State-run Programs Research Articles

Factors influencing forest landowner enrollment in preferential property tax programs

One of the most common approaches to conserving forestland in the US are state-run programs offering reduced property taxes on forestland. Although some form of preferential forest property tax program exists in all 50 states of the US, few studies have examined factors associated with landowners’ enrollment in such programs. As interest increases in incentivizing forestland owners to address various environmental or ecological goals, such as enhancing carbon storage or ecosystem services via private forest management, the need for improved knowledge about factors that influence landowners to participate in such programs grows. We examined factors associated with NIPF owner enrollment in preferential property tax programs in Oregon (US). Oregon currently has two primary preferential forest property tax programs. The Forestland Program is the default program for most forestland owners, and the Small Tract Forestland Option (STF), which is a voluntary program wherein landowners pay reduced annual property taxes and an additional timber harvest severance tax. We used a survey to gather information from 1190 Oregon Small Woodlands Association (OSWA) members owning between 10 and 5000 acres of forestland in western Oregon. Respondents were asked about their socio-demographic characteristics and forest management, as well as their enrollment status in Oregon's preferential property tax programs. Our econometric analysis of survey data indicate that preferential property tax programs enable long-term forest ownership, extended rotation ages, and investment in stewardship activities, suggesting that these programs are likely an effective tool for encouraging environmental or ecological goals among NIPF owners in Oregon.

Functional integration of services during the antenatal period can potentially improve childhood growth parameters beyond infancy: findings from a post-interventional follow-up study in West Bengal, India

BackgroundDespite progress, the prevalence of childhood undernutrition in India remains amongst the highest globally.ObjectiveWe aimed to evaluate the impact of a functional integration interventional package during the antenatal period on childhood growth parameters.MethodsThis is a post-interventional follow-up study of a maternal nutrition interventional study conducted between 2018 and 2019 among women in their first trimester of pregnancy from three districts in West Bengal, India. Pregnant women received a package of augmented interventions from study staff which supplemented those provided to them under the state-run programmes, that included body-mass-index measurement at pregnancy registration, monthly weight monitoring, targeted dietary counselling, supervised supplementary nutrition intake and iron-folic acid supplementation during daily anganwadi center visits. In the current follow-up study conducted in 2021, age-matched pregnant women from the same areas who were pregnant during the same period as in the original study and had received standard-of-care under the state-run programmes were recruited into a comparison group. Study staff collected data regarding maternal height and serial weights that were recorded at antenatal visits in 2018-19, and birth and infant characteristics. Child height and weight were measured during the follow-up visit in 2021, which were used to calculate the relative risks of stunting, wasting and underweight using generalized linear models, to understand the sustained impact of the intervention beyond infancy. Eight-hundred-nine mother-child dyads (406 intervention; 403 comparison) were followed.ResultsMedian age of women in the intervention and comparison group was 23 (IQR 20–25) and 25 (IQR 24–27) years respectively. Median gestational-weight-gain was higher amongst intervention group women (9 vs. 8 kg, p = 0.04). Low-birth-weight prevalence was 29.3% (119/406) and 32.0% (129/403) in the intervention and comparison group. At 12–35 months of age, children born to women in the intervention group had significantly reduced risk of stunting (RR = 0.65, 95% CI 0.44–0.94), wasting (RR = 0.57, 95% CI 0.33–0.97) and underweight (RR = 0.61, 95% CI 0.42–0.88).ConclusionsThese results indicate that functional integration and strengthening of routine antenatal care services including targeted nutritional counselling to expectant mothers can have distal beneficial effects on childhood undernutrition beyond the immediate post-natal period.

Current Methods of Newborn Screening Follow-Up for Sickle Cell Disease Are Highly Variable and without Quality Assurance: Results from the ENHANCE Study.

