Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Paper Dragon Thieves, J.S. Nelson

J.S. Nelson

Policy Dilemmas And Political Unrest In Poland, David Mason

David S. Mason

The recent unrest in Poland is not simply a struggle between the workers and the regime over political freedom and economic reform. A basic cause of the unrest, as in past years, is the failure of the regime to balance adequately the conflicting policies of promoting long-term investment in industry, raising the standard of living, and reducing social class inequalities. Each of these policies represents a major goal of the regime, and of socialist ideology. The regime has not been able to emphasize all three goals simultaneously, and has shifted resources and attention from one to the other over the …

The Corporate Shell Game, J.S. Nelson

J.S. Nelson

Consumer Hookah Consumption: Is The Hubble Bubble The New Coffee And Cocktail?, Tracy Harmon-Kizer

Tracy R. Harmon-Kizer Ph.D.

Hookah smoking is a growing practice among American teens and young adults. In a single hookah smoking session, a smoker may inhale 100 to 200 times the volume of smoke inhaled in a single cigarette. Yet, the risks and adverse consequences of hookah smoking are relatively unfamiliar to health professionals, tobacco policy regulators and consumer behavior researchers. To extend our understanding of this epidemic-like consumption practice, this study explores consumer initiation and continued practice, and the meanings, attitudes and beliefs held by those who smoke hookah, especially with respect to cigarette smoking. Our findings reveal adulterated ways in which hookah …

Michigan Competitiveness For Economic Development Report, Timothy Bartik, George Erickcek

Timothy J. Bartik

Institute staff evaluated Michigan's competitiveness for economic development compared to the nation and nearby states. The report analyzed several aspects of Michigan's competitiveness including: tax competitiveness, Michigan's growth and industry mix, Michigan's competitiveness in human capital, and the competitiveness of Michigan's metropolitan areas. The report also included an executive summary targeted to a broader audience

Counterpoint: Reply To Orrenius And Zavodny, Vernon Briggs

Vernon M Briggs Jr

[Excerpt] On the fundamental conclusions, the positions argued by Pia Orrenius and Madeline Zavodny and my own are in essential agreement. The immigration policy of the United States is in dire need of changes. The public concern is, in their words, “driven by the increase in immigration in recent years, particularly of unauthorized immigration.” Our mutual worries pertain to the disproportionately adverse impacts of the immigrant inflow on the nation’s low-skilled work force and the high fiscal burden borne by local communities and states with growing immigrant populations. The differences between the two papers center on the approaches taken to …

The Elusive Goal: The Quest For A Credible Immigration Policy, Vernon Briggs

Vernon M Briggs Jr

[Excerpt] The starting point for all immigration reform efforts must be making the immigration system enforceable. Nothing else makes sense. Otherwise, immigration policy is on a squirrel wheel going nowhere. Illegal immigrants will keep coming in defiance of its terms.

United States Foreign Policy Responses To Africa's Transition Conflicts, Andrew Ewoh

Andrew I.E. Ewoh

No abstract is currently available.

The Economic Downturn Is Accentuated By Labor Market Deficiencies Of U.S. Immigration Policies: A Mandate For Change, Vernon Briggs

Vernon M Briggs Jr

[Excerpt] The depth and length of the economic downturn has already led federal policymakers to implement fiscal policy remedies (i.e., government spending and tax cuts) of unprecedented proportions. These efforts have been intended to enlarge labor demand by stimulating aggregate spending in the lagging economy. Likewise, the Federal Reserve has pursued an expansionary monetary policy (i.e., increasing the money supply) that has driven interest rates to historically low levels and held them there longer than has ever before been imagined. Despite the massive scale of these policy initiatives, they have been of little avail. Throughout this troublesome period, however, the …

Regional Leadership Patterns In The Diffusion Of Public Policies, James Lutz

James M Lutz

No abstract provided.

Assessing The Effects Of Municipal Term Limits On Fiscal Policy In U.S. Cities, Adam Mcglynn, Dari Sylvester

Dari E. Sylvester

The arguments for and against term limits have been the subject of debate since the mid-1990s. Proponents claim term limits bring new energy and ideas to government, while opponents argue they shift power to special interests and the bureaucracy. Analyses of the true effects of term limits have been focused on their implementation at the state level. This article examines the effects of term limits on taxation, city employment, and spending on other public policies at the municipal level. Using data from the U.S. Census Bureau and pooled cross-sectional time series models, the authors find that the presence of term …

Illegal Immigration And Immigration Reform: Protecting The Employment Rights Of The American Labor Force (The Native Born And Foreign Born) Who Are Eligible To Be Employed, Vernon Briggs, Jr.

Vernon M Briggs Jr

[Excerpt] Ever since the latter half of the 19th Century when the United States began to use its lega l system as a means to regulate both the size and the composition of the flow of foreign-born persons into its population and labor force, policymakers have had to confront the issue of what to do about those who defy the ensuing limitations, restrictions, and exclusions. As a consequence, the subject of illegal immigration has made frequent appearances on the nation’s political reform agenda. For while the United States claims to be a “a nation of immigrants,” it also boasts that …