Both “illness and temptation of the enemy”: melancholy, the medieval patient and the writings of King Duarte of Portugal (r. 1433–38)

Recent historians have rehabilitated King Duarte of Portugal, previously maligned and neglected, as an astute ruler and philosopher. There is still a tendency, however, to view Duarte as a depressive or a hypochondriac, due to his own description of his melancholy in his advice book, the Loyal Counselor. This paper reassesses Duarte's writings, drawing on key approaches in the history of medicine, such as narrative medicine and the history of the patient. It is important to take Duarte's views on his condition seriously, placing them in the medical and theological contexts of his time and avoiding modern retrospective diagnosis. Duarte's writings can be used to explore the impact of plague, doubt and death on the life of a well-educated and conscientious late-medieval ruler

Threats and Force: Repression and Externalization of Domestic Pressure by Latin American Leaders, 1946-82

Do political leaders respond to domestic political and economic challenges with the use of force at home and abroad? The foreign policy and world politics literatures are replete with references to political leaders' alleged use of external conflict when confronted with domestic challenges, but does not consider domestic responses to dissent. The comparative literature identifies a strong linkage between domestic challenges and political leaders' resort to repressive policies, but ignores the option of foreign conflict. We contend that foreign conflict and repression are complementary, rather than exclusive, strategies leaders may use in their efforts to maintain political power in the face of domestic pressure. In addition, we incorporate the notion that the level of domestic political constraints conditions the opportunity and likelihood of selecting either repression or foreign conflict in response to domestic challenges. To examine the relationships between domestic threats and the..

Laws in Order: An Inventory of State Renewable Energy Siting Policies

This report identifies which government entity or entities in each state or territory have the jurisdictional authority to make siting and permitting decisions about large scale wind and solar projects. The report also covers established timelines for siting and permitting processes, requirements for public involvement in those processes, and the availability of permitting guides and model ordinances designed to assist local jurisdictions.  It details state renewable energy siting policies and permitting authorities across the United States, profiling all 50 states plus Puerto Rico. The report release also includes an interactive map that allows users to easily explore each state’s authorities and policy features. The map, hosted by DOE, includes high-level information on each state’s siting and permitting processes and link directly to the profiles in the report