Changing US attitudes to federalism prioritise states

2022 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Civil Rights ◽  
Interest Groups ◽  
State Level ◽  
National Standards ◽  
Democratic Process ◽  
State Autonomy ◽  
Economic Changes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Us States ◽  
Rights Issues

Significance Once considered the means by which US states could act as ‘laboratories of democracy’ that find new ways to improve governance, the recent construction of federalism as prioritising state autonomy is producing unevenness in democratic practices that is affecting the established rights of individuals. Impacts The erosion of common standards in states’ electoral procedures will further reduce overall trust in the democratic process. Political divisions between state and federal governments will increase during the remainder of the Biden presidency. Emphasising splits with Washington on civil rights issues camouflages state-level economic changes which will also impact voters. Aided by interest groups, states are drafting appeal-proof laws which reduce the ability of courts to enforce national standards.

Corruption and inflation: evidence from US states

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 251-262
Author(s):  
Hussein Elkamel
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Regression ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
State Level ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Us States ◽  
Level Data ◽  
The Us ◽  
Regression Techniques ◽  
Cross Country ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to show that states where corruption is greater also have higher levels of inflation. Design/methodology/approach Using a sample of all US states through the period 1992-2007 and various factors common across states that could impact the level of corruption or inflation, multiple regression techniques are used to determine corruption impact to inflation. Findings The study finds that corruption contributes, along with aid transfer, positively to inflation in the US states. The results are robust even after scaling the corruption variable to different determinants. Originality/value While there is some evidence on the relationship between corruption and inflation in cross-country dataset, there is no such evidence on it within country dataset. This paper, however, provides evidence on the relationship between corruption and inflation using state-level data of the US states.

Russian attack raises security and civil rights issues

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Civil Rights ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Rights Issues

Headline RUSSIA: Attack raises security and civil rights issues

Transcending the Veil

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 208-228
Author(s):  
Natasha V. Christie ◽  
Shannon B. O’brien
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Civil Rights ◽  
Double Consciousness ◽  
Racial Issues ◽  
Color Blind ◽  
The Veil ◽  
Rights Issues ◽  
Selection Of

This work examines how Barack Obama’s speeches and remarks used various rhetorical techniques to strategically maneuver his rhetoric to address racial issues and represent African American concerns. The results of a content analysis of a selection of Obama’s speeches and remarks confirm that Obama and his speechwriters favored the use of statements of color-blind universalism. However, when making certain remarks regarding civil rights issues or perceived racial issues, the pattern shifted, presenting a rare glimpse of the unbalanced representation of African American concerns. These findings suggest that Barack Obama’s speeches and remarks performed double-consciousness; they used universal, balanced, and targeted universalism rhetorical techniques as a genuine, congruent political style for representing African American concerns as a “raced” politician.

Realignment and Beyond

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Russell J. Dalton
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
Public Opinion ◽  
Social Change ◽  
Driving Force ◽  
Electoral Systems ◽  
The Political ◽  
Democratic Process ◽  
Economic Changes ◽  
Economic Issues ◽  
Societal Changes

Affluent democracies have experienced tremendous socio-economic changes since the mid- twentieth century, which has reshaped public opinion, party programs, and electoral choices. This chapter first summarizes the societal changes that have been a driving force behind the political changes described in this study. One pattern involves the longstanding economic issues of contemporary democracies, and shifting social positions on these issues. In addition, an evolving cultural cleavage and its ties to broader attitudes toward social change have altered citizen policy preferences. In most affluent democracies, the parties’ responses to these changing citizen demands have produced a realignment to represent both economic and cultural positions. The chapter concludes by discussing the implications of the findings for the working of electoral systems and the democratic process more broadly.

