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Making Peace with War: Adaptation and the Soviet Political Economy in the Blockade of Leningrad
No full textWar demands the capacity of state elites and officials, and institutions, to adapt to challenges. One constant refrain in Western accounts was the inability of the Soviet command economy to adapt—yet that com- mand economy contributed to survival and eventual victory. To what extent could and did economic actors and institutions adapt to new circumstances, versus following tried-and-true policies of the 1930s? In this article, we use the case of Leningrad in late 1941 and 1942, when the Blockade provided severe challenges and became more than a fleeting military event. One of the most important challenge (if not the most important) was the sup- ply and distribution of food to maintain the operation of the city and military production. The massive death toll revealed the degree of the challenge, the force of the German siege, and the lack of sufficient preparation before- hand. Yet the regime did implement innovations and adaptations in obtaining and provisioning. We focus on one set of formal policies: the streamlining of food distribution and the expansion of podsobnoe khoziaistvo (success- es), and the possibility of using fish (a failure). These policies were grounded in existing institutional templates and knowledge; however, fishing policies revealed contradictions between civilian and military actors. More radical innovations would require informality; but the Soviet regime could adapt
Self-Directed Universalists: Social Heroes and Value-Oriented Challenges to Authority
Get PDFThis study investigates the role of values in the actions of social heroes, which previous research has suggested may play a role in motivating principled challenges to authority. Kelman and Hamilton’s (1989) orientation to authority framework was used to identify when value-oriented challenges to authority – suggestive of later social heroism – first emerged in their lives, and the values associated with those behaviors. Analyses of archival interviews with 15 leaders of a social activist group found that all participants acted on a value orientation to authority, and they considered these actions to be important experiences in their development as social heroes. The values most associated with these actions were self-direction, universalism, power and achievement. Four participants made value-oriented challenges to authority in childhood; 14 by late adolescence; and all by young adulthood. The early emergence of this behavior suggests that a value orientation to authority is a core element of their identity, and value-oriented challenges to authority were critical experiences in their developmental trajectories as social heroes
Abandon Judicial Neutrality : Why Chevron Deference Stifles Technological Innovation
Get PDFIn 1984, the Supreme Court decided Chevron U.S.A v. Natural Resources Defense Council, which determined that courts should defer to a regulatory agency’s judgement when faced with interpreting an ambiguous statute. Subsequently, the Court reaffirmed this finding in Brand X in the early 2000s. The decision in this latter case has broad implications for the issue of net neutrality - specifically, whether the FCC can dictate policies which inherently favor those who support a neutral or competitive internet. The precedent in these cases has been followed by, in particular, the D.C. Court of Appeals in a number of more recent challenges to the FCC’s authority to regulate Internet Service Providers. History notwithstanding, in this essay, I argue that the Supreme Court should reconsider Chevron’s precedent if it is given another opportunity to do so. Specifically, this essay argues that overturning Chevron will allow for legislative clarity, emboldening both the judiciary and stakeholders alike. Additionally, a binding view of the law will allow for new innovations to take place: at present, internet service providers and entrepreneurs (some of those who benefit from either of the two readings of the law respectively) must anticipate frequent changes. Accordingly, the potential for a new reading limits investment and technological progress. In order to achieve this end, this essay not only calls on courts to no longer defer to agencies but also on interest groups themselves to no longer enable the continuation of Chevron
Afghan Diaspora in Pakistan: Health and Education Policy Recommendations for Rural and Urban Areas
Get PDFThis purpose of this study is to analyze relevant research on Afghan refugees’ health and education outcomes in rural versus urban areas in the country. Subsequently, I offer policy recommendations based on my observations to improve the status of each outcome for refugee