Suchergebnisse

Questionnaires were sent to 50 institutes of policy science or closely related fields to elicit responses about various questions regarding the character of that discipline; 34 responses were received. In ratings of disciplines economics was considered clearly most useful, followed by public administration. In rating of analytical techniques, the most favored were program evaluation, benefit/cost analysis, experimental design & analysis of variance, & sampling. Technique & substance were rated as more important than process & academic disciplinary training. Public finance & budgeting, planning, service delivery, & management were rated most important as policy processes. A variety of policy areas were considered important, including public health, transportation, law enforcement, energy, the environment, & manpower as major areas. 5 Tables. W. H. Stoddard.

Recent meta-analysis of research on citizen-initiated contacting of government officials revealed that the findings are basically an artifact of the method used. Macroanalytic studies using aggregate data find a negative or curvilinear relationship between contacting and socioeconomic status (SES), and microanalytic studies using survey data find a positive or null relationship between contacting and SES. This author argues that almost all survey researchers have used an invalid operational measure of contacting. Analysis of results from a Birmingham, Alabama, survey, which defined contacting in the conventional way and with specific, bounded-and aided-recall questions, strongly suggests that much of what researchers know or think they know about contacting is suspect.

Although the bureaucratic decision rules that govern delivery of municipal public services are presumably distributionally benign, they may in fact exert a strong influence on the distribution of urban policy benefits. This article explicates the decision rule governing delivery of two specific types of fire protection services in a small city, measures the distributional inequity characteristic of the patterns of delivery, and infers one or more distributional standards implicit in the decision rule. Statistical analysis using the Index of Inequity indicates that some decision rules incorporate elements of both equality and market standards, while others support need as the distributional standard.

Although the bureaucratic decision rules that govern delivery of municipal public services are presumably distributionally benign, they may in fact exert a strong influence on the distribution of Ur policy benefits. City records on street light & fire hydrant installation in 16 districts within Tuscaloosa, Ala, are used to examine the decision rule governing delivery of these services, measure the distributional inequity characteristic of the patterns of delivery, & infer distributional standards implicit in the decision rule. Interview responses of city officials (N not given) are used to determine what rules govern placement of these services. Statistical analysis using the Index of Inequity indicates that some decision rules incorporate elements of both equality & market standards, while others support need as the distributional standard. 2 Tables, 16 References. Modified HA.

AbstractBoth policy managers and policy analysts are interested in the distribution of urban public services. It seems clear, however, that minimizing service maldistribution first depends on better measurement. The Index of Inequity is a new statistical procedure designed to measure maldistribution of urban services with respect to any distributional standard stipulated by the analyst. Evaluation of the Index and a proposed alternative provide insight into its capability and limits as a mensurative technique, particularly with regard to the distinction between two aspects of maldistribution, inequality and concentration.

Both policy managers & analysts are interested in the distribution of Ur public services. Minimizing maldistribution first requires better measurement. The Index of Inequity is a new statistical procedure, designed to measure maldistribution of Ur services using any distributional standard stipulated by the analyst. Evaluation of the Index & a proposed alternative provide insight into its capability & limits as a measuring technique, particularly with regard to the distinction between two aspects of maldistribution, inequality & concentration. 3 Figures. Modified HA.

ABSTRACTThis article attempts to extend the analysis of urban service delivery beyond equality of units of service input to measurement of the equity of both inputs and outputs (impact). The author develops an original technique for measuring and indexing service equity. It is applied to police services in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The findings are generally consistent with other recent research around the nation in that only modest inequities in service inputs and outputs are found and little evidence of systematic discrimination toward the poor and racial minorities is found.

The analysis of Ur service delivery is extended beyond equality of units of service input, to measurement of the equity of both inputs & outputs (impact), via development of an original technique for measuring & indexing service equity, which is applied to police services in Tuscaloosa, Ala. The findings are generally consistent with other recent US research, in that only modest inequities in service inputs & outputs, & little evidence of systematic discrimination toward the poor & racial minorities are found. 3 Tables. Modified HA.