Editorial

Regular readers will note the absence of the Abstracts section in this issue of Policy & Politics. Introduced in an era before the widespread availability of electronic databases and web-based searching, the abstracts were a unique feature of Policy & Politics and presented in synoptic form the arguments and findings of articles published in a number of other journals. They were chosen for their potential interest to readers and it is hoped that we provided a more convenient and accessible reference source for academics and practitioners than was available at the time from existing, more widely ranging abstracting services. For some time, however, members of the Management Board had felt that the Abstracts section had outlived its useful life. The board is currently considering what types of contents lists would contribute to and strengthen Policy & Politics and alternative contents are to be announced in the near future. In the meantime, instead of the abstracts and as a temporary arrangement only, there is an extra standard refereed article in this issue. The Editors would like to take this opportunity to express their gratitude to former Abstracts and Reviews Editors for their contribution to Policy & Politics.
Misa Izuhara and Adrian Kay
Editors