James N. Schubert

Ethological Methods for Observing Small Group Political Decision Making

Students of biopolitics and others are concerned with the relevance and contribution of this emergent subfield to the traditional or “normal” problems of more established areas in the discipline of political science (Hines, 1982; Blank, 1982). My article addresses this issue by illustrating how ethological methods of inquiry can be applied in research on collective political decision making in small groups. (Watts, 1981). Rather than presenting a final methodology and set of findings fait accompli, my primary purpose is heuristic and developmental-that is, to contribute to critical discussion, awareness, and application of alternative field research methods in political science.

Measuring Substantive AIDS Policies in the American States

BY DECEMBER 31, 1999, the Centers for Disease Control reported a cumulative total of 724,656 diagnosed cases of AIDS among adolescents and adults. The number of new cases in 1999 among adolescents and adults was 25,341, markedly lower than the high point of new cases in 1993 (78,834). In addition, death from AIDS has declined dramatically, from a high point in 1995 of 49,456 to 10,122 during 1999 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1999; Pallella et al. 1998). One key factor accounting for this decline appears to be the multiple drug regimens designed to combat the virus (Gulick et al. 1997; Egger et al. 1997; Pallella et al. 1998). In addition, public policy has had a role in the prevention of transmission (Rein, Jackson, and Chellman 1997; Schubert and Peterson 1995). In this article, we develop a measure of substantive AIDS policies carried out by the American states and then conduct a preliminary test of these policies’ effectiveness at slowing the increase in the number of AIDS cases. By developing and implementing public policy, government plays a necessary role in