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Policy Research
Do Rainfall Deficits Predict U.S. Bound Migration from Rural Mexico? Evidence from the Mexican Census
Raphael Nawrotzki
February 2013
The article attempts to estimate the relationship between changes in precipitation in Mexico and levels of immigration to the United States. The study compares precipitation records and census data and estimates that there is a significant relationship between precipitation and migration to the U.S. This study estimates that as rainfall decreases migration increases. This relationship is present in towns that are rural and in drier regions of Mexico. No significant effect was found for large cities and wetter climates. The article noted that regions with less access to irrigation and loss-offsetting capital were more likely to see this effect. The study also suggested that the entirety of the time period being studied was drier than usual so the effects of changes in rain could be even greater than estimated.
The place of algae in agriculture: policies for algal biomass production
Emily M. Trentacoste, Alice M. Martinez, Tim Zenk
March 2014
The article makes note of the myriad of potential applications of algae production including efficient sources of food, pharmaceuticals, and bio-fuels. The article then argues that, despite the many positive applications of algae, current federal and state subsidies and programs typically exclude algae in their definition of agriculture even though the cultivation and uses contain significant overlap. The article further argues that algae production will become a significant player in future economic progress, especially since it has the potential to create cheap renewable fuel sources, and because unlike other forms of agriculture the water used to create it can be small and saline rich.
Firms and the Economics of Skilled Immigration
Sari Kerr, William Kerr, William Lincoln
April 2014
The article compares existing literature, including those written by the authors, on the effects of skilled immigrants in the United States, specifically those with H-1B visas. The study finds that immigrants with a bachelor’s degree or higher do not appear to have a displacement effect on U.S. jobs. Additionally, an increase in skilled immigrants was linked to significant positive effects on U.S. company innovation and connections to other countries. Connections to other countries included contracts with countries and foreign direct investment. The overall wage rates of immigrant workers on H-1B visas tended to be smaller than their native counterparts despite immigration regulation attempting to prevent such wage discrimination. The study also noted that the visa causes an imbalanced relationship between employer and employee; this is because immigrants on H-1B visas are bound to their employer for the duration of their stay, thus removing significant bargaining power. Ultimately the study called for increased research on the effects firms have on skilled immigration.
Do Economic Development Incentives Crowd Out Public Expenditures in U.S States?
Jia Wang
January 2016
This paper finds that there is little efficacy in providing economic development incentives (EDIs) to sustain long-term economic growth. The common held claim that EDIs cause an in increase in public expenditures, however, is not held by these findings. The findings in the paper claim that public expenditures, while related to the efficacy of EDIs, are not drastically increased.
Explaining Durable Business Coalitions in U.S Politics: Conservatives and Corporate Interests across Americas Statehouses
Alexander Hertel-Fernandez
April 2016
Business coalitions intended to influence policy are not typically durable in regions of decentralized pluralist states like the United States. This article examines the “rightward’ shift in America Politics at the state level where they claim the shift took hold. In addition, the article examines how ALEC managed to create an unusually durable coalition of firms and political players.
Policy Instruments and the Remediation and Redevelopment of Contaminated Properties
Rob Alexander
October 2014
A case study that addresses the gaps in how policy instrument mixes combat environmental policy problems with the involvement of public, private, and civil society actors. The study’s concern with the available literature is the lack of research for when these instrument mixes are used to ensure partners are engaged in the work. Using this gap, the study analyzes how and when local governments determine the use of policy instruments during times of uncertainty with retention of project partners, through the lens of environmental and political governance strategies.
Electoral Institutions and Electoral Cycles in Economic Development: A Field Experiment of over 3,000 municipalities
Nathan Jensen, Michael Findley, Daniel Nielson
January 2015
The article asserts the claim that economic development incentives are not only ineffective and inefficient, but that they are used as political tools to claim credit or avoid blame for economic growth or decline, respectively. Municipalities with direct elections for an executive head were more willing to offer interested firms incentives if they chose to locate their business in their locality. This takes a stronger hold in direct election cities during political business cycles – loose fiscal or monetary policy in the periods prior to elections.
The Great Recession and social welfare spending in the American States
J.A.G. Ewalta, E.T. Jennings Jr.
July 2014
The article focuses on what affects retrenchment and expansion of social welfare programs, specifically focusing on the Great Recession. The authors concluded that there are three main categories of factors that affect the policy: partisan politics, socio-economic factors, and economic conditions. While socio-economic factors such as population under 18, percent with a high school degree, and union membership had some effect the overwhelming evidence suggests that the economic and political influences are the main cause of change in policy. The article points out that there was an immense political reaction to the Recovery Act, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 which led to significant Republican gains in the state legislatures in the 2010 elections. In those states, the researchers saw significant retrenchment of the programs coinciding with more conservative spending policy. The article also shows that in regards to economic development, while you do see expansion of Medicaid and unemployment resources when incomes are lower and unemployment is up, this is an automatic reaction that is put into effect without needing policy change. The real source of policy change, in regards to welfare from an economic standpoint, comes from a state's or the country's economic development as a whole. Only when the economy overall is on an upward trend does one see more expansion in programs through policy; similarly, overall economic regression leads to more stringent and conservative policies in regards to welfare spending.
A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Michigan Non-Industrial Private Forest Landowners
Renee O’Connell
June 2015
This analysis surveyed those enrolled in various forest management incentive programs and compared differences in demographics among incentive programs (age, income, and education) with likelihood of performing a given forest management activity. Survey data was collected during 2000 and 2001 in the eastern Upper Peninsula. Researchers looked at those enrolled in a cost share program (Forest Stewardship Program Plan), those receiving property tax reductions (Commercial Forest Program), those in a landowner-organized program (Michigan Forest Association), and those in a state program (Two-Hearted River Watershed). Based off of demographic information collected from surveys, researchers found differences in demographics of those who enrolled in each of the different forest management programs. However, the results from this study suggest that there is not a significant relationship between landowner demographics and management activity. Smaller parcel size and not having a primary residence on the forested parcel had a significant effect on whether or not landowners managed forests. Membership enrollment in MFA or CF was significantly related to performing management activity, while enrollment in TRW had a negative correlation and FSP had no correlation with management activity.
Because We Can Doesnt Mean We Should and if We Do: Urban communities, Social and Economic Justice, and Local Economic-Development-Driven Eminent Domain Practices
Kirk E. Harris
March 2015
This article argues that the economic benefits of eminent domain are disproportionately valued in comparison to its potential community consequences. Economically driven eminent domain often displaces low-income working class households. The economic benefits of projects tend to bypass those most affected by it. Municipal governments must work to improve access to the economic opportunities made possible by eminent domain practices.