State and Local Government Review: Podcasts, Young Scholar Outreach Program, Article Visibility and Impact, Social Media

SLGR Podcasts

            The first podcast for 2015 has been completed and is already accessible.  The focus of the podcast is Bruce J. Perlman (Governance Matters Editor and University of New Mexico) and J. Edwin Benton’s (Managing Editor and University of South Florida) Governance Matters article (“Devolutionary Realignment:  Shedding Services, Ad Hoc Collaboration, and Political Reconfiguration:  Expert Panel Comments on Michael Abels’ Article, “Strategic Alignment for the New Normal:  Collaboration, Sustainability, and Deliberation in Local Government Across Boundaries’”) that appeared in the September 2014 (Vol. 46, No. 3) issue of SLGR.  Panelists— Ms. Michele Baker (County Administrator, Pasco County Florida), Mr. Rod Gould (City Manager, Santa Monica, California), Mr. Mike Wilkes (City Manager, Olathae, Kansas), Mr. David Krings (Administrator, Village of Lockland, Ohio), and Mr. Peter Crichton (County Manager, Cumberland County, Maine)—were interviewed by J. Edwin Benton and asked to provide an assessment of the utility of Dr. Abels’ (University of Central Florida) article, as well as identify and discuss the current challenges faced by their respective local governments. 

            Podcast Editor, Anne Williamson (University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa), is proposing at least two or more additional podcasts in 2015 from among the following articles:

·         2014 Special Issue on “Emerging from the Great Recession” (quite possibly two here)

·         “Research Partnerships: Bridging the Academic-Practitioner Divide” by Opp et al.

·         “Underfunding Annual Pension Contributions: Examining the Drivers of an Ongoing Fiscal  Phenomenon” by Thom and Randazzo

All eight SLGR Podcasts can be accessed from the State and Local Government Review website at:  http://slg.sagepub.com.

(See attached list)

Young Scholar Outreach Program

To date, the Young Scholar Outreach Program, that is designed to assist doctoral students seeking job placements and new faculty with a position at the instructor, assistant professor, or beginning associate professor level to get published in academia, is off to an excellent start.  Around twenty people have already contacted Dr. Scicchitano seeking guidance since the Program was launched in the Spring of 2014, and three manuscripts originating from the Program have either been published or awaiting publication in SLGR.  They are as follows:

·         “Political Trust in the American States” by Aaron C. Weinschenk and David J. Helpap (March 2015, Vol. 47, No. 1 Issue)

·         “Morality Politics and Municipal LGBT Policy Adoption: A Rare Event Analysis” (March 2015, Vol. 47, No. 1 Issue)

·         “Government by Advice: Public Participation and Policymaking through Advisory Ballot Measures” by Todd Ely (June 2015, Vol.47, No. 2 Issue)

Persons having questions or wanting to participate in the program are encouraged to send an email to SLGR Editor Michael Scicchitano at mscicc@ufl.edu  or call him at (352) 846-2874. 

SLGR Articles:  Visibility and Impact

As evidenced by information and data regularly collected and analyzed by SLGR’s publisher (Sage Publications), there is growing recognition of the journal as a respected outlet for scholarly research.  Three indicators are most important in gauging a journal’s success—online usage, article citations in other journals, acceptance rate of manuscripts. 

As to online usage of SLGR, there are positive and encouraging signs that scholars (as well as practitioners) are checking out the journal for useful articles that are relevant for one’s research.  More specifically, information on downloads of SLGR articles indicates that full-text downloads of increased from 17,881 in 2012 to 18,921 (a 5.8% increase) and from 18,921 in 2013 to 19,780 in 2014 (a 4.5 % increase).  This importance of these information takes on added significance since, according to Sage Publications, university librarians continually monitor statistics on how often a journal is being accessed and use this information when they make their renewal and cancellation decisions

Detailed Summary of Online Usage Activity for 2012 – 2014

Online usage statistics
2012	Full-text downloads*	2013	Full-text downloads*	2014	Full-text downloads*
Jan	1,100	Jan	2,082	Jan	1,246
Feb	1,325	Feb	1,568	Feb	1,713
Mar	1,394	Mar	1,471	Mar	2,249
Apr	2,190	Apr	1,906	Apr	1,956
May	1,697	May	1,185	May	1,363
Jun	981	Jun	1,105	Jun	1,230
Jul	907	Jul	1,061	Jul	1,058
Aug	1,019	Aug	1,370	Aug	954
Sep	1,547	Sep	1,883	Sep	2,284
Oct	2,862	Oct	2,386	Oct	2,405
Nov	1,773	Nov	1,723	Nov	2,072
Dec	1,086	Dec	1,181	Dec	1,250
Total	17,881	Total	18,921	Total	19,780
* Full-text downloads include both HTML and PDF article usage ** Total accesses include: abstract, home page, and TOC views; searches; and, article downloads

The following chart shows the total number of accesses to SLGR per month since 2012.