A Framework for the Study of Electoral Persuasion

2020 ◽  
pp. xiv-25
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Suhay ◽  
Bernard Grofman ◽  
Alexander H. Trechsel
Keyword(s):  
Interest Groups ◽  
Democratic Politics ◽  
Democratic Process ◽  
International Perspectives ◽  
Electoral Choice ◽  
The Media

Electoral persuasion rests at the center of the democratic process. Politicians, parties, interest groups, members of the media, and citizens themselves are constantly communicating with one another about electorally relevant topics. These communications will ultimately influence—although not always in predictable ways—voters’ choices and, therefore, election outcomes and the direction of government. Scholarship on this important topic has exploded in recent decades. Yet, there have been relatively few efforts to synthesize the accumulated knowledge. In this volume, we bring together accomplished scholars who study one or more aspects of electoral persuasion—who communicates with whom about democratic politics, what they communicate about and why, how and where they communicate, and with what effect. The result is a vibrant collection of US-based and international perspectives on the relevant actors, their motivations and methods of persuasion, and their varied influences on electoral choice.

Variations in economic growth across states in Malaysia: an exploratory analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yusniliyana Yusof ◽  
Kaliappa Kalirajan
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Socioeconomic Development ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
State Level ◽  
Bootstrap Sampling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Estimation Techniques ◽  
Development Index ◽  
Three Stage Least Squares ◽  
Development Gap

PurposeThe study contributes to the aim of regional development policy in reducing regional disparities, by examining the spatial balance in socioeconomic development across the states of Malaysia based on composite development index (CDI). Besides, the study has attempted to understand the issues in the development gaps across Malaysian states by evaluating the factors that explain the variation in economic growthDesign/methodology/approachThis study uses three-stage least squares (3SLS) and bootstrap sampling and estimation techniques to examine the factors that explain the variations in the growth of development across the states in Malaysia. The analysis involves 13 states in Malaysia (Johor, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pulau Pinang, Perak, Perlis, Selangor, Kedah, Kelantan, Pahang, Terengganu, Sabah and Sarawak) from 2005 to 2015.FindingsThe pattern in the spatial socioeconomic imbalance demonstrates a decreasing trend. However, the development index reveals that the performance of less developed states remained behind that of the developed states. The significant factors in explaining the variation in growth across the Malaysian states are relating to agriculture, manufacturing, human capital, population growth, Chinese ethnicity, institutional factors and natural resources.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors focused on Malaysian states over the period between 2005 and 2015. The authors encountered some limitations in obtaining relevant data such as international factors and technological change that might also explain the variation in economic growth as the data on these variables are not reported at the state level. Moreover, the data on GSDP by sector was only available from the year 2005. Second, the study is based on secondary data. Future studies might examine the factors that contribute to the development gap across Malaysian states through interviews or questionnaires and compare the findings with the existing results. Despite its limitations, this study contributes to the existing literature that emphasizes on spatial balance of socioeconomic in a developing country, focusing on Malaysian states.Practical implicationsThese findings provide guidance for policymakers by understanding key potential areas to reduce the disparity in economic growth across Malaysian states by understanding their impact on the growth.Originality/valueThis study employs different method of 3SLS and bootstrap sampling and estimation techniques in examining the factors that explain the variations in the growth of development across the states in Malaysia.

Farm wages and public works

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kanika Mahajan
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Model ◽  
Wage Rate ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Wage Growth ◽  
State Level ◽  
Random Allocation ◽  
Farm Sector ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) on farm sector wage rate. This identification strategy rests on the assumption that all districts across India would have had similar wage trends in the absence of the program. The author argues that this assumption may not be true due to non-random allocation of districts to the program’s three phases across states and different economic growth paths of the states post the implementation of NREGS. Design/methodology/approach – To control for overall macroeconomic trends, the author allows for state-level time fixed effects to capture the differences in growth trajectories across districts due to changing economic landscape in the parent-state over time. The author also estimates the expected farm sector wage growth due to the increased public work employment provision using a theoretical model. Findings – The results, contrary to the existing studies, do not find support for a significantly positive impact of NREGS treatment on private cultivation wage rate. The theoretical model also shows that an increase in public employment work days explains very little of the total growth in cultivation wage post 2004. Originality/value – This paper looks specifically at farm sector wage growth and the possible impact of NREGS on it, accounting for state specific factors in shaping farm wages. Theoretical estimates are presented to overcome econometric limitations.

