Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: Trade policy scholars have traditionally studied the effects of interests and institutions independently. Although many have recently begun to question this independence, no one has yet proposed a unified approach to the study of trade politics that (1) incorporates interests, institutions, and the interaction between the two, and (2) examines the effects of all three sets of variables on both the cross-sectoral structure and the average national level of protection. In this paper I develop such an approach and implement it with a study of non-tariff barriers (NTBs) in 28 industries in 40 competitive democracies in the 1990s. I find that, while interest-group variables have significant effects on NTBs, these effects do not vary across institutional contexts, nor do the institutional variables themselves have significant effects. I conclude that it may be possible to develop powerful, parsimonious theories of trade policy on the basis of interests alone. To test these theories, however, we need to examine interests, institutions and the interaction between the two.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: Through the examination of factors that include race, space, authenticity and hybridity to explain why Asian artists have been unable to successfully crossover into mainstream U.S. market, this paper seeks to analyze the issues embroiled in both the pleasures of identification with the importation of U.S. hip-hop by Asian countries and the politics involved in the appropriation, imitation, localization and ultimately exportation of this new transnational version of hip-hop culture. Using Asian hip-hop artists M.I.A. and Panjabi MC as case studies, the tropes used to describe them are compared against the tropes used to describe U.S. hip-hop artists; which indict the politics inherent in crossover and the role of globalization in creating obstacles for the entry of Asian hip-hop artists into the global hip-hop market.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: Historically, modeling the relationships which predominate intergovernmental relations has been an exercise based on the study of institutions and the ties which bind those institutions together. The resulting theories were static and most often adopted the ?one size fits all? approach to understanding how different governments implement policy. These theories, and the perspective which is embedded in them, have provided the basis of the field of intergovernmental relations. It is now necessary to reevaluate the metaphors and models used by theoreticians to assess whether they adequately encompass the reality which faces managers of public organizations. Extending the work of Christensen (1999) a new interpretation of intergovernmental relations, the image of the spider?s web, is proposed. The model is explored using the State of Georgia?s mental health, mental retardation and substance abuse services delivery system. The use of the metaphor and testing of the model are discussed.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: This paper presents a cross-national, cross-sectoral analysis of nontariff barriers that examines simultaneously the impact of sectoral demand-side variables, national supply-side variables, and interactions between the two.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: The pin-point accuracy of the client computers’ or server computers’ data collection software created a high expectation of the Internet use measurement. However, the relatively unexplored data structures and a complex collection algorithm should be understood before the data are analyzed. Furthermore, the difficulty of the analysis reside in deciding the proper unit of analysis and predicting the analysis unit ahead of the data collection process. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the potential values of the Internet use data and examine the validity of the Internet use data by comparing server-side data set and client-side data recording from identical Internet users. As a result of the triangulation of two datasets, we could recommend research designs and propose analysis schemes.