Commentary: Martians and Venutians in the new world order

One of the most significant results of 9/11 has been to provoke the most serious crisis in the transatlantic relationship—the subject of Robert Kagan's influential and provocative treatise. Lauded by some as one of the more important contributions to the study of world politics in recent years and attacked by others as possibly the most misguided analysis of European—American relations ever, Kagan sets forth in stark, realist terms why the rift is serious, long-term and unlikely to be overcome by neat diplomatic footwork. However, as this commentary seeks to show, if Kagan is right there is little chance of constructing anything like a 'new world order'. Moreover, if the clash continues, far from enhancing American power in the world, it is more likely to weaken it.     

Measures of Geographically Uneven Subpopulation Group Change and Local Group Transitions: Examples from Los Angeles

The author notes the shortcomings of quantitative tools available for the analysis of local area transitions between subpopulation groups, particularly when compared to the power of methodologies available for the study of static segregation geographies. The author derives simple statistics for examining single‐group, two‐group, and multigroup subpopulation change and provides empirical examples of the properties and uses of these statistics. These measures of group change and transition are suitable for the continuous measurement and modeling of ecological outcomes in multi‐group context. Statistics are also derived to measure aggregate regional unevenness in local subpopulation group change.     

Judicial Review of Agency Interpretation of Statutes: Deference Doctrines in Comparative Perspective

Examined in this article are the deference doctrines developed by courts in the United States, Canada, Britain, Australia and South Africa. Deference doctrines determine when and if courts are to defer to an agency's reasonable interpretation of the ambiguous terms of the statute that the agency administers. The study of deference doctrines in comparative perspective reveals much about the need for agency autonomy in the modern administrative state and the capacity of courts to maintain the delicate balance and remedy abuses of discretion. It also provides an opportunity to determine how well the leading theories of judicial decision making explain the variety of judicial responses to the common problem of deference to agency interpretation of statues.     

Perceptions of the War in Bosnia

Books reviewed in this article:
Roger Cohen, Hearts grown brutal: sagas of Sarajevo
Chuck Sudetic, Blood and vengeance: one family's story of the war in Bosnia
Richard Holbrooke, To end a war
General Sir Michael Rose, Fighting for peace: Bosnia 1994     

Surviving in a Competitive Spatial Market: The Threshold Capture Model

Many facility location decision models ignore the fact that for a facility to survive it needs a minimum demand level to cover costs. In this paper we present a decision model for a firm that wishes to enter a spatial market where there are several competitors already located. This market is such that for each outlet there is a demand threshold level that has to be achieved in order to survive. The firm wishes to know where to locate its outlets so as to maximize its market share taking into account the threshold level. It may happen that due to this new entrance, some competitors will not be able to meet the threshold and therefore will disappear. A formulation is presented together with a heuristic solution method and computational experience.     

America and Japan in the World Arena

Book reviewed in this article:
Walter LaFeber, The Clash: A History of U.S.-Japan Relations