The voting rights act has been instrumental in ensuring gains in black representation in cities over the last three decades

This June, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down part of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, a decision that could have important impacts on the rights and representation of minorities. Using new research, Paru Shah, Melissa Marschall and Anirudh Ruhil find that the number of cities covered by Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act with at least one African-American city council member increased by 82 percent between 1981 and 2001. They also argue that coverage by the Voting Rights Act seems to amplify the effects of minority voting strength, council size, and electoral structures in cities

What lies beneath: the roots of state merit systems

The history of the rise and diffusion of the merit principle in American government is common lore to students of public administration and political science. Several descriptive accounts notwithstanding, scholars have ignored an intriguing puzzle vis-à-vis state merit adoptions: Why did some states adopt merit systems early in the twentieth century while other states followed suit decades later, and then only when they were forced to do so by the federal government? When we analyze state merit adoptions that occurred between 1900 and 1939 we find nationwide and state-specific demographic, economic, structural, and political factors—for example, growth in patronage constituencies; the use of the Australian ballot; political party competition; dwindling patronage resources post-Pendleton; and the onset of the Great Depression—that shifted politicians' preferences for the merit principle rather than patronage. Our research thus breaks sharply with the extant literature by emphasizing the political undercurrents of merit reform

The Pomp of Power: Black Mayoralties in Urban America

Although urban scholarship has come to better understand the dynamics of black political incorporation in the United States, to date scant empirical attention has been paid to an important element of minority representation in local politics-the rise of black mayors. The present study addresses this gap in the extant literature. Copyright (c) 2006 by the Southwestern Social Science Association.

Are We There Yet? The Voting Rights Act and Black Representation on City Councils, 1981ﾖ2006

Sound evidence demonstrating what, if any, role the Voting Rights Act (VRA) has played in the impressive gains minorities have made in local office holding over the last 45 years remains in short supply. The present study is motivated by three crucial questions. First, where are gains in minority office holding most apparent, and how are these gains related to the VRA? Second, while studies have noted gains in black representation over time, the question of how the VRA in particular has contributed to these gains remains unclear. Finally, given claims made by opponents of the 2006 legislation reauthorizing the VRA that it was no longer needed, the question of when the VRA has been most efficacious, and if it continues to be relevant, is also salient. Our findings suggest that the VRA has been and continues to be an important tool in ensuring black descriptive representation, particularly in places with a legacy of racial intimidation and discrimination

Correlates of Covid-19 Vaccine Acceptance among Residents of Ohio: A Cross-sectional Study

Background: Recent studies in the United States have shown that between 56 to 74% are willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. A significant portion of the population should be vaccinated to avoid severe illness and prevent unnecessary deaths. We examined correlates of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among a representative sample of adults residing in Ohio. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using an online platform (n = 2358). Descriptive statistics, chi-square test and multivariable regression analysis were performed. Results: Overall, 59.1% of the participants indicated COVID-19 vaccine acceptance to be vaccinated. In the multivariable model, the likelihood of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance was lower for younger individuals compared to those 55 years and older. The odds of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance were lower for: females compared to males (OR 0.58, 95% CI: 0.47–0.71; P = 0.001), non-Hispanic blacks compared to non-Hispanic whites (OR: 0.49 95% CI: 0.35–0.70; P = 0.001), previously married (OR 0.64 95% CI: 0.49–0.84; P = 0.002) and never been married (OR 0.75 95% CI: 0.59–0.96; P = 0.023) compared to married people, individuals with less than high school (OR 0.21 95% CI: 0.08–0.60; P = 0.003) and high school education (OR: 0.45 95% CI: 0.36–0.55; P \u3c 0.001) compared to those with education beyond high school, and for individuals who had no confidence in the abilities of the state government (OR 0.69 95% CI: 0.53–0.89; P = 0.005) and other world governments to combat COVID-19 (OR 0.67 95% CI: 0.50–0.91; P = 0.009). A one unit increase in knowledge about COVID-19 (OR 1.19, 95% CI: 1.13–1.26; P \u3c 0.001), behavioral adherence (OR 1.25, 95% CI: 1.15–1.37; P \u3c 0.001), perceived susceptibility (OR 1.10, 95% CI: 1.03–1.17; P = 0.004), perceived severity (OR 1.09, 95% CI: 1.03–1.16; P = 0.003), and trust in COVID-19 messages from the government scores (OR 1.08, 95% CI: 1.06–1.10; P \u3c 0.001) were associated with an increase in the likelihood of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. Conclusions: COVID-19 vaccine acceptance differed by sociodemographic and other modifiable factors. Findings can inform local public health authorities in the development of effective, context-specific communication strategies to improve vaccination uptake

