When Cities Lobby

When Cities Lobby tells the story of what happens when city officials rely on professional lobbyists to represent their interests in state government. In a political environment characterized by intense urban-rural polarization and growing hostility between cities and state legislatures, the ability to lobby can be a powerful tool for city leaders seeking to amplify their voices in state politics. The cities that lobby at the highest rates include large urban centers that have been historically underrepresented in our federal system—and, increasingly, blue-leaning cities engaged in preemption battles against Republican-led legislatures. But high-income places have also figured out how to strategically use lobbyists, and these communities have become particularly adept at lobbying to secure additional grant money and shift state funding in a direction that favors them. How did we end up with a system where political officials in different levels of government often choose to pay lobbyists to facilitate communication between them, and are the potential benefits worth the costs? When Cities Lobby demonstrates that the answer is deeply rooted in both the nature of the federal system and the evolution of the professional lobbying industry. And while some states have recently debated measures to restrict lobbying by local governments, these efforts will likely do more harm than good in the absence of structural reforms to the lobbying industry more broadly.

The Implementation of Money Grant Program to Customary Villages and Community Groups From Good Governance Perspective: Case Study in Badung Regency

This study determined the implementation of money grants provision to customary villages and community groups, as well as strategies for realizing good governance in Badung Regency. A qualitative approach was used in data collection, utilizing documentation and interviews with 15 informants. The results show that the implementation of grants has met good governance, though some areas need improvement. The good governance principle not optimally implemented is transparency, while participation and accountability have been well executed. However, efficiency and effectiveness are still economically down. This is because there are no sustainable economic benefits. Some of the grants are used for physical development, such as temples or village halls without sustainable economic benefits. Strategies have been put in place by the Badung Regency Government to realize good governance in providing grant money. This include improving quality and strengthening regulations in grant money administration. Furthermore, transparency is increased by utilizing information technology communication. This is accomplished through website and electronic grant applications. Also, accountability is enhanced to strengthen the internal capacity of grant managers. The Badung Regency Government increases community participation from planning, implementation, administration evaluation, and monitoring.

Is basic science falling behind? A mixed methods study of bibliometric data and expert interviews in the field of cardiovascular research

Introduction Scientists in the field of cardiovascular research face many difficulties today and find themselves under considerable pressure to be successful with their projects and publish their results on a regular basis (the publish or perish aphorism). Purpose The objective of this mixed methods study that included quantitative and qualitative research methods was to analyse prospects of scientific success and how scientists see opportunities, risks and how they try to adapt to the current publication system. Methods An analysis of all publications that were published by our department in the years 2014–2019 (total of 104 publications) was performed. Publications were allocated to the sub-categories basic science, clinical science, register studies/database studies and others (letters, reviews, editorials). Further specific characteristics (impact factor, number of authors/institutions, utilization of an animal model and project costs) were also collected. Furthermore, a total of 14 interviews with experts in the field of cardiovascular research were conducted. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. For quantitative text analysis MaxQDA software and the method proposed by Philipp Mayring was used. Results When analysing the publication output of our department we found that achieved impact factors points were equally distributed between basic science, clinical science and register/database studies. Project costs were considerable higher for basic science studies compared to clinical studies and even more to register/database studies (p=0.0001). A correlation between costs and impact factor was found for basic science studies only (r=0.66, p=0.004). A multivariable regression analysis showed that project costs, number of authors and the use of an animal model, but not the number of institutions, was associated with a higher impact factor. Experts in the field shared the opinion that it might be “easier” to be successful with clinical science studies as they require less resources such as grant money, personnel and technical equipment. Moreover, upcoming risks such as competition for grant money, pressure to publish results, inadequacy of the impact factor system, securing ones job, rising publication costs and more pressure of time due to patient care, research and teaching duties for academic personnel were also highlighted to worsen the situation. Conclusion Based on own data and the views of experts it seems much more effort- and cost-efficient to pursue projects in clinical science. Researchers in the current academic system are pressured by multiple risks. After interpretation of the obtained quantitative and qualitative material, one could hypothesize that it might be easier to be successful with focussing on clinical studies when starting ones research career. These data give support to the concerns that the field of basic science might fall behind and less young scientists would opt for a career path in this field. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None

Burnout: Why Are Teacher Educators Reaching Their Limits?

Burnout among our P-12 teachers has been well documented throughout the years. Yet, little research has been conducted into the burnout of higher education professionals in general. Lackritz (2004) found that emotional exhaustion is significantly and positively related to teaching load, grading, office hours, grant money, service time, and number of service activities. This research looks further into the variables that may impact burnout for higher education faculty, specifically in teacher education, seeking to answer the questions: Are teacher educators in NY experiencing stress/burnout? If so, what internal and/or external factors/conditions are contributing to their burnout? And are specific groups of teacher educators more at-risk for developing burnout more so than others. Survey results reveal that teacher educators have a very low to moderate chance of burnout, but experience many of the stressors that can lead to burnout. The findings build on and extend beyond Maslach, Schaufeli and Leiter’s (2001) framework which includes factors of workload, control, reward, community, fairness, and values.

Assessment in Academia. The good, the bad and the ugly

<span>The use of assessment tools in academia is increasing at a torrid pace. The most important factor in this stunning increase in assessment is the desire for accountability during difficult economic times. In particular: administrators need to prove to a skeptical public that tax dollars are being spent wisely; individual department faculty need to justify their own budgets; employers want to know that the graduates they hire have the content, thinking and people skills that are required by corporations; and federal, state and private granting organizations want to know that their grant money is being put to good use. This paper will discuss the audiences for assessment and the types of tools that are now a normal part of our faculty responsibilities in the United States. The special focuses will be on considering how we distinguish good teaching from bad teaching, what U.S. universities are doing, and can do, to deal with bad teachers, and how I deal with these issues in my own classroom.</span>

Part V Separation of Powers, Ch.26 Separation of Legislative and Executive Power

This chapter examines questions about the scope of legislative or executive power and the relationship between them primarily through the lens of the separation of powers in Australia. These have been recurrent issues in both the courts and Parliaments for some time. Hence, the chapter begins by examining the framework for the exercise of the legislative power of the Commonwealth. It does so from the standpoint of the separation of powers, by focusing on three significant issues: the concept of legislative power, delegation of legislative power, and authority to appropriate and grant money to the States. Next, the chapter deals with the nature of the executive power of the Commonwealth, including the extent to which it can be exercised without legislative authorization.