Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: In this paper I examine a cluster of problems for developing a realistic criminological understanding of computer related crime – problems which, I argue, threaten in turn to seriously impair the capacity of criminal justice systems to deal with it. The first set of problems are methodological and centre around three serious inadequacies in the recording and measurement of crime involving computers: the quality of such measures, the scope of such measures and the ownership of such measures. A series of examples of these methodological failures are examined and illustrated. The second problematic area discussed in the paper involves the conceptual framework applied in discussions of information technology based crime - in particular the whole notion of ‘cybercrime’ that is commonly used to describe it. I show how a taxonomisation of such behaviours in terms of ‘cybercrime’ not only skews criminological analysis here towards pseudo-issues such as identity theft, it also helps to generate a self-serving crime control ‘industry’ – one that obscures more pressing problems of criminality that arise in a ‘networked’ society.

The paper concludes with a broader consideration of the background to these failures of method and conceptualisation. I suggest some parallels to be drawn with a general decline in the quality of available measures in the wake of the ongoing ‘securitization’ agenda, a decline that can be usefully associated with Deleuze’s notion of a “control society”.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: Depending on the source one can conclude that United States consumers enjoy access to a robustly competitive and nearly ubiquitous marketplace for inexpensive broadband Internet access, or they suffer the consequences of a tightly concentrated industry offering inferior service at high rates. On one hand, the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”), the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (“NTIA”) and some sponsored researchers offer a quite sanguine outlook, possibly influenced by their appreciation for the political and public relations dividends in compiling positive results.

On the other hand, other statistical compilations and interpretations show the U.S. behind in terms of market penetration and price, even trailing some nations that have similarly unfavorable geographical and demographic characteristics. In the light of the extraordinary global success achieved by domestic ventures in information and communications technology (“ICT”), it would appear counterintuitive for some current broadband statistics to show the United States lagging other nations in terms of favorable access to next generation networks.

The FCC has used evidence of robust market penetration and competition in broadband markets to support an aggressive deregulatory campaign. Advocates for even more deregulation regularly cite the Commission’s statistics as evidence that the unfettered marketplace can achieve broadband access and affordability goals. Both the Commission and many stakeholders assume the frequently cited statistics present a true picture of the marketplace. A recent NTIA document concludes that the United States has achieved the goal of “universal, affordable access for broadband technology by the year 2007” articulated by President Bush in 2004.
This paper will examine the United States broadband penetration and pricing statistics with a critical eye, in light of other contradictory compilations by credible organizations including the International Telecommunication Union and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Additionally the paper will compare and contrast the FCC’s identification of broadband options in the author’s home zip code with what actual options the author could identify.

The paper concludes that the FCC and NTIA have overstated broadband penetration and affordability by using an overly generous and unrealistic definition of what qualifies as broadband service, by using zip codes as the primary geographic unit of measure and by misinterpreting available statistics. Additionally the FCC includes as competition services lacking any true cross-elasticity with other services based on substantial price differences.
The paper concludes that credible calculations, using better calibrated measures, show a mixed outcome based on different geographical focus. Some U.S. residents, particularly in urban locales, enjoy comparatively excellent broadband service, while rural residents may have ample access options, albeit at comparatively high prices in light of limited price competition.

The paper concludes that the absence of robust price competition among many facilities-based broadband operators in many areas of the nation challenges many of the assumptions built into recent FCC policy initiatives that seek to abandon consumer safeguards. The paper also concludes that a statutory mandate to promote universal access to advanced telecommunications capability requires the FCC to collect and disseminate credible statistics on next generation network deployment.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: We explored the role of social desirability, question wording, and setting in prospective jurors’ opinions of a defendant’s guilt or innocence in highly publicized criminal cases. Based on experimental manipulation of wording in a recent change of venue survey performed by the authors, and on trial research, we found that traditional change of venue surveys tend to underestimate the percentage of people who have formed a “guilty” opinion and that voir dire tends to underestimate the percentage even more. The results have important applications for change of venue surveys and jury selection.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: While the extent to which candidates
for elected office keep their campaign promises holds great interest
for citizens and has important consequences for the quality of
democracy, we know very little about whether candidates actually keep
these promises, and the paucity of such information is particularly
acute for congressional candidates. The proposed paper will examine the
relationship between campaign promises and the subsequent legislative
behavior of members of Congress in the area of environmental
protection. The paper will seek to answer three questions: first, how
prevalent is promise keeping behavior on the part of members of
Congress?; second, do campaign promises improve our ability to predict
congressional behavior after controlling for other factors known to
explain this behavior?; and third, does the propensity to break
campaign promises vary systematically across types of legislators?
Methods: Responses to the National Political Awareness Test (NPAT) are
matched with roll call data on environmental issues from the 104th to
the 109th Congress. A series of bivariate probit models with selection
are then used to assess the extent to which roll call votes are
consistent with candidate policy statements in the NPAT. Two additional
items regarding the proposed paper are worth noting. First, an earlier
version of this paper is forthcoming in Social Science Quarterly. The
SSQ article answers the three questions posed above using data from the
House of Representatives in the 105th Congress; thus, the proposed
paper is a significant extension both temporally (10 years) and
spatially (2 chambers), and will substantially improve the
generalizability of results on these topics. Second, my co-author on
this paper is an undergraduate public affairs student at Indiana
University, and if the paper proposal is accepted, he will accompany me
to Chicago and deliver much of the presentation.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: This paper explores how the Special Court is contributing to the memory of the conflict in Sierra Leone. Based on empirical research the paper looks at the following: the belief that the Court instituted ‘white man’s justice’ in relation to its narrow mandate and jurisdiction; the fact that many had gotten away with their crimes ‘scott-free’; and the desire to ‘let sleeping dogs lie’ for the time taken to prosecute a few individuals. Research highlighted that many felt excluded from this process and notions of justice had become intertwined with feelings of economic and social injustice as many people remain in poverty. The Court is a visual reminder of the justice inside its structure and the injustice outside. As such, the paper finds that the Court has inadvertently reinforced a division in Sierra Leone of those who have access to justice and those who do not which is implicitly tied with the gap between rich and poor. This therefore, serves to undermine the Court’s overarching goal of addressing impunity.