The impact of labor freedom on geographic cost of living differentials

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 385-395
Author(s):  
Richard Cebula ◽  
James E. Payne ◽  
Donnie Horner ◽  
Robert Boylan
Keyword(s):  
Labor Market ◽  
State Level ◽  
The State ◽  
Annual Data ◽  
Significant Finding ◽  
Cost Of Living ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of labor market freedom on state-level cost of living differentials in the USA using cross-sectional data for 2016 after allowing for the impacts of economic and quality of life factors. Design/methodology/approach The study uses two-stage least squares estimation controlling for factors contributing to cost of living differences across states. Findings The results reveal that an increase in labor market freedom reduces the overall cost of living. Research limitations/implications The study can be extended using panel data and alternative measures of labor market freedom. Practical implications In general, the finding that less intrusive government and greater labor freedom are associated with a reduced cost of living should not be surprising. This is because less government intrusion and greater labor freedom both inherently allow markets to be more efficient in the rationalization of and interplay with forces of supply and demand. Social implications The findings of this and future related studies could prove very useful to policy makers and entrepreneurs, as well as small business owners and public corporations of all sizes – particularly those considering either location in, relocation to, or expansion into other markets within the USA. Furthermore, the potential benefits of the National Right-to-Work Law currently under consideration in Congress could add cost of living reductions to the debate. Originality/value The authors extend the literature on cost of living differentials by investigating whether higher amounts of state-level labor market freedom act to reduce the states’ cost of living using the most recent annual data available (2016). That labor freedom has a systemic efficiency impact on the state-level cost of living is a significant finding. In our opinion, it is likely that labor market freedom is increasing the efficiency of labor market transactions in the production and distribution of goods and services, and acts to reduce the cost of living in states. In addition, unlike previous related studies, the authors investigate the impact of not only overall labor market freedom on the state-level cost of living, but also how the three sub-indices of labor market freedom, as identified and measured by Stansel et al. (2014, 2015), impact the cost of living state by state.

The geographies of corruption in Nigeria: understanding the patterns and correlates

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Adeleke ◽  
Opeyemi Alabede ◽  
Tolulope Osayomi ◽  
Ayodeji Iyanda
Keyword(s):  
Positive Impact ◽  
Market Competition ◽  
State Level ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Moran’S I ◽  
Market Size ◽  
National Bureau ◽  
Moran's I ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Domestic Debt

Purpose Globally, corruption has been identified as a major problem. Even though corruption is widespread, it varies in magnitude, types and consequences. In Nigeria, corruption is endemic, and it is responsible for the many socioeconomic problems in the country. Hence, the study aims to determine the patterns and state level correlations of corruption in Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach Data for this study were sourced from the National Bureau of Statistics and other official sources and were analyzed with Global Moran’s I, Local Moran’s I and multivariate step-wise regression. Findings This study’s findings revealed significant clustering of corruption in the country with Rivers States as the only hotspot (I = 0.068; z = 2.524; p < 0.05), while domestic debt and market size were the state level significant predictors. Research limitations/implications Only bribery as a form of corruption was examined in this study, more studies are needed on the predictors of other forms of corruption. Practical implications This study recommends increased market competition through investment grants, subsidies and tax incentives to facilitate trade interactions among Nigerians, which can lead to exchange of cultural norms that discourage corruption. It is also advocated that domestic debt must be effectively and efficiently channelled towards economic development which in the long run will have a positive impact on the socio-economic well-being of the citizens as well as drive down corrupt practices. Originality/value Although the causes of corruption have received considerable attention in the literature, little is known on the geographical distribution and the effect of market size and domestic debt on corruption in Nigeria.

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