William A. Taggart

Institutional productivity in criminal justice and criminology: An examination of author affiliation in selected journals

In recent years considerable research has focused on the scholarly activities of criminology and criminal justice educators. These efforts have revealed that the generation of knowledge about crime is a process characterized by diversity and complexity. The investigation described in this article aimed to contribute to the understanding of this process by examining the institutional affiliation of primary authors whose work has appeared in three of the leading journals in criminal justice and criminology. It analyzed all research articles and notes published by academics in the Journal of Criminal Justice and Criminology between 1976 and 1988, inclusive, and Justice Quarterly for its first five years of publication, 1984 through 1988. The analysis explored institutional authorship by journal, and this article provides a composite ranking of universities based on the frequency of first author affiliations across the journals. The findings indicate that schools supporting doctoral programs in criminology and criminal justice are generally well represented in the pages of these leading journals. Additionally, the analysis revealed that several institutions have assumed more prominent positions in the production of criminal justice and criminological knowledge in recent years.

A comparative analysis of research methods in criminology and criminal justice journals

The scientific standing of criminal justice and criminology has been an issue of sometimes heated debate among academics with varying research orientations. In an effort to help delineate the methodological development of the two fields, this study compares seven dimensions of research methods employed in the 966 articles published in Criminology, Journal of Criminal Justice, and Justice Quarterly during the period from 1976 through 1988. The findings show that Criminology papers tend to focus on crime causation, social control, and delinquency. This journal also places a strong emphasis on inductive empiricism; such research typically uses correlational research designs, cross-sectional data, and multivariate statistics. Studies in the criminal justice journals use similar methods but emphasize law enforcement (Journal of Criminal Justice), courts (Justice Quarterly), and corrections. An analysis over time shows a general increase in empirical works that examine relationships among variables and use mult...

Organizational centralization in court administration: An empirical assessment

Data gathered from a national survey of court managers are used to examine the centralized versus decentralized perspectives recently developed in organizational theories of court administration. Two areas are examined in the research: administrative decision making and job formalization. Utilizing discriminant analysis, it appears that few states are dominated by a single management approach, and that in all likelihood the local norms and values influence the ways in which the courts are managed.

Intergovernmental Relations and Native American Gaming A Case Study on the Emergence of a New Intergovernmental Relations Participant

Models of intergovernmental relations (IGR) are consistently built around the triumvirate of national, state, and local governments. Lacking in various conceptualizations is due consideration for the hundreds of tribal governments found scattered throughout the United States. Although the status of Indians in the U.S. federal system has always been something of an enigma, the emergence of Indian gaming, and its associated high economic and political stakes, suggests it is time to incorporate tribal governments into the IGR framework. This article takes a step in this theoretical direction by examining how Indian gaming reflects the many distinctive features that define the meaning of IGR. Specifically, this article looks at the Indian gaming experience of one state—New Mexico—as a case study to illustrate the legal, human, and policy elements of what might be viewed as representing the emergence of a new intergovernmental partner.

Determinants Of Corrections Expenditures In The American States: An Exploratory Analysis*:

This exploratory study seeks to shed light on the complexities surrounding the determinants of state corrections expenditures. Employing a framework composed of external environmental characteristics and internal institutional characteristics, the investigation focuses on the absolute and relative influence of six groups of variables on per capita spending by the 48 contiguous states in 1984. Generally, the findings indicate that variables associated with a states external environment offer the best predictors of corrections expenditures. Significant internal variables are limited both in number and in importance. Implications and suggestions for future research in this area are discussed in the conclusion.

Court clerks, court administrators, and judges: Conflict in managing the courts

Abstract This article presents the results of a survey conducted in conjunction with the National Association for Court Administration (NACA), the National Association of Trial Court Administrators (NATCA), and the National Center for State Courts. A questionnaire designed to gauge role perceptions of court managers was sent to 410 NACA members and 321 NATCA members. One of the key elements of the survey is the issue of conflict — specifically, the types and sources of conflict encountered by court managers in the performance of their jobs. Over half (55.7 percent) of those surveyed responded, and most indicated one or more sources of conflict in managing their courts. Much has been written in the court administration literature about conflict, or the potential for conflict, in conducting court business. The results of this survey provide empirical evidence on the conflicts most frequently encountered in court management, including case-flow management problems, personnel matters, financial issues, policy and planning issues, and communication problems.

The Changing Shape of the American Political Universe Revisited

Thirty years ago, Burnham (1965) published his seminal article asserting that the sharp decline in voter turnout around the turn of the century was associated with the emergence of capitalism and the adverse impact of industrialization on the party system. This research note examines the macroeconomic interpretation of declining turnout using aggregate time-series data for biennial House elections and presidential and midterm House elections between 1880 and 1960. Controlling for the effects of an expanding electorate in the form of immigration and womens suffrage, the surge associated with presidential elections, the impact of war, and the adoption of direct primaries and the secret ballot, the analysis reveals a strong negative relationship between turnout levels and banking, capital in manufacturing industries, and work stoppages and strikes. Between 1880 and 1920, these industrial conditions are predicted to be associated with one fourth of the shrinkage in the American voting universe. By the beginning of World War II, the marginalizing influence of changing economic conditions on turnout is minimal.

The Relevance Question Revisited: A Mid-Careerist Perspective on Public Service Education.

Although nearly two decades have passed since the Honey Report was issued, MPA education is still wrestling with the “relevance question.” This exploratory study seeks to assess the relevance issue from the unique vantage point of 183 mid-career MPA students at sixteen universities across the country. Queried are mid-careerist perceptions of the content, effect, and curriculum development needs of their MPA educational experience. The findings indicate: (1) a concern about the theoretical versus practical application focus of the mid-careerist experience; (2) a perception by these students that MPA education was having a substantial effect on their work habits, attitudes, and values; (3) a feeling that the balance afforded to ethics, politics, and skill development should probably differ among the subdisciplines; (4) a convergence of opinion with pre-service students on the most appropriate teaching styles for PA classrooms; (5) the perception that distinct differences existed in pre-service/mid-careerists to help academics provide a more applied view of the public service to pre-service students. The study concludes by arguing for the adoption of a service delivery ethic stressing knowledge co—production in the MPA educational process.

Air Quality Control Expenditures in the American States

This research note examines air quality control expenditures by the American states from 1970 to 1979 in light of the theory of budgetary incrementalism. Utilizing a longitudinal correlation analysis the findings reveal little fluctuation in relative spending levels during this decade. However, in an examination of the change in expenditures from one year to the next, states are found to exhibit a high degree of variability, with increases and decreases commonly exceeding 20 percent. In subsequent years these gains and losses are partially offset by expenditure cuts or increases. These results suggest that compensatory, rather than incremental, outcomes characterize expenditure changes in the states.

The nationalization of corrections policy in the American states

A number of commentators have pointed to the influence of the national government, especially attempts by federal courts to reform state prisons, as increasing the uniformity of corrections policy across the American states. In an effort to put this assertion to a partial test, this article examines the nationalization of state corrections expenditures between 1945 and 1992. Based on aggregate, secondary data for the 48 contiguous states, an analysis of relative cross-sectional spending differences over time is conducted. Evidence of declining differences in state expenditures is detected, particularly during the last few decades. The paper concludes with a discussion of possible causes of the nationalization of state corrections policy and offers suggestions for future research.