Are US state and local governments consumption smoothers?

2014 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-100
Author(s):  
Maria Cornachione Kula
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Government Spending ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Consumption Smoothing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Optimal Behavior ◽  
Institutional Differences ◽  
State And Local Government ◽  
Balanced Budget ◽  
State And Local

Purpose – This paper aims to reconcile conflicting findings in the literature regarding the extent of consumption smoothing of sub-federal governments. Design/methodology/approach – This paper uses a panel of US state and local government data from 1973 to 2000 to find the extent of consumption smoothing among US state and local governments. Findings – It is found that about 30 percent of spending is determined by permanent resources. Additionally, states with more stringent balanced budget rules are found to smooth more than states with the least stringent balanced budget rules, which do not smooth at all. There is some evidence that liquidity constraints may cause the non-optimal behavior of the states with the least restrictive requirements as they have higher average net debt per capita and face higher risk premia than those with the most stringent rules. Research limitations/implications – Results differ from research using aggregate US data, where it is found that essentially all changes in state and local government spending are due to changes in current resources. The conflict is attributed to panel vs aggregate data use. Other research finds greater smoothing in Norway, where about 65 percent of local government spending is determined by permanent resources, and Sweden, with at least 90 percent of spending changes due to changes in permanent resources. This conflict may be due to institutional differences. Further research is needed in this area. Originality/value – This paper fills a gap in the literature on consumption smoothing by considering a panel of US state and local governments.

Pastoralism, Ethnicity, and Subnational Conflict Resolution in the Middle Belt

2018 ◽  
pp. 678-696
Author(s):  
Laura Thaut Vinson
Keyword(s):  
Conflict Resolution ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Federal Government ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
The State ◽  
The Past ◽  
Material Costs ◽  
State And Local Government ◽  
State And Local ◽  
Subnational Conflict

This chapter explores the problem of rising pastoralist–farmer and ethnic (religious and tribal) violence in the pluralistic Middle Belt region of Nigeria over the past thirty to forty years. In particular, it highlights the underlying issues and conflicts associated with these different categories of communal intergroup violence, the human and material costs of such conflict, and the broader implications for the Nigerian state. The federal government, states, local governments. and communities have not been passive in addressing the considerable challenges associated with preventing and resolving such conflicts. It is clear, however, that they face significant hurdles in resolving the underlying grievances and drivers of conflict, and their efforts have not always furthered the cause of conflict resolution and peacebuilding. Greater attention to patterns of inclusion and exclusion and to the allocation of rights and resources will be necessary, particularly at the state and local government levels, to create a more stable and peaceful Middle Belt.

Continuity of Operations planning: Meeting the standard of care

2008 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 17
Author(s):  
Robin J. Clark, JD ◽  
Megan H. Timmins, JD
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
World Trade Center ◽  
Standard Of Care ◽  
Federal State ◽  
Continuity Of Operations ◽  
State And Local Government ◽  
State And Local

Recent disasters have increased the public’s awareness of the lack of emergency preparedness of state and local governments. The attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001 highlighted failures in government agency coordination, while the anthrax attacks that followed and the more recent natural disasters of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 have deepened concerns that our government is unprepared for emergencies. Partially in response to the public’s concern, the federal government has encouraged Continuity of Operations (COOP) planning at the federal, state, and local government levels.Public attention, government engagement, and the promulgation of federal directives and guidance are leading to an increase in the standard of care for all public sector planning efforts, thus creating potential liabilities in the areas of COOP planning, testing, training, and maintenance. At this point, COOP planning is becoming the norm for state and local government agencies, and while the process of COOP planning may itself expose agencies to certain liabilities, there is also an increase in the potential liability for agencies that do not undertake COOP planning efforts. Further, it appears that the potential liability of agencies that do not engage in COOP planning far exceeds any liabilities incurred through the planning process.

scholarly journals Infrastructure procurement capacity gaps in Nigeria public sector institutions

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (9) ◽  
pp. 1962-1985 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Manu ◽  
Abdul-Majeed Mahamadu ◽  
Colin Booth ◽  
Paul Olaniyi Olomolaiye ◽  
Akinwale Coker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Public Procurement ◽  
Governance Structure ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Government Agencies ◽  
Public Infrastructure ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organisational Capacity ◽  
State And Local Government ◽  
State And Local

Purpose The achievement of sustainable development goals is linked to the procurement of public infrastructure in a manner that meets key procurement objectives, such as sustainability, value-for-money, transparency and accountability. At the heart of achieving these procurement objectives and others is the capacity of public procurement institutions. Whereas previous reports have hinted that there are deficiencies in procurement capacity in Nigeria, insights regarding critical aspects of organisational capacity deficiencies among different tiers of government agencies is limited. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the critical gaps in the procurement capacity of state and local government agencies involved in the procurement of public infrastructure in Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach The study employed a survey of public infrastructure procurement personnel which yielded 288 responses. Findings Among 23 operationalised items that are related to organisational procurement capacity, none is perceived to be adequate by the procurement personnel. Additionally, among 14 procurement objectives only 1 is perceived as being attained to at least a high extent. Originality/value The findings underscore the acuteness of organisational procurement capacity weaknesses among public procurement institutions within Nigeria’s governance structure. It is, thus, imperative for policy makers within state and local government to formulate, resource and implement procurement capacity building initiatives/programmes to address these deficiencies. Additionally, the organisational procurement capacity items operationalised in this study could serve as a useful blueprint for studying capacity deficiencies among public infrastructure procurement agencies in other developing countries, especially within sub-Saharan Africa where several countries have been implementing public procurement reforms.

