State-level Policymakers Research Articles

Re-Linking Governance of Energy with Livelihoods and Irrigation in Uttarakhand, India

Hydropower is often termed “green energy” and proffered as an alternative to polluting coal-generated electricity for burgeoning cities and energy-insecure rural areas. India is the third largest coal producer in the world; it is projected to be the largest coal consumer by 2050. In the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, India, over 450 hydroelectric power schemes are proposed or are under development. Hydropower projects ranging from micro hydro (run-of-the-river systems with generating capacity up to 100 kW) to large reservoirs (storage systems up to 2000 MW) such as the Tehri Dam are in various stages of planning, construction or implementation. Run-of-the-river hydropower projects are being developed in Uttarakhand in order to avoid some of the costs to local communities created by large dams. Stakeholders in this rapid hydropower expansion include multiple actors with often diverging sets of interests. The resulting governance challenges are centered on tradeoffs between local electricity and revenue from the sale of hydropower, on the one hand, and the impacts on small-scale irrigation systems, riparian-corridor ecosystem services, and other natural resource-based livelihoods, on the other. We focus on the Bhilangana river basin, where water dependent livelihoods differentiated by gender include farming, fishing, livestock rearing and fodder collection. We examine the contradictions inherent in hydropower governance based on the interests of local residents and other stakeholders including hydropower developers, urban and other regional electricity users, and state-level policymakers. We use a social justice approach applied to hydropower projects to examine some of the negative impacts, especially by location and gender, of these projects on local communities and then identify strategies that can safeguard or enhance livelihoods of women, youth, and men in areas with hydropower projects, while also maintaining critical ecosystem services. By assessing the Bhilangana basin case, we also offer hydropower–livelihoods–irrigation nexus lessons for headwater regions across the Himalayas and globally.

Neoclassical Realism: Challengers and Bridging Identities

This article anchors neoclassical realism (NCR) as a solid theoretical framework which departs from Wendtian constructivism, Moravcsik's liberal theory, and Putnam's two-level game liberalism. NCR moves away from these other approaches by bridging three divides: the spatial (domestic–international), the cognitive (matter-ideas), and the temporal (present–future). What matters is not what states have to do because the structure compels them so (as Waltz and Wendt would want us to believe). Looking at what domestic interest groups want states to do (as Moravcsik and Putnam suggest) is also unsatisfactory. Rather, what can states do to represent domestic economic interests within the predefined geopolitical context? The argument here is that a version of geopolitical structure is external to the state and binds. However, a perceptual layer at the level of state policymaker affects the operationalization of that structure. Domestic economic forces make themselves felt through state-level policymakers, but only within the predefined context of binding structural factors that constrain. The findings from this study are vastly different from previous studies, suggesting that NCR's triple bridging identity distinguishes it from other IR theories.

Exploring governance learning: How policymakers draw on evidence, experience and intuition in designing participatory flood risk planning

The importance of designing suitable participatory governance processes is generally acknowledged. However, less emphasis has been put on how decision-makers design such processes, and how they learn about doing so. While the policy learning literature has tended to focus on the substance of policy, little research is available on learning about the design of governance. Here, we explore different approaches to learning among German policymakers engaged in implementing the European Floods Directive. We draw on official planning documents and expert interviews with state-level policymakers to focus on learning about the procedural aspects of designing and conducting participatory flood risk management planning. Drawing on the policy learning and evidence-based governance literatures, we conceptualise six types of instrumental ‘governance learning’ according to sources of learning (endogenous and exogenous) and modes of learning (serial and parallel). We empirically apply this typology in the context of diverse participatory flood risk management planning processes currently unfolding across the German federal states. We find that during the first Floods Directive planning cycle, policymakers have tended to rely on prior experience in their own federal states with planning under the Water Framework Directive to inform the design and carrying out of participatory processes. In contrast, policymakers only sporadically look to experiences from other jurisdictions as a deliberate learning strategy. We argue that there is scope for more coordinated and systematic learning on designing effective governance, and that the latter might benefit from more openness to experimentation and learning on the part of policymakers.

