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Policy Research
Double Jeopardy: How Third-Grade Reading Skills and Poverty Influence High School Graduation
Donald J. Hernandez
April 2011
The study conducted surveyed reading proficiency levels and poverty as both separate and combined variables in regards to the impact of high school graduation rates. The study finds that students who fail to reach reading proficiency by the third grade often do not earn a high school diploma, and those students who are considered poor have an even greater chance. Statistically, 1 in 6 students who are not reading proficiently by third grade do not graduate. Furthermore, 22% of children who have lived in poverty do not graduate from high school
Supplement or Supplant? Estimating the Impact of State Lottery Earmarks on Higher Education Funding
Elizabeth Bell, Wesley Wehde, Madeleine Stucky
April 2013
States often designate lottery funds to their respective education budgets, higher education budgets in particular. This article examines the effect of these funds. It finds that despite a slight increase in overall appropriations and a large increase in merit-based financial aid, lottery funds for higher education also come with a decrease in need-based financial aid. Thus, these findings bring forward the question of whether lottery funds for higher education are additive or substituting for other funds.
The Effects of the Earned Income Tax Credit on Child Achievement and Long-Term Educational Attainment
Michelle Maxfield
November 2013
The report in question asserts and proves a close relationship between EITC recipient mothers and families and child development. More specifically, there is a positive relationship between EITC reception and Child development for the most part. Mothers/families with children that receive EITC are connected to higher academic performances, lower infant mortality and low birth weights, and lower rates of child depression. The article studied the impact of both federal and state level EITC policies and the effectiveness of their combination. It was discovered that the states with the highest levels of EITC returns (above 12-16%) combined with high Federal EITC returns (above 10%) had the best results regarding lowering infant mortality rates, increasing academic performance, but did not have a conclusive outcome on the impact of child depression. It is speculated, that because EITC receiving single mothers are more likely to participate more in the labor force, that the children do not get enough time to interact with their parent and therefore develop depressed or problematic development tendencies.
The Effects and Costs of Early Voting, Election Day Registration, and Same Day Registration in the 2008 Elections
Barry C. Burden , David T. Canon , Kenneth R. Mayer , Donald P. Moynihan
December 2009
This report assesses election reforms and the goal of creating a voting system that is more convenient for the citizens of the United States. Reforms are generally better at retention than stimulation, and they will only work if election officials are willing and able to implement them. It focuses on two voting practices, non-precinct place early voting and election day registration, to find out their effect on the lives of local officials, and on voter turnout. After analyzing both the county- level turnout from the 2008 presidential election, as well as the 2008 Current Population Survey at the individual-level, the results were consistent throughout. The most notable findings are that states are quicker to offer early voting in isolation, but election day registration increases voter turnout, while early voting on its own decreases turnout. Therefore, if reformers desire to boost turnout, they must allow election day registration, and begin combining early voting with same day or election day registration to produce any positive results.
Hold Back To Move Forward? Early Grade Retention And Student Misbehavior
Umut Özek
July 2015
The article depicts the adverse effects on education that some students face as a result of a lack of retention. Although the lack of desire to emphasize education was seen more in males, it was also predominantly seen in minority populations. These results also include people from lower-income backgrounds. The discussion shifts to what initiatives in different states are aiding in the progression of student education. For example, Florida enacted a policy that works to further assist students in these situations who aren’t getting the help that they need from their schools during the school year.
Does Tax-Collection Invariance Hold? Evasion and the pass-Through of State Diesel Taxes
Wojciech Kopczuk, Justin Marion, Erich Muehlegger, Joel Slemrod
May 2016
One of the key elements of this article is the discussion around pass-Through in the Presence of Tax Evasion, Institutional Details, and Data and Methodology. The hypothesis that this article is testing is the claim that the identity of the party has a correlation with the incidence of a tax. The article also asserts that tax revenues increase when taxing wholesalers rather than retailers which suggests evasion is an explanation for the result and evasion is the likely explanation for remitting parties tax variation.
Differential demand response to gasoline taxes and gasoline prices in the U.S
Silvia Tiezzi, Stefano F. Verde
May 2016
The highlights of this article include an estimation of demand with information on gasoline excise tax. This article asserts that gasoline taxes affect demand in 2 unique ways and the authors proceed to discuss the implications of their findings with the hope of designing a corrective taxation. The question is how can we find that corrective type of taxation for the private transport sector? The question can be answered as this article gives valuable information, logical data, and statistics to back up the valid comparison between distinct types of gas taxes that affect consumer behavior in measurable procedures. The difference in persistence between the 2 types of variations plays a large role in different demand responses to changes in gasoline taxes.
Twenty Years Of School-Based Health Care Growth And Expansion
Hayley E. Love, John Schlitt, Samira Soleimanpour, Nirmita Panchal, Caroline Behr
May 2019
This article addresses how youth in impoverished communities suffer from greater prevalence of certain mental and physical health challenges, while also lacking access to regular healthcare. School-based health centers (SBHCs) are created to help close this gap in care by providing healthcare to students (and sometimes others in the community) during and after school, including , often, during the summer. The use of SBHCs is associated with greater health outcomes and greater student achievement. Racial and ethnic minority students especially benefit from access to SBHCs. More research does need to be done on the quality of care that these centers provide.
Do Red Flag Laws Save Lives or Reduce Crime?
John R. Lott Jr., Carlisle E. Moody
December 2018
This study analyzes the association (or lack thereof) between Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs), better known as Red Flag laws, and lowering rates of murder and suicide at the state level. Using a fixed effects regression model across every state and Washington, D.C. from 1970 to 2017, researchers considered the following gun laws: “Three strikes, Right to carry, Castle doctrine, Stand your ground, Use a gun go to jail, Waiting period, Background check, private sale Background check, Safe storage law, Juvenile gun ban, One gun per month, and Saturday night special bans.” In the end, the study found a slight increase in murder and suicide in the immediate aftermath of a Red Flag law’s implementation, followed by a gradual decrease in both until they returned to pre-statute levels. Thus, according to this article, Red Flag laws have no effect
Perspectives on Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) and the Cyberbiosecurity of Freshwater Systems
David G. Schmale, Andrew P. Ault, Walid Saad, Durelle T. Scott
June 2019
Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) have been increasing in a recent trend in freshwater systems like the Great Lakes, likely because of higher temperatures and nutrient runoff. These HABs are extremely dangerous to human health, but also hard to detect. The article suggests that there’s a lot to be done to better understand how HABs can be detected, how they spread, and how waterways can be protected. According to the authors, this threat needs to be faced with advancements in technology that allows for better detection of HABs in order to better respond. Consequently, the reliance on technology to understand HABs means the technology must be protected from potential cyber-threats.