Volume 5

Articles

• Special Interview – Fabian Socialists and Red Light Traffic Cameras – An Interview with Robert Warren /  Author: Philip Barnes
  • Abstract

    After a 53-year career in higher education and following 38 years of continuous academic and professional service to the School of Public Policy and Administration at the University of Delaware, Professor Robert Warren will step back from his teaching responsibilities. Dr. Warren’s urban studies courses – Governance, Planning & Management, Contemporary Issues in Urban Affairs & Public Policy, and Planning Theory & Urban Policy – have been staples of the School’s graduate curriculum for decades. His wide-ranging and deep concern for the marginalized and the oppressed is evident in his teaching and mentoring. Never one to shy away from disclosing his feelings on governmental or political matters, Dr. Warren is the embodiment of C. Wright Mills and Aaron Wildavsky’s challenge to follow the Quaker dictum, “speak truth to power.” In a wide-ranging interview with New Visions for Public Affairs, Dr. Robert Warren – who will continue to advise his Ph.D. students and work on publishing journal articles – talked about his views of the past, present and future. People familiar with Dr. Warren will readily acknowledge his capacity to articulate connections between seemingly unrelated aspects of political and social reality. In this interview, he demonstrates this intellectual ability by pointing out a hidden relationship between H.G. Wells and red light traffic cameras. More fundamentally, Dr. Warren succinctly exposes the complex dynamics between theory and practice in critical social inquiry. The editorial board of New Visions for Public Affairs would like to thank Dr. Warren for participating in this interview. We thank him for what he has done for his students, the School of Public Policy and Administration, the University of Delaware, and for his contribution to the development of a more just and equitable society.

• Intersectional Disadvantages in the Emergence and Transformation of Legal Disputes  /  Author: M. Kristen Hefner
  • Abstract

    Intersectionality theory asserts that individuals’ social experiences differ based on the different social locations individuals occupy within society. In addition, sociolegal research suggests that individuals possess different experiences in the emergence and transformation of legal disputes but, to date, has not empirically incorporated intersectionality theory into its analysis. This paper asks, how can intersectionality theory enhance and further develop sociolegal research on legal disputing? By using Felstiner et al.’s (1980) framework for describing and analyzing the emergence and transformation of legal disputes and drawing on existing sociolegal scholarship, this paper argues for the importance of taking into account the different experiences of individuals within society when examining the emergence and transformation of legal disputes. I further argue that intersectionality theory should be incorporated in sociolegal research to elucidate the disparate ways legal disputes emerge and are transformed for different individuals and the various disadvantages that may exist for certain social groups in asserting legitimate legal claims. Public policy implications and examples are discussed.

• Characteristics of Innovative Entrepreneurs – An Analysis at the Level of the Individual, the Firm, and the Business Environment  /  Author: Daniel P. Smith
  • Abstract

    Innovative entrepreneurship has been a subject of significant discursive research. Much of this research, however, is quite disparate and tends to scrutinize narrow aspects of entrepreneurial firms. This paper conducts a broad literature review to derive the overall conclusions in the study of entrepreneurial research. These areas include the psychological characteristics of innovative entrepreneurs, the organizational characteristics of innovative entrepreneurial firms, and the characteristics of a business environment conducive to innovative entrepreneurship. Individual entrepreneurs have high levels of need achievement and a great propensity for risk-taking. Innovative ventures tend to have an organic organizational structure, which are often spin-offs from larger companies. Finally, high spending in research and development, access to business services and a skilled labor force, and a collaborative culture foster innovative entrepreneurial economic sectors. This research enables policymakers and practitioners to determine the best ways to facilitate and cultivate entrepreneurial business environments. Future research should examine the influence of environmental factors on entrepreneurship and innovation.

• Pay for Spray Fire Protection Policy – A Case Study of Obion County, Tennessee  /  Author: Natasha R. Nau
  • Abstract

    Obion County, Tennessee’s subscription fire protection policy, “Pay for Spray,” has created a dangerous problem in which unincorporated areas of the county do not have a mandatory universal fire protection service. This policy threatens both life and property. Two fires that occurred in September 2010 and December 2011 left residents without fire protection subscriptions homeless. Thirteen policy alternatives are presented and seven are evaluated along four criteria: political feasibility, financial feasibility, economic efficiency and quality of service. After an in-depth evaluation, it is proposed that Obion County make the purchase of fire protection service mandatory through property taxes.