Born by State

"While the foreign-born population of the United States increased by 6.4 million between 2000 and 2006, the impact of this growth varied considerably from state to state in terms of population size and characteristics. To facilitate analysis of these differences, the interactive map below provides state-by-state data on foreign-born populations from the 1990 and 2000 censuses and the 2006 and 2005 American Community Surveys." Source: Migration Policy Institute


Link to site: Click on US State to generate fact sheets

2008 Digital Future Report Highlights

"The Center for the Digital Future at the USC Annenberg School has been tracking a representative sample of the American population for over seven years, watching as people move on line and then move from modems to broadband. The project also carefully tracks those who drop off the net each year and whether they return and if so, when and what brings them back. At the end of seven years, we also have an unparalleled view of the non-users who do not go on-line. We carefully examine why they are not users and whether they are likely to ever go on-line." Source: Center for the Digital Future at the USC Annenberg School

Download pdf publication of Report Highlights

Peacekeeping Best Practices report

"Pursuant to General Assembly resolution 61/276, the present report provides an
overview of the policy on capturing best practices in peacekeeping, including how
information on best practices is being utilized in mission planning, as well as
efficiency gains and improvements in effectiveness made as a result of those efforts.
The report describes the methodology and tools that have been used for managing
best practices in peacekeeping operations since the introduction in 2005 of a new
system for these activities. This new system links the identification and sharing of
best practices in the field to the development of guidance materials (policies,
guidelines and procedures) that reflect those lessons. These guidance materials form
an institutional doctrine that is disseminated through training programmes, electronic
information management platforms and Best Practices Officers in missions. The
report includes an initial assessment of the early impact of the system, highlighting
the resulting improvements in efficiency and effectiveness as well as in mission
planning." Source: United Nations

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Gobal Employment Trends Report

"Global Employment Trends have been produced and published on a yearly basis since 2003. The report analyses the impact on the labour markets of a wide range of factors, ranging from population and economic growth to economic turbulence stemming from the credit crisis in industrialized countries, rising oil prices, and a projected slowdown in economic growth." Source: International Labour Office (United Nations)

Download full pdf report (English) | ILO also has Report in Spanish and French

Afro-Latinos in Latin America and Considerations for U.S. Policy

"During its second session, the 110th Congress is likely to maintain an interest in the situation of Afro-Latinos in Latin America, particularly the plight of AfroColombians affected by the armed conflict in Colombia. In recent years, people of African descent in the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking nations of Latin America -- also known as "Afro-Latinos" -- have been pushing for increased rights and representation. Afro-Latinos comprise some 150 million of the region's 540 million total population, and, along with women and indigenous populations, are among the poorest, most marginalized groups in the region. Afro-Latinos have formed groups that, with the help of international organizations, are seeking political representation, human rights protection, land rights, and greater social and economic rights and benefits. Improvement in the status of Afro-Latinos could be difficult and contentious, however, depending on the circumstances of the Afro-descendant populations in each country. Assisting Afro-Latinos has never been a primary U.S. foreign policy objective, although a number of foreign aid programs benefit Afro-Latino populations." Source: Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress

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Housing Crisis More Visible Than Other Economic Problems

"Public interest in economic news soared last week amid continued stock market volatility and concerns about a possible recession. More than four-in-ten Americans (42%) followed news about the condition of the U.S. economy very closely and 20% listed this as the single news story they followed more closely than any other. That marks the highest level of public interest in economic news in five years. Interest was only somewhat greater during the recession of the early 1990s." Source: Pew Research center for People and the Press

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Engineers of Jihad

"We find that graduates from subjects such as science, engineering, and medicine are strongly overrepresented among Islamist movements in the Muslim world, though not among the extremist Islamic groups which have emerged in Western countries more recently. We also find that engineers alone are strongly over-represented among graduates in violent groups in both realms. This is all the more puzzling for engineers are virtually absent from left-wing violent extremists and only present rather than over-represented among right-wing extremists. We consider four hypotheses that could explain this pattern. Is the engineers’ prominence among violent Islamists an accident of history amplified through network links, or do their technical skills make them attractive recruits? Do engineers have a ‘mindset’ that makes them a particularly good match for Islamism, or is their vigorous radicalization explained by the social conditions they endured in Islamic countries? We argue that the interaction between the last two causes is the most plausible explanation of our findings, casting a new light on the sources of Islamic extremism and grounding macro theories of radicalization in a micro-level perspective." Source: Department of Sociology, University of Oxford

Download full pdf report | Link to Department of Sociology, University of Oxford Working Papers

Ordinal Proportionality in Punishment: A Case against Capital Punishment for Child Rape Under the Eighth Amendment

