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Beliefs About Development Versus Environmental Tradeoffs In The Puget Sound Region, Thomas G. Safford, Matthew Cutler, Megan M. Henly, Karma Norman, Phillip Levin

The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository

Using data from a phone survey of 1,980 Puget Sound residents conducted in 2012, this fact sheet outlines residents’ views about the importance of environmental protection as well as their opinions about energy development, protection of wild salmon, and land use regulation. Seventy-four percent of Puget Sound residents believe that protecting the environment should be a priority even if it means limiting economic growth. The majority of residents favor both increased use of renewable energy (82 percent) and protecting wild salmon (75 percent). Residents are more divided about curbing development, with those from rural areas being more apt to prioritize …

Public Perceptions Of Environmental Management In The Puget Sound Region, Thomas G. Safford, Matthew Cutler, Megan M. Henly, Karma Norman, Phillip Levin

The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository

Using data from a phone survey of 1,980 Puget Sound residents conducted in 2012, this fact sheet describes public perceptions of different environmental interventions. Puget Sound residents widely support a range of proposed interventions designed to protect and restore the marine environment. These proposals include restricting boating and shipping activities to protect marine mammals such as killer whales and sea lions; more strongly enforcing existing environmental rules and regulations; spending government money to restore the environment for fish and wildlife; and providing tax credits to businesses that voluntarily reduce their environmental impact. Residents are divided about whether existing environmental regulations …

Urban-Rural Differences In Concern About The Environment And Jobs In The Puget Sound Region, Thomas G. Safford, Matthew Cutler, Megan M. Henly, Karma Norman, Phillip Levin

The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository

Using data from a phone survey of 1,980 Puget Sound residents conducted in 2012, this fact sheet examines the severity of different environmental problems and compares the strength of concern about the lack of jobs and beliefs about the environment. Too few jobs and the loss of wildlife habitat were the two community issues most likely to be ranked as important problems among residents of Puget Sound. Environmental concern is higher among urban than rural residents, while those in rural areas are more likely than urbanites to believe the lack of jobs is a threat to their community.

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Share Of Tax Filers Claiming Eitc Increases Across States And Place Types Between 2007 And 2010, Marybeth J. Mattingly, Elizabeth Kneebone

The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository

In this brief, Authors Beth Mattingly and Elizabeth Kneebone use Internal Revenue Service tax filing data to show that the share of tax returns claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) increased between 2007 and 2010, as did the size of the average credit claimed and the number of EITC filers benefitting from the refundable portion of the Child Tax Credit (the Additional Child Tax Credit, or ACTC). They report that one in five federal income tax filers claimed the EITC in tax year 2010, which represents a 4 percentage point increase since 2007, when just over one in six …

Recessions Accelerate Trend Of Wives As Breadwinners, Kristin Smith

The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository

This brief investigates the increased role employed wives played in family economic stability prior to, during, and in the two years after the Great Recession, and makes comparisons to the 1990-1991 and 2001 recessions. Author Kristin Smith reports that employed wives’ contribution to total family earnings jumped to 47 percent in 2009 from 45 percent in 2008—the largest single-year increase during the past twenty-three years—and has held steady at 47 percent in 2010 and 2011. Recessions substantially accelerate the trend of increased reliance on wives’ earnings. In all three recessions since 1988, annual increases in wives’ share of total family …

Coös County Youth And Out-Of-School Activities - Patterns Of Involvement And Barriers To Participation, Erin H. Sharp

The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository

This fact sheet draws from surveys administered to a cohort of 416 participants in 7th grade in 2008, again when they were in 8th grade in 2009, and most recently as 10th graders in 2011 to look at patterns of participation in structured activities over time and whether male and female students differ in these patterns of participa¬tion. It also draws from questions added to the 2011 survey of 10th graders to examine Coös County youths’ perceptions about what kinds of barriers have kept them from getting more involved in structured out-of-school activities.