"Hearing from all sides" How legislative testimony influences state level policy-makers in the United States.

This paper investigates whether state legislators find testimony influential, to what extent testimony influences policy-makers' decisions, and defines the features of testimony important in affecting policy-makers' decisions. We used a mixed method approach to analyze responses from 862 state-level legislators in the United States (U.S.). Data were collected via a phone survey from January-October, 2012. Qualitative data were analyzed using a general inductive approach and codes were designed to capture the most prevalent themes. Descriptive statistics and cross tabulations were also completed on thematic and demographic data to identify additional themes. Most legislators, regardless of political party and other common demographics, find testimony influential, albeit with various definitions of influence. While legislators reported that testimony influenced their awareness or encouraged them to take action like conducting additional research, only 6% reported that testimony changes their vote. Among those legislators who found testimony influential, characteristics of the presenter (e.g., credibility, knowledge of the subject) were the most important aspects of testimony. Legislators also noted several characteristics of testimony content as important, including use of credible, unbiased information and data. Findings from this study can be used by health advocates, researchers, and individuals to fine tune the delivery of materials and messages to influence policy-makers during legislative testimony. Increasing the likelihood that information from scholars will be used by policy-makers may lead to the adoption of more health policies that are informed by scientific and practice-based evidence.

Stakeholders’ Values and Power Dynamics and Relations in Community Based Health Insurance: Evidence from Anambra State Nigeria.

Community based health insurance (CBHI) is a not-for-profit type of health insurance that has been used by poor people to protect themselves against the high costs of seeking medical care and treatment for illness. CBHI was piloted in Anambra State in Southeast Nigeria in 2003 as a way of increasing the provision and utilisation of health services. This study set out to identify the factors that influenced the development and implementation of the scheme. The study was conducted in 2006-2007 and compared the experiences of two communities two communities judged to have different levels of success in implementing CBHI, in terms of community involvement and support for the scheme and levels of enrolment. It involved document reviews, In depth interviews with state and local level policymakers, managers, health workers, and members of Community Health Committees. In addition, 8 Focus group discussions with members and non-members of CBHI were conducted. The result showed that the development and implementation of the CBHI followed a period of political transition with the introduction of a new State Governor who aspired to improve access to quality health care and who was personally responsible for driving the policy forward at rapid pace. Several factors affected the implementation of the scheme in the two case-study locations namely: relations between state and local government authorities; community support and participation; power dynamics between community actors; health workers attitudes towards the scheme and parallel drug acquisition and delivery systems. In implementing new health policies, effort should be made to secure widespread backing among groups (both within and outside the Ministry of Health) with the power to sustain implementation; include local actors who can either sustain or block implementation in the development of new policies in particular health workers; take into consideration power dynamics between local community actors when designing policies that will be implemented at the local-level and ensure that policy guidelines are clearly communicated to those responsible for implementing the policy and to community members.

Designing CO2 Performance Standards for a Transitioning Electricity Sector: A Multi-Benefits Framework

The U.S. electricity sector is in the midst of a significant transition driven by changes in markets, technology, and regulation. This transition, and the pace at which it is occurring, presents a number of challenges for state utility regulators as they evaluate cost-effective options for managing short-term and long-term risks. Coinciding with these challenges, state environmental regulators will soon have an obligation under section 111(d) of the Clean Air Act to develop performance standards to limit carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the existing fleet of fossil fuel-fired power plants. Responses to these issues will affect electricity prices and environmental impacts for years to come.The flexibility embedded in section 111(d) creates an opportunity for utility commissioners, state environmental officials, and other state-level policy makers to take a more holistic view of the electricity sector and factors that will affect electricity rates and reliability as well as public health. In particular, state regulators can seek strategies that achieve multiple benefits for electricity generators and consumers, such as reducing CO2 emissions while also addressing the emerging risks and challenges described above. For example, energy efficiency may reduce dispatch at fossil fuel-fired facilities, thereby reducing CO2 emissions, while also allowing electric utilities to forestall building new generation facilities. Similarly, new renewable energy investments may satisfy section 111(d) requirements while also helping to increase diversity in the generation mix and hedging against the risk of more stringent air quality standards in the future. The electricity sector varies from state to state, so identifying multi-benefits strategies to comply with environmental regulations and address other challenges will likely require an increased level of coordination among energy regulators and environmental regulators.