"This article argues that various theories of justice in punishment adhere to a principle of ordinal proportionality - relative grading of penalties in measure to the relative severity of the crimes for which they are imposed. Ordinal proportionality is a demand of both deterrence and retributive theories of justice; in addition it is a tenet well entrenched in the Supreme Court's current Eighth Amendment jurisprudence. Under this principle the state cannot subject the crime of child rape to capital punishment because even a crime as horrendous as rape is not on par with murder in terms of harm and blameworthiness." Source: Yale University via SSRN

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How We Talk about the “War on Terrorism”

"The Working Paper How We Talk about the “War on Terrorism” by Daniel Heradstveit, G. Matthew Bonham, Michiko Nakano and Victor M. Sergeev, focuses on how leaders in Western countries talk about the “war on terrorism.” The paper discusses the difficulties of defining “terrorism,” because, unlike Marxism or capitalism, “terrorism” is not an ideology. Instead the term may be used to designate actions that are used by members of non-governmental organizations against civilian targets." Source: Norwegian Institute of International Affairs


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Is the GED an Effective Route to Postsecondary Education for School Dropouts?

"We use data from the Texas Schools Microdata Panel (TSMP) to examine the extent to which dropouts use the GED as a route to post-secondary education. The paper develops a model pointing out the potential biases in estimating the effects of taking the “GED path” to postsecondary education. Lacking suitable instruments that would allow us to directly address potential biases, our approach is to base our estimates on a set of academically “at risk” students who are very similar in the 8th grade. We observe that the eventual high school graduates in this group have much better postsecondary education outcomes than do the similar at-risk 8th graders who dropped out and obtained a GED. Our model explains the observed differences, and allows for a discussion of the policy challenges inherent in improving the postsecondary outcomes of dropouts." Source: Institute for the study of Labor

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Sexual Orientation, Disclosure and Earnings

"Gay/bisexual workers tend to earn less than other men. Does this occur because of discrimination or because of selection? In this paper we address this question and collect new information on workplace disclosure to separate out discrimination effects from selection effects. Using a large sample of recently graduated men in the Netherlands, we find that gay/bisexual workers earn about 3 to 4 percent less than other men. Our disclosure estimates, however, provide little evidence that the labor market discriminates against gay/bisexual workers. They rather support the selection story, most prominently observed among undisclosed gay/bisexual workers who concentrate in lower paid occupations, and earn about 5 to 9 percent less than other men." Source: Institute for the Study of Labor

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Does the Stock Market Fully Value Intangibles? Employee Satisfaction and Equity Prices

"This paper analyzes the relationship between employee satisfaction and long-run stock performance. An annually rebalanced portfolio of Fortune magazine's "Best Companies to Work For in America" earned 14% per year from 1998-2005, over double the market return. The portfolio also outperformed industry- and characteristics-matched benchmarks; controlling for risk, it yielded a four-factor alpha of 0.64%. These findings have three main implications. First, employee satisfaction may improve corporate performance rather than representing inefficiently excessive non-pecuniary compensation. Second, the stock market does not fully value intangibles, even when independently verified by a publicly available survey. This suggests that intangible investment generally may not be incorporated into short-term prices, providing support for managerial myopia theories. Third, socially responsible investing ("SRI") screens need not reduce investment returns." Source:University of Pennsylvania - The Wharton School via Social Science Resource Network (SSRN)

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What's Ahead for the Global Economy in 2008? Reports from the Knowledge@Wharton Network

"Though the subprime mess and rising oil prices slammed the U.S. economy during much of 2007, other emerging markets -- especially China and India -- seem to be on a roll. China's growth rate of more than 11% is likely to continue, and India, too, should be able to sustain a high rate of GDP growth, even if it slows from last year's 9%. Latin America, meanwhile, is cautiously optimistic but could see a moderate decline in 2008. The Knowledge@Wharton Network sites -- including Universia Knowledge@Wharton, China Knowledge@Wharton and India Knowledge@Wharton -- spoke with Wharton faculty and other experts about what to expect during the coming year." Source: Knowledge@Wharton U. of Penn.

