Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Market Mechanisms And Consumer Involvement In The Delivery Of Mental Health Services: A Uk-Us Comparison, Wes Shera

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Both the United Kingdom and the United States Are in the midst of health care reform. By focusing on services for the severely mentally ill this paper compares recent developments in managed care in the U.S. and care management in the U.K. It particularly focuses on the use of market mechanisms and consumer involvement in these reforms.

The Marginalization Of Social Welfare In Developing Countries: The Relevance Of Theories Of Social Policy Development, Kwong-Leung Tang

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Social welfare development has been marginalized in many developing countries. This study examines the social policies of developing countries and refers to four major theories of social policy development (social conscience, modernization, dependency and diffusion) to see if they offer an explanation of the phenomenon. It is argued that dependency theory and diffusion theory provide better interpretations than the other two theories. The paper shows how theories of social policy have international relevance in explaining current trends in social welfare.

Refugee Resettlement In The United States: Implications For International Social Welfare, Miriam Potocky

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

An analysis of U.S. refugee resettlement policy reveals approaches that do not address several root causes of resettlement difficulties: cultural differences, post-traumatic stress disorder, and discrimination by the host culture. Several recommendations are made for policy improvements, and suggestions for the future of international social welfare are presented.

Technology Transfer And Integrated Social Development: International Issues And Possibilities For Social Work, James O. Billups,, Maria C. Julia,

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Technology transfer and integrated social development are closely linked aspects of social work practice that deserve more serious attention than they have received to date. Social workers need to play more knowledgeable and active roles in utilizing a broad-scale partnership model that will help communities and societies screen and adapt technologies so that they can be appropriately integrated with people's values, culture, concerns and aspirations. Everyone should ultimately benefit if the poor and disempowered peoples of the world in particular become the primary focus and the beneficiaries of less arrogant and more inclusive strategies of technology transfer. The aim of …

Rural Development Strategy: 1990s Context And Constraints, David Vail, Michael Hillard

Maine Policy Review

In this comprehensive article on rural economic development, David Vail and Michael Hillard describe key trends and past changes which are shaping rural America’s—and in particular, rural Maine’s—economic future. They conclude with seven hypotheses about rural Maine’s socioeconomic crisis, and call for the development of a state-level strategy for rural development that fully accounts for Maine’s varied resources, geography, and opportunities.

The Stock Market As A Leading Indicator: An Application Of Granger Causality, Brad Comincioli

University Avenue Undergraduate Journal of Economics

The purpose of this paper, then, is to evaluate stock prices as a leading indicator of economic activity. Time-series analysis and the notion of "Granger causality" are used in this project to estimate relationships between stock prices and the economy, and to see if they are consistent with theory. In this paper, we will explore the following questions. First, does the stock market lead the real economy, in the sense that variation in its past values explains some of the variation in the real economy? Second, does the stock market "Granger-cause" the real economy, in which case past values of …

An Economic Analysis Of The Death Penalty, Martin Kasten

University Avenue Undergraduate Journal of Economics

From an economic perspective, society should only use capital punishment if the marginal benefits outweigh the marginal costs. In the course of analyzing the economic efficiency of capital punishment, and before providing any recommendations, both the benefits and costs of the death penalty must be evaluated. Since the death penalty has been implemented for centuries, many people believe its benefits outweigh its costs. The evaluation of benefits in Part II will be compared to the costs assessed in Part III to determine if this long held assertion is correct.

Environmental Injustice: Evidence And Economic Implications, Heidi Y. Willers

University Avenue Undergraduate Journal of Economics

Some economic analyses find evidence of environmental injustice--minorities and/or low-income persons are exposed to environmental dangers (locally undesirable land uses, or LULUs) more than their non-minority or more affluent counterparts. Such inefficient allocations result from a violation of perfect property rights. This paper does not determine efficient levels of various environmental dangers, but rather examines and compares several studies in an effort to find a consensus among researchers. No consensus emerges, as differences in research techniques prevent consistent results from being found. Future research must have well-defined methodologies before it can be effectively used by policy makers.

A Reader Response To The Basic Needs Budget

Maine Policy Review

This commentary presents a thoughtful, personal illustration of the basic needs budget approach in response to an article by Stephanie Seguino published in Maine Policy Review in October 1995. The basic needs budget approach originally was designed to more accurately measure household economic status than the official poverty measure. The intent is to provide a series of budgets that describe the amount of income required by “self-sufficient” households to meet basic needs. As this reader’s analysis so aptly demonstrates, more generalized use of a basic needs budget approach would in fact require the development of a series of baseline budgets …

Targeted Economic Development: Its Role In Maine Economic Policy, Carla Dickstein

Maine Policy Review

Targeted economic development strategies challenge traditional approaches to economic development by making explicit the recipients of job growth and job creation. They link economic development concerns such as business growth and a positive business climate to often-ignored social criteria that are reflected in the question of who wins and who loses in our present economy. Carla Dickstein brings a practitioner’s perspective to this issue by relating Coastal Enterprises Inc.’s experience in using gap financing programs to link people with low incomes to jobs created through business start-ups or expansions.

Tax Policy And Economic Development: A Roundtable Assessment, Christopher St. John, Alan P. Brigham, Charles Colgan, Brian H. Mahany

Maine Policy Review

Economic development continues to be a top policy issue for the state of Maine. Within the broad topic of economic development is the issue of tax policy, and the state continues to experiment with changes in traditional taxes, such as sales and income, as well as with newer approaches, such as Employment Tax Increment Financing. What works and what does not work? Can the state afford the potential loss of revenues associated with tax incentives? Who wins and who loses from these policies? To answer these questions, Maine Policy Review convened a panel of experts to review Maine’s record. Two …

Maine’S Workers’ Compensation System: Is It Making The Grade?, Jonathan W. Reitman

Maine Policy Review

Fundamental changes in Maine’s workers' compensation system were legislated four years ago. What impact have they had and what remains on the policy agenda? This article provides a comprehensive and balanced assessment of that reform effort, suggesting dramatic improvements in the system. But work remains: Vocational rehabilitation, labor-management collaboration, and cost-containment are especially in need of improvement.

Measuring Liveable Wage Job Openings: A Look At Maine Data For 1993-94, Wendy Nelson, Dana Evans, Mike Adams

Maine Policy Review

No abstract provided.

Reflections On Economic Development In Maine: Summary Comments Delivered At The 1995 Governors' Economic Development Conference, Robert L. Woodbury

Maine Policy Review

No abstract provided.

Cultural Wage Differentials Among United States Immigrants, Bill Takahashi

University Avenue Undergraduate Journal of Economics

This project will attempt to take a modern snapshot of the ongoing process of immigration and cultural diversification, examine the problem of immigrant adaptation into the American way of life and explore which groups, if any, have an advantage when it comes to integrating into American society. More specifically this paper will address the question: What is the role of cultural factors in determining the standard of living of immigrants.

Editor's Note: Figures are missing from this article. We apologize for the inconvenience.