The dark side of sunshine: Regulatory oversight and status quo bias

As the mortgage foreclosure crisis accelerated in the U.S. in the late 2000s, state-level policymakers implemented measures designed to protect consumers and stem the tide of foreclosures. One form of policy was simply to require lenders to report on foreclosure prevention activities. Such policies represented a shift from the status quo for mortgage loan servicing firms operating under incomplete information—doing nothing with non-paying loans while waiting for more information to be revealed—to either foreclosing on the borrower or offering the borrower a modification of loan terms. Using a difference-in-difference-in-differences empirical strategy, we exploit one policy implemented in Maryland for a subset of mortgage servicers and find evidence that firms perform more loan modifications, as well as file more foreclosures. Increasing foreclosure filings was contrary to the intent of the policy, suggesting that policymakers should be aware of how firms exhibit systematic biases, much like individuals.

Impact of Mississippi Healthy Students Act of 2007 on District‐ and School‐Level Health Policies: School Officials' Perspectives

Annual evaluations of the Mississippi Healthy Students Act of 2007 (MHSA) were conducted during 2009-2011 (years 1-3) among 4 stakeholder groups: (1) parents of public school students, (2) adolescents, (3) state-level policymakers (ie, legislators and other state officials), and (4) public school officials (ie, superintendents and school board members). We examine results from the first state-wide surveys conducted among purposive samples of superintendents (N = 314) and school board members (N = 689) on childhood obesity as it related to MHSA. These school officials were surveyed in years 1-3 to determine their knowledge or attitudes toward MHSA and support of potential policies, such as reporting results of student body mass index (BMI) assessments to parents. Through the 3 years of the study, school officials were supportive of MHSA across a number of variables, although superintendents were consistently more supportive of current policies as compared with school board members. Results underscore the current and potential role of school officials relative to the process of fully implementing MHSA within all public school districts in Mississippi. Implications and 3 cases that illustrate diverse ways that school districts have chosen to implement effective school-based health initiatives are discussed.

The Sponsors of Sex Offender Bills Speak Up

In the first investigation of its kind, a national U.S. sample of state-level policy makers ( N = 61) were interviewed about their perceptions of the sexual offenders in their state, their state’s sex offender laws, and collateral consequences of these laws, among other efficacy questions. Respondents were selected nonrandomly, as policy makers who sponsored sex offender bills were deliberately targeted for inclusion in the study. It was presumed these respondents would be more knowledgeable about sex offenders and sex offender laws. Results indicated that most respondents were familiar with the sex offender legislation in their state, that most of the laws were drafted with hopes of increasing public safety, and that policy makers believed their laws were functioning as intended, although empirical data are lacking to support these latter claims. Despite a strong conviction that sex offender laws are necessary to control sexual recidivism, policy makers discussed numerous complications and potentially deleterious effects of their own laws.