Newborn screening (NBS) for sickle cell disease (SCD) has significantly improved childhood survival but there are still gaps resulting in delayed care for affected infants. As a state-run program, there are no national quality assurance programs to ensure each state achieves consistent, reliable outcomes. We performed this qualitative study of NBS follow-up practices to better evaluate and understand the multi-level, state-specific processes of how each state's public health department delivers the NBS results to families, how/if they ensure affected infants are seen quickly by sickle cell specialists, and to determine the close-out processes used in each state. This project used semi-structured interviews conducted with 29 participants across eight states to explore these NBS follow-up processes in each state. Participants included SCD providers, NBS coordinators, or personnel associated with state health departments and community-based SCD organizations (CBO). Our results show significant state-dependent variations in the NBS processes of information delivery and patient management. Specifically, programs differed in how they communicated results to affected families and which other organizations were informed of the diagnosis. There was also state-based (and intrastate) variation in who should assume responsibility for ensuring that infants receive confirmatory testing and are promptly started on penicillin prophylaxis. Case closure was also highly variable and poorly validated. Our results also yielded identifiable challenges and facilitators to NBS which were highly variable by state but potentially addressable in the future. This information suggests opportunities for systematic improvement in NBS follow-up processes.

Is merit-aid for all? The effects of aid-eligibility changes on college access in the United States

ABSTRACTThe United States has widely experimented with merit-based financial aid to make college more accessible and affordable for its youth. Varying in design and benefits, these state-run programs subsidize college costs for academically meritorious high-school graduates. While broadly linked to higher college attendance the distribution of aid benefits depends critically on the eligibility criteria. States often make post-adoption changes to merit requirements to lower program costs, but little is known about their impact on youth’s college decisions. This paper evaluates the effects of such eligibility revisions using West Virginia’s PROMISE scholarship, which, unlike its peers, frequently hardened merit rules post-inception. We leverage the discontinuities in the timing of the scholarship’s adoption and its successive modifications to estimate the policy-induced changes in students’ college choice. We use two robust inference models – difference-in-difference and synthetic control, on institution-level enrollment data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data Systems (IPEDS). We estimate a 6.5% growth in college enrollments immediately following PROMISE that fades rapidly once aid eligibility narrows. We find that this initial enrollment jump is attributable to an aid-induced improvement in the average youth’s college readiness which is confined to the high achievers after the program scope narrows. Additionally, enrollments shift from 4-year to 2-year colleges post eligibility revisions. Our results show that the stiffer criteria redirect the aid benefits toward youth with already better access to college.

A Study on Financial Literacy among Teachers Working in Higher Educational Institutions Affiliated to VTU Bengaluru, West Region

Financial literacy is collection of the knowledge, abilities and information that are enabling the people to use all their money wisely and effectively. In nations such as Canada and Japan, Australia, USA, UK, all state-run program is now concentrating on the interest of personal finance ability of an individual. This research explores financial literacy among teachers working at VTU-affiliated higher education institutions in Bengaluru, West Region, focusing on their earnings, spending capacity, as well as their financial discipline. The study will employ a descriptive research method, gathering data from 100 respondents through questionnaires. This research underscores the importance of tailored financial education programs, with potential benefits for policymakers, regulators, and new investors alike. Such programs can address existing vulnerabilities and empower individuals to make informed financial decisions. Ultimately, this study contributes valuable insights for the development of schemes aimed at fostering economic growth and financial well-being.

Feminism in India: Then and Now

Since Women Are Taught To Depend On Males Exclusively And Are Partnered With The State In Addressing Needs, Feminists Have A Particular Critique Of Social Security And State-Run Programmes. There Are Two Fundamental Principles For Designing Any Socialist Welfare Programme In A Capitalist Society: (1) Improvements Are Feasible; And (2) Breakthroughs That Would Disrupt The Relationship Between Capital And Labour Are Not Achievable Under Capitalism. The Feminist "Disaggregation" Campaign Is A Promising One In This Perspective. Men Should Understand That Feminist Demands Are At The Core Of Any Socialist Approach To Social Policy, And That Feminist Campaigns Require Labour Within And In Alliance With Many Existing Groups.

What Does More Look Like?

