Public Policy Commons^™

Three Essays On Local Government Debt, Robert Greer

Theses and Dissertations--Public Policy and Administration

The local government tax-exempt debt market is a growing, and complex, sector of public finance. As local governments turn to debt financing the factors that contribute to interest costs of that debt have become important considerations for local government officials and politicians. Governance at the local level involves a network of overlapping governments some of which share a tax base. This system of overlapping governments that share a tax base are subject to externalities that arise from taxation, expenditures, and debt. These externalities are usually analyzed in terms of tax or expenditure reactions, but there are implications for local government …

Three Essays On Fiscal Stress And Financial Stability In State Government Finance, James B. Gibson

Theses and Dissertations--Public Policy and Administration

State government finance is a substantial endeavor in the United States. The management of a multitude of revenues and expenditures often involves some level of fiscal stress. In an age of increased public scrutiny, policymakers must be mindful of possible causes of fiscal stress, and the policy options available to mitigate fiscal stress and increase financial stability. This dissertation contains three essays that examine different elements of fiscal stress, and in some cases, the applicable policy responses.

Chapter two examines rainy day funds and their countercyclical goal of reducing recessionary fiscal stress. This essay takes a different approach from much …

Analyzing The Impacts Of The 2010 World Equestrian Games On The Kentucky Horse Park, Pamela Henderson

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

There has been a growing trend in the United States for governments to invest in infrastructure specifically for sporting events. Proponents believe that arenas and large scale events will lead to economic development in an area. Contrary to this expectation, there is a large body of literature that contends that the economic impact expected from these projects does not generally come to fruition.

Lexington, Kentucky hosted the World Equestrian Games (WEG) in 2010. WEG is an international competition that features equestrian events and is held every four years in between the Summer Olympic Games. In order to prepare for the …

The Federal Minimum Wage: The Effects Of The Minimum Wage On The Youth Employment And School Enrollment, Nurlan Kussainov

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

The minimum wage has been a prominent topic of discussion among labor economists. According to Neumark and Wascher, the minimum wage has been a core element of public policy for several decades. The effects of minimum wage were brought back to light during the State of the Union address by President Obama, in which he proposed increasing the minimum wage to $9.00, a 24% increase.

This capstone project contributes to the discussion in determining the effects of the change in minimum wage on the youth population. The study uses aggregate data spanning nineteen years, from 1985 and 1990 to 2007. …