Beyond the Politics of Federalism: An Alternative Model

In Regulation and Federalism, C. Boyden Gray describes a theoretical framework for distributing regulatory authority in a federalist state. In this comment, I provide an alternative model that goes beyond Gray\u27s framework to establish specific criteria for allocating regulatory power between the states and the federal government

Independent Agencies Under Attack: A Skeptical View of the Importance of the Debate

The 1980s have witnessed two related but distinct attacks on independent agencies. 1 One attack is grounded in constitutional theory. Some have argued that independent agencies, those strange amalgam[s] that blend the functions of all three branches but are the creatures of none, violate the separation of powers doctrine in the Constitution. 2 This approach has been labeled neoclassical 3 or the new formalism. 4 These terms suggest a rediscovery of fundamental constitutional principles. Another attack proceeds from an organizational perspective. Without clear lines of authority from one branch of government, independent agencies are politically unaccountable, and therefore vulnerable to regulatory inefficiency and external manipulation. 5 In essence, the independent agency form is organizationally dysfunctional. This functional critique is almost as old as independent agencies, yet the criticism continues unabated. These two lines of attack are distinct in several ways. One questions the constitutionality of a form, the other criticizes its function. The latter has a long history; the former reflects a reawakening and expansion of a traditional argument. They are related in one significant way. Both critiques present themselves as politically neutral, questioning the form of regulatory agencies rather than their political purpose or effect. Joined together, as they often are, these two themes have become the 1980s assault on the fundamental legitimacy of independent agencies. How can we explain the timing and intensity of the present debate on independent agency structure? After all, independent agencies have been around for one hundred years, 6 and have been created to ..

CONSEQUENCES OF PARTY SYSTEM INSTITUTIONALIZATION IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

Intrastate conflict plagues many countries within sub-Saharan Africa. A significant portion of research asserts that conflict in this region results from high levels of ethnic heterogeneity or weak national institutions that cannot quell violence. Another line of qualitative research highlights the role of political parties in inciting conflict. In this thesis, these two strands of research are merged by quantitatively testing classic theories on the stabilizing effect of highly institutionalized party systems

Growth and change in the computer industry : impacts on plant location and labor demand

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 1985.MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ROTCH.Bibliography: leaves 363-376.by Susan Hasler Bartlett.Ph.D

A proposed comprehensive conservation and management plan for the ungranted state lands in Accomack and Northampton countie

The goal of this management plan is to conserve and manage the fragile and dynamic coastal habitat and resources subject to this plan while accommodating compatible public uses. To date 28,507 acres of ungranted state lands have been identified in Accomack and Northampton Counties. The purpose of this plan 1s to develop a comprehensive conservation and management strategy for these state owned beaches marshes, meadowlands, commons, and other coastal lands which constitute a fragile and dynamic natural coastal resource of the Commonwealth of Virginia

Beyond Traditional Newspaper Advertisement: Leveraging Facebook-Targeted Advertisement to Recruit Long-Term Smokers for Research

BACKGROUND: Smokers are a stigmatized population, but an important population to reach for the purpose of research. Therefore, innovative recruitment methods are needed that are both cost-effective and efficacious in recruiting this population. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present article was to evaluate the feasibility of Facebook-targeted advertisement to recruit long-term smokers eligible for lung cancer screening for a descriptive, cross-sectional survey. METHODS: A social media recruitment campaign was launched using Facebook-targeted advertisement to target age and keywords related to tobacco smoking in the Facebook users profile, interests, and likes. A 3-day newspaper advertisement recruitment campaign was used as a comparison. The study that used both recruitment methods aimed to test the psychometric properties of 4 newly developed lung cancer screening health belief scales. Data were collected via cross-sectional survey methodology using an Web-based survey platform. RESULTS: The Facebook-targeted advertisements were viewed 56,621 times over an 18-day campaign in 2015 in the United States. The advertisement campaign yielded 1121 unique clicks to the Web-based survey platform at a cost of $1.51 per completed survey. Of those who clicked through to the study survey platform, 423 (37.7$40.80 per completed survey. Participants represented current (n=182; 51%) and former smokers (n=178; 49%) with a mean age of 63.4 years (SD 6.0). Cost of the advertisement campaign was $500 total for the 18-day campaign. CONCLUSIONS: Recruitment by Facebook was more efficacious and cost-effective compared with newspaper advertisement. Facebook offers a new venue for recruitment into research studies that offer the potential for wider reach at a lower cost while providing privacy and flexibility for potential study participants. The study's findings extend recent work of other researchers who have demonstrated Facebook's utility with younger smokers, and Facebook is an effective tool to recruit older smokers. Furthermore, Facebook is a cost-effective alternative to traditional newspaper advertisement offering a new, affordable venue to recruit large numbers of older smokers efficiently

Identification of planthoppers (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) intercepted on aquarium plants in Florida and elucidation of a potential pathway for exotic aquatic and semiaquatic pests

Recent shipments of aquarium plants to pet stores in five Florida counties were found to be infested with an exotic delphacid planthopper. Rearing adult males allowed identification by morphological analysis. Molecular analysis confirmed that it was the same as authoritatively identified reference specimens of the planthopper, Opiconsiva anacharsis (Fennah) (new combination) (Hemiptera: Delphacidae), first reported from Florida in 1989 and known to be established only in Broward County. The host plants, Echinodorus spp. Rich. ex Engelm. (Alismatales: Alismataceae), originally from Thailand, were sold in enclosed plastic cylinders that provided a suitable environment for maintaining the planthoppers. Attempts to trace the shipment histories to these stores suggested a circuitous multi-state pathway leading to a Broward County, Florida, business that receives aquatic plants from Southeast Asia. While the infestation of these plants may have occurred in Florida, trade in semiemergent aquatic plants is shown to be a potential pathway for introduction for insect pests