- Email: [email protected]
Manhattan Institute for Policy Research Website
Book reviews / Journal of Government Information 28 (2001) 457 – 491
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its coverage of any subject or geographical area. The National Conference of State Legislatures (http://www.ncsl.org) or National Governors’ Association (http://www.nga.org) Web sites have reports giving overviews of state practices for many specific issues related to information technology. These organizations also evaluate existing and proposed practices and policies. Another site with similar goals is the National Partnership for Reinventing Government’s U.S. State and Local Gateway (http://www.statelocal.gov), which is affiliated with NCSL, NGA, and other similar organizations and is maintained by employees of various federal agencies.
Notes 1. ‘‘About Net@EDU.’’ EDUCAUSE Web site. Visited June 2000. http://www.educause.edu/netatedu/about/ index.html 2. ‘‘Mission Statement.’’ Ohio Supercomputing Center Web site. Visited June 2000. hhttp://www.osc.edu/ policy/bottom.htmli
Karen L. Hogenboom Legislative Research Unit Springfield, IL 62704, USA PII: S 1 3 5 2 - 0 2 3 7 ( 0 1 ) 0 0 3 1 3 - 6
Manhattan Institute for Policy Research Website Visited on June 2000, http://www.manhattan-institute.org There are over 1000 private think tanks in the United States concerned with policy issues on topics such as the budget, welfare, education, economics, crime, and race relations (Smith, 1991). These think tanks influence policymakers, members of the business community, journalists, and decision-makers. Many of the original think tanks were dominated by liberal ideologies and it was not until the 1970s that more conservative think tanks began to take root. The Manhattan Institute for Policy Research is one such conservative public policy think tank. Founded in 1978 by William Casey, most well known for serving as director of the CIA during Ronald Reagan’s presidency, the Manhattan Institute has proven itself to be a powerful political force, especially in the State of New York, where its headquarters are located (Kaplan, 1998; Scott, 1997). The Manhattan Institute has historically disseminated its ideas by conducting numerous conferences and seminars throughout the year, commissioning many provocative books by policy analysts, scholars, and conservative authors, and, more recently, through the City Journal, a quarterly magazine on city governance and urban life (McGann, 1995). Its most notable books include George Gilder’s Wealth and Poverty, considered to have laid the basis for supply-side economics, Charles Murray’s Losing Ground, a critique of the welfare system, and Abigail and Stephan Thernstrom’s America in Black and White, a
460
Book reviews / Journal of Government Information 28 (2001) 457 – 491
discussion on racial progress and racial preferences. Now, the Manhattan Institute further circulates its ideas to a potentially broader audience through its website. The main page of the website is clean and straightforward, with consistent navigational options on the left-hand side and a current ‘‘highlights’’ section on the right. Interestingly, the latter emphasizes the Manhattan Institute’s traditional modes of information delivery through presenting the most recent issue of the City Journal. This includes links to many of the articles in full text and ordering information for recently released publications. The Table of Contents for back issues of the City Journal, including many articles in full text, are provided from 1995 onward. In addition, links to selected full-text reports and portions of conference transcripts from the two centers established within the Manhattan Institute, Center for Civic Innovation and the Center for Legal Policy, are also highlighted. Along with these full-text readings, specific articles written by fellows at the Institute published in outside publications such as the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the National Review are included. General information on the Manhattan Institute, including a mission statement, Board of Trustees and staff directory, and a listing of the fellows, is provided. Full-page biographical sketches along with select bibliographies by the fellows are included. Information on how to apply to the fellowship program or for a student internship is also presented. Although most of the funding for the Manhattan Institute comes from foundations, the website does include a secure ‘‘Join MI’’ electronic form for persons who wish to donate from US$250 to US$10,000. The Manhattan Institute’s focus on the publication of books for disseminating its ideas could be viewed as limiting because of the publication time lag, especially crucial for writings on timely hot topics, and because it produces only two to three books a year. Of course, the City Journal does compensate for some of these limitations. The World Wide Web, however, could be the optimum mechanism for responding more readily to current policy concerns while at the same time saving in production costs. The Manhattan Institute’s ‘‘Issues’’ section on its website could be the perfect spot in which to ‘‘publish’’ online essays, quick responses to pending legislation, or short op-ed pieces. The ‘‘Issues’’ section is divided into eight separate categories: Education, Welfare, Crime, Faith-Based Initiatives, Housing, Social Entrepreneurship, Race/Ethnicity, and Legal Reform. Within each category, there is an explanation of previous work completed within the subject area, current initiatives, and links to relevant articles, transcripts, or reports. Another useful section is ‘‘Publications,’’ which provides a lengthy list of bulletins, reports, memorandums, white papers, newsletters, lectures, and transcripts, many of which are available in full text. Searching through this website is made simple with direct links, a search engine for the City Journal, and a search engine for the entire site. The Manhattan Institute’s choice of search tools, whatUseek (www.intra.whatuseek.com), for its search engine, is quite basic. The Boolean operator AND is, by default and results, are displayed by relevancy. More complex search capabilities, such as truncation, phrase searching, and the use of OR/NOT, are not provided. Despite its limitations, as long as whatUseek continues to ‘‘spider’’ through the site on a regular basis to make sure it is properly indexed, the search engines do help sift through
Book reviews / Journal of Government Information 28 (2001) 457 – 491
461
the information on the website. However, a more sophisticated search tool may become necessary as the website grows. Fortunately, all of the page load quickly because of the use of html files rather than page images. This is especially important for a site with so much fulltext content. The site is updated approximately three to four times a week. The full text on the Manhattan Institute’s website is what really makes this site worthwhile. Although much of the full text is presented with views from the political right, the research articles are all backed with lengthy bibliographies. Authors are always clearly identifiable along with their affiliations, and all of the pages include publication dates. Since there is always the question of balance between ideological and careful analysis of policy issues by any think tank, examining a variety of perspectives on an issue may be advantageous, especially for students at any level. For a fairly complete listing of public policy websites covering the range of ideological positions, refer to Yahoo!’s Directory of Public Policy Institutes at http://dir.yahoo.com/Social_Science/Political_Science/Public_Policy/Institutes, or the more selective list of policy links by the Congressional Institute at http://www.conginst.org/policylinks. In addition, Policy.com (www.policy.com), which does include pages from the Manhattan Institute’s website, is also an excellent comprehensive public policy source that presents news and information from all of the major think tanks.
