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ABSTRACTWith numerous recent incidents in which law-enforcement officers played a role in the deaths of citizens, there is a renewed focus on cops and their actions. Part of that discussion is related to the nation's preconceived notions of cops and where those ideas might originate. Popular culture contributes to those images; this study explores one source of those images: film. More specifically, it investigates the image of law enforcement on the silver screen from 1984 through 2014. With a sample of 34 films and more than 200 cop characters, this study finds a mixed general depiction of law enforcement in movies but a positive depiction of individual cop characters. The prevalent descriptor of those characters was good, hard-working, and competent law-enforcement officers. This exploratory study informs broader discussions about the images of cops found in popular culture.

With the prevalence and accessibility of film today, we must wonder how film affects its audience. In particular, how does film influence an audience's perceptions of the government? Regardless of the content, research demonstrates that film has the power to shape perceptions of its moviegoers on a range of subjects. In this study, two recent films, Argo and Zero Dark Thirty, were chosen as case studies to explore how Hollywood portrays the intelligence community in film and shapes opinions about the government more broadly. This research found that about 25% of viewers of the two films changed their opinion about the government after watching one of the movies. Additionally, many of those changes are reflected in an improvement in the sentiments about the government and its institutions. This exploratory research provokes interesting discussions about the ability of film to influence the perceptions of an audience. Adapted from the source document.

ABSTRACTWith the prevalence and accessibility of film today, we must wonder how film affects its audience. In particular, how does film influence an audience's perceptions of the government? Regardless of the content, research demonstrates that film has the power to shape perceptions of its moviegoers on a range of subjects. In this study, two recent films,ArgoandZero Dark Thirty, were chosen as case studies to explore how Hollywood portrays the intelligence community in film and shapes opinions about the government more broadly. This research found that about 25% of viewers of the two films changed their opinion about the government after watching one of the movies. Additionally, many of those changes are reflected in an improvement in the sentiments about the government and its institutions. This exploratory research provokes interesting discussions about the ability of film to influence the perceptions of an audience.

Frontline regulators are largely responsible for the implementation and ongoing compliance with environmental laws. Yet, as with other frontline worker populations, environmental regulators are routinely overlooked. Existing acknowledgment of these regulators typically only extends to the regulatory enforcement strategy their agency employs. Missing in these conversations is a focused study on regulators themselves and their perceptions of the regulated community that they interact with daily. Understanding these perceptions will provide insights into how regulators approach their interactions and how they ensure regulatory compliance. This research reports on one‐on‐one interviews and a statewide survey of Ohio Environmental Protection Agency frontline regulators and their perceptions of the regulated community. Findings from this survey reveal generally positive perceptions of the regulated community in Ohio and experiences with them. These findings call attention to a neglected population and emphasize the importance of regulators' perceptions in their regulatory approach.

AbstractSimulations are useful tools in the classroom for an assortment of pedagogical reasons. I have devised a mock constitutional convention for use in introductory American government courses to better engage students and spur critical thinking about the U.S. Constitution. This article details the particulars of the simulation and its outcomes.

AbstractRegulatory approaches and strategies are frequently the subject of study in various literatures, but that examination focuses on practices rather than looking more deeply at the nature of regulatory interactions. Also missing is a more thorough look at what it is front‐line regulators—in this case, environmental inspectors and site coordinators—desire in their interactions and how they perceive their regulatory counterparts. Interviews with regulators in Southwest Ohio reveal that 82 percent of them think the regulated community intends to comply with regulations. Additionally, 71 percent of regulators say that their interactions are positive with the regulated community with three‐quarters indicating that trust plays a role in these interactions. Only 36 percent of interviewees prefer a clear cut and consistent approach while the rest favor a collaborative approach or some combination thereof. These findings should impact discussions concerning regulatory approaches in environmental policy, particularly conversations concerning next‐generation policies.

The relationships between environmental inspectors and the facility personnel at regulated firms are often presumed to be adversarial, and this assumption affects the design and implementation of environmental regulations. However, closer examination of these relationships challenges this fundamental assumption of adversarial relations in environmental policy. Interviews with 44 inspectors and regulated officials throughout Virginia found that the interactions between these two categories of actors are positive. Over 90 percent of the interviewees were positive about their interactions with one another, and inspectors and regulated officials alike indicate that they trust the other. These findings are compelling because they contest common assumptions, and, as such, they provoke debate regarding the fundamental notions concerning the interactions between regulators and the regulated on the frontlines of environmental regulation.La relación entre los inspectores medioambientales y el personal de las instalaciones en las compañías reguladas se supone, por lo general, antagonista, y este supuesto impacta el diseño y la implementación de las regulaciones medioambientales. Sin embargo, una revisión más detallada de estas relaciones cuestiona dicho supuesto. Entrevistas realizadas a 44 inspectores y funcionarios bajo regulación a lo largo de Virginia encontraron que las interacciones entre estas dos categorías de actores son positivas. Más del 90 por ciento de los entrevistados tuvieron una respuesta positiva en relación a sus interacciones con la otra parte, y tanto los inspectores como los funcionarios bajo regulación indicaron que confiaban los unos en los otros. Estas conclusiones refutan los razonamientos habituales y, de ahí, que provocan debate en lo que se refiere a las nociones fundamentales acerca de las interacciones entre los reguladores y los regulados en el frente de la regulación medioambiental.

AbstractDiscussions in environmental policy often focus on the highest levels of decision making and action while paying scant attention to those individuals on the front lines. Among those frequently overlooked are the individuals at regulated facilities who interact with government regulators on a frequent basis. Interviews with nearly two dozen facility personnel in Virginia yield findings that challenge common perceptions of the relationships between facility personnel and inspectors. In particular, 86 percent of facility personnel, representing a range of regulated facilities from prisons to landfills to dry cleaners, said their interactions with inspectors were positive. Approximately 70 percent of them said that they trust inspectors and provided evidence of trust in their stories. The ramifications of these findings for environmental policy could be potentially significant because facility personnel are presumed to be adversarial, if not outright hostile, and this assumption impacts the design and implementation of environmental regulations.