Suchergebnisse

This study of two small cities in Florida helps us understand the paradox of local government citizens holding inconsistent views of service evaluations and tax/fee preferences. The analysis suggests that this inconsistency results from citizen attitudes being predicated on different considerations. Whereas service evaluations appear to be based on general attitudes toward city government and the community, tax/fee preferences are influenced more by self-interest factors. Moreover, self-interest indicators seem to be better predictors of tax/fee views for services that are associated with specific groups of city residents (e.g., parks and recreation).

This study examines the privatization behavior of county governments and treats contracting and franchising as separate decision-making activities. Contracting decisions are influenced primarily by the desire to reduce production costs. Growth pressures and a political culture that favors professional administration over private-regarding politics also are determinants. Franchising decisions are influenced heavily by growth pressures, political impediments to altering the traditional public production arrangements, a political culture that insulates administration from politics, and a desire to keep tax rates down. In other words, franchising decisions are predicated extensively on efforts to limit the scope of government and operate county government according to businesslike principles.

A survey of city residents provided an opportunity to examine the potential for question-order effects, since the survey instrument contained a general evaluation question about the quality of municipal services as well as a series of questions soliciting evaluations of specific services. Looks at the survey and the question order effects which emerged. (Abstract amended)

Expanding service role of 67 counties, 1988-89.

The impact of question-order on survey results was examined through telephone interviews with 808 adult residents of two cities in Fla. Findings reveal that: question order did not have an effect on opinions on the quality of public services; the effect of question order was found to vary with education; & while respondents with more education demonstrated slight question-order effects, those with less education demonstrated a large question-order effect. 2 Tables, 4 References. D. Generoli

Ethics complaints against Fla officials are compared to test hypotheses regarding why some counties receive more complaints than others, using the records of the Florida Commission on Ethics for 1974-1984 & 1986-1990, 1988 census data, & other published statistics. Findings indicate that more complaints are filed in counties characterized by population growth pressures & highly educated populations. Research on contextual influences on ethics complaints is recommended. 4 Exhibits, 39 References. Adapted from the source document.

The symposium has been funded in part by the Bureau of Government Research and the H.V. Thornton Foundation at the University of Oklahoma along with the Florida Institute of Government and the Department of Political Science, University of South Florida, and the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of South Florida.

This study found that large central city service roles were dependent on state laws providing for greater functional responsibility, easy annexation procedures, and less restrictive property tax limitations and receipt of substantial state aid. When such factors were not present, a large central city service role was more likely where its population was socially and racially similar to its suburb(s) and the city contained an adequate supply of managerial and professional talent. On the other hand, large central county service roles were associated with substantial state and federal aid, less restrictive property tax limitations, greater county functional responsibility, and large urban populations.