Public Affairs Commons^™

Child Care Costs In The Mountain West, Saha Salahi, Kristian Thymianos, William E. Brown Jr., Caitlin J. Saladino

Economic Development & Workforce

This fact sheet examines the cost of child care using data from the Care Index, a collaboration between New America, Care.com, and other organizations. Data for the Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah are included in this document.

Student Debt In The Mountain West, Class Of 2019, Kristian Thymianos, Eshaan Vakil, Olivia K. Cheche, Caitlin Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Higher Education

In 2020, Americans collectively owed $1.6 trillion in student debt, making it the second-largest consumer debt category nationwide. 1 However, this debt is not distributed evenly across the country. This fact sheet reports data on the amount and prevalence of student debt in Mountain West states (Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah), as originally reported by the Institute for College Access and Success (ICAS) study, Student Debt and the Class of 2019.2 This fact sheet also reports figures relating to the amount and prevalence of student debt for graduates from Nevada’s two public research universities: the University of Nevada, …

Covid-19: Event Size Risk By Nevada County, January 2021, Olivia K. Cheche, Madison Frazee-Bench, Katie M. Gilbertson, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Health

This fact sheet presents data on Nevada counties, drawing from the Georgia Institute of Technology’s “COVID-19 Event Risk Assessment Planning Tool,” as of January 14th, 2021. Various risk scenarios are displayed based on event size for the rate of COVID-19 transmission in Nevada’s 17 counties.

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (Lvmpd) Activity Report, 2020, Olivia K. Cheche, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Criminal Justice

This fact sheet synthesizes data on the types of calls that the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) responded to between January 1st, 2020 and December 26th, 2020. Data from the weekly statistical activity report published by the LVMPD are included. This fact sheet explores the types of calls that the LVMPD received throughout the jurisdiction, and call data for the five area commands that received the highest number of calls in 2020.

Improving Health Care In Nevada, Ember Smith, Kaylie Pattni

Policy Briefs and Reports

Across the United States, improvements in health outcomes lag while health care costs rapidly rise. Medical personnel and resource shortages combined with high underinsured and uninsured rates further complicate access to quality, affordable health care. In order to better understand state-level solutions, we explore factors that contribute to health care deficiencies and emphasize Nevada’s unique obstacles.

The Economic Impact Of Covid-19: Rebuilding The Las Vegas Economy, Jaewon Lim

Policy Briefs and Reports

This study analyzes the recent trends of monthly visitors to the Las Vegas-ParadiseHenderson, NV metropolitan statistical area (MSA) for the first five months of 2020. In addition, six scenarios for the seven-month period of June through December 2020 estimate the net loss of visitors to Southern Nevada and the impact for the state economy in terms of employment, income, the total value added (contribution to Gross State Product), output sales, and state and local tax revenues. The counter-factual scenario – projecting the regional economy if no COVID-19 outbreak occurred – serves as a baseline scenario that allows measurement of the …

Covid-19: Coronavirus Cases At Colleges And Universities In The Mountain West, Madison Frazee-Bench, Kristian Thymianos, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Health

This fact sheet highlights coronavirus cases at colleges and universities in the Mountain West region. The New York Times recently published, “Tracking Coronavirus Cases at U.S. Colleges and Universities” which maps out the reported number of COVID-19 cases at higher education institutions in the U.S. at the start of the Fall 2020 semester.

Geography Of Debt In Nevada Counties, Eshaan Vakil, Peter Grema, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Demography

This Fact Sheet summarizes and expands on the Urban Institute’s Debt in America: An Interactive Map online interactive dataset. The original data source offers statistics on the share of individuals in both white communities and communities of color with debt in collections, as well as the median value of this debt. The dataset further itemizes this information by medical, student loan, and automobile debt organized within counties and states. Data are presented for white communities and communities of color in Nevada’s most populous counties: Clark and Washoe.

Officer-Involved Deaths In Nevada 2013-2019, Madison Frazee-Bench, Yanneli Llamas, Elia Del Carmen Solano-Patricio, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Criminal Justice

Between 2013 and 2019, 7,669 people were killed by police officers across the United States. Using data compiled by Mapping Police Violence, a non-profit research and advocacy project tracking incidents of police violence throughout the U.S., this fact sheet focuses on officer-involved deaths in the State of Nevada between January 2013 and December 2019.

Neighborhood Change In Las Vegas, Elia Del Carmen Solano-Patricio, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Housing & Real Estate

This Fact Sheet analyzes indicators of demographic and economic change in Las Vegas neighborhoods and suburbs, provided by “American Neighborhood Change in the 21st Century,” a study published by the Institute on Metropolitan Opportunity (IMO) at the Minnesota Law School. Researchers reviewed data from the 2000 U.S. Census and the 2016 American Community Survey (ACS) for the top 50 largest metros in the U.S. The study reports levels of neighborhood change, including economic growth, poverty concentration, gentrification, and low-income displacement. Data pertaining to the Las Vegas metropolitan region are synthesized to measure indicators of economic viability and housing availability.

Immigrants And Their Voting Power In Nevada, Elia Del Carmen Solano-Patricio, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Demography

This Fact Sheet presents the number of both documented and undocumented immigrants in Nevada, synthesizing data provided by New American Economy (NAE), a bipartisan research non-profit organization. To estimate the total number of immigrants in the U.S. and across each of the 50 states, researchers reviewed various data sources including the U.S. Census, the American Community Survey, the Center for Migration Studies, and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Political Parties And Demographic Transformation In Nevada, Elia Del Carmen Solano-Patricio, Caitlin Saladino, William E. Brown

Demography

This Fact Sheet presents projections of demographic change in Nevada’s political party coalitions using data provided in the report “States of Change: How Demographic Change is Transforming the Republican and Democratic Political Parties.” Using the composition of the two parties’ electorate in the 2016 presidential election as a baseline, researchers explore age, race, and education characteristics of voters in 14 U.S. swing states to predict the demographic makeup of voting groups in future elections. This Fact Sheet makes comparisons to other swing states, but focuses primarily on Nevada data.

