Creating Improved Survey Data Products Using Linked Administrative-Survey Data

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 440-463 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael E Davern ◽  
Bruce D Meyer ◽  
Nikolas K Mittag
Keyword(s):  
Survey Data ◽  
Mean Squared Error ◽  
Policy Research ◽  
State Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Parametric Models ◽  
Imputation Methods ◽  
Medicaid Enrollment ◽  
Data Products ◽  
High Level

AbstractRecent research linking administrative to survey data has laid the groundwork for improvements in survey data products. However, the opportunities have not been fully realized yet. In this article, our main objective is to use administrative-survey linked microdata to demonstrate the potential of data linkage to reduce survey error through model-based blended imputation methods. We use parametric models based on the linked data to create imputed values of Medicaid enrollment and food stamp (SNAP) receipt. This approach to blending data from surveys and administrative data through models is less likely to compromise confidentiality or violate the terms of the data sharing agreements among the agencies than releasing the linked microdata, and we demonstrate that it can yield substantial improvements of estimate accuracy. Using the blended imputation approach reduces root mean squared error (RMSE) of estimates by 81 percent for state-level Medicaid enrollment and by 93 percent for substate area SNAP receipt compared with estimates based on the survey data alone. Given the high level of measurement error associated with these important programs in the United States, data producers should consider blended imputation methods like the ones we describe in this article to create improved estimates for policy research.

What do advocates want from policy research? Evidence from elite surveys

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jake Haselswerdt ◽  
Elizabeth Rigby
Keyword(s):  
Policy Research ◽  
State Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Policy Outcomes ◽  
Policy Debate ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Policy Positions ◽  
Academic Researchers ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
State Context

Background: Policy advocates play a key role linking the separate worlds of research and policymaking – often serving as research brokers who increase the use of research and promoting more informed decision making. Yet this group is often overlooked in studies of research utilisation.Methods: We undertook two surveys of state-level advocates in the United States in order to better understand the views of these ‘research brokers’ on the utility of research and the characteristics of research most needed in the policymaking process.Findings: The advocates we surveyed report that research plays an important, if limited, role in shaping the policy outcomes in their state. They value objective and unbiased research, as evidenced by the credibility of the source, and relevance to their state context. At the same time, advocates were not particularly interested in novel research on unfamiliar outcomes in other policy domains, instead preferring studies that stick to the familiar framing of the issue dominant in the policy community in which they work. Advocates use research findings primarily as justification for their policy positions.Discussion and conclusion: Perceived impartiality and objectivity are a major asset of academic researchers seeking to influence the policy process. Advocates value this credibility and other sources of information that they can use to justify their policy positions. At the same time, their preference for familiar rather than novel findings may limit the degree to which policy advocates can serve as intermediary for such results, hampering the ability of research to reframe policy debate.<br />Key messages<br /><ul><li>Advocates value policy research from objective, unbiased sources like universities.</li><br /><li>Liberal and conservative advocates value research that justifies their (distinct) policy positions.</li><br /><li>Research on novel problems or indicators is less likely to be used by advocates.</li><br /><li>Advocates can serve as effective research brokers, but not equally for all forms of research.</li></ul>

Human Security

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Zyla
Keyword(s):  
Human Security ◽  
State Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Economic Security ◽  
Health Security ◽  
Broad Definition ◽  
Political Security ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Individual ◽  
High Level

The term “human security” was first employed in the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Report (HDR) of 1994, which argued for a “people-centric” concept of security and against the dichotomy of “freedom from want” and “freedom from fear.” This new understanding of security replaced the traditional focus of conflict between states, protection of state borders, and military solutions to security problems. It also recognized the interdependence between security and development. The HDR proposed a broad, multidimensional conceptualization of human security comprising economic security, food security, health security, environmental security, personal security, community security, and political security. Since then, human security has become an all-encompassing emancipatory concept of security at the individual (rather than state) level, addressing the many causes of human vulnerability including armed conflict, human rights violations, environmental challenges, and resource deprivation. It thus changed the security discourse and opened the “black box” of states. In 1999, Japan established the UN Trust Fund for Human Security to operationalize the human security concept. Later, Canada joined the initiative and helped to establish the Human Security Network and, in 2000, the independent Commission on Human Security (CHS) to address questions like the root causes of conflicts and the human protection and development of people. The CHS’s mantra was that states must produce sustainable economic growth and target the very poor through providing education, health services, and employment. Unsurprisingly, this broad definition of human security produced a backlash since it challenged the relative importance of “freedom from fear” and “freedom from want.” Some asserted that the human security approach lacked conceptual rigor and was difficult to operationalize. In 2003, the CHS published their report, Human Security Now: Protecting and Empowering People, which reaffirmed the broad definition of human security. In 2004, a Human Security Unit was created in the UN Secretariat of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The same year, the UN Secretary-General convened the High-Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change, which highlighted the interconnected and diverse threats to human security and called upon the international community to address them. A significant debate at the academic and policy levels ensued, discussing the viability of the concept as well as its political relevance. However, many UN member states, especially the so-called major powers (e.g., the United States), only played lip service to what was becoming an emerging norm in international security affairs.

