The Australian League of Rights and the process of political conversion

An empirical study of Australian League of Rights' supporters demonstrates their intensely held ideological convictions. Such devotees commonly seek to convert others to their belief system which they regard as “sacrosanct” while other modes of thought are ill‐informed and harmful. Their proselytisation technique attempts to make the “target” doubt previously unquestioned notions, thereby creating personal anguish and conflict.

Most researchers believe strain or deprivation to be necessary factors in the conversion process although such strain need not be perceived by others. Empirical difficulties are encountered using a seven‐step model to view conversion. The model has certain serious limitations, owing to the alien position of the researcher and the inevitable post‐hoc rationalisation of respondents. Nevertheless it has some utility in the field situation and is suggested as being broadly applicable as an heuristic tool.     

The Tide of History

Two stories are told simultaneously: one that may have been, and one that yet might be. The story of the voyage that might have been is based on archaeological evidence provided by the earliest shipwreck discovered in the New World. These two stories are set in different eras to demonstrate certain constants in the human drive to explore the unknown, in the methods used, and in the consequences encountered.     

Issue Definition in State Economic Development Policy

This paper examines whether an "issue definition" perspective developed by Baumgartner and Jones (1993) can account for the dynamics of state economic development policy. The analysis centers on a case study of Louisiana, and shows that efforts to redefine tax exemptions as a threat to the environment were only partially successful in leading to policy change. I speculate on the reasons for this failure, concluding with the fact that special conditions made it harder to redefine the economic development issue there. I argue further that the dynamics of issue redefinition differ by issue type and according to the level of government responsible for a particular policy.