Tracking the Household Income of SSDI and SSI Applicants

Using panel data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation linked to Social Security Administration disability determination records we trace the pattern of household income and the sources of that income from 38 months prior to 39 months following application for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Insurance (SSI). We find that the average applicant’s labor earnings declines dramatically beginning six month before application but the average applicant’s household income drops much less dramatically both in the months just before or just after application and over the next three years, and does so even for those denied benefits. However, we also found substantial heterogeneity in household income outcomes in both the SSDI and SSI applicant population. Our quantile regressions suggest that higher income households experience greater percentage declines in their post-application income. Such results are consistent with the lower replacement rate for higher earners established in the SSDI program and the low absolute level of protection provided to all SSI applicants regardless of income prior to application.

Disability Benefits as Social Insurance: Tradeoffs Between Screening Stringency and Benefit Generosity in Optimal Program Design

The Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) system is designed to provide income security to workers in the event that health problems prevent them from working. In order to qualify for benefits, applicants must pass a medical screening that is intended to verify that the individual is truly incapable of work. Past research has shown, however, that the screening procedures used do not function without error. If screening were error-free, it has can be demonstrated that it is socially optimal to distinguish the disabled non-worker from the non-disabled, providing benefits to the disabled. In this paper we first demonstrate that if the errors in the medical screening are too large, it will not be optimal to distinguish the disabled from the non-disabled. Then, we use data on the actual quality of screening to determine first, if segmenting the non-working population is desirable, and second whether the current SSDI system relies too heavily on screening than is justified. Our preliminary conclusion is that while screening is good enough to justify some distinction in benefits, it may not be good enough to justify the size of the benefit offered.

A Look at Nebraska\u27s Occupational Mix

Nebraska\u27s low rate of unemployment, job counts, and relatively steady employment growth history reflect favorably, in general terms, on the state\u27s economy. Behind the job numbers and growth, however, are specific mixes of occupations such as technicians, executives, clerks, managers, and teachers. These occupations generate tax revenues and contribute to overall economic well being in accordance with their wage levels. A detailed examination of actual wages by occupation in Nebraska is far beyond the scope ofthis article. However, one can compare the mix of occupations in Nebraska to that of the nation to answer a fundamental question: Based on the industries in the state, are certain occupational categories under or over represented in Nebraska\u27s labor market in comparison to the national market

A Look at Nebraska\u27s Occupational Mix

Nebraska\u27s low rate of unemployment, job counts, and relatively steady employment growth history reflect favorably, in general terms, on the state\u27s economy. Behind the job numbers and growth, however, are specific mixes of occupations such as technicians, executives, clerks, managers, and teachers. These occupations generate tax revenues and contribute to overall economic well being in accordance with their wage levels. A detailed examination of actual wages by occupation in Nebraska is far beyond the scope ofthis article. However, one can compare the mix of occupations in Nebraska to that of the nation to answer a fundamental question: Based on the industries in the state, are certain occupational categories under or over represented in Nebraska\u27s labor market in comparison to the national market

Shareholder Engagement and Chevron’s Policy 520 on Human Rights: The Role Played by the United States Jesuit Conference’s “National Jesuit Committee on Investment Responsibility”

Purpose To demonstrate how the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in the United States through the “National Jesuit Committee on Investment Responsibility” played a significant role as a socially conscious institutional and religious investor in influencing Chevron’s Human Rights Policy 520 and to analyze the factors that contributed to a successful shareholder engagement with the company. Methodology/approach Case study based on firsthand information. Findings Our conclusion offers support for Allen et al.’s (2012) conclusion of legitimacy (credibility) being the dominant force in a successful engagement. We found that coalition-building is a significant moderating variable in increasing shareholder salience. This finding contradicts the study by Gifford (2010). Originality/value of chapter The chapter is based on the actual process of shareholder engagement with Chevron Corporation that led to the human rights policy and is written mainly based on firsthand information

Resale Price Maintenance After Leegin: Why Treating Vertical Price-Fixing As “Inherently Suspect” Is the Only Viable Alternative to the Traditional Rule of Reason

The Article focuses on resale price maintenance (RPM) and price fixing in the U.S. Information is provided on the U.S. Supreme Court case Leegin Creative Leather Products Inc. v. PSKS Inc. which made vertical RPM legal under U.S. commerce law. Topics include the Court\u27s interpretation of the U.S. Sherman Act and the validity of the rule of reason standard regarding price maintenance

Evening Interruption

Drawing heavily on the tradition of the Romantic lyric and using this form to further understanding of the past and present, “Evening Interruption” engages radical formal and sonic disruptions in an attempt, for the speaker, to reconcile the traditional movement of the poetic mind with the rapid degradation of the physical, psychological, and cultural landscapes

Prosecutorial Discretion and Substantial Assistance: The Power and Authority of Judicial Review - \u3cem\u3eUnited States v. Wade\u3c/em\u3e

This Note analyzes the Wade case and argues that the Supreme Court correctly found that a district court can review any prosecutorial decision when it is based on an unconstitutional basis. First, the Note addresses the case history and background behind substantial assistance and the Guidelines. Second, it analyzes the reasoning of the Court: whether the ruling furthers the purpose of the Guidelines; whether protections under the Due Process Clause apply; whether the ruling is consistant with other holdings concerning analogous prosecutorial powers; and whether a threshold showing of unconstitutional bias is a necessary prerequisite before review. Third, it discusses the impact of Wade on future cases and the proposed changes to Guidelines

Mechanics of River Avulsions on Lowland River Deltas

Lowland deltas are home to over 0.5 billion people and some of the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth. Deltas are highly dynamic landscapes, and at the largest scale grow through repeated construction of depositional lobes punctuated by river avulsions – abrupt shifts in river course to the shoreline. River avulsions have been responsible for dangerous floods and civil unrest over human history, but also counter land loss due to sea-level rise and coastal subsidence by nourishing wetlands with sediment. Despite the central role avulsions play on lowland deltas, the processes controlling their location and frequency remain poorly understood compared to steeper environments such as alluvial fans. This thesis is focused on the mechanics of river avulsions on lowland deltas, and the factors controlling their location and frequency. Chapter 1 addresses the origin of a preferential avulsion site on river deltas, using a novel modeling framework that unites previous work to incorporate backwater hydrodynamics, river-mouth progradation, relative sea-level rise, variable flood regimes, and cycles of lobe construction, abandonment, and reoccupation. Chapter 2 focuses on changes to avulsion frequency caused by relative sea-level rise, incorporating a combination of theory, field data, and numerical modeling. Chapter 3 explores general model predictions for avulsion location and timing during climate change, including rising and falling sea level, imbalances in upstream water and sediment supply, and the magnitude and frequency of storm events. Finally, Chapter 4 presents a scaled laboratory experiment where models and theory for lowland delta avulsion mechanics were put to the test. The work presented in this thesis offers new tools to predict river avulsions on densely populated lowland deltas, and allows for comparison with existing models of coastal restoration that fail to account for river avulsion mechanics and the hydrodynamics of lowland rivers.</p