scholarly journals METHODOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO FORECASTING DYNAMICS OF CRYPTOCURRENCIES EXCHANGE RATE USING STOCHASTIC ANALYSIS TOOLS (ON THE EXAMPLE OF BITCOIN)

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 38-51
Author(s):  
M. R. Safiullin ◽  
A. A. Abdukaeva ◽  
L. A. El’shin
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Exchange Rate ◽  
Arima Model ◽  
State Level ◽  
Parametric Models ◽  
Stationary Time Series ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Economic Agents ◽  
Digital Money ◽  
High Level

The accelerated pace of development of the cryptocurrency market and its integration into the system of economic, operational, financial and other processes determines the need for a comprehensive study of this phenomenon. This is particularly relevant because in recent months, at the state level have intensified discussions on the prospects of the legalization of the cryptocurrency market and the possibility of using its tools in the economic activities of economic agents. Despite the sometimes polar views and approaches at the moment among Russian experts regarding the solution to this issue, the development of the crypto-currencies market is extremely high, regardless of its regulation. This determines and actualizes the scientific research in the field of evaluation of the prospects of development of this market, forming the subject of this study in order to predict the possible effects and risks for the national economic system. The purpose of the article is the development of tools of modelling and forecasting the volatility of the cryptocurrency market on the basis of “foreseeing” fluctuations in the value of “digital money” using special models of autoregression (ARMA, ARIMA). The study was based on the application of a class of parametric models. It allowed describing both stationary and non-stationary time series and on this basis to develop a system of prognostic estimates for the prospects of further development of the series under study. With the help of our ARIMA model, which evaluates the parameters of the analyzed time series of the cryptocurrency exchange rate, we developed a system of prognostic assessments for the short term. The authors proved that the application of such models with a high level of reliability predicts future adjustments in the market under study. It leads to a high level of prospects for their use in modelling future parameters of the cryptocurrency market development. This creates a basis for a business to develop adaptive mechanisms for to emerging price index adjustments of “digital money”.

Applicability of management guidelines for surfing resources in California

Shore & Beach ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 53-64
Author(s):  
Edward Atkin ◽  
Dan Reineman ◽  
Jesse Reiblich ◽  
David Revell
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
National Level ◽  
State Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Management Guidelines ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Coastal Marine ◽  
Management Measures ◽  
Legal Frameworks

Surf breaks are finite, valuable, and vulnerable natural resources, that not only influence community and cultural identities, but are a source of revenue and provide a range of health benefits. Despite these values, surf breaks largely lack recognition as coastal resources and therefore the associated management measures required to maintain them. Some countries, especially those endowed with high-quality surf breaks and where the sport of surfing is accepted as mainstream, have recognized the value of surfing resources and have specific policies for their conservation. In Aotearoa New Zealand surf breaks are included within national environmental policy. Aotearoa New Zealand has recently produced Management Guidelines for Surfing Resources (MGSR), which were developed in conjunction with universities, regional authorities, not-for-profit entities, and government agencies. The MGSR provide recommendations for both consenting authorities and those wishing to undertake activities in the coastal marine area, as well as tools and techniques to aid in the management of surfing resources. While the MGSR are firmly aligned with Aotearoa New Zealand’s cultural and legal frameworks, much of their content is applicable to surf breaks worldwide. In the United States, there are several national-level and state-level statutes that are generally relevant to various aspects of surfing resources, but there is no law or policy that directly addresses them. This paper describes the MGSR, considers California’s existing governance frameworks, and examines the potential benefits of adapting and expanding the MGSR in this state.