Intertemporal Analysis of State and Local Government Spending: Theory and Tests

1994 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 159-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas Holtz-Eakin ◽  
Harvey S. Rosen ◽  
Schuyler Tilly
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Government Spending ◽  
State And Local Government ◽  
State And Local

Diversity by the Numbers

2000 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Coyle McCabe ◽  
Christopher Stream
Keyword(s):  
Black Women ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Demographic Changes ◽  
State And Local Government ◽  
State And Local ◽  
Voter Initiative

The tools used to diversify workforces in state and local governments have come under attack and, in at least one state, have been rescinded by voter initiative. The current backlash against these policies begs the question of whether diversification has occurred, and, if so, how the workforce has changed. In this study, we examine demographic changes in the composition of state and local bureaucracies from 1980 to 1995, looking specifically at the share of representation of both women and men as well as of African Americans and whites. We find significant gains have been made by a combination of white and, especially, black women. Overall, as we enter the next decade, we find a state and local government workforce that is moving towards a more equal gender split.

scholarly journals Infrastructure procurement skills gap amongst procurement personnel in Nigeria’s public sector

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-24
Author(s):  
Abdul-Majeed Mahamadu ◽  
Patrick Manu ◽  
Colin Booth ◽  
Paul Olomolaiye ◽  
Akinwale Coker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Safety Management ◽  
Team Building ◽  
Research Strategy ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Public Infrastructure ◽  
Content Type ◽  
State And Local Government ◽  
State And Local

Purpose Procurement of public infrastructure that is fit for purpose partly depends on the competencies of procurement personnel. In many developing countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria, there is a deficit in the quantity and quality of infrastructure and their procurement is further riddled with deficiencies in the capacity of public procuring entities. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the critical skills development needs of public personnel involved in the procurement of infrastructure in Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach Based on a quantitative research strategy, this study sought to address the knowledge gap through a survey of public infrastructure procurement personnel (n = 288) in different tiers of government (i.e. state and local government) and geopolitical contexts (north and south) in Nigeria. Findings Of the 45 procurement skill areas operationalised, there is need for further development in 38 of them including: computing/ICT; problem-solving; communication; decision-making; health and safety management; quality management; relationship management; team building; project monitoring and evaluation; time management and procurement planning. Originality/value A key implication of this study is for policymakers in state and local government to formulate and implement infrastructure procurement capacity development reforms that address the competency gaps of procurement personnel. Such reforms need to take into account the suitable methods for developing procurement competencies. Additionally, the procurement skill areas operationalised in this capacity assessment study could serve as a useful blueprint for studying capacity deficiencies amongst public infrastructure procurement personnel in other developing countries.

Overview of U.S. State and Local Government Financial Reporting: A Reference for Academic Research

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Won Jung Kim ◽  
Marlene A. Plumlee ◽  
Stephen Stubben
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Future Research ◽  
State And Local Government ◽  
Government Data ◽  
State And Local

The purpose of this paper is to encourage and support academic research related to U.S. state and local government financial reporting. We provide an overview of U.S. state and local governments and their financial reporting, discuss sources of government data available to researchers, review key streams of academic research on governmental financial reporting, and suggest opportunities for future research in this area.

scholarly journals An Empirical Analysis of the Revival of Fiscal Activism in the 2000s

2011 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 686-702 ◽  
Author(s):  
John B Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Federal Government ◽  
Empirical Analysis ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Direct Impact ◽  
Fiscal Stimulus ◽  
Government Purchases ◽  
State And Local Government ◽  
State And Local ◽  
Stimulus Package

An empirical review of the three fiscal stimulus packages of the 2000s shows that they had little if any direct impact on consumption or government purchases. Households largely saved the transfers and tax rebates. The federal government only increased purchases by a small amount. State and local governments saved their stimulus grants and shifted spending away from purchases to transfers. Counterfactual simulations show that the stimulus-induced decrease in state and local government purchases was larger than the increase in federal purchases. Simulations also show that a larger stimulus package with the same design as the 2009 stimulus would not have increased government purchases or consumption by a larger amount. These results raise doubts about the efficacy of such packages adding weight to similar assessments reached more than thirty years ago. (JEL E21, E23, E32, E62, H50)

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