Author Erin Hiley Sharp reports that female …

Underemployment In Urban And Rural America, 2005-2012, Justin R. Young

The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository

Author Justin Young reports that underemployment (or involuntary part-time work) rates doubled during the second year of the recession, reaching roughly 6.5 percent in 2009. This increase was equally steep in both rural and urban places. By March of 2012, underemployment was slightly lower in rural places (4.8 percent) compared to urban places (5.3 percent). Prior to the recession, however, underemployment was slightly higher in rural America. Workers under age 30, as well as women, black, and Hispanic workers, continue to experience higher levels of underemployment. Underemployment is strongly linked with education, with the least educated workers experiencing higher rates …

It Takes A Community: Civic Life And Community Involvement Among Coös County Youth, Justin R. Young

The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository

This brief explores the extent to which Coös County youth are involved in a variety of civic-related activities, with particular attention to the demographic and attitudinal factors associated with such participation. Author Justin Young reports that approximately 75 percent of Coös County youth report involvement in at least one type of civic-related activity. The types of activities varied by year in school. Eighth grad¬ers were more involved in 4-H, Scouts, church groups, and community center events, while twelfth graders volunteered more often and participated in community-service clubs. Forty percent of youth volunteered within the past year, and a third are …

Youths' Opinions About Their Opportunities For Success In Coös County Communities, Erin H. Sharp

The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository

This fact sheet examines Coös County youths’ beliefs about their access to educational and occupational opportunities in their home communities and whether these beliefs relate to their expectations for the future. To do so, author Erin Hiley Sharp draws on the Coös Youth Study data collected in 2011 from 318 eleventh graders in the public schools. Overall, Coös County youths’ opinions about the educational and occupational opportunities available in their home communities are somewhat positive but youths do perceive areas of concern. Youths’ perceptions of opportunities are fairly similar across the three regions of Coös County; however, those youths living …

Over Sixteen Million Children In Poverty In 2011, Marybeth J. Mattingly, Jessica A. Bean, Andrew P. Schaefer

The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository

In this brief, authors Marybeth Mattingly, Jessica Bean, and Andrew Schaefer use American Community Survey data released on September 20, 2012 to address patterns of child poverty. To evaluate the changes in child poverty, they focused on two time periods -- change since 2007, as the nation entered the recession, and change since 2010. According to the American Community Survey, the overall child poverty rate for the United States rose slightly from 21.6 in 2010 to 22.5 percent in 2011, resulting in an estimated 16.4 million children living in poverty. Of these children, 6.1 million are young (under age 6). …

Coös County’S Class Of 2009: Where Are They Now?, Eleanor M. Jaffee

The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository

This brief reports on the first follow-up survey of the Coös Youth Study participants beyond high school. The focus of the Coös Youth Study, a ten-year panel study following the lives of youth in Coös County, New Hampshire, is the transition of Coös youth into adulthood. Author Eleanor Jaffee reports that approximately half of the Coös County Class of 2009’s follow-up survey participants (49 percent) are living in Coös County the majority of the time. Of those living outside Coös County, 81 percent are attending school full time. The most frequently reported combinations of school and work situations were in …

Forging The Future: Community Leadership And Economic Change In Coös County, New Hampshire, Michele Dillon

The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository

Author Michele Dillon conducted a case study of community change in Coös County, New Hampshire, for two-and-a-half years (June 2009-December 2011) to investigate how local community leaders in Coös assess the initiatives, challenges, opportunities, and progress in the North Country during this time of economic transition. Her primary data-gathering method included personal interviews with community leaders, supplemented by observation, documentary, and survey data. Dillon discusses how there is a strong consensus among community leaders that Coös needs to work together as a county with a unified vision and voice while respecting the specific character, strengths, and needs of each local …

Beginning Teachers Are More Common In Rural, High-Poverty, And Racially Diverse Schools, Douglas J. Gagnon, Marybeth J. Mattingly

The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository

This brief considers whether the concentration of beginning teachers in a district is associated with the district's poverty rate, racial composition, or urbanicity. Authors Douglas Gagnon and Marybeth Mattingly report that poor communities have moderately higher percentages of beginning teachers than communities with lower poverty rates and that a higher concentration of minority students in a district is associated with a higher percentage of beginning teachers. Large cities, remote towns, and rural districts have higher percentages of beginning teachers than midsized-small cities, suburbs, and fringe-distant town districts. The combined impact of poverty, race, and urbanicity has a substantial effect on …

Mathematics Achievement Gaps Between Suburban Students And Their Rural And Urban Peers Increase Over Time, Suzanne E. Graham, Lauren E. Provost

The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository

In this brief, authors Suzanne Graham and Lauren Provost examine whether attending a school in a rural, urban, or suburban community is related to children’s mathematics achievement in kindergarten, and whether increases in mathematics achievement between kindergarten and eighth grade differ for children in rural, urban, and suburban schools. They also consider whether achievement differs by region of the country and for children of different racial and ethnic groups. Finally, they discuss the impact of a family’s socioeconomic status, and the ways in which place and socioeconomic status together affect both early mathematics achievement levels and change over time. They …

