Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: April 28, 2021, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The LEI-N rose by 1.49% during March 2021. The indicator has risen during each of the last six months, suggesting that the Nebraska economy will expand at a robust pace through the summer of 2021. In March, the leading indicator primarily rose due to strong business expectations and rising airline activity. The pace of recovery in airline passenger enplanements improved during March. In addition, March respondents to the Survey of Nebraska Business reported plans to increase sales and employment over the next six months. Manufacturing hours worked also rose in March while there was a small decline in initial claims …

Nebraska Recovers From The Pandemic Economy, Eric Thompson

Business in Nebraska

The Covid-19 Pandemic threw the U.S. economy into a severe and sharp recession during the first half of 2020. A combination of government “shutdown” restrictions and private actions led to a particularly severe decline in economic activity in late March and April. The lifting or reduction of government restrictions across the United States led to a fast recovery in subsequent months, especially as businesses and consumers learned to adapt to their new operating conditions. However, the rate of recovery has slowed recently as the spread of Covid-19 has accelerated and many businesses have curtailed travel, maintained “work from home” policies, …

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: March 31, 2021, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The LEI-N rose by 1.05% during February 2021. The indicator has risen during each of the last five months, suggesting that the Nebraska economy will expand solidly through the summer of 2021. In February, the leading indicator primarily rose due to increased manufacturing activity and strong business expectations. There was a large increase in manufacturing hours worked and respondents to the February Survey of Nebraska Business reported plans to increase sales and employment over the next six months. Airline passenger counts also rose modestly, while there was a small decline in initial claims for unemployment insurance on a seasonally-adjusted basis. …

Term Limits, Political Polarization, And Voter Behavior: An Analysis Of The Nebraska Unicameral, Jared Long

Honors Theses

Term limits are an often-debated reform proposal in American politics. In the 1990s and 2000s, many states adopted a range of term limit policies, including Nebraska. At the time, many bold predictions were made for how such a significant structural change in state governance might affect political norms. Over the past 20 to 30 years, many empirical studies have been carried out to weigh the merits of these predictions. However, much research has focused on institutional effects within state legislatures themselves; less focus has been given to the residual effects on voters themselves.

This paper posits the argument that term …

Phenology Of Antler Casting And Occurrence Of Late-Breeding In Nebraska White-Tailed Deer, Brian C. Peterson, Patrick D. Farrell, Dave Fehlhafer, Miranda C. Reinson, Dustin H. Ranglack

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Nebraska primarily breed in November (stimulated by photoperiod), but this season extends into December and January for unfertilized females and healthy fawns reaching the appropriate breeding weight by winter. Variation in the typical mating period can be attributed to geographic region, skewed sex ratios, and fawns reaching sexual maturity during their first year of birth. During April of 2019, we observed late season breeding by a male white-tailed deer in the central Platte River valley and documented late antler casting for this same late-copulating male. An additional male was observed in April of …

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: February 24, 2021, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The LEI-N rose by 0.72% during January 2021. The indicator has risen during each of the last four months, suggesting that the Nebraska economy will expand solidly through mid- 2021. In January, the leading indicator primarily rose due to strong business expectations. Respondents to the January Survey of Nebraska Business reported plans to increase sales and employment over the next six months. Overall, three of the six components of the leading indicator improved during January. Airline passenger counts rose modestly, while the value of the U.S. dollar fell. A weaker dollar is positive for Nebraska businesses which compete in international …

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: January 29, 2021, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The LEI-N rose by 0.36% during December 2020. The indicator has risen during each of the last three months. The rising indicator suggests that the Nebraska economy will expand solidly over the next 6 months. Three of the six components of the leading indicator improved during December. Building permits for single-family homes and airline passenger counts both rose modestly. Further, the value of the U.S. dollar dropped sharply in December, which will improve competitive conditions for agricultural producers, manufacturers, and other Nebraska businesses that export. Business expectations, however, were one area of concern. Respondents to the December Survey of Nebraska …

Lgbt Employment Nondiscrimination: Debating Sexuality And Citizenship, Kelsy Burke, Emily Kazyak, Alice Millermacphee

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Introduction — Nebraska is 1 of 26 states that did not protect LGBT people from employment discrimination prior to Bostock vs. Clayton County. This article examines debates in Nebraska about LGBT employment nondiscrimination as a window into how citizenship is defined in relation to sexuality and gender identity.

