Evaluating the quality of society and public services

A person’s quality of life is not only shaped by individual choices and behaviour: the surrounding environment and the public services on offer have a big influence on how people perceive the society they live in and on their evaluation of their own quality of life. Institutions influence the quality of society through collective actions that individuals cannot undertake themselves: for example maintaining schools, hospitals and roads. Public policies are also responsible for ensuring that water and air are not polluted, and for reducing tensions between different social groups. If public policies are effective and these services are provided to a high standard, the quality of society will improve, with a positive impact on the overall quality of life of citizens. This is why European policymakers and citizens share a common concern regarding the quality of society and public services: the actions of policymakers should contribute to improving the quality of citizens’ lives. To evaluate whether this is in fact happening, one needs to look beyond objective measures of material wealth such as gross domestic product (GDP) and find out how citizens assess the conditions in their society. The second European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS), carried out by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound) in 2007, asks European citizens to evaluate multiple aspects of quality of society. The result is a comprehensive picture of the diverse social realities in the 27 EU Member States, in Norway, Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Turkey

Applications of the Comprehensive Rural Village Development Project and Transportation Accessibility

학위논문 (박사) -- 서울대학교 대학원 : 농업생명과학대학 농경제사회학부(지역정보전공), 2021. 2. 이성우.The purpose of this research is to propose pragmatic policy evaluation models with scientific rigor and to empirically analyze the effectiveness of large-scale public policies implemented in rural areas of South Korea. The impacts of two policies, the Comprehensive Rural Village Development Project (CRVDP) and the improved transportation accessibility, on agricultural income are analyzed from the ex-post standpoint applying quantitative policy evaluation methods. This dissertation is composed of three empirical essays. In the first essay, the impact of the CRVDP on agricultural income is analyzed using a quasi-experimental research design. The Heckman selection model was used to overcome selection bias, and the Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition method was employed to estimate the causal impact of the CRVDP. The results revealed that the project had a positive impact on raising farm households agricultural income. A higher probability of making agricultural income was found in the project implemented areas vis-à-vis project not-implemented areas and in the period after the project implementation vis-à-vis period before the project implementation. The second essay attempts to analyze the impact of the CRVDP on agricultural income by sub-groups of rural population. The analysis was conducted by applying the propensity score matching and the double cohort model developed from the age-period-cohort framework. The results find that young farmers in their early-career stage experienced a significant increase in the probability of making a higher agricultural income with the implementation of the CRVDP. On the other hand, significant effect was not visible for the cohorts of middle-aged and elderly farmers at all experience levels. The last essay explores the benefits of transportation infrastructural investments to the agricultural sector and rural areas. The paper examines the impact of changes in transportation accessibility over the course of 2005 to 2015 on agricultural income. The impact was analyzed from both micro- and macro-levels of farm households and rural autonomies utilizing the multilevel model and the spatial econometrics model. According to the results, a positive association was found in 2005, but the effect turned negative starting in 2010 which suggest that public investments in transportation accessibility had a meager or negative impact on agricultural income. There has been a rising call to come up with evidence-based recommendations employing scientifically credible evaluation methods in the public sector. Under this context, this research presents pragmatic approaches to policy evaluation for using credible secondary data. In this research, practical yet rigorous policy impact evaluation methods were applied to Koreas rural sector where evaluation of policies using rigorous scientific methods remains relatively limited.