Environmental impact on the temporal production of chasmogamous and cleistogamous flowers in the mixed breeding system of Viola pubescens

© 2020 Sternberger et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Viola pubescens is a perennial, mixed breeding herb that produces both chasmogamous and cleistogamous flowers at different times of the season. Once bud type is specified, it does not convert from one form to the other. While temporal production of the two flowers is known to be influenced by environmental factors, the specific environmental cues that signal emergence of each flower type have not been empirically studied. To investigate the environmental parameters driving seasonal development of chasmogamous versus cleistogamous flowers, a native V. pubescens population was examined during the spring and summer of 2016 and 2017. Measurements of light quantity, canopy cover, photoperiod, temperature, soil moisture, soil pH, and the number of chasmogamous and cleistogamous buds were collected on either a weekly or biweekly basis. Independent zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) regressions were used to model the odds of bud production (0 versus 1 bud) and bud counts (≥ 1 bud) as a function of the environmental variables. Results of the ZINB models highlight key differences between the environmental variables that influence chasmogamous versus cleistogamous bud development and counts. In addition to the ZINB regressions, individual logistic regressions were fit to the bud data. The logistic models support results of the ZINB models and, more crucially, identify specific environmental thresholds at which each bud type is probable. Collectively, this work offers novel insight into how environmental variables shape temporal development of chasmogamous and cleistogamous flowers, suggests distinct threshold values that may aid in selectively inducing each flower type, and provides insight into how climatic change may impact mixed breeding species

Diabetes in Appalachia: Providers\u27 perspectives

© 2020 The Author(s). Background: Southeastern Appalachian Ohio has more than double the national average of diabetes and a critical shortage of healthcare providers. Paradoxically, there is limited research focused on primary care providers\u27 experiences treating people with diabetes in this region. This study explored providers\u27 perceived barriers to and facilitators for treating patients with diabetes in southeastern Appalachian Ohio.Methods: We conducted in-depth interviews with healthcare providers who treat people with diabetes in rural southeastern Ohio. Interviews were transcribed, coded, and analyzed via content and thematic analyses using NVivo 12 software (QSR International, Chadstone, VIC, Australia).Results: Qualitative analysis revealed four themes: (1) patients\u27 diabetes fatalism and helplessness: Providers recounted story after story of patients believing that their diabetes was inevitable and that they were helpless to prevent or delay diabetes complications. (2) Comorbid psychosocial issues: Providers described high rates of depression, anxiety, incest, abuse, and post-traumatic stress disorder among people with diabetes in this region. (3) Inter-connected social determinants interfering with diabetes care: Providers identified major barriers including lack of access to providers, lack of access to transportation, food insecurity, housing insecurity, and financial insecurity. (4) Providers\u27 cultural understanding and recommendations: Providers emphasized the importance of understanding of the values central to Appalachian culture and gave culturally attuned clinical suggestions for how to use these values when working with this population.Conclusions: Evidence-based interventions tailored to Appalachian culture and training designed to increase the cultural competency and cultural humility of primary care providers may be effective approaches to reduce barriers to diabetes care in Appalachian Ohio