Suchergebnisse

Competing conceptions of corruption & their use in contemporary struggles to reform campaign finance laws are examined. Problems with James Scott's (1972) identification of three approaches to defining corruption are disclosed. Three standards of corruption used by US courts in corruption cases are discussed: quid pro quo, in which officials accept monetary compensation for performing an action; monetary influence, in which public officials perform public duties with the thought of receiving money; & distortion, in which officials' policy decisions are influenced by campaign contributions rather than public opinion. It is contended that the monetary influence standard offers the best approach for explaining political corruption. In addition, it is argued that deliberative theory offers strong support for the monetary influence standard approach. It is concluded that the US judicial system must consider explanations of corruption more carefully before attempting to influence campaign finance law. J. W. Parker

Examines factors which have contributed to the decline of the role of public health agencies, including the impact of federal environmental laws, emergence of risk assessment as a basis for environmental decisions, and other issues; US.

"The modern political landscape of Virginia bears little resemblance to the past. The commonwealth is a nationally influential swing state alongside stalwarts like Florida or Ohio. But with increased power comes greater scrutiny--and corruption. Governor Bob McDonnell received a jail sentence on federal corruption charges, later vacated by the U.S. Supreme Court. Corporate influence on the state legislature and other leaders resulted in numerous ethics violations. Scandal erupted at the prestigious University of Virginia when the school ousted its president amid political drama and intrigue. Author Jeff Thomas reveals the intersection of money, power and politics and the corrosive effect on government in a new era."--Page [4] of cover

Lawsuits over coffee burns, playground injuries, even bad teaching: litigation "horror stories" create the impression that Americans are greedy, quarrelsome, and sue-happy. The truth, as this book makes clear, is quite different. What Thomas Burke describes in Lawyers, Lawsuits, and Legal Rights is a nation not of litigious citizens, but of litigious policies--laws that promote the use of litigation in resolving disputes and implementing public policies

Fifty years ago the political scientist Robert Dahl concluded that courts are usually in sync with 'the policy views dominant among the lawmaking majorities' and thus offer little help to aggrieved minorities (Dahl, 1957, p. 285). In recent years, Dahl's classic formulation has received renewed attention. This chapter uses the example of the Rehnquist Court's First Amendment decisions to analyze 'regime politics' theory. On religion cases the Rehnquist Court was generally in sync with the socially conservative strain in the Republican Party, but in other First Amendment areas the pattern is far more complex, raising questions about the relationship between conservative judges and the political movements that brought them to office. [Copyright 2008 Elsevier Ltd.]