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Trafficking in Persons: U.S. Policy and Issues for Congress

"Trafficking in people for prostitution and forced labor is one of the most prolific areas of international criminal activity and is of significant concern to the United States and the international community. The overwhelming majority of those trafficked are women and children. According to the most recent Department of State estimates, roughly 800,000 people are trafficked across borders each year. If trafficking within countries is included in the total world figures, official U.S. estimates are that some 2 to 4 million people are trafficked annually. However, there are even higher estimates, ranging from 4 to 27 million for total numbers of forced or bonded laborers. As many as 17,500 people are believed to be trafficked to the United States each year. Human trafficking is now a leading source of profits for organized crime syndicates, together with drugs and weapons, generating billions of dollars." Source: Congressional Research Service

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Foreign Ownership of U.S. Financial Assets: Implications of a Withdrawal

"This report provides an overview of the role foreign investment plays in the U.S. economy and an assessment of possible actions a foreign investor or a group of foreign investors might choose to take to liquidate their investments in the United States. Concerns over the potential impact of disinvestment have grown as national governments have become more active investors and as uncertainty over the risks associated with securities backed by sub-prime mortgages has increased volatility in financial markets. Actions taken by foreign investors to liquidate their holdings could affect the U.S. economy in a number of ways due to the role foreign investment plays in the United States and due to the current mix of economic policies the United States has chosen. The impact of any such action on the economy would also depend on the overall condition and performance of the economy and the financial markets." Source: Congressional Research Service

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In GOP Primaries: Three Victors, Three Constituencies

"The preferences of conservative Republicans are split along religious lines. Huckabee leads the field among conservative evangelicals, drawing 33% to 25% for McCain and just 12% for Romney. In the poll, conducted before the Michigan primary, Romney leads McCain and far outdistances Huckabee – and the rest of the GOP field – among non-evangelical conservative Republicans. "

Source: Pew Research Center for people and the press

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Information Searches That Solve Problems

"There are several major findings in this report. One is this: For help with a variety of common problems, more people turn to the internet than consult experts or family members to provide information and resources.

Another key insight is that members of Gen Y are the leading users of libraries for help solving problems and in more general patronage." Source: Pew Internet and American Life project

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Congressional Quarterly's 2008 Primary Guide

The CQ Primary guide features a map, a calendar for democratic and republican primaries as well as a separate section for congressional primaries.

Link to Congressional Quarterly's 2008 Primary Guide

7 Things You Should Know About Data Visualization

"Data visualization is the graphical representation of information. Information technology combines the principles of visualization with powerful applications and large data sets to create sophisticated images and animations. Representing large amounts of disparate information in a visual form often allows you to see patterns that would otherwise be buried in vast, unconnected data sets. Data visualizations offer one way to harness infrastructure to find hidden trends and correlations that can lead to important discoveries. Visual literacy is an increasingly important skill, and data visualizations are another channel for students to develop their ability to process information visually."
Source: Educause

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UNESCO's ICT Competency Standards for Teachers

The UNESCO Site "...hosts the released "English" versions of the UNESCO Standards related to ICT Competencies of Teachers. Please note that the available documents are officially released on January 8 of 2008..." The standards aim to "help educational policy-makers and curriculum developers identify the skills teachers need to harness technology in the service of education."

Link to site

Family Meals and Disordered Eating in Adolescents

"Disordered eating behaviors, such as unhealthy weight control practices and binge eating, are a concern for adolescent health, given their high prevalence and harmful consequences. In this 5-year longitudinal study of more than 2500 adolescents, Neumark-Sztainer and colleagues found that extreme weight control behaviors, such as using diet pills or laxatives or vomiting, were 3-fold more common among females than males. Having at least 5 family meals together per week lowered this risk by 30% among females. However, among males, regular family meals were associated with skipping meals and eating little. The reasons for these sex differences are unknown and need further investigation."

Source: Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, January 2008.

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Religion and Secularism: The American Experience

"Some of the nation's leading journalists gathered in Key West, Fla., in December 2007, for the Pew Forum's biannual conference on religion, politics and public life."

Given the recent popularity of several high-profile books on atheism, the Pew Forum invited Wilfred McClay, a distinguished professor of intellectual history, to speak on the historical relationship between religion and secularism in America. McClay draws a distinction between what he calls "political secularism," which recognizes the legitimacy and even moral necessity of religious faith, while preventing any one faith from being established, and "philosophical secularism," which attempts to establish a common unbelief as a basis for government. McClay contends that the first understanding of secularism was at the heart of the founders' vision and, that it, aided by those features of Christianity prevalent in America, have resulted in a unique if imperfect mingling of religion and government in American public life.

Source: Pew Research Center | Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Read full transcript and/or watch video online

Internet's Broader Role in Campaign 2008

Social Networking and Online Videos Take Off

"The internet is living up to its potential as a major source for news about the presidential campaign. Nearly a quarter of Americans (24%) say they regularly learn something about the campaign from the internet, almost the double the percentage from a comparable point in the 2004 campaign (13%).

Moreover, the internet has now become a leading source of campaign news for young people and the role of social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook is a notable part of the story. Fully 42% of those ages 18 to 29 say they regularly learn about the campaign from the internet, the highest percentage for any news source. In January 2004, just 20% of young people said they routinely got campaign news from the internet." Source: Pew Research Center for People and the Press

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What Explains Race and Ethnic Variation in Cohabitation, Marriage, Divorce, and Nonmarital Fertility?

