The political process and the use of debt financing by state governments

Empirical evidence offered in this study suggests that decisions by state government officials to effect debt-financed spending depend in part on the state's gubernatorial election cycle. More specifically, the results reveal relative increases in state debt issues in anticipation of elections, and furthermore, they reveal that such increases are more significant for states characterized by high interparty political competition. While theoretical limitations preclude a definitive explanation for these results, the evidence is consistent with a view of state political markets where incumbent parties manipulate public policy so as to enhance the probability of success in pending elections. This insight is significant in that it suggests a relationship between public policy decisions and election cycles in a context heretofore unexplored.     

The Farm Crisis and the Future of Rural Local Governments

America's farmers are facing difficult financial times, andtheir problems are spilling over to rural local governments.Declining farm incomes and farm property values erode the localtax base. At the same time, demand for publicly provided servicesmay increase, creating a squeeze between falling revenues andhigher costs. This article documents the impact the farm crisishas had on local government tax bases in eight multi-countyregions in the Midwest. The impacts found, while severe, wouldgenerally be manageable in the absence of other shocks. However,when changes in the intergovernmental aid system–suchas the elimination of General Revenue Sharing and other cutsin federal aid—are factored in, local governments in agriculturallydependent areas can encounter financial stress. Higher taxesand lower service levels may permanently change the qualityof life in rural America.     

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING POLICY AND FEDERALISM

There are widespread misperceptions about the way in which American federalism has worked in the past and is working now. One is the belief that since the 1930s, the federal government has engaged in many new activities. Another misperception is that liberals support centralization and conservatives, decentralization. Actually, most Americans tend to be pragmatic. The vitality of this American pragmatism is seen in state economic development policies. States have provided leadership in initiating new economic development programs in such areas as foreign trade and enterprise zones. Four major patterns in American federalism characterize the emergence and development of most of these programs: responsiveness, elitism, pluralism, and experimentation. Implications for employment and training policy are examined.     

TEACHING PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION: EDUCATION OR TRAINING?*

Abstract: There is an ambivalence in attitudes to public administration as a field of study among both academics and practitioners in Australia. Teachers, researchers, students, public servants seeking training and managers have differing interests and expectations. Disagreements about the field have contributed to the lack of a unified framework of concepts, while the field has fragmented into public administration, public policy and public management, aside from other divisions such as "old" versus "new" public administration. "Education" and "training" have taken diverging paths and academics and practitioners have drifted apart. There needs to be a closer dialogue that can only be based on a generally agreed paradigm for Australian Public Administration as a field of study.     

The Effects of Cash Management Assistance by States to Local Governments

In 1985 North Carolina's Local Government Commission (LGC) began a program to evaluate the percentage portfolios of the funds invested and the diversity of the investment governments and public authorities. The LGC established state's local five evaluation criteria and notified the governments and authorities of deviations from the five investment norms. This article discusses what was reported to the LGC and changes in invested funds occuring after LGC's evaluation. Principal findings include: cities over 10,000 population and counties in general are investing a high percentage of their funds; small-sized cities and public authorities tend to avoid the higher yielding, but more complex to purchase, instruments: and most governments and authorities experienced a considerable increase in the percentage of funds invested after review by the LGC. Based on the marked increases in funds invested, other states should consider helping local governments and public authorities with cash management.     

The impact of sunset review: A study of real estate licensing

This paper focuses on the impact that state sunset review has had on the real estate occupation's ability to restrict entry through the imposition of licensing requirements. The results presented indicate that the 1983 rejection rate for real estate brokers and salespersons was lower in states undergoing sunset review of real estate than in those states not undergoing such a review. Sunset appears to have the power to effect changes in the licensing behavior of the occupation considered in this analysis.     

Rehabilitating the disabled rural poor: A case of transfer of medical technology

The transfer of technology to the Third World is often accompanied by a mystique that inhibits the solution of problems faced by the rural poor. An important innovation in medical technology-the so-called ‘Jaipur foot’–illustrates what can be done in the way of rehabilitation work that uses culturally suitable technology and local craftsmen. The experiment required a special mix of organizational and technological inputs. Innovative design was combined with the mobilization of indigenous craftsmanship and the involvement of a voluntary organization. Community support has strengthened the acceptability of technology. Relations between medical personnel and craftsmen benefited the contribution made by both sides. The advantage of local craftsmen over trained limb-makers became apparent. The voluntary body helped the project to avoid bureaucratic obstacles. The very success of the project, however, has produced its own problems, and crucial decisions have to be made about the future of this kind of strategy for a more appropriate technology.