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Monthly Archives: July 2016

Seeking Panel Participants – Water Use & Regulation

The call for conference submissions has been issued, and SIAM members are interested in creating a panel on water use/regulation, focusing on intergovernmental issues.  Colorado River, The Great Lakes, Flint…and many other places and issues might be a part of this panel.  If you would like to be a part of this panel, please contact Susan Paddock at spaddock1030@gmail.com by August 15 with a proposed title and focus of your presentation (please, just a brief description).  We’ll put together a panel proposal for the 2017 conference in Atlanta.  Contact Susan if you have any questions.

DEIL S. WRIGHT SYMPOSIUM 2017 CALL FOR PAPERS

The Section on Intergovernmental Administration and Management (SIAM) invites scholars and practitioners to submit proposals for papers to be presented at the 4th annual Deil S. Wright Symposium. The symposium honors the career and contributions of Professor Deil S. Wright, who was a charter member of the Section and remained active until his passing in 2009. The Wright Symposium will be a preconference event held on Friday, March 17, 2017 at the national conference of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) in Atlanta, Georgia.

The theme of the all-day symposium is “Evidence-Based Intergovernmental Management: Knowledge at Work.” It will focus on U.S. federalism and comparative federalism. Through decades of research on federalism and intergovernmental relations, public administration scholars have generated knowledge about effective governance and management in federal systems. While the cumulative lessons of this research may be familiar to some, they have not been discussed widely by scholars or used by professional public managers. Today, public officials are expected to take evidence-based approaches to policy design and implementation, and the record of research evidence about what has worked and what has failed to produce desired results would be an invaluable resource. Scholars of federalism, intergovernmental relations, intergovernmental management, and collaborative management can help improve federal systems by providing meta-analyses and synthesizing evidence in the field to inform practice. The 2017 Wright Symposium provides an excellent forum for doing so.

 

Proposed paper topics are invited that would help scholars and government professionals better understand what we have learned from the cumulative research on intergovernmental relations and management.  Papers are welcome to advance new research propositions, identify research gaps, or provide empirical evidence. The goal is to emphasize for public managers how evidence can be used to shape intergovernmental management practice.  Topics might include, but are not limited to the:

  • Design, accountability, and evaluation of intergovernmental grants and programs, including revenue sharing and fiscal equalization;
  • Development of collaborative intergovernmental competencies or skills by federal, regional, state, and local public managers;
  • Effectiveness of elected executives in managing intergovernmental relations in presidential and parliamentary federal systems;
  • Effectiveness of intergovernmental, interjurisdictional, and intersectoral management networks;
  • Value of intergovernmental institutions, such as the U.S. Advisory Commission on

Intergovernmental Relations, Council of Australian Governments, or the White House Office on Intergovernmental Affairs;

  • Impact of federalism executive orders or presidential decrees on intergovernmental relations;
  • Impacts of federal mandates and conditions attached to federal grants-in-aid;
  • Effectiveness of regulatory waivers;
  • Diffusion of evidence-based practices horizontally across constituent units such as states, provinces, and cantons;
  • Performance of regional governments and organizations, such as consolidated or amalgamated local governments, metropolitan governments, councils of governments, and city-states;
  • Advantages and disadvantages of optional forms of local government;
  • Consequences of litigation for the authority of public managers in intergovernmental programs;
  • Impacts of court orders, consent decrees, and other judicial interventions into intergovernmental relations.

 

Proposals for the symposium should be submitted by email to Carl Stenberg (stenberg@sog.unc.edu) before October 1. Proposals should be well developed and clearly demonstrate the ability to deliver a finished paper. The Wright Symposium planning committee – Ann Bowman, John Kincaid, Michael McGuire, Eric Zeemering, and Carl Stenberg — will review proposals and make decisions by October 22.  Questions can be directed to committee members.  Please circulate this call for papers among interested colleagues.