본 연구의 목적은 체계적이고 과학적인 정책평가모형을 구축하고, 우리나라 농촌지역에서 시행된 대규모 공공정책의 효과성을 실증적으로 분석하는 데에 있다. 본 연구에서는 농정 전환기에 시행된 대표적 농촌정책인 농촌마을종합개발사업과 교통SOC 투자에 따른 교통접근성 개선이 농업소득 증진에 미치는 영향을 정량적 평가기법을 활용하여 사후적으로 분석하였다. 본 논문은 3개의 실증분석으로 구성된다. 첫 번째 실증분석에서는 가용자료를 고려하여 헤크만선별모형(Heckman Selection Model)을 이용해 선택편의를 보정하고, 해체기법(Decomposition Method)을 활용하여 농촌마을종합개발사업 시행에따른 농업소득 증대효과를 분석하였다. 분석 결과 사업시행지역은 미시행지역에 비해 농업소득 증대효과가 존재하는 것으로 나타났으며, 사업시행지역은 사업시행 이전보다 농업소득이 증가하여 정책효과가 있는 것으로 평가되었다. 두 번째 실증분석은 성향점수매칭(Propensity Score Matching)과 APC(Age-Period-Cohort) 모형에 기초한 이중코호트 모형(Double Cohort Model)을 적용하여 농업인의 연령과 영농 경력에 의해 분류된 코호트별로 농촌마을종합개발사업의 농업소득 증진 효과를 분석하였다. 분석 결과 농촌마을종합개발사업은 경력 초기단계 청년 농업인의 고소득 가능성을 높인 것으로 나타난 반면, 중년 및 노년기 농업인 코호트에 있어서는 그 효과가 미미했던 것으로 분석되었다. 세 번째 실증분석은 다층모형(Multilevel Model)과 공간계량모형(Spatial Econometrics Model)을 활용하여 교통SOC 투자에 의한 교통접근성 개선이 농업소득에 미치는 영향을 미시적 수준의 농가단위와 거시적 수준의 지역단위 측면에서 분석하였다. 결과에 따르면 2005년에는 교통접근성의 변화가 농업소득에 긍정적인 방향으로 작용한 것으로 분석되었으나, 2010년 이후에는 별다른 영향이 없거나 부정적인 방향으로 작용하는 것으로 나타났다. 본 연구는 공공정책의 중장기적 성과 및 재정 투입 효율성 평가에 대한 객관적이고 과학적인 분석이 요구되는 상황에서 이용 가능한 객관적 통계자료를 기반으로 체계적이고 정량적인 평가모형 방법을 제시하였다는데 일차적 의미가 있다. 또한, 기초통계 및 정성적 지표 위주의 정책평가가 주를 이루었던 농촌정책 부문에 정량적 사후평가모형을 적용하여 평가결과의 통계적 타당성을 제고하였다는 점에서 의의가 있다.Chapter 1. Introduction 1 1.1. Recent Trends in Rural Korea 1 1.2. Towards Evidence-based Policymaking in the Rural Sector 6 1.3. Purpose and Scope of the Research 8 1.4. Structure of the Research 10 Chapter 2. Koreas Rural Development Policies 13 2.1. A Chronological Overview 13 2.2. The Comprehensive Rural Village Development Project 17 Chapter 3. The Impact of the Comprehensive Rural Village Development Project on Agricultural Income 21 3.1. Introduction 21 3.2. Methodological Challenges in Counterfactual Analysis 22 3.3. Methodology 24 3.4. Data and Variables 34 3.5. Empirical Results 37 3.6. Conclusion 54 Chapter 4. Decoupling the Impact of the Comprehensive Rural Village Development Project on Agricultural Income by Birth and Experience Cohorts 57 4.1. Introduction 57 4.2. Literature Review 58 4.3. Conceptual Framework 63 4.4. Theoretical Framework: The Double Cohort Model 67 4.5. Data and Variables 70 4.6. Methodology 73 4.7. Empirical Results 79 4.8. Conclusion 91 Chapter 5. Micro- and Macro-Level Investigations of the Impact of Transportation Infrastructure on Agricultural Income, 2005-2015 93 5.1. Introduction 93 5.2. Literature Review 95 5.3. Data and Variables 102 5.4. Methodology 107 5.5. Empirical Results 112 5.6. Conclusion 127 Chapter 6. Concluding Remarks 129 6.1. Summary of Findings and Policy Implications 129 6.2. Limitations of the Studies and Future Research 135 Bibliography 138 Appendix 154 Abstract in Korean 158Docto

An assessment of Multilevel Governance in Cohesion Policy, 2007-2013

This study offers a thorough overview of Multi-Level Governance in Cohesion Policy in the current programming period of 2007-2013 by examining the evolution of the concept in terms of its definition and conceptual framework, analysing the current processes of implementing Multi-Level Governance in the EU27, as well as describing the advantages and disadvantages of partnerships in policy-making. Moreover, the study aims to formulate strategic and operational recommendations in the context of the preparation of the 2014- 2020 programming perio

Community Partnerships for Cultural Participation: Concepts, Prospects, and Challenges

Evaluates the first year of the Wallace Foundation's Community Partnerships for Cultural Participation Initiative, which funded nine community foundations working to increase participation in the arts and culture in their communities

Exploring the role of problem-oriented policing in the burglary drop in England and Wales