Methods — We performed qualitative analyses on (1) the 2018 Nebraska Annual Social Indicators Survey of 902 respondents who shared their opinions on employment nondiscrimination legislation for LGBT individuals in close- and open-ended questions and (2) transcripts of the 2017 Nebraska state legislature debate of a bill that would have added …

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: December 23, 2020, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The LEI-N rose by 0.61% during November 2020. The rising indicator suggests that the Nebraska economy will expand over the next 6 months. Five of the six components of the leading indicator improved during November. Manufacturing hours-worked and building permits for single-family homes both rose. Business expectations also were positive, with respondents to the November Survey of Nebraska Business reporting plans to increase employment. The value of the U.S. dollar also declined in November, which will improve competitive conditions for agricultural producers, manufacturers, and other Nebraska businesses which export. Airline passenger enplanements were the only component to decline during November.

Organic Production Of Livestock And Livestock Products In Nebraska, Elliott James Dennis

Extension Farm and Ranch Management News

First paragraph:

USDA “Certified Organic” is a form of production that has received considerable public attention in the last 10 years, particularly among small, beginning and/or minority farmers. Spiking retail prices for red meat and poultry have seemingly accelerated consumer’s interest in organic locally produced products. Consumers demonstrate their desire for these products by paying premiums when purchasing meat products. Producers receive premiums by either directly marketing live animals to consumers that are custom harvested or marketing animals to meat wholesalers. The primary difference is the way premiums are captured. Producers doing custom harvesting capture the full premium whereas producers …

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: November 25, 2020, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The LEI-N rose during October 2020, by 1.83%. The rising indicator confirms that the Nebraska economy should continue to expand over the next 6 months. Five of the six components of the leading indicator improved during October. Manufacturing hours-worked rebounded in October after declining over the previous 3 months. Business expectations also were positive, with respondents to the October Survey of Nebraska Business reporting plans to increase employment over the next 6 months. The value of the U.S. dollar also declined, which will improve competitive conditions for Nebraska businesses that export. Building permits for single-family homes and airline passenger enplanements …

Producer Services: An Engine For High-Wage Job Growth, Spencer Cook, Eric Thompson

Business in Nebraska

Producer services providers are firms that sell services primarily to the business community rather than to individuals and households. Many producer services businesses are classified in the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Service (PSTS) industry. Accounting firms, consultants, and computer design services are prominent examples of PSTS businesses that are worth studying for three reasons:

1. SUPPORT OF OTHER INDUSTRIES: PSTS industries supply the broader business community, making them a critical segment of the economy.

2. RAPID HIGH WAGE JOB GROWTH: Many PSTS industries are rapidly growing and pay high wages. The producer services sector, in fact, is the principal source …

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: October 28, 2020, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The LEI-N rose slightly during September 2020, by 0.09%. While the pace of improvement has slowed, September marks the fifth consecutive increase in the leading indicator after sharp declines in March and April. The September result indicates that the Nebraska economy will grow at a modest pace over the next 6 months. Four of the components of the leading indicator improved during September. Airline passenger enplanements grew slowly after seasonal adjustment, but there was a drop in initial claims for unemployment insurance during the month. The value of the U.S. dollar also declined, which will improve competitive conditions for businesses …

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: September 23, 2020, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

e LEI-N rose by 0.85% during August 2020. August marked the fourth consecutive increase in the leading indicator after sharp declines in March and April. The August result indicates that the Nebraska economy will grow over the next 6 months, continuing a steady recovery from large economic losses in March and April. Five of the six components of the leading indicator improved during August. Airline passenger enplanements grew modestly after seasonal adjustment, and there was a modest increase in building permits for single-family homes. There also was a drop in initial claims for unemployment insurance and the value of the …

Drought Decisions: Profit Maximizing Decisions During And After Drought Conditions, Robert Tigner, Elliott James Dennis

Extension Farm and Ranch Management News

In summary, using available price risk management tools can effectively reduce some of the market price risk variability that is inherent in agricultural production that are caused by either production or price risk.