Who Cares For The Sick Kids? Parents’ Access To Paid Time To Care For A Sick Child, Kristin Smith, Andrew P. Schaefer

The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository

This brief analyzes employed parents’ access to five or more paid sick days annually to care for a sick child in 2008. Using data from the 2008 National Study of the Changing Workforce collected by the Families and Work Institute (the most recent data available in the series), authors Kristin Smith and Andrew Schaefer analyze differences in access between employed mothers and fathers by demographic and work-related characteristics. They report that, in 2008, more than one-half—52 percent—of employed parents lacked access to at least five paid sick days to care for a sick child, and lower-earning parents had the least …

Understanding Child Abuse In Rural And Urban America: Risk Factors And Maltreatment Substantiation, Wendy A. Walsh, Marybeth J. Mattingly

The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository

Using a large national sample of child maltreatment reports, this brief compares the outcomes of child maltreatment cases in rural versus urban places and identifies the characteristics associated with substantiation. Child abuse cases substantiated in rural and urban areas share many caregiver risk factors, such as drug and alcohol abuse, and many family stressors. Substantiation is equally likely across income levels; approximately one-fourth of cases in each income level are substantiated. However, when place is taken into account, a greater share (36 percent) of higher-income families (that is, families with incomes greater than 200 percent of the federal poverty level) …

Renters More Often Burdened By Housing Costs After Recession: Nearly Half Of All Renters Spent Over 30 Percent Of Income On Housing By 2010, Jessica A. Bean

The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository

This brief uses data from the 2007 and 2010 American Community Survey to document changes in the proportion of household income spent on rental costs (rent plus utilities) during the Great Recession, by region (Northeast, Midwest, South, and West) and place type (rural, suburban, or central city location). Particular attention is paid to how patterns of cost burden vary among renters of different ages and income levels and to the policy implications of these findings. Author Jessica Bean reports that nationwide, nearly half (49 percent) of all renters were “cost burdened” in 2010, spending more than 30 percent of their …

The Effects Of State Eitc Expansion On Children’S Health, Reagan A. Baughman

The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository

This brief examines the impact of state-level adoption of Earned Income Tax Credits (EITCs) on a set of health-related outcomes for children, including: (1) health insurance coverage, (2) use of preventive medical and dental care, and (3) health status measures including maternal reports of child health and body mass index. It also considers the possibility that the effect of the EITC on these outcomes may vary depending on where a child lives; families in urban and rural communities have different access to medical care and other resources that promote good health. Author Reagan Baughman reports that the expansion of state …

Coos County Teens’ Family Relationships, Corinna J. Tucker, Desiree Wiesen-Martin

The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository

This fact sheet examines Coos County, New Hampshire teens’ perceptions of their family relationship experiences using data from the Coos Youth Study collected in 2011 from 418 eleventh graders in all Coos County public schools. Authors Corinna Jenkins Tucker and Desiree Wiesen-Martin report that Coos older adolescents feel close to their parents and siblings but also argue with them. A small group of youths report perpetrating violence on a family member.

Cdfi Industry Analysis: Summary Report, 508 Compliant Version, Michael E. Swack, Jack Northrup, Eric Hangen

The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository

The Carsey Institute, under contract to NeighborWorks® America and the U.S. Department of Treasury's Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund, conducted a detailed analysis of a large sample of community development financial institutions (CDFIs) on issues of capitalization, liquidity and portfolio, and risk management by CDFIs from 2005 to 2010. This work is part of the CDFI Fund's Capacity Building Initiative. The purpose of the report is to explore issues of capitalization, liquidity, and portfolio and risk management by CDFIs.

Cdfi Industry Analysis: Summary Report, Michael E. Swack, Jack Northrup, Eric Hangen

The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository

The Carsey Institute, under contract to NeighborWorks® America and the U.S. Department of Treasury's Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund, conducted a detailed analysis of a large sample of community development financial institutions (CDFIs) on issues of capitalization, liquidity and portfolio, and risk management by CDFIs from 2005 to 2010. This work is part of the CDFI Fund's Capacity Building Initiative. The purpose of the report is to explore issues of capitalization, liquidity, and portfolio and risk management by CDFIs.