SLGR is also making noteworthy progress in having the journal’s articles cited by scholars who publish in other journals.  In the last few years, SLGR articles being cited in Public Administration Review, Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, Administration & Society, American Review of Public Administration, Canadian Public Administration, Urban Affairs Review, Journal of Urban Affairs, International Journal of Public Administration, State Politics & Policy Quarterly,  Publius:  The Journal of Federalism, Public Performance & Management, Urban Studies, Urban Geography, Policy Studies Journal, and International Journal of Communication (note the diversity of journals that suggests the multi-disciplinary appeal of SLGR).  This is important because an increase in citations of SLGR articles in other journals (but especially, more prestigious ones) can result in great visibility for and more credence placed in the stature of the journal; this phenomenon is measured by a statistic referred to as “impact factor.”  The estimated impact factor (IF) is calculated by taking the total number of citations in a given year to journal articles published in the previous two years, and dividing it by the total number of articles published in the journal in those same two years.  SLGR’s 2013 estimated impact factor was 0.098.  In 2014 the journal’s estimated impact factor was 0.192. Therefore, the 2014 IF for SLGR represents a 96% increase from 2013.

The final important factor in determining a journal’s success and academic respectability is the acceptance of manuscripts.  Here too, SLGR continues to make great strides.  The SLGR acceptance rate is measured by the number of manuscript of general interest accepted in a given year by the number of those articles submitted for consideration during the same year.  In 2014, SLGR received 80 manuscripts of general interest, with 8 of those being accepted for publication.

This results in an acceptance rate of 10%.  Over the last decade, the acceptance rate for SLGR averaged around 16%.  It is worth noting that the acceptance ratio of SLGR compares favorably with other journals in the field:  Public Administration Review (15%), Administrative Science Quarterly (11%), American Review of Public Administration (17%), Administration and Society (20%), and International Journal of Public Administration (30%). 

As you complete your research projects, please remember that the SLGR website has a very effective search engine.  You can insert key words related to your research and quickly find relevant articles.  This will strengthen you research as well as increase the visibility of State and Local.

SLGR Social Media

Our reach, engagement, and mentions on social media continue to grow each month on Facebook (facebook.com/SLGReview) and twitter (@SLGReview). To better integrate content across social media platforms, we launched our blog (slgrjournal.wordpress.com) with a formal
announcement of the SLGR 2015 Special Issue. We hope this new blog will provide an online venue for more in-depth discussions of SLGR articles and podcasts, including Question & Answer sessions with authors and further interaction between authors, editors, and readers. Please join the SLGR discussion online!Our reach, engagement, and mentions on social media continue to grow
each month on Facebook (facebook.com/SLGReview) and twitter
(@SLGReview). To better integrate content across social media platforms,
we launched our blog (slgrjournal.wordpress.com) with a formal
announcement of the SLGR 2015 Special Issue. We hope this new blog will
provide an online venue for more in-depth discussions of SLGR articles
and podcasts, including Question & Answer sessions with authors and
further interaction between authors, editors, and readers. Please join
the SLGR discussion online!Our reach, engagement, and mentions on social media continue to grow
each month on Facebook (facebook.com/SLGReview) and twitter
(@SLGReview). To better integrate content across social media platforms,
we launched our blog (slgrjournal.wordpress.com) with a formal
announcement of the SLGR 2015 Special Issue. We hope this new blog will
provide an online venue for more in-depth discussions of SLGR articles
and podcasts, including Question & Answer sessions with authors and
further interaction between authors, editors, and readers. Please join
the SLGR discussion online!Our reach, engagement, and mentions on social media continue to grow
each month on Facebook (facebook.com/SLGReview) and twitter
(@SLGReview). To better integrate content across social media platforms,
we launched our blog (slgrjournal.wordpress.com) with a formal
announcement of the SLGR 2015 Special Issue. We hope this new blog will
provide an online venue for more in-depth discussions of SLGR articles
and podcasts, including Question & Answer sessions with authors and
further interaction between authors, editors, and readers. Please join
the SLGR discussion online!