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: August 26, 2020, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The LEI-N rose by 0.59% during July of 2020. July marked the third consecutive increase in the leading indicator after sharp declines in March and April. The July result indicates that the Nebraska economy will grow over the next 6 months, continuing a steady recovery from large economic losses in March and April. Five of the six components of the leading indicator improved during July. Airline passenger enplanements continued a steady rebound, and there was a modest increase in building permits for single-family homes. There also was a slight drop in initial claims for unemployment insurance and a drop in …

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: July 24, 2020, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The LEI-N rose by 1.72% during June of 2020. The June increase followed sharp declines in March and April. The June result indicates that the Nebraska economy will grow over the next 6 months, continuing the steady recovery from large economic losses in March and April. All six components of the leading indicator improved during June. The slow rebound in airline passenger enplanements continued, and manufacturing hours-worked increased. There also was a slight drop in initial claims for unemployment insurance and a drop in the value of the U.S. dollar in June. A lower U.S. dollar improves competitive conditions for …

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: June 24, 2020, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The LEI-N rose by 2.45% during May of 2020. The May increase followed sharp declines in March and April. The May results indicate that the Nebraska economy will grow over the next 6 months, allowing the state to begin to recover from economic losses in March and April. Four of the five components of the leading indicator improved during May. There was a significant decline in initial claims for unemployment insurance. The slow rebound in airline passenger enplanements also began. In addition, building permits for single-family homes rebounded in May after an April drop. The value of the U.S. dollar …

Roosting Habitat Use By Sandhill Cranes And Waterfowl On The North And South Platte Rivers In Nebraska, Dana Varner, Aaron T. Pearse, Andy Bishop, Jonas I. Davis, John C. Denton, Roger C. Grosse, Heather M. Johnson, U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service, Soldotna, Ak, Kirk D. Schroeder, Robert E. Spangler, Mark Vrtiska, Angelina E. Wright

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Migration ecology and habitat use of spring migrating birds using the Central Platte River is a well-explored topic, yet less is known about use of the North and South Platte rivers (NSPR) in western Nebraska. The efficiency and effectiveness of conservation efforts in the NSPR could be greatly improved with access to information about where and when birds roost and landscape prioritization tools. We used aerial surveys to determine population distribution and migration phenology of sandhill cranes Antigone canadensis, Canada geese Branta canadensis, and ducks using the NSPR for roosting during the mid-February to mid-April spring migration. We used these …

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: May 28, 2020, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The LEI-N fell by 5.57% during April of 2020 as the COVID-19 Pandemic continued to impact Nebraska’s economy. The decline in April followed a large decline in March. Taken together, the two monthly drops suggest that the Nebraska economy will be smaller in the fall of 2020 than it was during January and February of this year. All components of the leading indicator worsened during April. There were few airline passenger enplanements during April. In addition, both building permits for single-family homes and manufacturing hours-worked declined while initial claims for unemployment insurance rose. There also was another increase in the …

The Nebraska Economy Responds To The Covid-19 Pandemic, Eric Thompson

Business in Nebraska

The Nebraska economy will contract in 2020 but the rate of decline will not be as rapid as nationwide. The economic structure of Nebraska is more focused on production and transportation than the national economy and less focused on hard-hit industries such as hospitality, entertainment, automobile parts and assembly, and oil production. Nebraska also may benefit from a higher quality workforce, which is better able to adapt to changing economic conditions.

Employment will drop by 2.4% in Nebraska in 2020, much less than the national rate of decline. Employment will rebound by 2.0% in 2021 and 1.4% in 2022. With …

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: April 29, 2020, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The LEI-N fell by 7.96% during March of 2020 as the COVID-19 Pandemic impacted Nebraska’s economy. The leading indicator primarily fell due to a spike in initial claims for unemployment insurance and a sharp drop in the airline passenger enplanements during March. Other components of the leading indicator also were impacted, given a decline in both building permits for single-family homes and manufacturing hours-worked. There also was a sharp increase in the value of the U.S. dollar during March, which creates additional challenges for both agriculture and manufacturing businesses. The decline in the leading indicator suggests that the Nebraska economy …

Gen Z And Digital Distractions In The Classroom: Student Classroom Use Of Digital Devices For Non-Class Related Purposes, Bernard R. Mccoy