Kansas Legislators Prioritize Obesity but Overlook Nutrition and Physical Activity Issues

State-level policymakers play an important role in the fight against obesity because of their ability to create policies that influence opportunities for physical activity and nutrition. In 2011, we investigated how Kansas policymakers regarded obesity, nutrition, and physical activity in comparison to other issues. This study used a cross-sectional design. This study was conducted in Kansas, a predominately rural and Republican Midwestern state. All 181 state-level policymakers in Kansas were mailed a cover letter and survey. Policymakers were asked to identify and rate the importance of issues or problems in need of attention for Kansas. The 2011 state legislative report was content analyzed and coded to match the survey. Comparisons were made by political party. Of the 49 policymakers who completed a survey, 37 were Republicans and 43 were elected to their position. Although obesity-related issues were rated second highest after jobs, physical activity- and nutrition-related issues were not seen as important problems; moreover, little corresponding legislation was introduced. Other key issues identified by policymakers included budget/spending/taxes, education, jobs/economy, and drug abuse, with more legislation reflecting these problems. The Democrats ranked 11 issues as more significant problems than did the Republicans: quality of public education, poverty, access to health care, lack of affordable housing, ethics in government, lack of public health training, access to healthy groceries, lack of pedestrian walkways/crosswalks/sidewalks, pedestrian safety, air pollution, and global warming (P < .05). There is a need to provide more public health education on the relationship between nutrition and physical activity issues and obesity for Kansas policymakers. Issues identified may be similar for other predominately rural and Republican states.

Policy-makers’ perceptions on their sex offender laws: the good, the bad, and the ugly

The views and attitudes that lawmakers have about sexual offenders and sexual victimization can be influential in criminal lawmaking. And given the popularity of sex offender laws, policy-makers are central players in how state justice systems respond to sex crimes. Therefore, state-level policy-makers from across the country, who sponsored and passed at least one sex offender law in their state, (n = 61) were interviewed about sex offenders and sex crimes. Policy-makers believe sex offender laws are too broad. The laws extend to nonviolent offenses, low-risk offenders, and thus dilute the law enforcement potency of sex offender registries. Policy-makers view existing sex offender laws as necessary to enhance public safety and as proof that lawmakers are responding to the needs and concerns of the public. Sex offender laws were also discussed as a source of political capital; a way to help ensure reelection. The sexual victimization of children and the media’s coverage of sex crimes were instrumental in these state-level policy-makers’ decisions to sponsor sex offender laws. Policy and research recommendations are offered.

Technological Change and the Lowest Common Denominator Problem: An Analysis of Oregon's Vehicle Miles Travelled Fee Experiment

In 2003, the state of Oregon began preparing an approach for replacing the state motor fuel tax with a Vehicle Miles Travelled (VMT) fee. This experiment promised a flexible platform of taxation allowing for long run innovation. This paper discusses some of the challenges associated with a nationwide application of the VMT fee, and suggests that local experimentation with different technological solutions for the implementation of a VMT fee will avoid one-size-fits-all solutions, called the lowest common denominator problem. In order to replace the motor fuel tax the VMT fee must respond to a variety of issues that, if ignored, cause unintended consequences. These include changing the incentives affecting choice over vehicle type. This paper responds to the policy implications of the Oregon experiment for state level policy makers primarily, but offers a vision for an organic response to technological change that is already underway. The debate over national policy becomes secondary to activating the process of experimentation at the local level. A role for leadership is outlined.

Opportunities for State-Level Action to Reduce Firearm Violence: Proceeding From the Evidence

Firearm violence remains an important problem, and a large body of evidence shows that guns used in crime follow generally predictable paths from manufacturer to criminal end user. Policy initiatives based on that evidence have been shown to be effective. A recently published study conducted by a leading policy organization presents new evidence and makes specific recommendations for action by state-level policymakers. Unfortunately, the study's analysis is overly simplified, and the recommendations are therefore misleading. We suggest alternatives that are evidence based.

Communicating evidence-based information on cancer prevention to state-level policy makers.

