Doctoral Dissertation Research: Diffusion and the Law Formation Process -- A Comprehensive Analysis of the Spread of Rape Law Reform in the United States

PI和Co-PI：Jody Clay-Warner和Jennifer McMahon标题：博士论文研究：扩散和法律形成过程--美国强奸法改革传播的综合分析0820649项目摘要本研究将解释影响美国强奸法改革通过的因素和过程。具体来说，本研究探讨如何国家层面的特点和州际进程影响一个国家？通过以下强奸法改革的可能性：1）制定性别中立的强奸法，2）将强奸重新定义为性侵犯，3）取消抵抗要求，4）通过强奸保护法。 通过同时考虑包含在一个更大的法律改革运动中的多个强奸法改革，本研究解决了几个理论上重要的问题：1）收养过程是否在争议性较大的法律的改革与争议性较小的改革中有不同的运作方式; 2）渐进的法律的变化对改革的通过有什么影响;（3）一项法律改革的通过如何影响同一运动中其他法律改革通过的可能性？ 为了回答这些问题，将搜索每个州的会议法律，以收集过去27年来美国强奸法变化的原始数据。 这些数据将用于创建四个因变量，衡量每个州通过研究中包括的四项强奸法改革的年份。 将搜索几个二级数据源，以收集关于自变量的数据，这些自变量将衡量每个州的社会和政治特征、每个州以前通过的强奸法改革以及几个因素，这些因素会影响各州可能相互影响的过程（即，与已经通过改革的州非常接近）。 这项研究的结果将大大提高我们对强奸法改革的理解，特别是对法律形成过程的理解。 由于该项目是第一个利用纵向数据来研究在一个更大的法律改革运动中采用多种改革的研究，因此本研究能够解决法律形成过程中几个未经审查的方面。 因此，这项研究极大地促进了我们对法律形成过程的科学认识和理论理解。 在研究方面，？这项研究具有更广泛的影响，它解决了我们法律的制度中的一个重要问题，因为它试图确定哪些程序有助于通过法律，为妇女提供充分的法律的保护，使其免受强奸。 因此，这项研究将增进我们对保护社会免受暴力的法律，特别是关于暴力侵害妇女的法律，如何在美国成功通过的理解。 这项研究的结果将通过学术出版物和会议报告广泛传播。因此，法律的学者和立法者可能能够利用研究结果在各个领域促进对妇女的法律的保护。

PI and Co-PI: Jody Clay-Warner and Jennifer McMahonTitle: Doctoral Dissertation Research: Diffusion and the Law Formation Process -- A Comprehensive Analysis of the Spread of Rape Law Reform in the United States0820649 Project AbstractThis research will explain the factors and processes that affect the adoption of rape law reforms in the United States. Specifically, this study examines how both state-level characteristics and interstate processes affect a state?s likelihood of adopting the following rape law reforms: 1) creating gender neutral rape laws, 2) redefining rape as sexual assault, 3) eliminating the resistance requirement, and 4) passing rape shield laws. By considering simultaneously multiple rape law reforms included within a larger law reform movement, this study addresses several theoretically important questions: 1) Does the process of adoption operate differently for more controversial vs. less controversial legal reforms; 2) What are the effects of incremental legal changes on passage of reforms; and 3) How does the adoption of one law reform affect the likelihood of the adoption of other law reforms in the same movement? To answer these questions, the session laws of each state will be searched in order to gather original data on changes made to the rape laws in the United States over the past 27 years. These data will be used to create four dependent variables measuring the year that each state adopted the four rape law reforms included in the study. Several secondary data sources will be searched to collect data on the independent variables, which will measure social and political characteristics of each state, previous rape law reforms passed by each state, and several factors that tap into the process by which states may influence each other (i.e. being in close proximity to a state that already adopted a reform). The results from this study will greatly enhance our understanding of the adoption of rape law reforms in particular and the law formation process more generally. Since this project is the first study to utilize longitudinal data to examine the adoption of multiple reforms included in a larger law reform movement, this study is able to address several unexamined aspects of the law formation process. Thus, this research significantly advances our scientific knowledge and theoretical understanding of the law formation process. In terms of the study?s broader impact, this research addresses an important issue in our legal system as it seeks to determine what processes facilitate the passage of laws that provide women with full legal protection against rape. Thus, this research will enhance our understanding of how laws protecting society from violence, especially in regards to violence against women, are passed successfully in the United States. The results of this research will be widely disseminated through scholarly publications and conference presentations. As a likely consequence, legal scholars and legislators may be able to use the study findings to advance legal protections of women in a variety of domains.