New Hampshire Demographic Trends In The Twenty-First Century, Kenneth M. Johnson

The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository

This brief summarizes current population redistribution trends in the Granite State and shows how fertility, mortality, and migration contributed to these trends. According to the 2010 census, New Hampshire gained 80,700 residents (a 6.5 percent increase) between 2000 and 2010, mostly during the earlier years of the decade. Migration contributed 35,400 to the population gain, and the excess of births over deaths accounted for 45,300. Author Ken Johnson reports that New Hampshire currently does not have a large population of seniors, but a rapid increase in the older population is inevitable and coming soon.

Mapping Food Insecurity And Food Sources In New Hampshire Cities And Towns, Barbara Wauchope, Sally Ward

The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository

Using a series of detailed New Hampshire maps, this brief presents a geographic picture of the towns and cities at risk for food insecurity as well as the food resources available across the state. By detailing places with high food insecurity risk and comparing them to places where food is available, these maps show areas of unmet need. This information will enable organizations partnering with New Hampshire Hunger Solutions to identify where initiatives addressing food insecurity and hunger could have the greatest potential impact.

Forest Views: Northeast Oregon Survey Looks At Community And Environment, Lawrence C. Hamilton, Joel N. Hartter, Forrest Stevens, Russell G. Congalton, Mark J. Ducey, Michael Campbell, Daniel Maynard, Michael Staunton

The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository

This brief reports on a survey conducted in fall 2011 as one component of the ongoing Communities and Forests in Oregon (CAFOR) project. The CAFOR project focuses on the people and landscapes of three counties in northeast Oregon (Baker, Union, and Wallowa), where landscapes and communities are changing in interconnected ways.

Demographic Change In The Northern Forest, Kenneth M. Johnson, Susan I. Stewart, Miranda H. Mockrin

The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository

This brief examines the population redistribution in the Northern Forest, which includes thirty-four counties scattered across northern and central Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont. Authors Ken Johnson, Susan Stewart, and Miranda Mockrin report that the population of the Northern Forest grew modestly between 2000 and 2010, and the population gains were greatest in recreational areas and least in manufacturing areas. Racial and ethnic diversity is also growing in the Northern Forest, and the population is getting older due to aging in place among current residents and net outmigration among younger populations.

The Local Agricultural Community Exchange: Outcomes And Lessons Learned From A Public-Private Initiative To Revitalize A Downtown Community, Michele Cranwell Schmidt

The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository

This brief describes a revitalization project in Barre, Vermont, led by a public-private partnership involving the Agricultural Community Exchange, the Central Vermont Community Action Council, and the private businesses that operated out of the storefront. The Nancy Nye Fellowship, through the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire, supported the evaluation of the project from 2007 to 2010. After four years of operation, the market, café, and Gallery closed due to economic hardship. Author Michele Schmidt, the 2008 recipient of the Nancy Nye Fellowship, examines the impact the initiative had on community revitalization and economic development, and she cites …

Rural Demographic Change In The New Century: Slower Growth, Increased Diversity, Kenneth M. Johnson

The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository

This brief examines rural demographic trends in the first decade of the twenty-first century using newly available data from the 2010 Census. The rural population grew by just 2.2 million between 2000 and 2010—a gain barely half as great as that during the 1990s. Population growth was particularly slow in farming and mining counties and sharply reduced in rural manufacturing counties. Rural population gains were largest in high-amenity counties and just beyond the metropolitan fringe. Diversity accelerated in rural America, with racial and ethnic minorities accounting for 83 percent of rural population growth between 2000 and 2010.

Lack Of Protections For Home Care Workers: Overtime Pay And Minimum Wage, Kristin Smith

The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository

This brief examines overtime hours and hourly wages among home care workers (home health aides and personal care aides) and compares them with hospital and nursing home aides. These aides engage in similar work for their clients, even though they work in different institutional settings. Yet, home health aides and personal care aides have higher poverty rates (20 percent and 28 percent, respectively) than hospital aides and nursing home aides (about 12 percent for both). In addition, they typically work fewer hours per week, have lower rates of health insurance coverage, rely on public assistance to a greater extent, and …

Public Knowledge About Polar Regions Increases While Concerns Remain Unchanged, Lawrence C. Hamilton, Matthew J. Cutler, Andrew P. Schaefer

The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository

The authors of this brief conduct the first comparative analysis of the polar questions that were part of the National Opinion Research Center's 2006 and 2010 General Social Survey. Developed by scientists at the National Science Foundation's Office of Polar Programs, these questions covered topics such as climate change, melting ice and rising sea levels, and species extinction. The authors report that the public's knowledge about the north and south polar regions significantly improved between 2006 and 2010--before and after the International Polar Year. In addition, respondents who know more about science in general, and polar facts specifically, tend to …