Human Capital Investment as an Economic Development Strategy: A Detroit Analysis

Many urban developers have responded to the challenges of economic development1 by providing tax incentives to businesses for relocating to urban areas (Bartik, 1995). By not being able to provide the skilled labor force that businesses require, developing communities are not postured to fully take advantage of the newly created job opportunities. Thus, wage disparities between the classes increase, leaving many of the underclass citizens without adequate employment for sustaining modest living standards (Turner, 1991). As part of various economic development strategies2, increased concerns have been given to human-capital based strategies (Psacharo-Poulos, 1985). This paper puts forth the argument that the implementation of increased human capital-based economic development strategies3 directly targeted to residents, when compared to programs aimed at business, can do as much or more to improve the standard of living of residents, and should be considered when creating economic development strategies (Turner, 1991). Directing development efforts toward increased spending and/or giving attention to education or training programs are forms of human capital investment that may be considered. The comparison of a local business investment strategy (General Motors Poletown) to a local human capital investment strategy (Focus: HOPE) will be employed as a means of expressing the significance that human capital investment may have on a local economy. 1 Economic development is a means for increasing local jobs, lowering unemployment, and enhanceing tax base. 2 Economic development strategies consist of the implementation of various initiatives that promote economic development, i.e., empowerment zone, renaissance zone, etc. 3 Human capital-based economic development strategies include but are not limited to programs geared toward increasing citizens productive (educational and employment) skills as well as access to employment, i.e. educational programs, performance guarantees, etc

Individual Domestic Terrorism: An Analysis of the Motivations and Radicalization of Terrorism in the United States

Individual terrorist events have increased in the United States. What are the motivations behind these attacks and what led these individuals to participate in this form of political violence? In this paper, I provide a case study analysis of four domestic terrorist attacks in the United States that have been executed by individual perpetrators. I combine rational choice, sociological, and psychological theories in order to show a similar path of radicalization taken by each of the terrorists involved in these attacks. I build upon previous research on the importance of studying terrorism from an individual- analysis perspective

The Courts’ Inconsistent Treatment of Bethel v. Fraser and the Curtailment of Student Rights

The majority of courts have cited Bethel v. Fraser in such a way as to give public school officials free reign to censor vulgar, lewd, or plainly offensive student speech. Some courts have gone a step further and prohibited student speech that contains offensive ideas. This article seeks to explain how the Fraser decision curtailed student rights recognized in the Supreme Court\u27s last pure student speech case, Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District

Student Expression in the Age of Columbine: Securing Safety and Protecting First Amendment Rights

Student Expression in the Age of Columbine is one in an ongoing series of First Reports, published by the First Amendment Center, on major First Amendment issues of our time

First Amendment Right to Receive Information and Ideas Justifies Citizens\u27 Videotaping of the Police

Several courts have declared that members of the public have a First Amendment-protected right to film or videotape the police. At least one legal commentator has posited that this right falls within three of the five textually-based freedoms of the First Amendment - the Speech, Press, and Petition Clauses. This right to receive information and ideas is a corollary of the right to speak that triggers the First Amendment interests of not only speakers, but also audiences. This right to receive information and ideas applies in the context of citizens recording the police. The public has a right to know how law enforcement officials treat citizens in encounters. This essay examines the history and dimension of the First Amendment right to receive information and ideas, a concept that has appeared in many different strands of First Amendment law. The essay also explains that the public should have a First Amendment right to receive information about the performance (or lack thereof) of law enforcement officials

The Slaves\u27 War: The Civil War in the Words of Former Slaves

The Voices of Slaves Speak on the Civil War Of late Civil War historians have succeeded in balancing the attention they give to battle front and home front: it has become common fare not only to examine the relationship between civilians at home and the rank and file on the battlefield....

Blogs and the First Amendment

An essay discussing the First Amendment implications of blogs

Balancing Act : Public Employees and Free Speech

More than 20 million Americans work for federal, state or local governments. Sometimes these employees are disciplined for speaking out against government corruption, belonging to a particular political party, criticizing agency policy or engaging in private conduct of which the employer disapproves. Granted, government employers need some leeway when dealing with their employees. After all, the primary function of a government agency is to provide efficient services to the public, and if a government employer were second-guessed every time it disciplined a public employee, services could grind to a halt. On the other hand, such employers do not have unfettered discretion to discipline employees whose speech content they dislike. Like any other public entity, a government employer must conform to principles set forth in the First Amendment

Does Capital Punishment Have a Future? : A Resource Guide for Teachers

The resource guide is intended to help teachers lead students through an exploration of the application of capital punishment in the United States. It offers substantive information about landmark U.S. Supreme Court cases affirming the constitutionality of the dearth penalty, establishing limits for its imposition, and setting legal procedures for judicial review. It explores the philosophical arguments for and against the death penalty, the social context for the death penalty debate, and current international perspectives. Understanding capital punishment and the issues it raises for the American legal system is necessary for students to become fully functioning citizens in a constitutional democracy