"Over the past 20 years we have made enormous strides towards understanding racial and ethnic variation in marriage, nonmarital fertility, and family stability. Particularly strong contributions include the documentation of important constraints to stable family formation imposed by male unemployment, a deeper understanding of cohabitation and the transition from informal unions to marriage, and the incorporation of more ethnic groups into the analysis, particularly Mexican Americans and Puerto Ricans, although more work in this direction is needed." Source: California Center for Population Research On-Line Working Paper Series. Paper CCPR-026-07.

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Mathematics Coursetaking and Achievement at the End of High School: Evidence from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (

"This report documents and examines the relationship between the number and types of math courses taken in the 11th and 12th grade and growth in mathematics proficiency over the same time period. Using data from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002), the analysis identifies the coursetaking sequences most prevalent among contemporary high school students in their junior and senior years, sociodemographic characteristics of the students who follow these course sequences, and the association between specific courses and course sequences and mathematics gains over the last two years of high school. Because most students (94 percent) entered the second half of high school with a mastery of basic mathematics skills such as simple arithmetic and operations, most learning during this time was in intermediate-level mathematics skills and concepts. For example, the percentage of students with an understanding of simple problem solving skills grew from 53 to 65 percentage points over the two year period. In terms of learning in specific content areas, the largest gains in intermediate skills such as simple operations and problem solving were made by those who followed the geometry–algebra II sequence. The largest gains in advanced skills such as derivations and making inferences from algebraic expressions were made by students who took precalculus paired with another course. The smallest gains were made by students who took one mathematics course or no mathematics courses during their last 2 years."
Source: National Center for Education Statistics

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Contemporary Art: A 'Global' and Local Perspective via New York's Chelsea District

ABSTRACT:Chelsea’s art gallery district on Manhattan’s Far West Side is now probably the most important location worldwide for sales of new works of Contemporary Art, so understanding Chelsea is crucial for the goal of mapping key cultural enterprises worldwide. We first view Chelsea in the context of the international Contemporary Art market, looking especially at art fairs and auctions. We then discuss detailed material from Chelsea. Our central finding is the major (though not total) irreducibility between two central spheres, on the one hand the economic markets in which the art is traded, and on the other hand the content of the art and its meaning for the audience as they view it displayed in the galleries Although the market is crucial in all kinds of ways, the content of the art that is traded and its meaning for the audience cannot typically be reduced to economics, or usefully be analyzed primarily in economic terms. This is not to argue for the ‘autonomy of aesthetics’ but it is to argue that the aesthetic domain here is in many ways shaped by, and responds to, a different set of dynamics than the market domain. Both spheres are important for understanding the world of Contemporary Art and modern society and to study one but not the other gives a misleadingly one-sided view. Source: California Center for Population Research. On-Line Working Paper Series. Paper CCPR-037-07.

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Silicon Valley Shaped by Technology and Traffic

"Silicon Valley, home of Stanford and other universities, has long been the model of success for a modern regional economy, and policy makers worldwide have tried to emulate it by nurturing high-tech companies around universities. There have been a few winners, like the semiconductor manufacturing hub in and around Hsinchu Science Park in Taiwan.

Yet a look at the microclusters within Silicon Valley demonstrates the business relationships, the social connections and the seamless communication that animate the region’s economy. It also suggests the human nuance behind the Valley’s success and shows why that success is not easy to copy, export or outsource.

“These microclusters turn out to be a very efficient way to innovate, to see what works and what fails, and do it extremely rapidly,” said AnnaLee Saxenian, an expert in regional economies and a professor at the University of California, Berkeley." Source: New York Times

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Lessons from Rwanda : The United Nations and the Prevention of Genocide,

"an information and educational outreach programme run by the United Nations Department of Public Information.

The programme was established by the General Assembly on 23 December 2005 (A/RES/60/225) to “mobilize civil society for Rwanda genocide victim remembrance and education in order to help prevent future acts of genocide”.

The programme focuses on learning the lessons of the Rwanda genocide in order to help prevent similar acts in the future, as well as raising awareness of the lasting impact of genocide on the survivors and the challenges that they still face today."

Sections include "key documents," and "Audio/Visual Resources."

Link to main page of site

International Trade Statistics 2007

"The new edition of “International Trade Statistics” has been restructured. It now contains chapters on developments in world trade, merchandise trade by product and trade in commercial services by category. A chapter on “metadata” (technical notes and explanations) explains the concepts and definitions used to compile the statistics. The comprehensive appendix section includes tables with full time series data up to 2006.

