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

题目：博士论文研究：扩散与法律形成过程——对美国强奸法改革传播的综合分析项目摘要：本研究将解释影响美国强奸法改革采用的因素和过程。具体来说，本研究考察了州级特征和州际进程如何影响一个州？采取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)消除抵抗要求，4)通过强奸保护法。通过同时考虑在更大的法律改革运动中包含的多项强奸法改革，本研究解决了几个理论上重要的问题：1)在争议性更强的法律改革中，收养过程的运作方式是否不同？2)渐进式法律变化对改革通过的影响是什么；3)一项法律改革的通过如何影响在同一运动中采用其他法律改革的可能性？为了回答这些问题，将对每个州的会期法进行检索，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，衡量每个州采用研究中包含的四项强奸法改革的年份。将搜索若干次要数据来源，以收集有关自变量的数据，这些数据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，以及涉及各州可能相互影响的过程的若干因素（即与已经通过改革的州接近）。本研究的结果将极大地增强我们对强奸法改革的采用以及更普遍的法律形成过程的理解。由于本项目是第一个利用纵向数据来考察大型法律改革运动中多项改革的采用情况的研究，因此本研究能够解决法律形成过程中几个未被考察的方面。因此，本研究大大提高了我们对法律形成过程的科学认识和理论认识。在研究方面？为了产生更广泛的影响，这项研究解决了我们法律体系中的一个重要问题，因为它试图确定哪些程序有助于通过法律，为妇女提供免遭强奸的全面法律保护。因此，这项研究将加强我们对保护社会免受暴力侵害的法律，特别是关于对妇女的暴力，是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。可能的结果是，法律学者和立法者可以利用研究结果在各个领域推进对妇女的法律保护。

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.