Current cybersecurity governance in the water sector is based on a matrix of mandatory and voluntary standards, guidance, and associated legal principles. To date, market and regulatory signals have resulted in an inconsistent application of cybersecurity fundamentals. Technologies that operate critical infrastructure often were developed and installed before the reality of cyber threats created a demand on initial system design. Today, we know the threat posed by cyber bad actors is real and growing. Because the sector collectively is faced with a complex set of information systems and hardware that must operate 24–7 to ensure public health and safety, there is an opportunity and a need to improve the water sector's cybersecurity posture, which will require reconsideration of the sector's current approach to oversight and accountability. Given the number of high-profile cyber incidents that have affected multiple sectors in the past year, Congress has taken action to create mandatory cyber-incident reporting requirements for critical infrastructure systems—this includes water utilities. The Department of Homeland Security will develop the reporting requirements, including how information will be shared with a sector-specific risk management agency; this is the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) for water systems. These same events have led to multiple directives from the White House for enhancing cybersecurity within the US government and the nation's critical infrastructure systems. As part of a general call for implementing best practices, the president and National Security Council mentioned water specifically as one of four sectors in need of focused attention on securing industrial controls systems. The congressional chartered bipartisan Cyberspace Solarium Commission (Solarium) has also focused on the water sector and will be issuing recommendations for improving cybersecurity this fall. It is anticipated that the Solarium report will identify options that Congress may take to stimulate the implementation of cybersecurity best practices, including requiring greater support from USEPA, building capacity, and providing directed funding for implementation of cybersecurity. There is intense federal attention on what various sectors are doing to manage the risk from cyber threats. This raises questions on what more should be done to ensure that water systems are taking appropriate actions to implement cybersecurity controls. We are therefore at a rare inflection point when it comes to informing a new oversight structure for cybersecurity in the water sector. One option is maintaining the voluntary use of existing guidance and standards. That was the approach taken by the pipeline sector until the Colonial Pipeline incident led to rapid implementation of highly prescriptive mandates that are not risk based. Another approach includes USEPA's planned action to incorporate cybersecurity into sanitary surveys. Conceptually, we can agree that cybersecurity is important to operational integrity; however, this state-run program does not have the resources nor cybersecurity expertise to implement appropriately. In April, AWWA's Water Utility Council commissioned a report to examine an approach that puts the water sector in a lead role, following the model used successfully in the electric sector. In particular, the report analyzes the creation of a sector-led process in close partnership with USEPA. This co-regulatory approach would be centered on a new entity, the Water Risk and Resilience Organization (WRRO), that would develop enforceable cyber standards and provide third-party audits. The diversity in utility size would require a tiered level of engagement, most likely starting with the largest drinking water and wastewater systems. Federal oversight would come from USEPA, with support from other federal agencies in the form of reviewing and approving standards developed by the WRRO. This approach provides a process that is capable of quickly adapting to the needs of the sector while ensuring that utility-based expertise guides standard development. In this case, the water sector is the driver rather a passenger. The only remaining question is if the sector is willing to take that responsibility and keep a hand on the wheel of governance or let go and hope for the best. Kevin M. Morley is manager of federal relations at the AWWA Government Affairs Office in Washington, D.C. He can be reached at kmorley@awwa.org. Paul N. Stockton is president of Paul N. Stockton LLC in Sante Fe, N.M.

Supporting actors: The role of state policy and private programs in advancing local and renewable heating technology

This article examines policy approaches impacting the adoption of alternative energy technology. Researchers investigated the factors affecting the transition to automated wood pellet heating (AWPH) in northeastern US as an example of the early stages of an energy transition in small-scale heating. The research team applied diffusion of innovation theory and the multi-level perspective on sociotechnical transitions to develop a system-wide analysis of the AWPH transition, incorporating multiple actor groups and policy strategies. Sixty interviews were conducted across four northeastern states with adopters and informed non-adopters of AWPH, and with industry, policy, and community representatives. Using interview results and theory, surveys were developed and distributed state-wide to both adopters and non-adopters with 690 useable responses (38% response rate). Qualitative and quantitative data analysis found differences in the factors impacting AWPH adoption between those within the Model Neighborhood Project (MNP), a privately-run program aimed at accelerating the diffusion of AWPH, and those who had access to state-run programs alone. These differences and the success of the MNP suggest that policy aimed at supporting early-stage energy transitions should incorporate not only consumer financial incentives, but also build a local network of supply-side actors through community-based outreach and technical support.

