Suchergebnisse

Despite a proliferation of congressional groups since the mid-1970s, little attention has been devoted to the group life of Congress. This study focuses on congressional informal groups as modern extensions of representative responsiveness. Three questions are asked: (1) What are the roles and activities of congressional groups? (2) Are there differences in roles and activities by group type? and, (3) Are there patterns of activity that define a group life? Using survey data and factor analyses, this study, while discovering few distinctions among the groups, finds the group life of Congress as patterned responses to fulfilling the needs and interests of group constituencies and members of Congress.

I am grateful to Thomas Longoria and Susan Hammond for their comments, and for the opportunity to respond to several points raised concerning my article. The essay dealt with several issues, some of which deserve additional explanation, as both Longoria and Hammond point out. Nonetheless, I believe my article and the ensuing commentaries suggest a rethinking of the issue of congressional informal groups in the modern Congress. I shall begin with the three main methodological issues that Hammond and Longoria raise: the overlap between role and activity variables, response bias of survey data, and the use of elite interviews. Next, I address Hammond's issue of the distinction between legislative service organizations (LSOs) and non-LSOs. Finally, I close with a response to Longoria's comments on congressional groups testifying before congressional committees with two cases of the Hispanic Caucus and the 1980s immigration reform efforts.

The complete development of the current society depends not only on scientific and technological advances but also on the standard of living. Current means of transport allow us to move so quickly and easily that cultural barriers have become increasingly blurred. People move ndividually, not collectively, in search of better life conditions. Mass communication must provide information for people in adverse situations. Governments need to create centres of survival information for those individuals who, in their environment or outside of it, lack the minimum resources to live with dignity. These centres are essential to improve coexistence. The organization is simple, but a general policy to regulate these centres would be required. This article will explain the fundamentals for the creation of this service and present the project which is underway in the Heliopolis favela (São Paulo, Brazil). The benefits which this type of service can have for both developed and underdeveloped countries in terms of improving coexistence will be pointed out. ; El desarrollo completo de la sociedad actual depende no sólo de los avances científicos y tecnológicos sino también del nivel de vida de las personas. Los medios de transporte permiten una movilidad tan fácil y activa que las fronteras culturales son cada vez más nebulosas. Los desplazamientos se realizan de manera individual y no colectiva en busca de mejores condiciones de vida. Los medios de comunicación deben atender las necesidades de información de las personas en situaciones adversas. Los estados tienen que crear centros de información de supervivencia para aquellos individuos que en su medio o fuera de él carecen de los recursos mínimos imprescindibles para vivir con dignidad. La aparición de estos centros es imprescindible para mejorar la convivencia. La organización es sencilla pero se necesita una política de carácter general que los regule. Se formulan las bases para la creación de estos servicios, se presenta el proyecto que está realizándose en la favela de Heliópolis (São Paulo. Brasil) y se apuntan los beneficios que este tipo de actividad puede reportar tanto a los países desarrollados como subdesarrollados en vías a mejorar la convivencia de las personas.

The complete development of the current society depends not only on scientific and technological advances but also on the standard of living. Current means of transport allow us to move so quickly and easily that cultural barriers have become increasingly blurred. People move ndividually, not collectively, in search of better life conditions. Mass communication must provide information for people in adverse situations. Governments need to create centres of survival information for those individuals who, in their environment or outside of it, lack the minimum resources to live with dignity. These centres are essential to improve coexistence. The organization is simple, but a general policy to regulate these centres would be required. This article will explain the fundamentals for the creation of this service and present the project which is underway in the Heliopolis favela (São Paulo, Brazil). The benefits which this type of service can have for both developed and underdeveloped countries in terms of improving coexistence will be pointed out. ; El desarrollo completo de la sociedad actual depende no sólo de los avances científicos y tecnológicos sino también del nivel de vida de las personas. Los medios de transporte permiten una movilidad tan fácil y activa que las fronteras culturales son cada vez más nebulosas. Los desplazamientos se realizan de manera individual y no colectiva en busca de mejores condiciones de vida. Los medios de comunicación deben atender las necesidades de información de las personas en situaciones adversas. Los estados tienen que crear centros de información de supervivencia para aquellos individuos que en su medio o fuera de él carecen de los recursos mínimos imprescindibles para vivir con dignidad. La aparición de estos centros es imprescindible para mejorar la convivencia. La organización es sencilla pero se necesita una política de carácter general que los regule. Se formulan las bases para la creación de estos servicios, se presenta el proyecto que está realizándose en la favela de Heliópolis (São Paulo. Brasil) y se apuntan los beneficios que este tipo de actividad puede reportar tanto a los países desarrollados como subdesarrollados en vías a mejorar la convivencia de las personas.

This research demonstrates the relevance of the evaluative cycle and its diverse methodological designs in small and medium enterprise (SME) policy. We structure our arguments based on the most common phases of the cycle, namely policy justification, needs, policy theory, implementation, impact and efficiency assessments. We use an in-depth case study of public assistance to an SME to illustrate how findings from these phases go beyond the results of the additionality practice in SME policy. We employ the findings as starting points to discuss several methodological designs for the evaluation of entire programmes, policies and systems.

Part 7: Section 6: The Future of Critical Realism in IS Research ; International audience ; Information systems (IS) are complex phenomena. For instance, the diffusion of IS in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) depends on various levels of networked, localized, and changing determinants, such as the ones related to the adopter organizations, decision makers, technologies, complementary innovations, business partners, professional groups, universities, and government policies. This complex view of IS implies the use of different disciplines and methodologies to study the diffusion process. The objective of this empirical research is to demon strate how the systems of innovation approach (SIA), for addressing the institutional and evolutionary determinants of diffusion, and the philosophical stance of critical realism (CR), for guiding the research process, are compatible and meet the multidisciplinarity and methodological pluralism required to move on the field of complex IS and recommend meaningful actions to practice. To exemplify our arguments, we focus the study on one relevant determinant that affects the diffusion of IS in SMEs, namely government programs.

Three-day, 40 hour, compressed work weeks are atypical in American labor circles. They are especially rare among law enforcement agencies. Positive and negative attributes of compressed work weeks have remained largely untested and particular to specific industries. This case study is an evaluation of the attitudinal and productivity effects of a three-day work week schedule as implemented by the Bexar County Sheriff's Department, Patrol Division, responsible for policing unincorporated areas surrounding San Antonio, Texas. The findings of this research are consistent with previous evaluations of compressed work weeks in private industry. Positive impacts on both productivity measures and the self-reported attitudes of patrol officers are found. Furthermore, the quality of policing provided to citizens did not decline. These data lead to the conclusion that a three day compressed work week with 13 hour and 20 minute work days is a work hour allocation strategy that may be successfully applied to policing agencies with benefits to both the organization and line patrol officers.