CALL FOR PROPOSALS: 2015 Special Issue of State and Local Government Review on Emerging from the Great Recession

 CALL FOR PROPOSALS

State and Local Government Review

2015 Special Issue on Economic Polarization and Challenges to Subnational Governments

Michael J. Scicchitano, University of Florida, Editor

State and Local Government Review invites authors to submit proposals for the 2015 Special Issue on “Economic Polarization and Challenges to Subnational Governments.”  The focus of the Special Issue will be to examine how subnational governments have been affected by economic polarization and how they have responded to this phenomenon.  The Special Issue will be published as the last issue of State and Local Government Review in 2015.  This publication schedule requires a shorter than normal period for the process of selecting and completing papers for the Special Issue.  Manuscripts published in the Special Issue will be reviewed and considered refereed publications.

One of the challenges that seems to have a profound impact on subnational governments is the increasing economic polarization of the residents and possibly a related loss of the middle class.  This polarization may have consequences such as higher crime rates, issues of increased hunger (especially among school children) and the loss of businesses that mostly serve middle class residents. While subnational governments face ever greater policy challenges they may also have reduced revenues to address these problems.  The 2015 State and Local Government Review Special Issue will examine issues related to the impact of the increased economic polarization on subnational governments.  State and Local welcomes proposals from all disciplines for papers related to this theme.  Below are some specific topics that would be appropriate for the 2015 Special Issue:

•  From a governance perspective, what exactly does the term economic polarization mean?  Does this mean that there is both a decline of a “middle class” and a great divide between the lower and upper income classes?   What are the different manifestations of this phenomenon such as the degree of loss of the middle class as well as economic polarization?  What stage or level of economic polarization can result in policy or governance problems for subnational governments?
• To what extent do taxing and spending policies at subnational levels redistribute burdens and benefits?
•  What are the specific ways/policy areas that polarization is evident (i.e., education, housing, stagnant wages, etc.)?
•   Has there been a change in the level of middle class loss or economic polarization? If so, when did these changes begin, are they increasing, or is it stable or declining? What are the best techniques to document or monitor these changes?
• What factors contribute to increased economic polarization--actions by international, national, or subnational governments?
• What are the implications of middle class loss and/ or economic polarization for subnational governance-i.e. what problems has this caused for subnational governments?
•  What actions have or could subnational governments take to reduce the loss of the middle class and economic polarization as well reduce the impact on their citizens?
•  Why hasn’t societal and economic information shown a capacity to scale effectively across jurisdictional, operational, and organizational boundaries?  Are we missing major policies and monitoring procedures that would identify this process more effectively, leading to more timely policy action?

Please submit a proposal that outlines a specific topic that conveys how subnational governments have been affected by economic polarization and how they have responded to this phenomenon.  Clearly outline the empirical basis for the manuscript, and if your paper is data driven, please indicate whether data has already been collected. Also, identify the current status of the research and writing and the extent to which the manuscript can be completed according to the schedule outlined below.

We encourage proposals from all disciplines including but not limited to public administration, political science, sociology, economics, planning, etc. and expect to publish papers where there is collaboration between academics and practitioners and authors both from inside and outside the U.S.

Note:  Acceptable topics are not limited to those listed above.

Proposals should be submitted between February 25, 2015 and April 1, 2015 to the following email address:  slgrspecial@gmail.com   

The proposals should be double-spaced and include no more than two pages of text.  There is no need to include tables or appendices and references do not count against the two page limit. All proposals will be subject to editorial review.  Please do not send complete papers—if you have a draft of your paper, please note that in the proposal.

Submissions will be evaluated with respect to the following criteria:

·         Relevance. The proposed manuscript should examine issues related to how subnational governments have been affected by economic polarization and how they have responded to this phenomenon.   

·         Viability. The proposal should represent an achievable manuscript project within the tight time constraints required. More detail on the timeline is provided below.

·         Scope of Interest. Papers of broad interest to scholars and professionals will be preferred.

·         Organization and Coherence. The proposal should follow a logical structure, read clearly, and thoroughly represent the available research.

·         Insight for Future Work. The proposal should convey important implications for both future research and practice related to local government.

Due to editorial constraints, it is vital for authors to adhere to the following strict timeline. We will not be able to consider late submissions. If you have any questions, please contact the Editor at mscicc@ufl.edu or by phone at (352) 846-2874.

Relevant dates* are as follows:

·         February 25- April 1, 2015: Proposals due to the State and Local Government Review to be sent to slgrspecial@gmail.com  

·         April 15, 2015: Final decision on proposals and initial feedback provided to authors.

·         July 15, 2015: Full draft of paper due to State and Local Government Review.

·         August 15, 2015: Review and feedback to authors on full paper.