Residential Education for Disadvantaged Girls: An Alternate Field?

In this article, we engage with the experiences of students in a government-run residential secondary school that enrols girls primarily from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds. Through an exploration of the history of the programme, secondary evaluations conducted over the years and a month-long engagement with one such residential school, we probe how the categories of disadvantage—caste and gender— continue to operate, even as the state tries to obliterate them in this space. Drawing on Bourdieu’s theorization of ‘practices’, we describe daily informal interactions in the space, highlighting their role in reinforcing and sometimes challenging extant social differences. Drawing attention to the diversity that lies even within the formal category of ‘disadvantaged’, we describe the potential and the limitations of targeted residential schooling. Our work points to the need for greater sensitivity in the planning and implementation of state-run programmes targeted at the most marginalized and a re-imagination of efforts to offer an ‘alternate field’.

Ethnocultural competencies of a teacher in the context of education digitalization

The topicality of this research problem is based on the necessity to create a digital educational environment and expand prospects of online education that is realized in correspondence with the project “Modern digital educational environment”, approved by the Government of the Russian Federation within the framework of implementing the state-run program “Education development” in 2013-2020. In the context of education digitalization, the requirements for teachers’ ethnocultural competencies also change and acquire new content. Consequently, the aim of the research is to elaborate and analyze the content of ethnocultural competencies in the context of education digitalization as well as to reveal and experimentally verify the effectiveness of practical experience of an educational institution in forming future teachers’ ethnocultural competencies. This article discusses the experience of the Faculty of Psychology and Pedagogy of Mari State University in this direction. Research methods: theoretical methods, аs far as empirical methods are concerned, a questionnaire and a pedagogical experiment were used. The 50 participants of this experiment are fourth- and fifth-year students pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Pedagogy. Results and recommendations. These research results conclude that it is necessary to implement system-based and civilizational approaches when forming ethnocultural competencies of future teachers in the context of education digitalization. In this case, it will be possible to form a person adequate to the digital economy and able to use digital technologies in their ethnically oriented work. These research results can be applied to design curriculums and academic course syllabuses of higher education as well as to carry out comparative studies for improvement of education quality of future teachers.

Government programmes as a tool for managing social and economic development at the meso-level: Analyzing and evaluating the implementation practices

Subject. This article considers the processes of forming, developing and implementing State-run programmes at the meso-level. Objectives. The article aims to substantiate the requirements, principles and particularities of the formation of State-run programmes for regional development and analyze and evaluate the practices of their implementation. Methods. For the study, I used the methods of selective analysis, generalization, and the systems and logical framework approaches. Results. The article identifies certain positive and critical aspects of State-run programmes and formulates reasoned proposals to eliminate side effects arising when developing and implementing various State-run programmes. Conclusions. The article concludes that it is necessary to ensure the relevance of State-run programmes to the goals and objectives of the socio-economic development strategy at the meso-level. It is necessary to expand the scope of the simulated management of programme formation and implementation tools, as well, and meet and take into account the criteria and specifics of programme development.

Institutional support for the development of aquaculture in the Russian Federation

Subject. This article deals with the issues of development and institutional support of aquaculture in the Russian Federation as a fishing industry. Objectives. The article aims to analyze the activities on institutional support for the aquaculture development in the Russian Federation. Methods. For the study, I used the methods of logical, comparative, and statistical analyses. Results. Based on an analysis of statutory regulations, inter-industry State-run programmes and programmes of the Russian Federation subjects, ensuring the development of aquaculture, the article reveals inconsistencies in the financing of the industry, discrepancies between expected and actual production volumes. It also defines the importance of institutional support measures to develop the aquaculture and better institutional environment. Conclusions. Institutional support is the most important task of the Federal and regional authorities, the solution of which can significantly improve regional protectionist practices in aquaculture.

