Monday, March 7, 2016

Call for Proposals: State and Local Government Review

CALL FOR PROPOSALS
State and Local Government Review
2016 Special Issue on Political and Ideological Polarization and Its Impact on Subnational Governments
Michael J. Scicchitano, University of Florida, Editor

Political and Ideological polarization in the United States is evident at all levels of government—federal, state and local.  While this polarization is interesting from a political or electoral perspective, it also has profound implications for governance.  The impacts are certainly felt at each level of government but also through the intergovernmental system.

There are at least four plausible dimensions or scenarios resulting from political and ideological polarization.  First, polarization at the national level can have a rippling effect on state and local governments.  Perhaps the most obvious example would be in a policy area like immigration, once thought to be the province of the federal government, where pressing problems associated with it must be resolved by state and local governments since the federal government has been unwilling or unable to craft solutions.  Witness the actions of a number of states that have tried going it alone in dealing with the fallout of no federal government action to deal with the issue of illegal immigration.  Other examples can be found in policy areas (e.g., homeland security, transportation, education, health care, taxation, and economic inequality) where over the years the federal government has articulated an express and overriding interest via federal fiscal assistance or mandates.  Here again, the inability of the federal government to craft realistic solutions or instead sends mixed signals ultimately means that these problems are passed down to the states and even to local governments where they cannot be ignored.  Examples abound like the federal government keeping school districts across the nation in limbo about compliance with No Child Left Behind (NCLB) by procrastinating for years in renewing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).  Another example has been Congressional delay in enacting legislation (referred to as a marketplace fairness act) that would produce much-needed additional revenue for state and local governments from Internet sales and other out-of-state retailers. 

Another dimension can be seen where political and ideological polarization occurs within a state, and pressing public issues are eventually devolved downward to local government as well as to school districts and special districts.  Polarization within a state sometimes leads to preemption of local authority and can lead to states taking over authority from local government for service delivery, reassigning functional responsibility, and prohibiting certain local government actions.  Some recent examples include: State of Michigan exercising oversight authority in the provision of water in the City of Flint; State of Michigan overseeing the entire operation of the City of Detroit; States of Pennsylvania and South Carolina, among others, assuming direct control of failing schools; State of Florida seeking to exercise complete regulatory authority over fracking in cities and counties; and a number of states prohibiting local governments from enacting ordinances to increase minimum wages.

A third dimension could take the form of political and ideological polarization between Red and Blue states.  This can be seen in the diverse state laws dealing with abortion LGBT rights.  States with either Democratic or Republican unified leadership control have enacted starkly contrasting legislation in these two controversial policy areas.  That is, Republican states have very restricted policies, while Democratic states have very liberal laws.  What happens when people migrate from one state to another and the issue of recognition of other states’ law come into question?  Will they ignore other states’ enactments or ignore/defy them?

Yet, another dimension of political and ideological polarization can be played out exclusively at the local level, with repercussions felt there.  More specifically, local government elected legislative bodies may have members who promote strongly particular issues of ideological or even political perspectives.  As a result, debates among the commission/council members (or school or special districts boards) may be conflictual and protracted.  Reaching some consensus and making decisions may be difficult.  Professional managers (and their staffs0 may find it difficult to govern or even find the job security needed to be effective in this type setting.

The goal of the 2016 State and Local Government Review Special Issue is to publish research that examines the impact of political and ideological polarization on governance at the state or local level and in the intergovernmental system.  We welcome manuscripts that address these and related scenarios that are triggered by polarization.  Below are some specific examples that would be appropriate for the 2015 Special Issue:

·         In what ways did polarization affect the delayed reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary School program and then influence the provisions of the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015?

·         In what ways did polarization affect the delayed reauthorization of the surface transportation program and then influence the provisions of the Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2015?

·         In light of the 2016 passage of the Internet Tax Freedom Act and Congress’s failure to pass the Marketplace Fairness Act, how is polarization positively and negatively affecting state and local taxation powers and revenues?

·         To what extent is party polarization over economic inequality positively or negatively affecting states and especially local governments in terms of their ability to foster economic growth and alleviate poverty?

·         How is the growing polarization affecting policymaking in the federal government and on the U.S. Supreme Court, especially the ability of state and local governments to influence federal policymaking?

·         How is the growing polarization between blue and red states affecting the diffusion of innovations? To what extent are blue and red states adopting or not adopting their respective innovations?