SLGR: Dr. Eric Stokan Appointed Outreach Coordinator, Volunteer Outreach Team Needed; Ann Bowman R&E article; more!

New Outreach Coordinator Post

SLGR has made significant strides in the past several years with respect to the number of subscribers, the number and quality of manuscripts to be considered for publication, and in its general visibility in the fields of political science, public administration, and public policy. Over the last several months, the editorial staff spent considerable time discussing ways to continue to promote the journal.  The general consensus was that SLGR needed an individual who can devote his or her attention to promoting the journal and increasing its visibility. This will entail, but not limited to the following;

  • Work with the SLGR Social Media Coordinator to develop a blog that has never been fully utilized.
  • Contacting program directors in the U.S. and abroad, asking them to share with their faculty and students in the department/program the benefits of joining SIAM and subscribing to SLGR, publication assistance available to new faculty and graduate students through the Young Scholars Research Outreach Program, usage of SLGR podcasts in the classroom, and consideration of SLGR as an outlet for their research and a source for articles worthy of citation when preparing manuscripts. .
  • Coordinate with/maximize the PR efforts of Sage Publications
  • Engage with our international board members to increase the visibility of SLGR in other countries
  • Engage with professional associations such as National League of Cities (NLC), National Association of Counties (NACo), and International City/County Management Association (ICCMA) to stress the relevance of SLGR to their membership and to search out ways that we can better partner with them.

The editorial leadership at SLGR is pleased to announce that Dr. Eric Stokan, an assistant professor of political science at Towson University, has agreed to lead this effort and serve as our first Outreach Coordinator.  He completed his Ph.D. in the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration at George Washington University and his MA and BA in political science at Wayne State University.  His teaching and research focuses on state, local, and metropolitan issues.  Specifically, he focuses on governmental decisions to adopt and abandon economic development policies and the impact those policies have on city and regional economic growth. His recent publications have focused on the effects of business incubators, the role of deindustrialization across metropolitan areas, and on the decision of governments to adopt economic development incentives.

Join the Inaugural SLGR Outreach Team

State and Local Government Review is currently accepting applications to be part of its inaugural outreach committee.  We are looking for 3-5 academics and practitioners who are interested in state and local government and governance issues.  The team will be responsible for ensuring practitioners and academics that work in the area are familiar with the journal as a source of information and as an outlet for their own scholarly efforts.

Tasks and Responsibilities of Members

  • Develop and Foster a Network of Scholars and Practitioners
    • Review journals and conference proceedings to find academics and practitioners who would be interested in SLGR as an outlet for their research
    • Promote the Young Scholar’s Program to junior faculty and advanced graduate students
  • Promote Outreach via Social Media
    • Write guest posts on the SLGR blog to connect target network with research from SLGR
    • Use social media tools (Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.) to reach audiences in real time regarding SLGR news and events
  • Expand SLGR Readership
    • Promote SLGR to academics and practitioners abroad
  • Contribute to long-term outreach strategy
    • As an inaugural member, you will help chart the way for future outreach endeavors

Benefits to Membership on Team

  • Network with Other Junior Scholars
    • Have access to other junior scholars who also teach and publish on state and local government and governance topics
    • Create a community of information sharing regarding cutting-edge research taking place on these topics
  • Access to Leaders in the Field
    • Being a part of the outreach team provides unique access to the journal’s leadership
  • Visibility in the area of State and Local Government
    • As a member of the outreach team, you will increase your own visibility through recognition of your scholarly service contributions in:
      • The SLGR blog when writing guest posts
      • The Section on Intergovernmental Administration and Management (SIAM) at the annual American Society of Public Administration (ASPA) conference
      • Through the SIAM Newsletter

If you are interested in being an inaugural member of this team, please send a brief description (500 words or less) description of your interests and outreach ideas, along with a copy of your CV by September 16, 2016 to Eric Stokan at Ericjstokan@gmail.com.

