Building Jefferson\u27s future

2002 Annual report of Thomas Jefferson University

Diversification and the Taxation of Capital Gains and Losses

Current U.S. law nets the total portfolio of realized capital gains and losses to compute capital gains taxes. Prior research, however, typically ignores the implication of this provision, i.e., the marginal tax rate for a specific gain or loss depends on the taxpayer's total portfolio of realized gains and losses. We find that these nettings introduce complexity into the relation between share values and capital gains taxes, creating an incentive to diversify. For firms with stock returns that are positively (negatively) correlated with those of the overall market, share values generally are decreasing (increasing) in the capital gains tax rate.

Norms of Un-Sustainability: Significant, Yet Overlooked, Factors Inhibiting the Adoption of Environmental Solutions

This study discusses the need for a new approach for addressing environmental issues – because current approaches are either not working or not working at a significant scale – and the role of individuals in both creating and resolving environmental issues. An analysis of the social nature of individual decision-making, with an emphasis on social and descriptive norms, is presented to provide background in the subject that serves as the fundamental topic behind this paper’s main argument. Empirical research then offers an opportunity to demonstrate not only the presence of undesirable (largely descriptive) norms that foster unsustainable individual decision-making and habits, but also the inability of individuals to recognize the role of such norms on their behavior. After analyzing the results of a study conducted at the University of Oxford in July 2011 addressing the presence of unsustainable norms, the paper concludes by stressing the advantages of using the power of norms to more effectively address environmental issues

Collateral Review of Career Offender Sentences: The Case for Coram Nobis

Occasionally, criminals correctly interpret the law while courts err. Litigation pursuant to the federal Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA) includes numerous examples. The ACCA imposes harsher sentences upon felons in possession of firearms with prior violent felony convictions. Over time, courts defined violent so contrary to its common meaning that it eventually came to encompass driving under the influence, unwanted touching, and the failure to report to correctional facilities. However, in a series of recent decisions, the Supreme Court has attempted to clarify the meaning of violent in the context of the ACCA and, in the process, excluded such offenses. The ultimate definition of violent and resulting litigation also implicate career offender sentences imposed under the Sentencing Guidelines, because of similarities in the language of the Guidelines and the ACCA. This Article is the first to examine the availability of collateral review of erroneously imposed career offender sentences resulting from the fluctuating definition of the term violent. The following offers an overview of the two traditional methods of collateral review available to federal prisoners, motions to vacate and habeas corpus petitions, and assesses the viability of each method. This Article argues for use of the relatively obscure writ of error coram nobis, a safety valve for those who are unable to obtain relief through a motion to vacate or a traditional habeas proceeding. This Article concludes that, despite the writ\u27s disfavored status, courts should dust off the 16th century remedy. This would alleviate both the injustice of telling prisoners who correctly interpreted the law that they were right, but are now without remedy, and the social waste associated with unnecessary incarceration

A Study on Sustainable Behavior Inducement: The Role of Information and Feedback

This study develops a further understanding of the role of information availability – in either detailed or color cue feedback form – in inducing sustainable behavior. The hypothesis was that the Color Cue Feedback Group would be more likely to make sustainable decisions on the whole since color cues should invoke System I cognitive processes. A survey-based experiment including 364 participants was conducted at the University of Oxford. First, it was found that information availability in general appears to increase sustainable decision-making, and the hypothesis that color cue feedback (moral suasion) is the most effective for invoking sustainable choices was generally, though not conclusively, confirmed. Second, color cues (moral suasion) may be preferable for quick decisions and detailed information (information provision) may be preferable for decisions that take more time to develop. Third, the presence of undesirable social norms regarding sustainable behavior could mean that the desirable (sustainable) behavior is most often not adopted. Fourth, individuals may aspire to and find value in sustainable practices, but are less likely to actually engage in this behavior when the opportunity to do so arises. Lastly, the data suggest that while information availability will affect decision-making, for the greatest impact it must also be accompanied by supportive policies or campaigns that simultaneously reduce barriers for sustainable behavior and increase the barriers for unsustainable behavior

Collateral Review of Career Offender Sentences: The Case for Coram Nobis

Occasionally, criminals correctly interpret the law while courts err. Litigation pursuant to the federal Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA) includes numerous examples. The ACCA imposes harsher sentences upon felons in possession of firearms with prior violent felony convictions. Over time, courts defined violent so contrary to its common meaning that it eventually came to encompass driving under the influence, unwanted touching, and the failure to report to correctional facilities. However, in a series of recent decisions, the Supreme Court has attempted to clarify the meaning of violent in the context of the ACCA and, in the process, excluded such offenses. The ultimate definition of violent and resulting litigation also implicate career offender sentences imposed under the Sentencing Guidelines, because of similarities in the language of the Guidelines and the ACCA. This Article is the first to examine the availability of collateral review of erroneously imposed career offender sentences resulting from the fluctuating definition of the term violent. The following offers an overview of the two traditional methods of collateral review available to federal prisoners, motions to vacate and habeas corpus petitions, and assesses the viability of each method. This Article argues for use of the relatively obscure writ of error coram nobis, a safety valve for those who are unable to obtain relief through a motion to vacate or a traditional habeas proceeding. This Article concludes that, despite the writ\u27s disfavored status, courts should dust off the 16th century remedy. This would alleviate both the injustice of telling prisoners who correctly interpreted the law that they were right, but are now without remedy, and the social waste associated with unnecessary incarceration

Design and implementation of robust decentralized control laws for the ACES structure at Marshall Space Flight Center

Many large space system concepts will require active vibration control to satisfy critical performance requirements such as line-of-sight accuracy. In order for these concepts to become operational it is imperative that the benefits of active vibration control be practically demonstrated in ground based experiments. The results of the experiment successfully demonstrate active vibration control for a flexible structure. The testbed is the Active Control Technique Evaluation for Spacecraft (ACES) structure at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. The ACES structure is dynamically traceable to future space systems and especially allows the study of line-of-sight control issues