·         How is polarization shaping innovative state policy-making from marijuana legalization and environmental regulation to abortion restrictions and voter ID laws?

·         In light of the severe FY 2016 budget standoffs in Illinois and Pennsylvania, how is party polarization affecting state budgeting across the country?

·         What role is polarization playing in state preemptions of local authority to set higher minimum wages, regulate fracking, refuse to accept marijuana shops, and the like, and what role is it playing in state takeovers of distressed municipalities (e.g., Detroit and Flint) and school districts?

·         To what extent, if any, are county commissions and city councils polarizing along lines of party rather than personality, and how is this polarization affecting local governance?

Please submit a proposal that outlines a specific topic that conveys how state and local governments have been affected by political and ideological 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 have 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 March 7, 2016 and May 1, 2016 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:
·         March 7- May 1, 2016: Proposals due to the State and Local Government Review to be sent to slgrspecial@gmail.com  
·         May 15, 2016: Final decision on proposals and initial feedback provided to authors.
·         August 1, 2016: Full draft of paper due to State and Local Government Review.
·         September 1, 2016: Review and feedback to authors on full paper.
·         October 1, 2016: 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 October 1, 2016 deadline

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


Thursday, January 14, 2016

Member News: Jered B. Carr


Jered Carr, University of Illinois at Chicago, published "What Have We Learned about the Performance of Council-Manager Government? A Review and Synthesis of the Research" in the September/October 2015 issue of the Public Administration Review. 

Abstract
The 100th anniversary of the International City/County Management Association provides an excellent point to review and assess research on the performance of the council-manager form of government. The development of the council-manager form arguably has been the most important innovation in American local government over the last century, yet its impact on the performance of municipal governments is not well understood. This article reviews and assesses the empirical evidence for 10 propositions that council-manager governments perform better than mayor-council governments. This evidence indicates that although progress has been made on demonstrating differences in representation and functionality, the proposition that council-manager governments are better managed than mayor-council governments has yet to be seriously engaged in this literature. Filling this critical gap requires progress in two areas: the development of theory to explain why council-manager governments are better-managed organizations and the production of evidence assessing the major propositions of this theory.


Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Report on SIAM Mission Statement and Name

SIAM members,

Following the annual section business meeting I appointed a committee chaired by Eric Zeemering to make recommendations regarding the implementation of the new mission statement adopted at that meeting. The committee took this task quite seriously and after much work and deliberation reported back the attached recommendations that include a revised and more concise statement of the section mission. At the section executive council meeting earlier this month voted unanimously to send the committee recommendation to the full membership at the annual meeting with a recommendation that the proposed changes be adopted. I have attached the committee report here. Also note that the Deil Wright Symposium will include a panel discussion on the mission of SIAM. I encourage everyone to attend the Deil Wright Symposium and the annual business meeting which will be Saturday, March 19 - 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm.

Best regards
Rick Feiock
SIAM Exec council chair

*****


To:         Rick Feiock, Chair and SIAM Executive Committee 
From:     Mission Implementation Committee 
RE:        Report on SIAM Mission Statement and Name 
Date:      December 17, 2015 

Background

For several years, the Section on Intergovernmental Administration and Management (SIAM) has been engaged in a discussion about the section’s future, strategic goals, and declining membership.  When Rick Feiock became section chair, he signaled the need for the section to confront the trend of declining membership by aligning our work with the most salient topics in our subfield of public administration.  A committee, chaired by David Miller and Jered Carr, brought recommendations to the 2015 section business meeting to update the mission statement and section name.  The membership adopted the new mission statement by a vote of sixteen (yes) to fourteen (no).  The mission implementation committee was appointed to continue the dialogue about the new mission statement and section name. 

The mission implementation committee began work by conference call on May 7, 2015.  The committee decided to survey the membership of the section in order to make sure that our efforts align with the goals and views of the membership.  The survey was available to the membership between September 1 and September 18, 2015.  The survey was sent to 237 members.  Ninety surveys were completed for a response rate of 37.97%.  The committee reconvened by conference call on October 20, 2015 to discuss the results.  Additional deliberations occurred by email through the month of November.  This memo summarizes key findings from the membership survey and the committee’s recommendations regarding the section mission statement. 

