law in action

The law expressed in its actual administration, not the law of law books.

communication about administrative problems

Good government must respond effectively to administrative problems. In China, claims of wrongful government action are addressed through petitions to complaint offices (the Xinfang system) and through court cases (administrative litigation). From 1996 to 2004, Xinfang petitions were perhaps forty times as numerous as court cases.[1] How these two processes shape communication with persons not … Continue reading communication about administrative problems

data representations

The government of Washington, DC, provides real-time data feeds on crime, building permits, housing code enforcement, public space permits, and property registrations. The data includes geo-codes so that it can be easily mapped. The terms of use for these important data resources state: Neither the District of Columbia Government nor the Office of the Chief … Continue reading data representations

regulatory requirements

“Is a company allowed to do this under the regulations?” “What does that regulation mean?” These may seem like simple questions, but in reality they may have only expensive, uncertain answers. Regulation is not necessarily like code that anyone with the appropriate capabilities can copy, interpret, and execute. In an case concerning the U.S. Environmental … Continue reading regulatory requirements