Social Norms and Legal Design – Bruno Deffains and Claude Fluety. This version, September 2015. “We compare fault-based and strict liability offences in law enforcement when behavior is influenced by informal prosocial norms of conduct. Fault tends to be more effective than strict liability in harnessing social or self-image concerns. When enforcement relies on fines… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: September 2015
NLM Releases New Research Resource for Domestic Violence
“The National Information Center on Health Services Research and Health Care Technology (NICHSR) of the National Library of Medicine (NLM) has released a new health services research resource on domestic violence, to complement the new NLM exhibition, Confronting Violence, Improving Women’s Lives. The new resource can be found on the Web portal, Health Services Research… Continue Reading
Job Polarization and Labor Market Outcomes for Older, Middle-Skilled Workers
Rutledge, Matthew S. and Guan, Qi, Job Polarization and Labor Market Outcomes for Older, Middle-Skilled Workers (September 1, 2015). Center for Retirement Research at Boston College Working Paper No. 2015-23. Available for download at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2665788 “Numerous studies have found that even as employment growth in high- and low-skill occupations has been robust, employment in… Continue Reading
Corruption, Pollution, Inequality Are Top Concerns in China
“China’s economic growth rate may be slowing, but the Chinese public overwhelmingly recognizes the economic progress their country has made over time. Most say they are better off financially than they were five years ago, and with near unanimity they believe they enjoy a higher standard of living than their parents did. However, they also… Continue Reading
Manners 2.0: Key findings about etiquette in the digital age
“Some 92% of Americans now have a cellphone of some kind, and 90% of those cell owners say that their phone is frequently with them. This “always-on” mobile connectivity is changing the nature of public spaces and social gatherings. It is also rewriting social norms regarding what is rude and what is acceptable behavior when people… Continue Reading
Healthcare costs unsustainable in advanced economies without reform
OECD: “Healthcare costs are rising so fast in advanced economies that they will become unaffordable by mid-century without reforms, according to a new OECD report. Fiscal Sustainability of Health Systems: Bridging Health and Finance Perspectives finds that going over budget on health spending remains endemic in most OECD countries. Maintaining today’s healthcare, and funding future… Continue Reading
UK surveillance program collected billions of records from persons in multiple countries
Ryan Gallagher, The Intercept: “…The mass surveillance operation — code-named KARMA POLICE — was launched by British spies about seven years ago without any public debate or scrutiny. It was just one part of a giant global Internet spying apparatus built by the United Kingdom’s electronic eavesdropping agency, Government Communications Headquarters, or GCHQ…The surveillance is underpinned by… Continue Reading
HHS OIG Audit of MIDAS – central system managing citizen health care insurance data
Public Summary Report: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Implementation of Security Controls Over the Multidimensional Insurance Data Analytics System Needs Improvement (A-06-14-00067). September 21, 2015. “This summary report provides an overview of the results of the Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) review of the Multidimensional Insurance Data Analytics System (MIDAS). It does not… Continue Reading
24/7 Wall St – Richest and Poorest School Districts
“Many factors determine the quality of education in a particular state, including federal, state, and local funding levels, the curriculum, and teacher and staff quality. A district’s wealth, however, is often a very good indicator of how well the area’s students are likely to perform. In San Perlita, Texas, the poorest school district in the… Continue Reading
Creating a 21st-Century Medical Device Surveillance System
“The Food and Drug Administration has scheduled a hearing in response to public concerns about Essure, a nonsurgical, permanent female sterilization device. Since FDA approved the product in 2002, the agency has received reports on 5,093 adverse events, including six deaths. The hearing coincides with a landmark event for medical device safety: the compliance date… Continue Reading
UNESCO calls to combat online and offline violence against women and girls
“On 24 September 2015, the United Nations Broadband Commission’s Working Group on Gender released its report on combatting cyber violence against women at United Nations Headquarters in New York. UNESCO’s Director-General, Ms Irina Bokova, serves as Co-Vice Chair of the Broadband Commission alongside ITU Secretary-General, Mr Houlin Zhao. The report aims to mobilize the public… Continue Reading
Administrative data collection by nations poses privacy concerns for public and researchers
Nature – Researchers wrestle with a privacy problem – The data contained in tax returns, health and welfare records could be a gold mine for scientists — but only if they can protect people’s identities. “…In the past few years, administrative data have been used to investigate issues ranging from the side effects of vaccines… Continue Reading
