The voter initiative and the power of the governor: Evidence from campaign expenditures

Accepted ManuscriptAlthough a great deal of research examines the impact of the voter initiative process on the state legislature, the consequences for the state executive branch have been largely ignored. The voter initiative process provides the governor with a method to circumvent the legislature, which may increase the power of the governor in theory. However, it also provides citizens with a means to bypass the traditional lawmaking process and avoid the governor’s veto. This may reduce the power of the governor and lead to policies farther from the preferences of the governor. This study examines the impact of the voter initiative process on the power of the state governor by estimating total election cycle spending. Campaign expenditures are expected to reflect any sustained gain or loss in power due to the availability of the voter initiative process. The results indicate that gubernatorial campaign expenditures are significantly lower in states in which the voter initiative process is available. This finding suggests that state governors sustain a loss in political power when the voter initiative is available. Additionally, the findings imply that individuals may employ the voter initiative process as a substitute for gubernatorial support.Randolph, G.M. (2011). The voter initiative and the power of the governor: Evidence from campaign expenditures. Constitutional Political Economy, 22(3), 265-286

Essays on the effects of the voter initiative in U.S. states

This dissertation is a collection of papers that examines the effects of the voter initiative in U.S. states. Chapter 1 provides a brief introduction to the voter initiative process and outlines the research agenda for this dissertation. Chapter 2 explores the history of the voter initiative in U.S. states and examines the differences in the voter initiative process between states in the U.S. Additionally, this chapter provides a general survey of the literature regarding the effects of the voter initiative on political and economic outcomes. Chapter 3 examines the interest group orientation of total state spending in U.S. states. A measure for the publicness of state spending is calculated in order to examine the interest group influence on state spending in both voter initiative and non-initiative states. The results show that the voter initiative process does not decrease the interest group orientation of state expenditures. Chapter 4 investigates the impact of the voter initiative on total per capita state election cycle spending in state gubernatorial and state legislative elections. The results indicate that the availability of the voter initiative decreases the value of both state legislative and state gubernatorial offices. The impact of the voter initiative appears to have a larger negative effect on the value of state legislative offices in comparison to state gubernatorial offices. Chapter 5 empirically analyzes the impact of the voter initiative on the production of legislation in U.S. states. The amount of legislation enacted by state legislators is estimated in order to examine the effects of the voter initiative. This chapter also explores the impact of the voter initiative on the number of special sessions called in U.S. states. Finally, the effect of the voter initiative on the usage of the governor\u27s veto in U.S. states is examined. The results indicate that voter initiative states enact more legislation, call a greater number of special sessions, and have less gubernatorial vetoes than non-initiative states. Chapter 6 summarizes the major findings in the dissertation, discusses the policy implications, and suggests future areas of research regarding the voter initiative

Promoting job-rich urbanisation in Zambia

The findings and policy proposals presented in this report are embedded in an understanding of the nature of the jobs challenge in urban areas of Zambia and also draw on examples of international good practice. However, the proposals are not intended to be exhaustive. Moreover, these policy ideas and suggestions are presented as a basis for further debate. Further exploration of specific policy proposals and strategies is warranted. The Zambia Institute for Policy Analysis and Research, through its Flagship Project on More and Better Jobs, will undertake some of this further research to offer more detailed policy proposals in some priority areas. These areas will be identified based on the responses to this paper from key stakeholders in Zambia

 Evaluation of the Albedo-induced Radiative Forcing and CO2 Equivalence Savings: A Case Study on Reflective Pavements in Four Selected U.S. Urban Areas

There is a growing interest in developing cool pavement strategies to mitigate pavement’s impact on the global warming in recent years. One of the mitigation strategies is by increasing the solar reflectance (or albedo) of the pavement surface, which directly contributes to global cooling by adjusting radiative forcing and potentially reduces the energy demand in the urban areas. In this paper, the radiative energy budgets in four urban areas are investigated based on the data derived from NASA satellite measurements. The radiative forcing (RF) due to the change of urban surface albedo as a result of reflective pavements is estimated using a simplified engineering model. The carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalence savings are also calculated with reference to the 100-year global warming potential of CO2. Results show that the implementation of reflective pavement has a great potential to reduce global warming. The CO2 reduction is significant in the urban areas but also affects the surrounding regions to some extent. In the end, we recommend using a climate model incorporating site-specific information that enables the visualization of the outputs through spatial maps. The results from this work would be useful for guiding the implementation of the cool pavement strategies.CSHub@MIT is conducted with sponsorship provided by the Portland Cement Association and the Ready Mixed Concrete Research & Education Foundation

Air leakage has strong influence on building life cycle impacts

Making informed decisions at the earliest stages of the design process can lead to improved building performance. There are many aspects of a building’s design that can influence overall energy consumption. This research identifies air leakage as influential in determining the life cycle impacts of a residential building. This brief presents results from an analysis using the CSHub’s streamlined building life cycle assessment (LCA) tool, the Building Attribute to Impact Algorithm (BAIA).This research was carried out by the CSHub@MIT with sponsorship provided by the Portland Cement Association and the Ready Mixed Concrete Research & Education Foundation. CSHub@MIT is solely responsible for content

Special interest group formation in the US: Do special interest groups mirror the success of their spatial neighbors?

Author's originalSpecial interest groups exert a great deal of influence over political outcomes in the U.S. Thus, understanding the determining factors for the formation of special interest groups is important. The literature, however, has excluded the role of spatial neighbors. This paper employs spatial econometric techniques to discriminately analyze the factors determining the number of special interest groups in a state. While geographic location is not a factor, gross state product, state general expenditures, and union membership relationships between states are crucial in the formation of special interest groups across states.Randolph, G.M. & Tasto, M.T.(2012). Special interest group formation in the US: Do special interest groups mirror the success of their spatial neighbors? Economics & Politics, 24(2), 119-134

Climate change and the future of global South labor markets

Action to combat climate change has become a global imperative. Decisive and effective measures are crucial to counter rising global temperatures and reduce the threat of climate change-related disasters, chronic climatic disruptions to societies and economies, and the adverse impacts of pollution on health. This issue brief explores the many dimensions of the challenges of tackling climate change, all related to its relationship with employment in the Global South: the expansion of renewable energy and its impact on Global South employment; the transition of workers out of fossil fuel industries; climate change’s impact on agriculture, which still employs a third of workers in the Global South and nearly 60 percent in low-income countries; and the relationship between climate change and migration

Materials Availability and the Supply Chain: Risks, Effects, and Responses

Supply chain stakeholders should be aware of the stresses that supply chains place on materials use and the vulnerability of the supply base for that material to change. The question of materials availability is an issue that has been addressed many times over the past 200 years by scientists, engineers and economists, and it is an issue with many levels of complexity. This document examines the question of materials vulnerability, or conversely materials availability, from the perspective of a supply chain decision-maker. Specifically, it addresses four elements of this question: (1) Outcomes: What types of changes can be observed in supply chains as a result of limited materials availability? (2) Mechanisms: What can cause supply chains to face limited raw materials availability? (3) Metrics: How can supply chain decision-makers screen for materials availability vulnerability? (4) Strategies: How can supply chains adapt to become more resilient to potential limited materials availability? This paper, through the use of detailed case analyses, suggests that there are specific outcomes – technological, operational, and geographic – which can be expected within supply chains when limitations on materials emerge and that at least two mechanisms can drive limited access to materials. These results are complemented with an examination of metrics to diagnose vulnerability and a preliminary discussion of preventative prescriptions for the supply chain