Export market risk and the role of state credit guarantees

Many countries offer state credit guarantees to support credit-constrained exporters. The policy instrument is commonly justified by governments as a means to mitigating adverse outcomes of financial market frictions for exporting firms. Accumulated returns to the German state credit guarantee scheme deriving from risk-compensating premia have outweighed accumulated losses over the past 60 years. Why do private financial agents not step in and provide insurance given that the state-run program yields positive returns? We argue that costs of risk diversification, liquidity management, and coordination among creditors limit the ability of private financial agents to offer comparable insurance products. Moreover, we suggest that the government’s greater effectiveness in recovering claims in foreign countries endows the state with a cost advantage in dealing with the risks involved in large export projects. We test these hypotheses using monthly firm-level data combined with official transaction-level data on covered exports of German firms and find suggestive evidence that positive effects on trade are due to mitigated financial constraints: State credit guarantees benefit firms that are dependent on external finance, if the value at risk which they seek to cover is large, and at times when refinancing conditions on the private financial market are tight.

Researching the economic dynamics of high technology products

Subject. The article addresses the issue of adequate representation of economic dynamics. It considers the need to take into account internal nonlinear processes being an important factor and additional mechanism for managing the economic dynamics. Objectives. The purpose is to rationalize a transition to a new probabilistic mapping of economic dynamics based on modern methods of nonlinear dynamics, which enables to establish the relationship between internal nonlinear processes and macroeconomic indicators of the economic system. Methods. We employ a systems analysis of stages of State-run programs formation, a probabilistic approach to representing the economic dynamics on the basis of fundamental concepts and methods of nonlinear dynamics. Results. We analyzed the cycles of government program formation for developing the high-tech products, established the identity of the main stages of economic and nonlinear dynamics. We also designed a methodology for studying the economic dynamics, which rests on the use of nonlinear dynamics methods. Modeling the processes of economic dynamics made it possible to determine the causes of its sensitivity to initial conditions and exponential divergence of its trajectory at initial stages of government programs formation. The paper presents methods to choose the optimal model of economic dynamics when substantiating and drafting the said programs. Conclusions. The findings can be used to improve methodological tools for managing the creation of high-tech products when elaborating long-term technological programs, to reduce risk inherent in their implementation, to determine methods and ways for sustainable innovative and technological development of the country.

Адаптация методологии мониторинга экономической безопасности России к реализации национальных проектов и государственных программ

Адаптация методологии мониторинга экономической безопасности России к реализации национальных проектов и государственных программ

Las esculturas de la ciudad. Un programa de memoria nacional en Bogotá, 1880-1910

The article examines how frameworks for national memory were installed in Bogota? between the end of the nineteenth century and the early twentieth century. Although there was already a state-run program of sculptures being implemented in the Cementerio de la Ciudad (municipal cemetery), up to 1870 there was a deliberate action to transform public spaces into a script of the “country’s history,” including the naming of streets, changing the colonial names of public squares, the emergence of “gardens of the republic,” and the placement of statues in various locations. While the city was becoming a political hub for the nation, urban spaces were being remodeled to support its collective memory.

Inequities in newborn screening: Race and the role of medicaid☆.

Newborn Screening (NBS) is a State-run program that mandates all newborns to be screened for a panel of medical conditions to reduce infant mortality and morbidity. Medicaid is a public health insurance program that expanded access to care for low-income infants. NBS mandates and Medicaid rolled out state-by-state in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, which are considered significant programs that improved infant health in the latter half of the 20th Century. This article utilized variation in States’ timing of NBS mandates and Medicaid implementation to examine changes in infant mortality rates among white and African American infants associated with NBS, Medicaid, and their interaction. The analyses used data from birth and death certificates in the US Vital Statistics from 1959 to 1995. We find that the implementation of NBS mandates alone was not associated with significant declines in infant mortality and coincided with increases in within-state racial inequities. States experienced mortality declines and reduction in racial inequities after implementing Medicaid with NBS mandates.

