2006 Conference Program - Midwest Political Science Association

PaperDisc.Defining Federalism: The Congressional Voting Behavior ofFormer State and Local OfficialsTroy E. Smith, Brigham Young University, HawaiiOverview: A growing segment of new members of Congresshave worked in state and local government. Do they supportfederalism and decentralization?Seth E. Masket, University of Denver40-6 FOR THE CHILDREN: EDUCATION,HEALTH AND WELFARE POLICYRoomChairPaperPaperPaperPaperPaperDisc.TBA, Thur 8:30 amElizabeth Rigby, University of Wisconsin, MadisonThe Longer-Term Effects of a Universal Pre-KindergartenProgramCarolyn J. Hill, Georgetown UniversityOverview: This paper uses OLS and propensity score methodsto estimate the effects through third grade of a pre-kindergartenprogram offered to all four-year-olds in a large Midwestern city.Beyond SES: How Subjective Views May Impact PolicySuccessCraig Gordon, Georgia State UniversityDana Rickman, Georgia State UniversityGary Henry, Georgia State UniversityOverview: Public programs are often evaluated as a totality withsuccess usually defined by the average effect size or the effecton the average child.The Adoption of CHIP: The Limits of the WindowsMetaphorMark E. Tompkins, University of South CarolinaRebecca Russ-Sellers, Spartanburg Regional Health CareSystemOverview: We examine the adoption of CHIP (The ChildrenÆsHealth Insurance Program), finding few of the events associatedwith the adoption of a major new initiative, especially asenvisaged by the notion of policy windows.The Politics of Perpetual Crisis: Child Welfare Policy in theStatesJuliet F. Gainsborough, Bentley CollegeOverview: This paper asks what drives changes in state childwelfarepolicy. In order to explain state variation in spending,the paper considers the role of publicized crises, federal policy,lawsuits, and changes in political control of state government.Nonemergency Medical Transportation in State Children’sHealth Insurance Programs (SCHIP)Stephen Borders, Grand Valley State UniversityCraig Blakely, Texas A&M UniversityOverview: Historically, access to health care in the UnitedStates has been viewed in terms of one’s ability to pay forneeded medical services or the actual availability of thoseservices.Elizabeth Rigby, University of Wisconsin, Madison41-301 POSTER SESSION: SOCIAL POLICYPresenter Performance in Office of Big City Mayors: 1820-1995Room TBA, Board 8, Thur 8:30 amAndrew D. McNitt, Eastern Illinois UniversityOverview: What mayors are credited with and blamed for isrelated to their city's government structure, demographiccharacteristics and the mayor's personal traits. Mayors ofnineteen major American cities are included in the study.42-8 NOVEL THEORETICAL AND EMPIRICALANGLES ON FISCAL POLICYRoomChairPaperTBA, Thur 8:30 amDavid D. Lassen, University of CopenhagenEstimating the Effect of Direct Democracy on PolicyOutcomes: Preferences MatterChristina Gathmann, Stanford UniversityPatricia Funk, SITE-Stockholm School of EconomicsOverview: Estimate the effect of direct democracy on fiscalpolicy controlling for voter preferences. Using a unique dataseton votes in propositions from Switzerland.PaperPaperPaperPaperDisc.Fair Taxes: Survey Experiments, Public Opinion and PublicPolicyBrian J. Gaines, University of Illinois, Urbana-ChampaignR. Douglas Rivers, Stanford UniversityLynn Vavreck, University of California, Los AngelesOverview: Survey experiments tapping public preferences ontax policy demonstrate that American approve of high levels ofprogressivity only for modest incomes. Few desire to increasetaxes for the wealthy.Presidential Economic Policy AttentionHeather A. Larsen, University of WashingtonOverview: The purpose of this paper is to explain the allocationof U.S. presidential economic policy making attention overtime, across multiple policy tools.The Economic Consequence of Partisan Control Volatility inthe Government - -Evidence from U.S. StatesXiaobo Lu, Yale UniversityOverview: My paper examines whether volatility in the partisancontrol of U.S. states governments as a result of partycompetition has adverse effects to the state economies.Party Organization and the Political Economy of DeficitSpendingCharles R. Hankla, Georgia State UniversityOverview: I argue that, other things equal, democracies withstrong parties will run more balanced budgets. To test thistheory, I conduct a quantitative analysis of all democracies(contingent on data availability) from 1975-2000.Raymond M. Duch, University of HoustonDavid D. Lassen, University of Copenhagen43-301 POSTER SESSION: PUBLICADMINISTRATIONPresenter Minority Representation in Schools and Low-IncomeStudents' Pass RatesRoom TBA, Board 9, Thur 8:30 amNicolai Petrovsky, Texas A&M UniversityOverview: Minority teachers and administrators have abeneficial effect on low-income students' performance. Thispartially refutes the power thesis, which suggests that increasedrepresentation of a minority will not help other disadvantagedgroups.Presenter How Poll Workers Shape Public Confidence in ElectionOutcomesRoom TBA, Board 10, Thur 8:30 amThad E. Hall, University of UtahOverview: Poll workers are the street level bureaucrats ofelections and can directly affect the experience a voter has at thepolls. Using survey data, we find that a voter's experience withtheir poll workers greatly shape public confidence in elections.Presenter Exit, Voice, Loyalty, and Neglect: Inter-Related MotivationPatterns Among Federal EmployeesRoom TBA, Board 11, Thur 8:30 amDennis M. Daley, North Carolina State UniversityOverview: Examines the inter-relationship between AlbertHirschman's exit, voice, loyalty, and neglect constructs oforganizational motivation among federal employees.Presenter Economic Justice and Collaborative Management: TrendsRoomin Labor and Development PolicyTBA, Board 12, Thur 8:30 amDiane E. Schmidt, California State University, ChicoOverview: Borrowing from business, labor, economic, andpublic administration research, this analysis provides an analyticframework for understanding and examining movements ineconomic development toward collaborative management.44-1 COMPARATIVE STUDIES IN STATE ANDSOCIETYRoomChairPaperTBA, Thur 8:30 amHoward Schweber, University of Wisconsin, MadisonA Reversal of Fortunes: Elite Agency and the Decline inWorking Class PowerAmel F. Ahmed, University of Pennsylvania78