2007 Conference Program - Midwest Political Science Association

Overview: I examine the Solicitor General’s amicus strategies in
the Supreme Court and find that the SG files briefs in cases that he
is predisposed to win, suggesting scholars have likely overstated
the influence of the SG on the justices’ decision making.
Paper Solicitor General Success or Failure Before the Supreme
Court: U.S. as a Party
Rebecca E. Deen, University of Texas, Arlington
Joseph Ignagni, University of Texas, Arlington
James Meernik, University of North Texas
Overview: Our research explores presidential influence on the
Supreme Court by examining all cases before the Court in which
the United States was a party, from 1953 to 2004.
Paper The Executive Branch and the Use of Presidential Signing
Statements
Darryn C. Beckstrom, University of Wisconsin, Madison
Overview: This paper seeks to analyze the effect of presidential
signing statements and the constitutional challenges to these
statements on judicial power.
Disc. Amy Steigerwalt, Georgia State University
Marcus E. Hendershot, University of Florida
42-15 CRIMINAL PROCEDURE AND CONSTITUTIONAL
DOCTRINE
Room Clark 5,7 th Floor, Fri at 8:00 am
Chair Kyle A. Scott, Miami University
Paper The Supreme Court’s Application of Common Law in Cases
of No-Knock Entry
Kyle A. Scott, Miami University, Oxford
Matthew A. Kern, Miami University, Oxford
Jeremy A. Martin, Miami University, Oxford
Overview: This paper examines how the Supreme Court chooses
between U.S. Constitution, precedent, statute, and common law
rules in its decision making process. We examine this process by
looking at cases of no knock entry.
Paper Justice John Paul Stevens and Prisoners' Rights
Christopher E. Smith, Michigan State University
Overview: Beginning in the 1970s, John Paul Stevens established
himself as the Supreme Court's foremost advocate of prisoners'
rights. Using the Blackmun papers and other information, this
paper examines how a former antitrust lawyer assumed this role.
Disc. John H. Parham, Davenport University
44-6 INTERGOVERNMENTAL POLICY LEADERSHIP
Room Parlor C, 6 th Floor, Fri at 8:00 am
Chair Carol S. Weissert, Florida State University
Paper Intergovernmental Relations and the National
Nanotechnology Initiative
Paul M. Hallacher, Pennsylvania State University
Overview: This NSF funded study of nanotechnology policy
making examines factors influencing the shift from centralized
federalism to intergovernmental management within policy
domains, with attention to the roles of policy entrepreneurs and
policy learning.
Paper Following the Leader: National and State Dimensions of
Policy Change
Holley Tankersley, Coastal Carolina University
Overview: The study posits an upward theory of policy diffusion,
suggesting that policy innovation flows from the states to the
national government via the mechanism of presidential agendasetting.
Paper Who Leads?: Changes in Education Policy at the Federal and
State Level
Matthew J. Twetten, University of Illinois, Chicago
Overview: This paper applies the General Punctuation
Equilibrium theory advanced by Jones and Baumgartner to the
policy sub-system of Education and the relationship between
changes at the state level and changes at the federal level.
Paper Governing Green: Gubernatorial Leadership and the
Environment
Jack McGuire, Potsdam College
Overview: This paper examines the Democratic and Republican
Party platforms for the winning gubernatorial candidates in 20
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states from 1996 to 2004 for environmental pledges to specific
policy goals.
Disc. Carol S. Weissert, Florida State University
Bertram Johnson, Middlebury College
45-6 ISSUES IN LOCAL PUBLIC FINANCE
Room Burnham 4, 7 th Floor, Fri at 8:00 am
Chair Richard A. Wandling, Eastern Illinois University
Paper Raising Property Taxes: Prudent Policy, or Political Suicide?
Harry Cherniak, Washington University, St. Louis
Overview: It is assumed that municipal politicians who raise
property taxes are punished in elections, and that as a result,
residential property taxes are underutilized. An analysis of
Ontario municipal election data shows evidence against this claim.
Paper Strategic Compensation: Utilizing Efficiency Wages in the
Public Sector
Trenton J. Davis, Northern Illinois University
Overview: Through an empirical, as well as qualitative analysis
involving municipalities in Illinois, this research examines the use
of efficiency wages as a means for strategic compensation in the
public sector.
Paper The Fiscal Implications of Annexation
Mary M. Edwards, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Overview: In this research I examine the fiscal implications of
annexation by focusing on local government efficiency and
revenue wealth. The analysis of 500 cities shows how annexation
affects per capita service levels and property tax capacity.
Paper New Perspectives on State Intervention in Urban Institutions
Debra H. Moore, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
Overview: Historically, states have intervened in cities
experiencing fiscal crisis in an attempt to move them toward
stability. Exercised through the state's will and capacity
intervention is a tool that allows a state to bailout or to recover a
city.
Disc. Richard A. Wandling, Eastern Illinois University
Gary Mattson, Northern Kentucky University
46-5 EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF SCHOOL
REFORMS (Co-sponsored with Public Administration,
see 50-22)
Room PDR 6, 3 rd Floor, Fri at 8:00 am
Chair Michelle R. Ranville, George Mason University
Paper Examining School Choice through the Eyes of Parents: Are
Information Networks Separate and Unequal
Suzanne M. Leland, University of North Carolina, Charlotte
Ken Godwin, University of North Carolina, Charlotte
Andy Baxter, University of North Carolina, Charlotte
Overview: Our paper examines the effects of school choice policy
in a diverse urban school district in Charlotte, North Carolina. We
specifically study how and where parents of different socioeconomic
backgrounds obtain their information when choosing a
school.
Paper The Effectiveness of Private School Franchises in Chile’s
Voucher Program
Gregory M. Elacqua, Princeton University
Dante Contreras, University of Chile
Overview: This paper compares achievement in private franchises,
independent schools, and public schools in Chile’s voucher
program. We find that franchises have a large advantage over
other schools, once student attributes and selectivity are
controlled.
Paper Texas Charter Schools: A Decade of Policy Outcomes
Rhonda S. Struminger, Texas A&M University
Overview: Using a management model for public policy
implementation, this study compares charter schools with regular
public schools in terms of teacher experience, turnover rates,
salaries, and student performance on state assessment tests.