Does public ownership of utilities matter for local government water policies?

What differentiates local governments that implement water policies on equity and the environment? Analyzing a 2015 survey of 1,897 U.S. municipalities, we find municipalities that own their water utilities more likely have policies to protect low-income residents from disconnection and to implement water resource management. Respondents from 8% of municipalities report protecting residents from disconnection. State economic regulation of publicly owned utilities and Democrat-majority municipal governments are positively associated with policies protecting low-income households from shutoffs but bear no association with resource management. Public ownership of utilities and state economic regulation may play a role in meeting water policy goals

Cities and Sustainability: Polycentric Action and Multilevel Governance

Polycentric theory, as applied to sustainability policy adoption, contends that municipalities will act independently to provide public services that protect the environment. Our multilevel regression analysis of survey responses from 1,497 municipalities across the United States challenges that notion. We find that internal drivers of municipal action are insufficient. Lower policy adoption is explained by capacity constraints. More policymaking occurs in states with a multilevel governance framework supportive of local sustainability action. Contrary to Fischel’s homevoter hypothesis, we find large cities and rural areas show higher levels of adoption than suburbs (possibly due to free riding within a metropolitan region)

Multilevel Governance: Framing the Integration of Top-Down and Bottom-Up Policymaking

Scholars embrace multilevel governance as an analytical framework for complex problems, such as climate change or water pollution. However, the elements needed to comprehensively operationalize multilevel governance remain undefined in the literature. This paper describes the five necessary ingredients to a multilevel framework: sanctioning and coordinating authority, provision of capacity, knowledge co-production, framing of co-benefits, and inclusion of civil society. The framework’s analytical utility is illustrated through two contrasting case examples – watershed management in the U.S. and air quality management in China. The framework balances local and central actors, which can promote a more effective governance regime

Sustainability and Disaster Planning: What are the Connections?

In this paper, we examine the connections between resiliency and sustainability by asking: can disaster planning lead to more sustainability actions? In a survey we conducted of 1,899 cities, towns, and counties across the United States in 2015, we found that disaster plans are three times more common than sustainability plans. Our regression models find both types of plans lead to sustainability action as does regional collaboration across the rural-urban interface. However, we find that hazard mitigation planning may be done without including sustainability staff, citizens, and other officials. After controlling for motivations, capacity, and cooperation, we find rural communities are more likely to have sustainability plans than suburbs, though their level of sustainability action is lower due to capacity constraints. Our models of multilevel governance find local motivations balance sustainability’s concept of environment, economic development, and social equity – and are more important drivers of action than grassroots or higher level government funding and policy. This bodes well in a context where federal government leadership on sustainability is absent

Which US municipalities adopt Pay-As-You-Throw and curbside recycling?

This study investigates the drivers of curbside recycling program adoption and Pay as You Throw (PAYT) program adoption in 1,856 US local governments using a 2015 survey. While 50% of municipalities and counties adopt curbside recycling programs, we find that the adoption curbside recycling is limited by capacity constraints; local governments with lower per capita expenditures and more poverty are less likely to implement curbside recycling. PAYT programs are less common overall (10% of municipalities) and less common in richer communities and more common in communities with higher education levels. Local official political affiliation is not significant in either model. Both programs are less likely in rural places. Our results point to the need for local governments adopting such innovations to address equity, capacity constraints, and efficiency concerns

The Ursinus Weekly, November 1, 1948

Varsity letter list includes 43 athletes • Dewey takes campus elections in landslide as 738 students vote in preview balloting • Thespians select Uncle Harry cast • Y members discuss bases for beliefs • Reporter uncovers campus complaints • Ranung, Klein draw capacity audience • Co-operate, mate! The infirmary calls • Sororities throw parties for big rushing campaign • Historical authority meets recent geopolitics seminar • Music department announces date of 11th Messiah presentation • 9 popular films scheduled for 1948-49 movie roster • Three students visit Gratersford prison • Ursinus coeds laud and lament traits of college male • Looks give books familiar brush-off • Bruins face F & M for 45th contest • Seahawks hand grizzlies fourth loss by winning Staten Island tussle 23-6 • Booters drop close one to Swarthmore • Varsity belles take Bryn Mawr tilt; drop close 2-1 Swarthmore decision • JVs gain victory over Bryn Mawr • Jvs defeat Garnet to keep clean slate • Dr. Miller writes article on federal debt for book • Red Cross schedules public branch session here November 1https://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/weekly/1600/thumbnail.jp