The content of this new edition has also been expanded to meet increasing demand for data on international trade in services. It includes information on individual service sectors and bilateral trade flows. The revamped presentation includes new table layouts and highlighted messages as introductions to each of the chapters." Source: World Trade Organization

Link to the WTO site for download options

Seven Problems of Online Group Learning (and Their Solutions)

ABSTRACT: The benefits of online collaborative learning, sometimes referred to as CSCL (computer-supported collaborative learning) are compelling, but many instructors are loath to experiment with non-conventional methods of teaching and learning because of the perceived problems. This paper reviews the existing literature to present the seven most commonly reported such problems of online group learning, as identified by both researchers and practitioners, and offers practical solutions to each, in the hope that educators may be encouraged to “take the risk”. Source: Educational Technology & Society, 10 (4), 257-268. [via Information Technology Services Blog UNC]

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Consider Learner Characteristics, Learning Conditions in Course Design

"In the early days of online learning, text was the primary medium of instruction. Now options abound, but finding the appropriate tools and using them effectively is another matter.

'The problem is that many instructors try to emulate what goes on in the face-to-face classroom without carefully considering learner characteristics or learning conditions,' says Steven Terrell, professor in the Graduate School of Computer and Information Sciences at Nova Southeastern University. 'It becomes almost didactic in nature. Either they’re not aware of the multitude of new tools that are out there that can support different learning styles and course objectives, or they may be aware of them but don’t know how to use them or don’t have the time or money to be able to use them.'"

Source: "Faculty Focus" Online News

Link to online article

Democracy Promotion: Cornerstone of U.S. Foreign Policy?

"One of President George W. Bush's stated reasons for starting the war in Iraq was to bring democracy to that country. He stated in December 2006 that "[We] are committed to a strategic goal of a free Iraq that is democratic, that can govern itself, defend itself and sustain itself." More broadly, the Bush Administration has viewed democracy promotion as an instrument for combatting terrorism. Arguably, the lack of a clear definition of democracy and a comprehensive understanding of its basic elements may have hampered the formulation of democracy promotion policy and effective prioritizing of democracy promotion activities over the years. Also, the lack of definition may have complicated coordination of democracy programs and the assessment of U.S. government activities and funding. Further, without a consensus on democracy definition and goals, what criteria will determine when, if ever, a country has attained an acceptable level of democratic reform and no longer needs American assistance?" Source Congressional Research Service

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The Effect of State-Legalized Same-Sex Marriage on Social Security Benefits and Pensions

"With the 2004 legalization of same-sex marriage in Massachusetts,1 many have questioned how the legalization of such marriages at the state level may affect the eligibility for and payment of federal Social Security benefits and private pensions. Social Security benefits are currently paid to the spouses of disabled, retired, or deceased workers entitled to Social Security. However, under current law, same-sex spouses are not eligible for Social Security benefits because they are unable to meet the genderbased definitions of "wife" and "husband" in the Social Security Act and the genderbased definition of "marriage" established by the Defense of Marriage Act. Federal employee pensions and private-sector pensions regulated by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) are required to provide certain benefits to the spouse of a participant in the event of the participant's death. Under the Defense of Marriage Act, both federal pensions and private-sector pensions regulated by ERISA are required to define a spouse only as "a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife." This report will be updated as legislative activity warrants." Source: Congressional Research Service

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2007 marked by activism : State by State Summary of Legislation

"States are in rebellion over Washington’s actions — and inaction — on some of the nation’s most pressing problems.

Disgusted with federal gridlock, states are carving out their own global-warming and immigration laws and are warning they simply may ignore Uncle Sam’s costly plan for tough national standards for driver’s licenses.

And while proposals to expand health care to the uninsured are presidential campaign fodder going nowhere in Congress, at least a dozen states acted in 2007 to cover more uninsured children. They did so even though they were caught in a crossfire between Congress and the Bush administration over whether to boost federal funding for health care for low-income children."

Source: Stateline.org via Pew Research

Link to overall summary | Link to State by State listing

Gas Prices, Disasters Top Public’s News Interests In 2007

"Man-made and natural disasters dominated the list of the public's top news stories in 2007. Nearly half of Americans (45%) tracked news about the shootings of 33 students at Virginia Tech University very closely, while nearly as many paid very close attention to reports on the Minneapolis bridge collapse and the California wildfires.

As was the case in 2006, however, the rising price of gasoline attracted the largest audience of any news story. In May, 52% of Americans said they tracked rising prices at the pump very closely."