Membership Survey 

The survey results, provided in an attachment for the executive committee, show some disagreement within the membership about the mission statement.  While 62 percent of the membership reports they are satisfied or very satisfied with the section’s old mission statement, 55 percent report they are very satisfied or satisfied with the new mission statement.  When asked about the importance of various topics to the section, intergovernmental relations (1.76) received the most salient score on a scale from 1 to 10, with intergovernmental management (2.20), intergovernmental administration (2.28) and federalism (2.72) not far behind.  Collaborative governance (2.98), state‐local relations (2.50) and interlocal relations (2.79) also received support.  Network governance (3.86), metropolitan governance (3.86) and urban affairs (4.7) appear less salient. 

The committee reviewed open responses to the question, “Would you recommend any specific additions or revisions to the mission statement?”  Several respondents signaled that both the old and new mission statements are verbose and cover too much content.  Respondents signaled that mission statements should be short and focused.  The committee took these recommendations seriously during our deliberations.   

The survey also showed split opinion about a change to the section’s name.  On a scale of 1 (unimportant) to 10 (important), the mean was 4.56.  Thirty one respondents selected 1 or 2 to signal low importance.  Fourteen selected 9 or 10 to signal high importance.  Thirty one selected 4, 5, or 6, which might be interpreted as uncertainty or ambivalence.  Given these results, the mission implementation committee chose to focus attention on the mission statement. 

Committee Recommendations 

The mission implementation committee agreed with the survey respondents who stated that both the old mission statement and the new mission statement attempt to convey too much information about the section’s interests and goals.  We set out to craft a concise statement focused on the core of the membership’s shared interests in intergovernmental relations and intergovernmental management within a federal system.  After extensive debate and careful revision, the committee recommends the following mission statement to the executive committee: 

The Section serves as a forum for the study, understanding, and improvement of dynamic federal systems and other forms of intergovernmental relations wherein national, state, and local governments address policy and management issues. 

We believe this mission statement identifies common ground for the section membership.  This statement speaks to the historic roots of the section while also signaling our ongoing interest in the scholarship and practice of intergovernmental relations.  We ask the executive committee to bring this proposal to the general membership at the 2016 meeting of ASPA in Seattle. 

Remaining Questions 

The mission implementation committee acknowledges the dialogue about the future of SIAM will continue.  Rick Feiock and Carl Stenberg are providing a venue for ongoing discussion by allowing committee members to participate in a special panel during the Wright Symposium at the ASPA meeting in 2016.  The section is making every effort to have an open and transparent dialogue about how we maintain a vibrant section focused on salient topics and activities that engage the membership. Several questions remain for the section.  First, is a change to the section name necessary?  While we see divided opinion within the current section membership, we have no sense of external perceptions of the section.  We do not know if, as suggested at the last membership meeting, the name serves as a barrier to entry for ASPA members.  Second, which services and activities provided to the section membership are most important?  The survey did not attempt to assess the value the membership places on the Wright Symposium at the annual conference, the section newsletter, or the subscription to State and Local Government Review.  Third, if the membership approves a more concise mission statement, can this sharper focus help with membership recruitment?  As the membership has engaged in dialogue about the mission, membership remains static.  The membership should consider how to engage new participants in section activities.  We hope that dialogue among section members at the 2016 meeting can help address these three questions.

2016 Deil S. Wright Symposium: Friday, March 18, 2016

2016 DEIL S. WRIGHT SYMPOSIUM ANNOUNCEMENT
The Section on Intergovernmental Administration and Management (SIAM) invites ASPA members to attend the 2016 Deil S. Wright Symposium at the 2016 ASPA national conference in Seattle. The symposium honors the career and contributions of Professor Deil S. Wright, who was a charter member of SIAM and remained active until his passing in 2009. The all-day meeting on Friday, March 18 will feature cutting edge research on local governance and intergovernmental management by outstanding doctoral candidates and junior scholars, collaborating with faculty members, as well as a panel discussion on the Section’s mission. The theme of the symposium is “Intergovernmental Management in Transition” Following is the preliminary agenda.
          

