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Full-Text Articles in Law
Popular Rogues: Citizen Opinion About Political Corruption, Darrell M. West, Katherine Stewart
Popular Rogues: Citizen Opinion About Political Corruption, Darrell M. West, Katherine Stewart
New England Journal of Public Policy
Trust in the honesty of public officials is a crucial condition for stable democratic systems. Yet despite the presumed centrality of honesty in government, there has been a long tradition of “popular rogues” who are considered dishonest and corrupt, but retain popularity for their strong and effective leadership. In this paper, we look at the phenomenon of popular rogues using the case of the former Mayor Buddy Cianci of Providence, Rhode Island. With data from two statewide Rhode Island opinion surveys (one before the trial and the other at its end), we present a “teeter-totter” model of public opinion whereby …
Gender Politics In Massachusetts: Progress For Paid Family Leave, Elizabeth A. Sherman
Gender Politics In Massachusetts: Progress For Paid Family Leave, Elizabeth A. Sherman
New England Journal of Public Policy
Advances in the educational and occupational status of women in the United States over the past quarter century have greatly expanded the participation of women in the workforce. However, economic and social changes in women’s lives have put pressure on traditional family roles and on the political system to respond to the problems families face balancing work and family responsibilities. Initiatives for paid family leave in Massachusetts reflect the newfound political strength of women in politics — as leaders of political organizations, as elected officials, and as voters — and the willingness of the state’s political elite to grapple with …
Redistricting On Beacon Hill And Political Power On Capitol Hill: Ancient Legacies And Present-Day Perils, Richard A. Hogarty, Garrison Nelson
Redistricting On Beacon Hill And Political Power On Capitol Hill: Ancient Legacies And Present-Day Perils, Richard A. Hogarty, Garrison Nelson
New England Journal of Public Policy
This article discusses legislative reapportionment and past efforts to manipulate district lines as far back as the legendary Elbridge Gerry in the early nineteenth century. Specifically, it deals with what political history has to tell us about the current furor over House Speaker Thomas Finneran’s proposed congressional redistricting. More than any other state in the Union, the Massachusetts lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives have enjoyed disproportionate power as a result of a bipartisan strategy of incumbency protection dating back to the 1940s. That power may be in jeopardy if Speaker Finneran implements his plans to create a new …