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Faculty Publications

A 2019 survey of college students examined classroom-learning distractions caused by their use of digital devices for non-class purposes. The purpose of the survey, part of an on-going study, was to learn more about students’ behaviors and perceptions regarding their classroom uses of digital devices for non-class purposes. The survey included 986 respondents in 37 U.S. states and 47 respondents in Alberta, Canada. A significant feature of the study was its measurement of frequency and duration of students’ classroom digital distractions as well as respondents’ motivations for engaging in the distracting behavior. Respondents averaged 19.4% of class time using a …

"History Of Nebraska Club", Allison Metschke, Hailey Just

Honors Expanded Learning Clubs

This club is designed to educate young kids on the history of Nebraska. Topics cover a wide variety of ideas, including: the Oregon Trail, Native Americans, teepees, tribes, clothing, buffalo, Chimney Rock, Homestead National Monument, how Nebraska became a state, and general information about Nebraska.

Analysis Of The Geographical Distribution Of Primary Care Physicians In Nebraska, Chanhyun Park

Community and Regional Planning Program: Theses and Student Projects

Many articles point out that there is a disparity between rural and urban areas in healthcare service. The disparity is derived from the locational choices of physicians which are influenced by diverse factors such as backgrounds where they grew up or type of facility at which they worked. This study examines physician movements which vary depending on the types of physician and facility in Nebraska. The research dataset are annual practicing records of all primary care physicians and business information of the facilities in Nebraska from 1998 to 2019. The study result shows that there is little difference in physicians’ …

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: March 31, 2020, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The Leading Economic Indicator – Nebraska (LEI-N) 1 report for this month reflects data from February 2020, a period before the Covid-19 Pandemic began to have a very significant impact on the U.S. economy. As a result, the outlook provided by the leading indicator will not capture the decline in economic activity that occurred beginning in March 2020. Nonetheless, the LEI-N report is presented here to provide information about where the Nebraska economy was headed before the current health crisis. The LEI-N fell by 0.19% during February of 2020. The modest decrease in the LEI-N, which is designed to predict …

A Case Study Of Barriers To Dental Care In Nebraska, Kaitlin Buhler

Honors Theses

An important aspect of overall health is access to dental care, which is, unfortunately, oftentimes difficult to obtain. This study used data collected from a case study of three registered dentists in Nebraska to investigate the barriers to dental care, and identified the lack of dental insurance, limited access to free or reduced-price dental care, and dental anxiety as perceived barriers to dental care. Factors that did not seem to have an impact were language or ethnicity differences between patients and workers, distance to travel, comfortability with receiving free or reduced-price dental care, knowledge of how often to visit the …

Problematic Plant Monitoring In Homestead National Monument Of America, 2006–2017, Craig C. Young

United States National Park Service: Publications

Abstract

Managers are challenged with the impact of problematic plants, including exotic, invasive, and pest plant species. Information on the abundance, distribution, and location of these plants is essential for developing risk-based approaches to managing these species. Based on surveys conducted in 2006, 2009, 2013, and 2017, Heartland Inventory and Monitoring Network staff and contractors identified a cumulative total of 20 potentially problematic plant species in Homestead National Monument of America (NMA). Of the 13 species found in 2017, we characterized 4 as very low frequency, 4 as low frequency, 2 as medium frequency, and 3 as high frequency. Only …

Lincoln: A Hidden Refugee Hotspot In The United States, Rhiannon Cobb

UCARE Research Products

This case study examines refugee integration in Lincoln, Nebraska, one of the 63 identified cities who are promoting integration, improved economic mobility, and enhanced civic participation by immigrants and refugees. The United States settles more refugees than any other country and has created diasporas throughout the country. Lincoln is known for the largest Yazidi population outside of the Middle East. I use two major research strategies (1) a qualitative analysis of refugee resource centers and (2) secondary sources on refugee integration. Information and secondary sources have been collected from archives, newspapers, and published journals. This case study further examines the …

Population Sustainability In Rural Nebraska Towns, Andrew Husa

Department of Geography: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

After beginning with an introduction to rural population trends and population sustainability in rural towns, this dissertation gives an overview of population change in rural Nebraska towns between 1950 and 2010. Following a series of maps depicting the changes in rural Nebraska towns between these two censuses, six case studies are used to explore the growth of individual towns. A discussion on the characteristics of growing rural towns in Nebraska follows these case studies.

The dissertation then continues by discussing statewide rural residential decision making and place attachment based on data collected by the Nebraska Roots Migration Survey. Following a …