Social Media

We’re working to increase the visibility of State and Local Government Review and especially to involve SIAM members.  You can get the latest SLGR news and updates by following us on twitter (@SLGReview) and by liking our Facebook page (facebook.com/SLGReview), where we share and discuss current SLGR OnLine First articles and related blogs and news articles.  You can also join the conversation by following our new blog (slgrjournal.wordpress.com), which features SLGR news and information and is launching a special summer blog series on publishing.  We’d love to hear from you, if you have comments, suggestions, or would like to contribute a piece to the blog, please contact our Social Media Coordinator, Tracy Johns, at tjohns@ufl.edu.

Free Classroom Aids!

We want to remind you that SLGR has produced a growing number of podcasts which could serve as excellent teaching aids in both the undergraduate and undergraduate classroom.  Topics range from state and local government debt financing to civic engagement in times of fiscal stress to collaboration among local governments as a means of adapting to the New Normal to management experience in small cities.  Please check out our catalog of podcasts [https://siam-aspa.net/2016/07/28/state-and-local-government-review-podcasts-available-now/].   

Assistance Needed

We continue to need your assistance and that of your colleagues in several crucial areas.  First, you can assist us in generating greater visibility for SLGR by signing up for e-mail alerts and encourage others to also do so.  Please consider doing that today, since it only takes a minute.  SLGR will send you an email each time a new issue publishes, and you can also add alerts for Online First articles or journal announcements. Visit http://slg.sagepub.com/cgi/alerts to create an account with your email address, and click on the alert types you’d like to receive. SAGE won’t use your email address for any other marketing purposes, but only to send you information on SLGR.

A second area in which you can help us is to cite SLGR articles where possible.  Since SLGR was purchased by Sage Publications, Inc. in early 2010, getting SLGR listed in the Thomson Citation Index has been a major goal.  Achievement of this objective will assist in raising not only the visibility of the journal but will also put us in a more esteemed category of blind-refereed academic journals.  You and your colleagues can help us in achieving this objective by citing, where relevant and appropriate, SLGR articles when you prepare papers and articles.

Hot Item!: Ann Bowman’s R&E Article

In case you might have missed reading it, the Reviews & Essays (R&E) installment (Volume 48, Issue #1, March 2016) by R&E Editor Brianne Heidbredder is definitely a “must” read [http://slg.sagepub.com/content/48/1/63.abstract]. The article is predicated on a lengthy conversation that Professor Heidbredder had with leading scholar, Ann Bowman (she holds the Hazel Davis and Robert Kennedy Endowed Chair in government and public service at the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University).  In light of the reality that the operation and study of state and local government and politics has undergone a significant transformation in the last several decades, Professor Bowman was asked to discuss the past, present, and future of state, local, and intergovernmental research.  While the essay was not intended to be an exhaustive examination of the “state” of the state, local, and intergovernmental literature, it nonetheless does explore various interesting lines of inquiry that deserves continued scholarly attention and discusses the potential for research to inform practice.

State and Local Government Review Podcasts available now!

“Small-City Management Experience:  Does It Matter for Getting and Keeping the Large-City Managerial Job?” (October 2011)

Author James Thurmond (University of Houston) discusses his article (December 2010, Vol. 42, No. 3) with SLGR Managing Editor J. Edwin Benton and graduate students Crystal Davis (Texas A&M University), Nijah Fudge (University of Kansas), and Edgar Freeman (University of Baltimore).

***

“Governance Challenges and Options for State and Local Governments” (February 2012)

SLGR Social Media Editor Beverly Bunch (University of Illinois, Springfield) interviews author Bruce J. Perlman (SLGR Governance Matters Editor and University of New Mexico) and panelists John Thomasian (Principal, Black Point Policy Solutions LLC and formerly the Director of the Center for Best Practices at the National Governors’ Association), Jackie Byers (Director of Research and Outreach at National Association of Counties), and Christopher Hoene (Director for the Center on Research and Innovation at National League of Cities) about their article (December 2010, Vol. 42, No. 3).