·         September 15, 2015: Final paper submitted to State and Local Government Review.  Final manuscripts should be no longer than 18 pages of text with standard margins and font size.

*Please note that these are basic guidelines, each paper may require a different number of revisions or timing to make the September 15, 2015 deadline

Feel free to email or call me if you have any questions regarding your proposal or manuscript. 

Introducing Our Stone Award Recipients for 2015

Please join our colleagues at the section meeting to honor the contributions of these three recipients to our field at our section meeting at the ASPA Conference on 
March 8, 2015 at 4:45 p.m. in the Comiskey Room at the Hyatt Regency, Chicago. 




Scholar 

Michael Pagano, Ph.D.

Dean, College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs, University of Illinois at Chicago

Michael A. Pagano is Dean of the College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs at the University of Illinois at Chicago, professor of public administration, Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration (which was chartered by Congress to assist federal, state, and local governments in improving their effectiveness, efficiency, and accountability), former co-editor of a journal on urban issues called Urban Affairs Review, and Faculty Fellow of UICs Great Cities Institute. He has published five books, including Metropolitan Resilience in a Time of Economic Turmoil , Cityscapes and Capital and The Dynamics of Federalism, and over 80 articles on urban finance, capital budgeting, federalism, transportation policy, infrastructure, urban development and fiscal policy; since 1991, he has written the annual City Fiscal Conditions report for the National League of Cities and between 2003-2008 he wrote a column called The Third Rail for State Tax Notes, which examined contemporary local government fiscal issues; he has delivered more than one hundred papers and speeches; and received funding from John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the National Research Council, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, Pew Charitable Trusts, Brookings Institution, CEOs for Cities, National League of Cities, Chicago Community Trust, U.S. Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, and elsewhere.

He serves on a variety of professional organizations, including the Governmental Accounting Standards Board, the Metropolitan Planning Council (Chicago), the Pension Committee of the Civic Federation, and the Urban Land Institute. He earned a B.A. from the Pennsylvania State University and a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin.

Practitioner

Peter B. Austin

County Administrator, McHenry County, Illinois

Peter Austin currently serves as the County Administrator in McHenry County, IL.  In that capacity, Mr. Austin is responsible for the enforcement of County Board ordinances, policies, regulations, and resolutions; recommends and oversees an annual budget of approximately $250,000,000; represents County’s legislative interests to State and Federal Government; coordinates work of nearly 1,400 employees, from 27 Offices and Departments, with the appropriate County Board Committees, other local governments, and state and federal agencies.

Peter Austin has been in his current position as McHenry County Administrator since 2005.  Prior to his service in McHenry County, Mr. Austin was the Assistant County Administrator in Lake County, IL; County Administrator in Kendall County, IL; and Assistant to the Village Manager in Western Springs, IL.                    

Mr. Austin received his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Iowa in 1992, and Masters in Public Administration from Northern Illinois University in 1994.

Student Paper Award

William L. Swann

PhD Candidate and Research Assistant at the Askew School of Public Administration and Policy at Florida State University

William "Will" Swann is a PhD Candidate and Research Assistant at the Askew School of Public Administration and Policy at Florida State University. He holds an MPA from the University of Rhode Island and a BS in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from Bryant University. His research interests are in local government and institutions, collaborative public management, urban sustainability and environmental policy, and performance measurement. Will has interned as a research assistant at the Rhode Island Department of Corrections where he worked on the evaluation of prisoner programs. More recently, he interned as a research assistant for the Task Force on Consolidated Government in the City of Jacksonville, Florida. Will has also taught and helped redesign a popular undergraduate introductory course in public administration at FSU. He is a native of Rhode Island and currently resides in Tallahassee, Florida.

Call for Information: SIAM Update

Call for Information - SIAM Update

Please help us provide exposure to your professional and academic achievements by contributing to the next issue of SIAM Update. We are seeking to include information on the following topics:

· Publication announcements for new reports, books and articles


· Information on new research or outreach projects you are starting


· Calls for papers for conference and workshops you are organizing


· Invited lectures or other significant presentations you have given


· Paper presentations or panel participation at conferences


· Grants, fellowships, or awards you have received


· Promotions or new positions you have accepted


· Faculty additions, retirements, and other relevant news about your department or program


· Election to an officer position in a local ASPA chapter


· Students' professional accomplishments, including new jobs and promotions, involvement in major research projects, important public sector initiatives, and research publications.


If you are engaged in activities that will be of interest to your fellow members or students, please send materials for the email update to siam.uic.cuppa@gmail.com by end of the day on Monday, February 23, 2015.