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11 Pol'y Persp. 3 (2004)

handle is hein.journals/plyps11 and id is 1 raw text is: 3 EDITOR's NOTE By Geoffrey D. Antell Our modern epoch is defined by the escalating intensity and extensity of change. Public administrators and policy analysts aspire to affect this change for the better. The authors who have contributed to this journal each address rapid changes that have produced an untenable status quo and limited the options available to policymakers. Our interview with Dr. Mitchell Reiss sets the tone by addressing the role of public administrators and policy analysts in the rapidly changing foreign policy arena. In our two education case studies, rapid change has directly impacted the ability of practitioners to implement reform. Two articles, one about the democratic process and another about the response to market distress caused by terrorism, highlight the possibility that policy changes may be occurring too slowly. On the other hand, our health policy article identifies a policy change that may be occurring too quickly and without adequate analysis. In all cases, each author has laid out a well-reasoned policy response and course of action. Policy Perspectives has sought to publish a volume of academic work that is current, significant and anticipates even greater changes to come. I hope we have succeeded. In light of the global nature of change, Policy Perspectives took the opportunity to sit down with Dr. Mitchell Reiss, Director for Policy Planning at the U.S. Department of State. In our interview, we discussed a range of topics while focusing specifically on the role of the policy analyst. The insights that Dr. Reiss shared, based on both his practical and academic experiences, are beneficial to anyone that aspires to make a difference in the policy arena. In particular, one of Dr. Reiss' comments has stuck with me. He noted that to affect change, it is not enough to have good feelings. The five authors published here all demonstrate courage by turning their good intentions into action. Each stakes out a position in a contentious policy debate and rigorously defends it. Hopefully, their actions will further inspire our readers. In education, Victor Chen and Nicholas Lee both contribute case studies highlighting the tension between the politics of education reform and its implementation. Nicholas Lee looks at the passage of the Massachusetts referendum on bilingual education and predicts, based on analysis of a similar measure in California, a very complicated implementation process. Victor Chen looks at the academic and distributional implications of Georgia's HOPE scholarship. His analysis highlights the need for more data on the distributional effects and models a scenario under which a disproportionate amount of the cost is borne by those least able to shoulder it. In anticipation of the upcoming elections, Cheryl Semmel explores changes to voting procedures aimed at improving the ease of voting and, in turn, participatory democracy. She analyzes the costs and benefits of both online voting and mandatory voting- by-mail. In the end, she determines that the appropriate policy is dependent on the location in which it will be implemented. In response to a mounting global obesity epidemic, a tax on high-calorie, low-nutrition food has gained political traction both domestically and internationally. Lisa Southworth applies a microeconomic framework for evaluating the potential costs and benefits of this tax. Her analysis cautions against rapid implementation and identifies areas that require greater study in order to improve the policy response. In the wake of September I It, the federal government implemented a temporary program to stabilize the insurance market and encourage economic

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