Source: Pew Research Center for People and the Press

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Household Need for Liquidity and the Credit Card Debt Puzzle

ABSTRACT:
In the 2001 U.S. Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF), 27% of households report simultaneously revolving significant credit card debt and holding sizeable amounts of liquid assets. These consumers report paying, on average, a 14% interest rate on their debt, while earning only 1 or 2% on their liquid deposit accounts. This phenomenon is known in the literature as the “credit card debt puzzle.” In this paper, I pose and quantitatively evaluate the following explanation for this puzzle: households that accumulate credit card debt may not pay it off using their money in the bank, because they expect to use that money for goods for which credit cards cannot be used. Using both aggregate and survey data (SCF and CEX), I document that liquid assets are a substantial part of households’ portfolios and that consumption in goods requiring liquid payments may have a sizeable unpredictable component. This would warrant holding precautionary balances in liquid accounts. I develop a dynamic heterogeneous-agent model of household portfolio choice, where households are subject to uninsurable income and preference uncertainty, and consumer credit and liquidity coexist as means of consumption and saving/borrowing. The calibration of the model parameters is based on the simulated method of moments. The calibrated model accounts for 73% of the households in the data who hold consumer debt and liquidity simultaneously, and for at least 55 cents of every dollar held by a median household in the puzzle group. I argue that these results are a lower bound, and that the liquidity-need hypothesis is thus successful in rendering most of the puzzle a rational phenomenon. Source: Department of Economics, UCSD. Paper 2008-01.

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The Role of Drama on Cultural Sensitivity, Motivation and Literacy in a Second Language Context

Abstract: Although drama has been used successfully in English as a second language and has been shown to have positive effects on achievement and on self-confidence and motivation in various studies, it has received little attention in French immersion context where subjects are taught in French, the second language of students. The objective of this study was to teach about Acadian culture to one French immersion class using drama (Drama group) and the other French immersion class using a more teacher-centered method (Library group). Both classes were at the intermediate level. Our central question examined the impact of drama activities in elementary early FI on language learning motivation, on cultural sensitivity, and on second language writing? The data included a motivation test, a written composition, teachers’ journals and classroom observations. Results showed a positive effect of drama on several variables. First, the Drama group evaluated the learning unit significantly higher than the Library group. Furthermore, the Drama group showed a significantly higher integrative motivation and also a significantly higher desire to learn French than the Library Group. Both groups had a high cultural sensitivity before the intervention and thus there was no difference between the two groups either at post-test time. The writing of the composition revealed that the Drama group received a significantly higher overall score, and a significantly better score on cultural content. Both groups achieved high on content, accuracy, and details. Source: ournal for Learning through the Arts: A Research Journal on Arts Integration in Schools and Communities: Vol. 3: No. 1, Article 9. via eScholarship Repository

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The Media Mural Project: Empowering Youth in New Mass Media

"This article describes the pedagogy, practice and outcomes of a digital art program developed to enable high school and middle school students to become active participants in new forms of grassroots public media. Students and their teachers become producers and controllers of art-based videos and associated digital dialogue which is distributed on the Internet." Source: Journal for Learning through the Arts: A Research Journal on Arts Integration in Schools and Communities: Vol. 3: No. 1, Article 11.[via eScholarship Repository]

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Projections of Education Statistics to 2016

"This edition of Projections of Education Statistics provides projections for key education statistics, including enrollment, graduates, teachers, and expenditures in elementary and secondary schools. Included are national data on enrollment and graduates for the past 15 years and projections to the year 2016, as well as state-level data on enrollment in public elementary and secondary schools and public high school graduates to the year 2016." Source: National Center for Education Statistics

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Race, Ethnicity, and the Criminal Justice System

"This research brief highlights data and research findings on racial and ethnic disparities in crime and the criminal justice system in the United States, with particular emphasis on studies that illustrate differences that can be explained by discrimination. The discussion focuses on issues relating to race/ethnicity in different stages of criminal justice processing at the beginning of the twenty-first centure; data reflecting trends over time are presented for context." Source: American Sociological Association Research Brief


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Nonresident Fathers’ Involvement Influenced by Kids’ Behavioral and Emotional Characteristics

Abstract: "Federal and state governments spend a lot of money on encouraging nonresident fathers to be involved in their children’s lives. Is this money well spent? Social scientists, politicians, and commentators widely assume that children with involved fathers have higher rates of well-being than do those with absent, uninvolved fathers. Turning this assumption on its head, Daniel Hawkins, Paul Amato, and Valarie King ask whether paternal involvement is influenced by children’s well-being. Using nationally representative data on adolescents, their findings suggest that fathers who live with their children both influence and are influenced by their kids. In other words, adolescents and resident fathers are “engaged in reciprocal patterns of influence.” That is, a well-adjusted child might encourage nonresident fathers to be more involved, while a less well-adjusted child might discourage a father from investing more time. Poorly-adjusted adolescents are likely to avoid visits with fathers or make visits uncomfortable, while well-adjusted adolescents are likely to seek out visits with fathers (and vice versa). The results for nonresident father–child relationships differ dramatically as fathers react to the behavioral and emotional characteristics of their children. According to the authors, “Our findings suggest that low levels of adolescent well-being may be a barrier to, rather than a result of, nonresident father involvement.” Source: American Sociological Review