References Kaplan, F. (February 22, 1998). Conservatives plant a seed in NYC: think tank helps Giuliani set his agenda. Boston Globe A, 4. McGann, J.G. (1995). The competition for dollars, scholars and influence in the public policy research industry ( pp. 102 – 105). Lanham: University Press of America. Scott, J. (May 12, 1997). Turning intellect into influence: promoting its ideas, the Manhattan Institute has nudged New York rightward,’’. The New York Times B, 1. Smith, J.A. (1991). The idea brokers: think tanks and the rise of the new policy elite. New York: Free Press.
Ann Roselle Eastern Washington University Libraries 816 F Street Cheney, WA 99004, USA PII: S 1 3 5 2 - 0 2 3 7 ( 0 1 ) 0 0 3 1 4 - 8
The Impact of Globalization on Population Change and Poverty in Rural Areas Asian Population Studies Series No. 154. New York: United Nations, 1999. 63 pp. UN Sales Number E.99.II.F.57. ISBN: 92-1-119924-7. US$25.00 There has been much talk in the news about the economic crisis and recovery in Asia. However, data to assess these economic trends is scant, and data measuring the social effects
459
its coverage of any subject or geographical area. The National Conference of State Legislatures (http://www.ncsl.org) or National Governors’ Association (http://www.nga.org) Web sites have reports giving overviews of state practices for many specific issues related to information technology. These organizations also evaluate existing and proposed practices and policies. Another site with similar goals is the National Partnership for Reinventing Government’s U.S. State and Local Gateway (http://www.statelocal.gov), which is affiliated with NCSL, NGA, and other similar organizations and is maintained by employees of various federal agencies.
Notes 1. ‘‘About Net@EDU.’’ EDUCAUSE Web site. Visited June 2000. http://www.educause.edu/netatedu/about/ index.html 2. ‘‘Mission Statement.’’ Ohio Supercomputing Center Web site. Visited June 2000. hhttp://www.osc.edu/ policy/bottom.htmli
Karen L. Hogenboom Legislative Research Unit Springfield, IL 62704, USA PII: S 1 3 5 2 - 0 2 3 7 ( 0 1 ) 0 0 3 1 3 - 6
Manhattan Institute for Policy Research Website Visited on June 2000, http://www.manhattan-institute.org There are over 1000 private think tanks in the United States concerned with policy issues on topics such as the budget, welfare, education, economics, crime, and race relations (Smith, 1991). These think tanks influence policymakers, members of the business community, journalists, and decision-makers. Many of the original think tanks were dominated by liberal ideologies and it was not until the 1970s that more conservative think tanks began to take root. The Manhattan Institute for Policy Research is one such conservative public policy think tank. Founded in 1978 by William Casey, most well known for serving as director of the CIA during Ronald Reagan’s presidency, the Manhattan Institute has proven itself to be a powerful political force, especially in the State of New York, where its headquarters are located (Kaplan, 1998; Scott, 1997). The Manhattan Institute has historically disseminated its ideas by conducting numerous conferences and seminars throughout the year, commissioning many provocative books by policy analysts, scholars, and conservative authors, and, more recently, through the City Journal, a quarterly magazine on city governance and urban life (McGann, 1995). Its most notable books include George Gilder’s Wealth and Poverty, considered to have laid the basis for supply-side economics, Charles Murray’s Losing Ground, a critique of the welfare system, and Abigail and Stephan Thernstrom’s America in Black and White, a
460
Book reviews / Journal of Government Information 28 (2001) 457 – 491
discussion on racial progress and racial preferences. Now, the Manhattan Institute further circulates its ideas to a potentially broader audience through its website. The main page of the website is clean and straightforward, with consistent navigational options on the left-hand side and a current ‘‘highlights’’ section on the right. Interestingly, the latter emphasizes the Manhattan Institute’s traditional modes of information delivery through presenting the most recent issue of the City Journal. This includes links to many of the articles in full text and ordering information for recently released publications. The Table of Contents for back issues of the City Journal, including many articles in full text, are provided from 1995 onward. In addition, links to selected full-text reports and portions of conference transcripts from the two centers established within the Manhattan Institute, Center for Civic Innovation and the Center for Legal Policy, are also highlighted. Along with these full-text readings, specific articles written by fellows at the Institute published in outside publications such as the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the National Review are included. General information on the Manhattan Institute, including a mission statement, Board of Trustees and staff