2014, 2015, 2016,& 2017 National Science Foundation (Nsf) Rankings By Total R&D Expenditures, Marie A. Falcone, Caitlin Saladino, William E. Brown

Higher Education

This Fact Sheet presents NSF data for ten individual research universities in addition to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) for the years 2014-2017. The Fact Sheet compares the NSF funding received by 10 individual research universities to the combined funding received by UNLV and UNR.

Policy Making In The Nevada Legislature: How Interest Groups Make The Difference, Madison Frazee

Student Research

This paper examines the structure of the Nevada legislature and how interest groups influence the policy making process. In particular, this paper aims to answer the questions of how interest groups are able to make a difference in the legislative process and how those groups are able to gain access to the political environment in the state. By understanding how interest groups advocate for certain policies, the best methods to engage citizens in the political process can be understood. By utilizing SB179 as the case study for this analysis, the processes of the legislature can be examined. Through moving to …

Criminal Arrests In Clark County, Nevada, By Jurisdiction 2006-2016, Elia Del Carmen Solano-Patricio, Caitlin Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Criminal Justice

Criminal arrests in Southern Nevada are on a downward trend. Despite a record-setting influx in population across the Las Vegas Valley and the surrounding metro area, officers in each of Clark County’s police jurisdictions arrest fewer people every year. The present study utilizes the Arrest Trends Tool created by the Vera Institute of Justice and the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program to measure the number of arrests made over ten years for a variety of illegal activities, including drug abuse, violence and murder, property crimes, sex crimes, alcohol-related crimes, theft, white collar crimes, and other offenses. This data set …

Urban & Suburban Population Growth In The Mountain West, Elia Del Carmen Solano-Patricio, Caitlin Saladino, William E. Brown

Demography

This Fact Sheet summarizes and adapts the findings of the Brookings Institution’s report on population growth and loss in the nation’s top 87 largest cities and top 53 metropolitan areas. For the purposes of this Fact Sheet, the focus of the report is narrowed to 14 cities and 5 metropolitan areas located within the Mountain West region of the United States (Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah).

Defense Spending By State - Nevada Fiscal Year 2017, Peter Grema, Caitlin Saladino, William E. Brown

Economic Development & Workforce

This Fact Sheet reprints two pages from the March 2019 DEFENSE SPENDING BY STATE (FISCAL YEAR 2017) publication issued by the United States Department of Defense: Office of Economic Adjustment for the purposes of relaying information related to defense spending in the State of Nevada.1 The original report presents data from fiscal year 2017, the most recent annual data available at the time of publication.

Economic Innovation Group (Eig) 2018 Distressed Communities Index (Dci): Nevada Counties, Lauren Fousek, Caitlin Saladino

Economic Development & Workforce

This Fact Sheet highlights the Economic Distress Indicators (EDI) for the 17 counties within Nevada. Using the Economic Innovations Group1 DCI (Distressed Communities Index),2 the Tables that follow report EDI for each of the 17 counties in Nevada, grouped within two time-frames (2007-2011 and 2012-2016), and showing change over time. The data provides the opportunity to compare how the Great Recession affected communities across the nation and how the ongoing recovery is reshaping the economies and social networks of our nation.

2014, 2015, & 2016 National Science Foundation (Nsf) Rankings By Total R&D Expenditures, Ashley Leclair, William E. Brown, Caitlin Saladino

Higher Education

This Fact Sheet presents NSF data for ten individual research universities in addition to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) for the years 2014-2016. The Fact Sheet compares the NSF funding received by 10 individual research universities to the combined funding received by UNLV and UNR.

An Analysis Of Capacity Issues Within The Division Of Mental And Behavioral Health For The State Of Nevada, Jeffrey Buchwald, Tara Cooley, Enrique Mazon Jr., Jessica Sifuentes

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background

Nevada’s competitiveness in receiving federal funding has been a serious and contentious topic that has steered recent efforts to ascertain ways the state can increase and utilize federal dollars efficiently. Nevada is positioned 53rd out of 53 U.S. states and territories in bringing federal dollars to the state, missing out on $1.5 billion annually (Gustafson, 2012). Nevada spends far less on Medicaid (per capita) than any other state. Medicaid is a key factor in improving Nevada’s position; however, there are additional non-formula funding opportunities that are missed every year.

Purpose

The purpose of this evaluation project is to identify …

The Southern Nevada Strategic Planning Authority Plan Public Outreach Efforts In The City Of Henderson, Brenda S. Fischer

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Region is the fastest growing region in the United States and has been for several years. The same source lists Henderson as the fastest growing large city (over 100,000 population) since 1990.

To mitigate the effects of growth, the Southern Nevada Strategic Planning Authority (SNSPA) was created in 1997. it was tasked with creating a 20 year plan for growth and presenting that plan to the 1999 legislature. The purpose of this paper is to determine it the residents of Henderson agree with the contents of the plan, as rt …

Nevada Procurment Laws For Computer Related Items For Public Agencies, Rick Hunsaker

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Nevada procurement laws for public agencies generally require open, competitive bidding for any item that exceeds $10,000. Public agencies are also required to accept the lowest "responsive" and "responsible" bid. A "responsive bid is one which has addressed all the requirements of the bid documents. All forms must be properly completed and signed. A "responsible" bid is one in which the bidder proves the ability to perform the contract and has the resources to fulfill all the requirements of the contract. If a bidder fails to comply with all of the requirements in the contract documents, then the agency …