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Celebrity Status

"Max Weber's fragmentary writings on social status suggest that differentiation on this basis should disappear as capitalism develops. However, many of Weber's examples of status refer to the United States, which Weber held to be the epitome of capitalist development. Weber hints at a second form of status, one generated by capitalism, which might reconcile this contradiction, and later theorists emphasize the continuing importance of status hierarchies. This article argues that such theories have missed one of the most important forms of contemporary status: celebrity. Celebrity is an omnipresent feature of contemporary society, blazing lasting impressions in the memories of all who cross its path. In keeping with Weber's conception of status, celebrity has come to dominate status "honor," generate enormous economic benefits, and lay claim to certain legal privileges. Compared with other types of status, however, celebrity is status on speed. It confers honor in days, not generations; it decays over time, rather than accumulating; and it demands a constant supply of new recruits, rather than erecting barriers to entry." Source: Sociological Theory

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A Global Look at Public Perceptions of Health Problems, Priorities, and Donors: The Kaiser/Pew Global Health Survey

"This survey, conducted jointly by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Pew Global Attitudes Project, examines how people around the world perceive and prioritize health in their countries and gauge the efforts of donor nations. People in 47 countries were polled on a series of health questions, giving them an opportunity to share their views on health as a priority for their government and in their own lives.

Specifically, the survey looks at what people consider to be the top problem facing their country, such as HIV/AIDS, crime, pollution and political corruption. It also examines the top public health priorities in low and middle income countries, such as preventing and treating HIV, fighting hunger and malnutrition, and accessing health care." Source: Kaiser/Pew Global Health

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Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children: What Do We Know and What Do We Do About It?

"...explores research into the organization of the commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC), the effects of CSEC on victims, and what measures are being taken and can be taken in the future to prevent its occurrence. The research found that CSEC takes place at three levels: local exploitation by one or a few individuals, small regional networks involving multiple adults and children, and large national or international sex crime networks where children are traded and sold as commodities." Source: National Institute of Justice

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Digital Footprints: Online Identity Management and Search in the Age of Transparency

"Unlike footprints left in the sand at the beach, our online data trails often stick around long after the tide has gone out. And as more internet users have become comfortable with the idea of authoring and posting content online, they have also become more aware of the information that remains connected to their name online.

Nearly half of all internet users (47%) have searched for information about themselves online, up from just 22%, as reported by the Pew Internet Project in 2002. Younger users (under the age of 50) are more prone to self-searching than those ages 50 and older. Men and women search for information about themselves in equal numbers, but those with higher levels of education and income are considerably more likely to monitor their online identities using a search engine." Source: Pew Internet and American Life Project

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2007 National Survey of Latinos: As Illegal Immigration Issue Heats Up, Hispanics Feel a Chill

"Just over half of all Hispanic adults in the U.S. worry that they, a family member or a close friend could be deported, a new nationwide survey of Latinos by the Pew Hispanic Center has found. Nearly two-thirds say the failure of Congress to enact an immigration reform bill has made life more difficult for all Latinos. Smaller numbers (ranging from about one-in-eight to one-in-four) say the heightened attention to immigration issues has had a specific negative effect on them personally. These effects include more difficulty finding work or housing; less likelihood of using government services or traveling abroad; and more likelihood of being asked to produce documents to prove their immigration status." Source: Pew Hispanic Center

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The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act: A Brief Overview of Selected Issues

The current legislative and oversight activity with respect to electronic surveillance under FISA has drawn national attention to several overarching issues. This report briefly outlines three such issues and touches upon some of the perspectives reflected in the ongoing debate. These issues include the inherent and often dynamic tension between national security and civil liberties, particularly rights of privacy and free speech; the need identified by the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), Admiral Mike McConnell, for the Intelligence Community to be able to efficiently and effectively collect foreign intelligence information from the communications of foreign persons located outside the United States in a changing, fast paced, and technologically sophisticated international environment, and the differing approaches suggested to meet this need; and limitations of liability for those electronic communication service providers who furnish aid to the federal government in its foreign intelligence collection. Two constitutional provisions, in particular, are implicated in this debate -- the Fourth and First Amendments. Source: Congressional Research Service

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Judicial Salary: Current Issues and Options for Congress