***

“Local Government Diversity Initiatives in Oregon:  An Exploratory Study” (November 2012)

SLGR Social Media Editor Beverly Bunch (University of Illinois, Springfield) interviews author Masami Nishishiba (Portland State University) and panelists Anthony Sisneros (University of Illinois, Springfield) and Omar Small (assistant city manager in New Rochelle, New York) about Nishishiba’s article (April 2012, Vol. 44, No. 1).

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“Addressing Remnants of the Past: Proactive Responses to Equity Issues in Public Administration.” (May 2013)

SLGR Social Media Editor Beverly Bunch (University of Illinois, Springfield) interviews author Steven F. Spina (University of South Florida and city manager in Zephyrhills, Florida) and panelists William Poe (city manager of Dade City, Florida) and Ron Carlee (City Manager of Charlotte, North Carolina and former chief operating officer of the International City/County Management Association) about Spina’s article (June 2013, Vol. 45, No. 2).

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“Increasing the Usefulness of Academic Scholarship for Local Government Practitioners” (July 2013)

Lead author and Social Media Editor Beverly Bunch (University of Illinois, Springfield) and four local government managers—Pamela Brangaccio (city manager of New Smyrna Beach, Florida), Daniel Fitzpatrick (city manager of Rochester, New Hampshire), and Greg Sund, (county administrator of Ellis County, Kansas),and Daryl Delabbio (county administrator/controller of Kent County, Michigan)—join to discuss her article (September 2013, Vol. 45, No. 3).

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“Not All Refinancings Are Created Equal: A Framework for Assessing State and Local Government Debt Refinancing Measures” (March 2014)

SLGR Social Media Editor Beverly Bunch (University of Illinois, Springfield) interviews author Dr. Martin Luby (DePaul University) and two state officials—Sandi Thompson (Director of the Office of State and Local Finance, Comptroller of the Treasury, for the State of Tennessee) and Jim Joseph (State Bond Advisor for the State of Oklahoma)—about Luby article (March 2014, Vol. No. 1).

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“Special Issue: Local Government” Collaboration (July 2014

SLGR Social Media Editor Beverly Bunch (University of Illinois, Springfield) interviews four of authors of the articles in the Special Issue—J. Edwin Benton (University of South Florida and SLGR Managing Editor), Cheryl Hilvert (International City/County Management Association), Daryl J. Delabbio (county manager in Kent County, Michigan, and Jered B. Carr (University of Illinois, Chicago) about their articles and related issues.

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“Strategic Alignment of the New Normal: Collaboration, Sustainability, and Deliberation in Local Government Across Boundaries” (February 2015)

SLGR Managing Editor J. Edwin Benton interviews five public managers across the United States—Michele Baker (county administrator in Pasco County, Florida), Rod Gould (city manager in Santa Monica, California), Mike Wilkes (city manager in Olatahe, Kansas), Davie Krings (administrator in the Village of Lockland, Ohio), and Peter Chichton (county manager in  Cumberland County, Maine)—about the current challenges faced by their local governments and their reflections on an article by Michael Abels  (University of Central Florida) entitled ”Strategic Alignment for the New Normal: Collaboration, Sustainability, and Deliberation in Local Government Across Boundaries” (September 2014, Vol. 46, No. 3).

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“Civic Engagement and Fiscal Stress in American Cities: Insights from the Great Recession” (November 2015)

SLGR Podcast Editor Anne Williamson (University of Missouri-Kansas City) interviews author Marcia Godwin (University of LaVerne), Aimee Franklin (University of Oklahoma), and Jim Giles (Director of Council & Community Relations, Office of the Mayor, Kansas City, Missouri) about local government experiences with civic engagement in American cities during the Great Recession and the relevance of Dr. Godwin’s article titled “Civic Engagement and Fiscal Stress in American Cities: Insights from the Great Recession” (December 2014, Vol. 46, No. 4).