Problem-oriented policing (POP) is one of the various proactive policing strategies that have been developed since the 1970s. It has been claimed that POP has had a considerable effect in reducing crime (Weisburd et al., 2010). However, its role in the crime drop that has been experienced in England and Wales and across the world since the 1990s (Tseloni et al., 2010) is not yet known (Weisburd and Majmundar, 2018). Therefore, this thesis explores the role of POP in the burglary drop at the police force area (PFA) level in England and Wales between 1988 and 2007/08. The theories that underpin both POP and this study are opportunity-related theories (rational choice and routine activity theories), social disorganisation theory, and the new public management concept. The empirical component of the study is divided into three phases, where each phase employs different methods (e.g. multilevel negative binomial regression) to analyse a rich array of data sources (e.g. the Crime Survey for England and Wales). The results of this thesis can be summarised as follows: 1. A number of police forces in England and Wales were consistently committed to POP over time. 2. There seemed to be a relationship between POP and the fall in burglaries and repeat burglaries in a number of POP-committed PFAs between 1995 and 2007/08. 3. Although POP-committed police forces experienced fewer burglaries in 2003/04, POP did not result in a statistically significant reduction in burglaries between 1995 and 2003/04. 4. Conversely, POP-committed police forces saw a statistically significantly higher number of burglaries in 1997. 5. Police forces with a higher number of police officers per 1000 residents experienced a statistically significant reduction in burglaries in 2003/04. In light of the above findings, this thesis sheds new light on the crime drop and policing literature. Consequently, the findings inform the theoretical and practical aspects of POP that can be used by police and other crime prevention agencies to reduce burglary victimisation

Building on Local Successes: The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program and its Lessons for Federal Climate Policy

The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in 2009, holds important lessons for United States climate policy. A one-time infusion of funding given primarily to local governments to for the purpose of reducing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, the policy had important but uneven effects. Most recipients were able to show progress on energy efficiency goals to meet program requirements. But communities with pre-existing interest in and experience with climate and energy programs tended to multiply the effects of the funding, using it to launch long-term efforts or prove concepts in order to secure further funding and support. The dissertation shows the value of communities’ participation in voluntary policy initiatives related to climate and energy, as municipalities with even a small amount of related experience were better positioned to turn a one-time infusion of federal funding into long-lasting programs. At the same time, the program’s outcomes demonstrate the enduring power and influence of the federal government in achieving more widespread success, as municipalities that had not previously participated in climate and energy planning were generally unable to continue their work once federal funding was removed, even in the presence of local champions and demonstrated successes. The program also demonstrates that using federal grants-in-aid to accomplish policy goals has important limitations. Though EECBG grants often had a major impact on local policies, their uneven impact exposes the risk that grants-in-aid may further stratify local governments’ capacities in the policy areas to which they are applied. Rather than evening out the playing field, it is possible for such programs to increase the disparities between policy leaders and the rest. The dissertation points to the importance of tailoring federal programs to varying local needs and to the importance of building local differences into program evaluations

Examining the Relationship Between Social Capital and the Built Environment: A Case Study in Measuring Community Sustainability

The concepts of sustainability and sustainable development are frequently described as having three main components, sometimes referred to as the three pillars or the triple bottom line: environmental, economic, and social. Because the origins of sustainability come from a desire to right environmental wrongs much consideration has been given to the environmental issues, especially how they interface with economic ones. Frequently mentioned but rarely examined, the social aspects of sustainability have been considered the weakest and least described pillar. This work explores the utility of social capital, the value of one\u27s networks and connections, as a measure of sustainability. As an individual and group based concept, social capital is often thought of in the context of communities. Communities have both physical and social infrastructures and how we develop and use the land we live on has many implications for society. The idea that we would have more interactions with neighbors and fellow citizens if we lived in neighborhoods that promoted walking and were built on the human scale seems logical but there has been little evidence to suggest that a relationship between social capital and the built environment exists (Litman, 2010; Leyden, 2003; Kathlene & Wallick, 1999). Through a case study approach this dissertation examines the relationship between social aspects of sustainability (specifically social capital) and the built environment. Residents living in neighborhoods of varying built form and thus varying levels of walkability in three communities in New Hampshire were surveyed about their levels of social capital and travel behaviors. Survey respondents were asked how many locations they could walk to within their neighborhood or community and these responses were used to develop a walkability index. Responses to questions about trust and community involvement were compiled into two indices that served as the key measures of social capital. Comparisons between the more walkable and less walkable neighborhoods show that levels of social capital are higher in more walkable neighborhoods, even after controlling for key demographic variables. The findings suggest that social capital and walkability may be potent measures of community sustainability and that communities might benefit from shaping the built environment in ways that promote destination walking