Opportunities exist to disseminate evidence-based cancer control strategies to state-level policy makers in both the legislative and executive branches. We explored factors that influence the likelihood that state-level policy makers will find a policy brief understandable, credible, and useful. A systematic approach was used to develop four types of policy briefs on the topic of mammography screening to reduce breast cancer mortality: data-focused brief with state-level data, data-focused brief with local-level data, story-focused brief with state-level data, and story-focused brief with local-level data. Participants were recruited from three groups of state-level policy makers-legislative staff, legislators, and executive branch administrators- in six states that were randomly chosen after stratifying all 50 states by population size and dominant political party in state legislature. Participants from each of the three policy groups were randomly assigned to receive one of the four types of policy briefs and completed a questionnaire that included a series of Likert scale items. Primary outcomes-whether the brief was understandable, credible, likely to be used, and likely to be shared-were measured by a 5-point Likert scale according to the degree of agreement (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree). Data were analyzed with analysis of variance and with classification trees. All statistical tests were two-sided. Data on response to the policy briefs (n = 291) were collected from February through December 2009 (overall response rate = 35%). All three policy groups found the briefs to be understandable and credible, with mean ratings that ranged from 4.3 to 4.5. The likelihood of using the brief (the dependent variable) differed statistically significantly by study condition for staffers (P = .041) and for legislators (P = .018). Staffers found the story-focused brief containing state-level data most useful, whereas legislators found the data-focused brief containing state-level data most useful. Exploratory classification trees showed distinctive patterns for brief usefulness across the three policy groups. Our results suggest that taking a "one-size-fits-all" approach when delivering information to policy makers may be less effective than communicating information based on the type of policy maker.

Strengthening State Health Department Injury and Violence Prevention Programs a look at a decade of State Technical Assessment Team Visits

In 2000, the Safe States Alliance (formerly the State and Territorial Injury Prevention Directors Association (STIPDA)) began the State Technical Assessment Team (STAT) Program to support the development, implementation and...

Examining School District Efficiency in Georgia

This article examines the relative production efficiency of school districts in Georgia using the modified quadriform method. Overall, we find that the modified quadriform allows state-level policymakers to access a basic tool for analysis that makes relative comparison of school district productivity for use in policy analysis and policy development. While the results of this study are in line with studies in other states using the modified quadriform, we also note that performance in Georgia is tied to a host of community characteristics as well as the percentage of expenditures dedicated to instruction.

The challenges of incorporating scientific evidence into policy making. In this issue.

The challenges of incorporating scientific evidence into policy making. In this issue.

State Literacy Plans: Incorporating Adolescent Literacy

In this article, Catherine Snow, Twakia Martin, and Ilene Berman describe professional development institutes offered in 2001 and 2002 by the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices to familiarize state-level policymakers with research on adolescent literacy and to guide states' development of effective literacy plans. The authors then review the literacy plans that four of the participating states developed in the years following their institute involvement and discuss ways in which the content of the literacy institutes is reflected in these states' plans. In conclusion, the authors call on higher education institutions to help state policymakers develop and evaluate initiatives intended to increase adolescents' reading skills. They also call for broader cross-state comparisons of states' strategies for improving adolescent literacy.

State Health Policy Makers: What’s the Message and Who’s Listening?

This article is based on a white paper commissioned by the Directors of Health Promotion and Education, a national organization representing state health agency directors and practitioners in health promotion and education initiatives. The work reflects an assessment of current understanding of how state-level policy makers receive and use information related to health promotion and chronic disease prevention. Although health education practitioners are routinely encouraged to use policy and environmental change strategies, a systematic approach to communication with policy leaders is not readily available. This work describes the current knowledge of the relationship and offers recommendations for research and practice.

Developing Statewide Indices of Environmental, Economic, and Social Sustainability: a look at Oregon and the Oregon Benchmarks

This research develops a method to transform the Oregon Benchmarks, a set of internationally recognized quantitative indicators designed to measure a broad array of state-level trends, into indices of social, economic, and environmental sustainability. Through multiple means, an original set of 90 Oregon Benchmarks has been narrowed into a smaller set of sustainability indicators in order to gain an integrated view of statewide sustainability as well as the capacity to look at social, environmental, and economic sustainability in isolation. The three-domain sustainability indices presented here are designed both to understand the current sustainability situation and to create a useful and informative tool for state-level policy makers interested in incorporating sustainability principles into their decision making.