8:30-8:45 Welcome Richard Feiock and Carl Stenberg

8: 45-10:00 Panel 1: Local Governance and Intergovernmental Management Research

The Rise of Specialized Governance in Federalism: Links between Local Autonomy and Special Districts among States
Yu Shi, University of Illinois at Chicago

The Dynamics of Interorganizational Risk Management Networks: Following the 2015 South Korea MERS Response  
KyungWoo (John) Kim, University of North Texas            

Policy Abandonment at Multiple Levels of Government: Understanding Why State and Local Governments Abandon Economic Development Incentives
Eric Stokan, George Washington University

External and Internal Influences on Local Governments to Design Comprehensive Sustainability Programs
Hyungjun Ji, Arizona State University

Why Do Local Leaders Cooperate Across Boundaries? Results from a National Survey Experiment on Mayors and Councilors
Meghan Rubado, Temple University

10:00-10:15 Break

10:15-11:00 Discussion of Panel 1 Papers
Discussants include editors of State and Local Government Review, Public Administration Review, Urban Affairs Review




11:00-12:30 Panel 2:  What Future for SIAM?  Exploring and Adjusting the Mission of ASPA’s Intergovernmental Section

This roundtable features leading scholars and practitioners who served on the committee to review the recent SIAM mission change and make implementation recommendations.  Eric Zeemering will present results of the survey of SIAM members the committee conducted and panel members will provide their thoughts, assessments, and ideas in a dialogue with the other panelists and the audience.

Participants

Eric Zeemering, Northern Illinois University (Chair)
Ed Benton, University of South Florida
David Miller, University of Pittsburgh
David Warm, Executive Director, Mid-America Regional Council

12:30-1:30  Lunch Break

1:30-3:00  Panel 3: Local Governance and Intergovernmental Management Research

Bottom-up Federalism: An Examination of U.S. Local Governments’ Climate Change Policy
Benoy Jacob, University of Colorado, Denver, Brian Gerber, Arizona State University, Sam Gallaher, University of Colorado, Denver

Equipment Sharing Among Local Governments
Daniel D. Wendt, Bowling Green State University

Empathy and Ethics in Public Servants: The Role of Public Administration Education in Developing Competencies for Collaborative Governance
Mariglynn Edlins and Stephanie Dolamore, University of Baltimore

Can You Put Food on the Table? Redefining Poverty in America
Maureen Berner and Alexander Vazquez, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Discussant
John Kincaid, Layafette University

3:00-3:15  Break

3:15-4:45  Panel 4: Public Administration and Providing and Managing Collaborative and Environmental Programs in the New Era

Providing Public Services in a Networked and Collaborative Environment
David K. Hamilton, Texas Tech University

The Municipal Governance of Sustainability: Climate Change, Polycentricity, and Public Administration
Dennis Patterson and Robert E. Forbis, Jr., Texas Tech University


Determinants of Change and Innovation in U.S. Local Governments Natural Hazard Management Practices
Brian Gerber, Arizona State University

The Conflicted Role of Professional Managers: Help Guild or Insulate from the Metropolitan Region
David Miller, University of Pittsburgh

Discussant
Beverly Cigler, Penn State Harrisburg


4:45-5:00 Wrap-Up  Richard Feiock and Eric Zeemering

SLGR seeking local government practitioners for comment on article

The Governance Matters (GM) section of the State and Local Government Review (SLGR) is looking for assistance in identifying local government practitioners who have undergone or closely studied local government (that is, city-county) or regional consolidation to read and comment on an article on that topic to be published in SLGR GM.  The selected practitioners would participate by teleconference in a roundtable discussion of the article which would be summarized in an introductory article in the same GM section and their views would be credited by name in the issue.  If you know of someone who you think would be a knowledgeable and willing contributor to this endeavor, please contact GM Editor, Bruce Perlman at bperlman@unm.edu

Monday, January 11, 2016

Sunday, December 27, 2015

Clinical Assistant or Associate Professor position at the University of Illinois at Chicago

Colleagues:

We are filling a new role of clinical professor position in our department at the Assistant or Associate level. 

This new faculty member will primarily teach in our undergraduate public policy and our MPA programs. We also hope that this person will immediately or eventually serve as director of the undergraduate program. In this case, the teaching load will likely be six per year and a two course reduction to accommodate the administrative assignment.

This clinical position is designed for someone who is looking for a permanent position at a research university and is a strong teacher, but does not want to deal with the research expectations that go with the tenure track position. Clinical faculty in the Department of Public Administration are evaluated on the basis of teaching and service. The Clinical position is not temporary, but simply not tenure track. Our Assistant Clinical Professors have a path for promotion to Associate and Full Professors. 