The Ursinus Weekly, October 11, 1948

Bishop Corson to speak at exercises honoring college\u27s 79th academic year • Weekly staff sees numerous changes • Haverford trounces bears 26-12 as Ted Test scores four touchdowns, kicks extra point • Alterations cause campus new look • MacQueen elected to council office • Warner-Haines is chosen to play for old timers • Dr. McClure gives address at opening chapel service • IRC names representatives for mid-Atlantic parley • Joe Bechtle views University of Tulsa • Frosh beat sophs in battle of brawn • Spanish Club plans year • Young to receive top football award • MacWilliams heads coed hockey team • Mules to be foe of soccer team • Grizzlies to tackle Dickinson Saturday • Y conducts rally; retreat to be held • Faculty promotes fivehttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/weekly/1597/thumbnail.jp

The Ursinus Weekly, February 28, 1949

Ruby staff sought; Junior class hopes to better yearbook • Sophs choose Woody Leigh for hop • IRC group travels to Norristown High, hears commentator • Pancoast to speak to PAC commission on Congress topic • Hoopsters, Maulers to finish seasons; coeds to continue • Curtain Club groups present entertaining bevy of events • Parking offenders to pay fines • Pancoasts head Red Cross drive • Juniors to hold television show featuring music, food, variety • Do you favor the North Atlantic Pact? • Radio station sees hope for wider use of talent • Belles lose second as Chestnut Hillers take 35-22 victory • Both sexes reach stride in campus court strife • Jaffe gets award from Philly scribes • Haverford to meet bruins in opener of baseball season • Bruin matmen take two as Drexel and CCNY fall • Coeds trip Temple; last period surge sets total at 43-39 • Grizzlies fail to win in three court battles • Cadets retain lead in MA court race • Messiah group heard on WNARhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/weekly/1609/thumbnail.jp

The Ursinus Weekly, February 21, 1949

Y dance, 7th veil\u27 listed on calendar of week-end events • Rushing week ends as 74 men join frats • Buchanan observes local NSA meeting as council delegate • Actors to present three star feature of dramatic talent • Clarke, Mattson cop leads in Herbert\u27s light musical • Is cheating serious on the Ursinus campus? • Seniors elect Freking, Horner, May Queen\u27s court attendants • Y groups discuss economic systems and Christian faith • Dilworth has mild hope for upset in Philly politics • Mermaids win meet with Beaver, 31-22 in season\u27s opener • Coed court team wins; victory third for Ursinus • Preview of athletics outlines full week • Bruins hand defeats to Textile, Delaware • Points of wrestling explained for fans by sports reporter • Grapplers show strength as Mules and Garnet bow • Drexel, Cadets win in league contests • Swimmers bow to Temple 42-15; Jean Cilley wins 50-yard event • Assembly on foreign relations expects delegates from 40 Mid-Atlantic collegeshttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/weekly/1608/thumbnail.jp

Licit and illicit drug policies: a typology

To foster comparison of policy interventions across the various categories of licit and illicit drugs, we develop a typology of policies intended to address drug abuse problems. The principal dimensions of the typology are policy type and intervention channel. While the typology has important limitations, as a mechanism to organize information and stimulate thought it holds the potential to improve understanding of commonalities and distinctions among policies applying to widely discrepant drug problems, both within and across cultures. As such, it could contribute to the development of more effective approaches to grappling with a diverse set of drug policy issues.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/73129/1/j.1360-0443.1990.tb03081.x.pd