Collaborative Tele-Neuropsychiatry Consultation Services for Patients in Central Prisons.

Background:Tele-medicine helps to provide clinical care comparable to in-person treatment in various clinical settings. It is a novel system of healthcare delivery in both low-resource settings and sites where adequate medical care continues to pose greatest challenge like in prison's in India and worldwide.Aim:To study the sociodemographic and clinical profile of patients from Central Prisons, having received collaborative Tele-Neuropsychiatric Care.Methodology:Psychiatry, neurology, and neurosurgery specialists provided tele-neuropsychiatry consultation through Specialist–Doctor–Patient model as part of the state-run program for the two central prisons from July 1, 2014, to June 30, 2016. A retrospective file review was done of the tele-neuropsychiatry case records at Tele-Medicine Centre, Located at Tertiary Neuro Psychiatric centre of South India.Results:A total of 53 patients were provided tele-neuropsychiatric consultation over 2-year period. Of these, 48 (90.6%) were male and 34 (64.1%) were aged more than 30 years. In total, 20.7% of them had severe mental illness, i.e., schizophrenia and mood disorders, 20.7% with substance use disorder (alcohol and cannabis), 17% had anxiety disorders while 17% with seizure disorder. Nearly 81.1% of patients (inmates) were advised pharmacotherapy while 18.9% were suggested further evaluation of illness and inpatient care at the higher center.Conclusion:The collaborative care was successful in delivering psychiatry, neurology, and neurosurgery consultation with a Specialist–Doctor–Patient model to prison inmates.

Development of the instrumentation system for gas-and-diesel fuelled BelAZ dump truck

The prospects for the use of natural gas as a motor fuel are considered. The state-run program for the development of natural-gas-fuelled vehicles will entail an increase in the share of transport operating on natural gas. The data on the thermal performance of natural gas from various fields, the volumetric heat values of the stoichiometric mixture of which is almost the same, are given. The analysis of the operation of gas-diesel-fuelled BelAZ dump truck, which burns liquefied natural gas, is conducted. The schematic diagram for engine power supply with liquefied natural gas is given. The calculation of the liquefied natural gas supply system with the replacement of diesel fuel by 33% was made. As a result of the calculation, the diameter of a fuel manifold after injectors, which provides the recommended gas velocity through a manifold, was determined. The instrumentation system for controlling the amount of supplied natural gas is proposed. The complex allows obtaining data on the instantaneous gas flow rate and the total flow rate over a period of time. A pulsation damper used as part of the system allowed reducing gas pulsation in fuel manifolds after injectors, to create conditions for the use of orifice plate flow meters, and ensured the uniform supply of natural gas to both banks of cylinders, which favourably affected the engine.

From Blind Faith in the Market to Market Planning

The long-term dynamics of industrial output and the specifics of industrial growth in the Russian Federation are considered. Trends toward simplification of the production structure are identified, showing that the quality of economic dynamics, which the existing model ensures, does not correspond to the long-term goals of Russian economic development. The authors prove that the hope for the beneficial effect of market forces, artificially set against consciously formulated goals of economic development, has failed and led to attenuation of the investment process. Since production growth rates with a roughly four-year lag depend on the growth rates of capital investments, which critically depend on the current market situation, a sharp decrease in the growth rates of investments in recent years has set rigid limitations on economic development at least until 2020. The authors conclude that it is necessary to activate substantially investment progress, including state-run development programs, and analyze the financial potential of investment sources such as an increase in the rate of accumulation and repatriation of domestic capital. It is estimated that the current financial resources will be sufficient at least for the launch of this process if not for the full-fledged creation of an innovative economy in Russia.