Several federal judges, including the Chief Justice of the United States, have expressed concern over the level of judicial salary. Chief Justice Roberts has called the current levels of judicial salary a "constitutional crisis" that threatens the independence of the federal courts. The most common arguments for raising judicial salary claim that low judicial salaries (1) limit the ability of the federal judiciary to draw on a diverse pool of candidates for positions on the federal bench; (2) force federal judges concerned about their financial futures to resign from the bench before they become eligible for retirement; and (3) drive other federal judges, upon becoming eligible for retirement, to retire completely (to earn extra income outside the judiciary), rather than remain to assist the courts as judges on "senior status." Opponents of raising judicial salary generally question whether variations in judicial salary affect recruitment and retention of federal judges. Source: Congressional Research Service

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Marrying Marketing Science with the Front Lines: One Book Publisher's Winning Combination

The rise of the Internet has been a boon to the National Academies Press, or NAP, the book-publishing arm of the National Academy of Sciences. But by the start of this decade, the promise of the web also posed some potential pitfalls.

In 2001, the leading scientists on the board of the Academy were suggesting that NAP executive director Barbara Kline Pope take advantage of new technologies to offer its books on the web in a downloadable PDF format -- free of charge. According to Pope, the scientists told her they wanted the ability to disseminate the scientific information as widely as possible, explaining "that we could give away PDFs for free and it would build knowledge around the world. They were also saying to me, 'Don't worry about your business model because people will still buy printed books.'" Source: Knowledge@wharton

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Human Trafficking in California

"In September 2005, California enacted its first anti-trafficking law (Assembly Bill 22, Lieber) to make human trafficking a felony in this state and assist victims in rebuilding their lives. This law, as well as Senate Bill 180 (Kuehl, 2005), also established the California Alliance to Combat Trafficking and Slavery (CA ACTS) Task Force to conduct a thorough review of California’s response to human trafficking and report its findings and recommendations to the Governor, Attorney General and Legislature. The law charged the Task Force with examining whether we are doing enough to identify the extent of human trafficking in this state, protect and assist
victims, prosecute traffickers and prevent this violation of human freedom. Between March 2006 and July 2007, the Task Force held nine meetings to explore these issues. It heard many presentations by representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that provide services to human trafficking victims; law enforcement; prosecutors; local, state and federal agencies; labor; farm workers; victim advocacy programs; academic researchers; and survivors of human trafficking. In addition, the Task Force conducted research with many local, state and national experts, including service providers and researchers in the field of human trafficking." Source: California Alliance to Combat Trafficking and Slavery Task Force

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Children Left Behind - How Metropolitan Areas Are Failing America's Children

"Our analysis focuses on two key research questions. First, how has increased foreign
competition affected the wage levels of workers in different educational classes across
the Los Angeles economy? Second, what is the influence of foreign competition on the
relative wages of low-skilled workers versus high-skilled workers (i.e. wage inequality)? In relation to these questions, we also explore how the influence of trade on wages has moved through the 1990s, and we examine the relative impacts on wages of trade and skill-biased technological change. By answering these questions we seek to re-engage the trade and wage inequality literature and present direct evidence of the impacts of global processes on local labor markets." Bonnie Lefkowitz, Center for Global, International and Regional Studies. Mapping Global Inequalities - conference papers. Paper mgi-8.

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Impacts of Trade on Wage Quality in Los Angeles: Analysis Using Matched Employer-Employee Data

Our analysis focuses on two key research questions. First, how has increased foreign competition affected the wage levels of workers in different educational classes across the Los Angeles economy? Second, what is the influence of foreign competition on the relative wages of low-skilled workers versus high-skilled workers (i.e. wage inequality)? In relation to these questions, we also explore how the influence of trade on wages has moved through the 1990s, and we examine the relative impacts on wages of trade and skill-biased technological change. By answering these questions we seek to re-engage the trade and wage inequality literature and present direct evidence of the impacts of global processes on local labor markets. D L. Rigby and Sebastien Breau. Center for Global, International and Regional Studies. Mapping Global Inequalities - conference papers. Paper mgi-13.

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Botnets, Cybercrime, and Cyberterrorism: Vulnerabilities and Policy Issues for Congress

"This report presents a working definition for the term "cyber terrorism", plus background information describing how current technology and management processesmay leave computers exposed to cyber attack, and a discussion of possible effects of a cyber attack. Potential issues for Congress are presented in the second section, including: whether appropriate guidance exists for a DOD information warfare response to a cyber attack; whether the need to detect possible cyber terrorist activity interferes with individual privacy; whether the roles and responsibilities for protecting against a possible cyber terrorist attack need more clarity for government, industry, and home users; and, whether information sharing on cyber threats and vulnerabilities must be further increased between private industry and the federal government. The final section describes possible policy options for improving protection against threats from possible cyber terrorism." Source: Congressional Research Service

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