directory, and a listing of the fellows, is provided. Full-page biographical sketches along with select bibliographies by the fellows are included. Information on how to apply to the fellowship program or for a student internship is also presented. Although most of the funding for the Manhattan Institute comes from foundations, the website does include a secure ‘‘Join MI’’ electronic form for persons who wish to donate from US$250 to US$10,000. The Manhattan Institute’s focus on the publication of books for disseminating its ideas could be viewed as limiting because of the publication time lag, especially crucial for writings on timely hot topics, and because it produces only two to three books a year. Of course, the City Journal does compensate for some of these limitations. The World Wide Web, however, could be the optimum mechanism for responding more readily to current policy concerns while at the same time saving in production costs. The Manhattan Institute’s ‘‘Issues’’ section on its website could be the perfect spot in which to ‘‘publish’’ online essays, quick responses to pending legislation, or short op-ed pieces. The ‘‘Issues’’ section is divided into eight separate categories: Education, Welfare, Crime, Faith-Based Initiatives, Housing, Social Entrepreneurship, Race/Ethnicity, and Legal Reform. Within each category, there is an explanation of previous work completed within the subject area, current initiatives, and links to relevant articles, transcripts, or reports. Another useful section is ‘‘Publications,’’ which provides a lengthy list of bulletins, reports, memorandums, white papers, newsletters, lectures, and transcripts, many of which are available in full text. Searching through this website is made simple with direct links, a search engine for the City Journal, and a search engine for the entire site. The Manhattan Institute’s choice of search tools, whatUseek (www.intra.whatuseek.com), for its search engine, is quite basic. The Boolean operator AND is, by default and results, are displayed by relevancy. More complex search capabilities, such as truncation, phrase searching, and the use of OR/NOT, are not provided. Despite its limitations, as long as whatUseek continues to ‘‘spider’’ through the site on a regular basis to make sure it is properly indexed, the search engines do help sift through
Book reviews / Journal of Government Information 28 (2001) 457 – 491
461
the information on the website. However, a more sophisticated search tool may become necessary as the website grows. Fortunately, all of the page load quickly because of the use of html files rather than page images. This is especially important for a site with so much fulltext content. The site is updated approximately three to four times a week. The full text on the Manhattan Institute’s website is what really makes this site worthwhile. Although much of the full text is presented with views from the political right, the research articles are all backed with lengthy bibliographies. Authors are always clearly identifiable along with their affiliations, and all of the pages include publication dates. Since there is always the question of balance between ideological and careful analysis of policy issues by any think tank, examining a variety of perspectives on an issue may be advantageous, especially for students at any level. For a fairly complete listing of public policy websites covering the range of ideological positions, refer to Yahoo!’s Directory of Public Policy Institutes at http://dir.yahoo.com/Social_Science/Political_Science/Public_Policy/Institutes, or the more selective list of policy links by the Congressional Institute at http://www.conginst.org/policylinks. In addition, Policy.com (www.policy.com), which does include pages from the Manhattan Institute’s website, is also an excellent comprehensive public policy source that presents news and information from all of the major think tanks.
References Kaplan, F. (February 22, 1998). Conservatives plant a seed in NYC: think tank helps Giuliani set his agenda. Boston Globe A, 4. McGann, J.G. (1995). The competition for dollars, scholars and influence in the public policy research industry ( pp. 102 – 105). Lanham: University Press of America. Scott, J. (May 12, 1997). Turning intellect into influence: promoting its ideas, the Manhattan Institute has nudged New York rightward,’’. The New York Times B, 1. Smith, J.A. (1991). The idea brokers: think tanks and the rise of the new policy elite. New York: Free Press.
Ann Roselle Eastern Washington University Libraries 816 F Street Cheney, WA 99004, USA PII: S 1 3 5 2 - 0 2 3 7 ( 0 1 ) 0 0 3 1 4 - 8
The Impact of Globalization on Population Change and Poverty in Rural Areas Asian Population Studies Series No. 154. New York: United Nations, 1999. 63 pp. UN Sales Number E.99.II.F.57. ISBN: 92-1-119924-7. US$25.00 There has been much talk in the news about the economic crisis and recovery in Asia. However, data to assess these economic trends is scant, and data measuring the social effects