Please share this announcement with anyone you think might be interested in this opportunity. It could be a great opportunity for someone who wants to be at an urban research university but does not want the research expectations that go with tenure track positions. It could also be a great opportunity for someone who enjoys teaching undergraduate students and wants the opportunity to help shape their careers. UIC has a highly diverse student body and many of our undergraduate students are first generation college students.

The search closes on January 4, 2016. We may extend it by a few weeks, but  I am not sure yet. 

Best Regards,
Jered

 
Jered B. Carr, Ph.D.,
Professor and Department Head, Department of Public Administration
http://cuppa-pa.uic.edu/

Co-Editor and Managing Editor, Urban Affairs Review
Email: urban.affairs.review@gmail.com
Blogwww.urbanaffairsreview.blogspot.com
Web: http://uar.sagepub.com/

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

Office Location thru January 2016
818 S. Wolcott Street, Room 406
Chicago, Illinois 60612
312-413-7853  f 312-996-8804
jbcarr@uic.edu

--------------------------------------

After January 2016
412 South Peoria Street, 132 CUPPA Hall
Chicago, Illinois  60607
312-413-7853  f 312-996-8804
jbcarr@uic.edu


************************
New Clinical Professor Appointment in Public Administration

The Department of Public Administration (DPA) in the College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs (CUPPA) at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) (http://www.uic.edu/cuppa/pa) plans to hire a new non-tenure-track faculty member at the Clinical Assistant or Clinical Associate Professor level beginning in August 2016.

The public administration program offers two graduate degrees: the Master in Public Administration (MPA), which is fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration, and the Ph.D. The DPA also offers a new undergraduate degree (B.A.) in Public Policy. We also have a large and active program of international students.

The successful applicant’s primary duties will be teaching in the department’s undergraduate public policy program including courses in the policy process and policy analysis. A strong commitment to excellent teaching, especially at the undergraduate level and a commitment to curriculum and program development is expected.

Candidates with an earned PhD or who can demonstrate high likelihood of degree completion by August 2016 in public administration, political science, public policy, or a related field are preferred. Candidates with demonstrated expertise and the capacity to teach courses in public policy are preferred. In exceptional cases candidates without a PhD may be considered if they have sufficient relevant experience. Successful candidates will have teaching and service responsibilities equivalent to eight courses over two semesters. Individuals who are members of a recognized underrepresented group are particularly encouraged to apply.

Clinical faculty are a valued and crucial element of the DPA’s workforce and hold positions through which they contribute to the service and teaching missions of the department and university. At UIC clinical faculty have clear career ladders and generally receive multi-year renewable contracts. Non-tenure system faculty including clinical professors are represented by UIC United Faculty Local 6456, IFT-AFT, AAUP. The most recent contract can be viewed at http://uicunitedfaculty.org/docs/NTS-CBA-8-16-12-through-8-15-15-copy.pdf.

The University of Illinois at Chicago is located just west of Chicago's Loop, it enrolls 29,000 students and is the largest public research university in the Chicago area. The College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs was created in 1995 as part of UIC's Great Cities Initiative. It houses two academic programs (Public Administration and Urban Planning and Policy). The College also hosts nine research centers: the Survey Research Laboratory, the Great Cities Institute, the Urban Transportation Center, the Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy, the Great Cities Urban Data Visualization Lab, the Center for Urban Economic Development, the Institute for Policy and Civic Engagement, Center for Public Safety and Justice and the Voorhees Center for Neighborhood and Community Improvement.

Application Procedure. For fullest consideration, please apply by January 4, 2016 via the University application system: https://jobs.uic.edu (Job ID # 57814). A completed on-line application and the following attachments are required for consideration: a cover letter of interest, curriculum vitae, a statement of teaching philosophy and experience and contact information, including email addresses, of three professional references. For specific questions about the position, please send an email to Ms. Sari Buffill (buffill@uic.edu). Active screening of applicants begins on January 5, 2016 and will continue until the position is filled.

The University of Illinois is an Affirmative Action Equal Opportunity Employer. It is the policy of the University of Illinois at Chicago not to engage in discrimination or harassment against any person because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, unfavorable discharge from the military, or status as a disabled veteran or a veteran of the Vietnam era and to comply with all federal and state nondiscrimination, equal opportunity, and affirmative action laws, orders and regulations.