Can increases in Twitter posts predict increases in cumulative incidence of COVID-19 in the United States? Evidence that social media can inform epidemic surveillance. (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruoyan Sun ◽  
Henna Budhwani
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Cumulative Incidence ◽  
Hot Spots ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
State Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Education Attainment ◽  
Public Health Systems ◽  
Per Capita

BACKGROUND Though public health systems are responding rapidly to the COVID-19 pandemic, outcomes from publicly available, crowd-sourced big data may assist in helping to identify hot spots, prioritize equipment allocation and staffing, while also informing health policy related to “shelter in place” and social distancing recommendations. OBJECTIVE To assess if the rising state-level prevalence of COVID-19 related posts on Twitter (tweets) is predictive of state-level cumulative COVID-19 incidence after controlling for socio-economic characteristics. METHODS We identified extracted COVID-19 related tweets from January 21st to March 7th (2020) across all 50 states (N = 7,427,057). Tweets were combined with state-level characteristics and confirmed COVID-19 cases to determine the association between public commentary and cumulative incidence. RESULTS The cumulative incidence of COVID-19 cases varied significantly across states. Ratio of tweet increase (p=0.03), number of physicians per 1,000 population (p=0.01), education attainment (p=0.006), income per capita (p = 0.002), and percentage of adult population (p=0.003) were positively associated with cumulative incidence. Ratio of tweet increase was significantly associated with the logarithmic of cumulative incidence (p=0.06) with a coefficient of 0.26. CONCLUSIONS An increase in the prevalence of state-level tweets was predictive of an increase in COVID-19 diagnoses, providing evidence that Twitter can be a valuable surveillance tool for public health.

Dissent in the Atlantic World, 1787–1830

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine Carté Engel
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
African Americans ◽  
First Amendment ◽  
Church And State ◽  
State Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
American Population ◽  
Simple Fact ◽  
General Role

The very term ‘Dissenter’ became problematic in the United States, following the passing of the First Amendment. The formal separation of Church and state embodied in the First Amendment was followed by the ending of state-level tax support for churches. None of the states established after 1792 had formal religious establishments. Baptists, Congregationalists, Presbyterians, and Methodists accounted for the majority of the American population both at the beginning and end of this period, but this simple fact masks an important compositional shift. While the denominations of Old Dissent declined relatively, Methodism grew quickly, representing a third of the population by 1850. Dissenters thus faced several different challenges. Primary among these were how to understand the idea of ‘denomination’ and also the more general role of institutional religion in a post-establishment society. Concerns about missions, and the positions of women and African Americans are best understood within this context.

The Oxford Handbook of Preservice Music Teacher Education in the United States

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Teacher Education ◽  
Music Education ◽  
State Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Music Teacher ◽  
Music Teacher Education ◽  
Education Faculty ◽  
Song Writing ◽  
Faculty And Administrators

The Oxford Handbook of Preservice Music Teacher Education in the United States aims to work from within the profession of music teacher education to push the boundaries of P-12 music education. In this book, we will provide all of those working in music teacher education—music education faculty and administrators, music researchers, graduate students, department of education faculty and administrators, and state-level certification agencies—with research and promising practices for all areas of traditional preservice music teacher preparation. We define the areas of music teacher education as encompassing the more traditional structures, such as band, jazz band, marching band, orchestra, choir, musical theater, and elementary and secondary general music, as well as less common or newer areas: alternative string ensembles, guitar and song-writing, vernacular and popular music, early childhood music, and adult learners

Student Privacy and the Law in the Internet Age

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leah Plunkett ◽  
Urs Gasser ◽  
Sandra Cortesi
Keyword(s):  
Learning Environments ◽  
School Environment ◽  
Privacy Protection ◽  
Data Privacy ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
The United States ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Privacy Law ◽  
Student Privacy ◽  
High Level

New types of digital technologies and new ways of using them are heavily impacting young people’s learning environments and creating intense pressure points on the “pre-digital” framework of student privacy. This chapter offers a high-level mapping of the federal legal landscape in the United States created by the “big three” federal privacy statutes—the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA)—in the context of student privacy and the ongoing digital transformation of formal learning environments (“schools”). Fissures are emerging around key student privacy issues such as: what are the key data privacy risk factors as digital technologies are adopted in learning environments; which decision makers are best positioned to determine whether, when, why, and with whom students’ data should be shared outside the school environment; what types of data may be unregulated by privacy law and what additional safeguards might be required; and what role privacy law and ethics serve as we seek to bolster related values, such as equity, agency, and autonomy, to support youth and their pathways. These and similar intersections at which the current federal legal framework is ambiguous or inadequate pose challenges for key stakeholders. This chapter proposes that a “blended” governance approach, which draws from technology-based, market-based, and human-centered privacy protection and empowerment mechanisms and seeks to bolster legal safeguards that need to be strengthen in parallel, offers an essential toolkit to find creative, nimble, and effective multistakeholder solutions.

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