2006 Conference Program - Midwest Political Science Association

PaperDisc.The Judicial Treatment of Abortion in the United States andGermanyRobert M. Yonkers, Wayne State UniversityOverview: This paper compares and contrasts the abortiondecisions of the United States and the German Supreme Courts.Ian G. Cram, Leeds University39-6 LOCAL BOUNDARY CHANGESRoomChairPaperPaperPaperPaperDisc.TBA, Sun 10:30 amMichael C. Craw, Michigan State UniversityAnnexation Policy in Milwaukee: An HistoricalInstitutionalist ApproachJoel Rast, University of Wisconsin, MilwaukeeOverview: Theories of urban politics assume that societal actorsplay a key role in the making and execution of policy. Usingevidence from Milwaukee's annexation program, this paperfinds that situations exist in which city governments actautonomously.Promises Made, Promises Kept? An Assessment of theEfficiency and Effectiveness of City-County ConsolidationSuzanne M. Leland, University of North Carolina, CharlotteOverview: To date, there are no documented studies thatempirically prove city-county consolidation cuts costs and leadsto improved service delivery. This paper plans to directlyaddress this gap in the literature.Government Consolidation in Rural AreasKeith A. Boeckelman, Western Illinois UniversityOverview: This paper examines the desirability of consolidatingcounties and eliminating/reducing the number of townships inrural areas. The evaluation will consider how consolidationaffects 1) the cost of services, and 2) citizen access togovernment.The Politics of Special District DissolutionNicholas G. Bauroth, North Dakota State UniversityOverview: Using data from the Bureau of the Census and the 50state statutory codes, this study examines the processes throughwhich special districts dissolve. It classifies dissolution bydegree of difficulty and tests the impact upon district policies.J. Edwin Benton, University of South Florida40-13 REGULATING SIN: SMOKING, DRINKINGAND DRIVINGRoomChairPaperPaperPaperTBA, Sun 10:30 amRaymond Tatalovich, Loyola University, ChicagoForms of Evidence Used in Testimony on StatewideSmoking RestrictionsLisa Bero, University of California, San FranciscoDorie Apollonio, University of California, San FranciscoOverview: We test theories of what constitutes effectivepresentation of evidence using legislative hearing transcriptsand interviews with policymakers, and determine that legislatorsfind testimony that demands constituency service mostcompelling.Revenue or Regulation? A Closer Look at State CigaretteTaxesMichael J. Licari, University of Northern IowaOverview: This paper assesses the legislative intent of statecigarette taxes. It then addresses the issue of whether therevenue from the tax is used appropriately given the regulatoryor revenue intent.The Enforcement of Drinking and Driving Laws in theStatesAnthony Bertelli, University of GeorgiaLilliard E. Richardson, University of MissouriOverview: Using survey data, we develop a measure of thelatent propensity to drink and drive. We use quantile regressionanalysis to test how perceptions of enforcement, arrest, andconviction affect the propensity to drink and drive.PaperPaperDisc.Legislative Action and Market Responses: Results ofVirginia's Natural Experiment with Direct Wine ShipmentAlan E. Wiseman, The Ohio State UniversityJerry Ellig, George Mason UniversityOverview: We focus on Virginia's alcohol direct shipment banas a testing ground for assessing the economic effects ofregulations that limit competition.Are Federal Regulations on Alcohol Use Safe?Alissa B. Almeida, Boston University School of Public HealthJacey Greece, Boston University School of Public HealthSara Minsky, Boston University School of Public HealthDonald Allensworth-Davies, Boston University School ofPublic HealthJonathan Howland, Boston University School of PublicHealthDamaris Rohsenow, Brown UniversityJ. Todd Arnedt, University of Michigan, Ann ArborOverview: Current regulations on alcohol use don't account forthe residual effect of alcohol after a night of heavy drinking. Asmany workers have this exposure, effects felt at zero BAC thenext day could have a large impact on the workplace.Raymond Tatalovich, Loyola University, Chicago42-1 POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS AND FOREIGNINVESTMENT RISK (Co-sponsored withInternational Political Economy, see 12-17)RoomChairPaperPaperPaperPaperDisc.TBA, Sun 10:30 amBumba Mukherjee, Florida State UniversityElections, Partisan PBC's and Sovereign Bond Spreads inDeveloping CountriesBumba Mukherjee, Florida State UniversityOverview: I develop and test a model using partisan politicalbusiness cycle (PBC) theory to predict the investment riskperceived by investors during several presidential andparliamentary elections in 50 developing countries from 1986 to2000.Institutional and Security Determinants of Bilateral FDIInflowsQuan Li, Pennsylvania State UniversityTatiana Vashchilko, Pennsylvania State UniversityOverview: We investigate theoretically and empirically howvarious institutional and security variables influence bilateralinvestment flows.Insuring Against Violence: Political Institutions and RiskInsurance PricingNathan M. Jensen, Washington University, St. LouisDaniel J. Young, University of California, Los AngelesOverview: We offer a theory of how political institutions affectpolitical risk. We then estimate how political constraints affectthe prices paid by multinationals to purchase political riskinsurance contracts covering civil war and political violence.The Politics of Investment: Partisanship and SectoralPatterns of Investment PerformancePablo M. Pinto, Columbia UniversitySantiago M. Pinto, West Virginia UniversityOverview: This paper attempts to establish whether foreigndirect investment (FDI) reacts to changing political conditionsin host countries. We explore the existence of partisan cycles inFDI investment performance at the industry level.Bumba Mukherjee, Florida State UniversityPablo M. Pinto, Columbia University43-11 THOSE PRECIOUS CIVIL SERVANTSRoomChairPaperTBA, Sun 10:30 amSusan A. MacManus, University of South FloridaCivil Service Modernization in the Post Reform Era: A NewInstitutional PerspectiveKatherine C. Naff, San Francisco State UniversityAlbert C. Hyde, Brookings InstitutionOverview: This paper examines current efforts to reform civilservice using the new intuitionalist perspective. It examines thesocial context of the current civil service change efforts and themotivations of key participants based on three case studies.268