Progress 10/01/00 to 09/30/04
Outputs
The purpose of this project was to assess local governments' role in promoting well-being across the U.S. The project centers on county governments, the fastest growing general purpose governments and particularly important to rural areas. The project: documented the economic development, public service activities, and welfare-reform related activities undertaken by counties; assessed rural-urban differences in these activities; and assessed the impact of these activities on county economic well-being. There were three data collection modules. 1) Collect quantitative data and construct measures from county-level secondary sources. 2) Complete two national surveys of county governments. Working with the National Association of Counties, we constructed questionnaires to collect primary data on economic development, public service, and social service activities, and other issues. The survey was mailed to over 3,000 county government officials in 2001. The response rate
was 62%. In 2004, a second survey was conducted, with the response rate of 50%. 3) Conduct case-studies of three communities in the Ohio River Valley. In 2001, key informants were contacted about their communities' social service and economic development activities, to provide a more in-depth view of these activities. Key findings are as follows. Using survey data from the project, we found that counties report undertaking greater economic development, social and other public service activities over time. Urban-rural differences were also found. Nonmetro counties report greater fiscal stress and less government capacity with regard to staffing and resources, provide fewer public services, especially social services, and are less likely to engage in a economic development promotion. Using secondary data, we examined the impacts of social program generosity and public employment on county median family income and income inequality. We found that greater social program generosity and
higher government employment tends to reduce income inequality, and to some degree, improve county-wide income levels. We also examined the effects of prisons on county well-being; prisons do not enhance employment growth, in contrast to popular belief. Combining survey data with secondary data, we examined the effects of county social service and economic development activities on indicators of county-well being holding constant exogenous variables. Preliminary findings show that increasing economic development and social service activities are related to reported funding shortages. Increasing economic development activities is not related to improved family incomes over time.
Impacts
The survey of county governments provides the most generalizable data available particularly for remote rural counties. The survey resulted in working with the National Association of Counties to provide county governments nationally with information. Descriptive results from the national survey were presented at the National Press Club, Washington DC at a press conference initiated by the National Association of Counties. In July 2001, RUPRI (the Rural Policy Institute) used the findings from the study in expert witness testimony to the US Congress for Farm Bill legislation. In particular, it was noted to Congress that rural counties (relative to urban counties) report greater fiscal stress and less government capacity with regard to staffing and resources. Future work is being planned with the National Association of Counties.
Publications
- Lobao, Linda and David Kraybill. 2005. "The Emerging Role of County Governments in Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Areas." Economic Development Quarterly. (in press).
- Brown, Lawrence, Sang-il Lee, and Linda Lobao. 2005. "The US Gender Division of Labor in Geographic Perspective." International Regional Science Review. (in press)
- Lobao, Linda. 2004. "Spatial Inequality: Continuity and Change in Terroritorial Stratification Processes." Rural Sociology 69 (1):1-30.
- Hooks, Gregory, Clayton Mosher, Thomas Rotolo, and Linda Lobao. 2004. "Escape From the Prison-Industrial Complex: Prison Expansion and Local Economic Growth in U.S. Counties." Social Science Quarterly. 85 (1): 36-57.
- Lobao, Linda M., and Gregory Hooks. 2003. "Public Employment, Social Welfare and Local Well-Being: Does a Lean and Mean Government Benefit the Masses?" Social Forces 81 (December):519-556.
- Dewees, Sarah, Linda Lobao, and Louis Swanson. 2003. "Local Economic Development in an Age of Devolution." Rural Sociology 68 (2):186-206.
- Lobao, Linda M., Lawrence A. Brown, and Jon Moore. 2003. "Old Industrial Regions and the Political Economy of Development." Pp. 3-30 in William Falk, Michael Schulman, and Ann Tickamyer (eds.),Communities of Work. Athens, OH: Ohio University Press.
- Moore, Jon. 2003. Local Economic Development in the Post-Industrial Service Economy: Manufacturing Communities in the Ohio River Valley. Ph.D. Dissertation, Department of Geography, Ohio State University.
- Falk, William and Linda M. Lobao. 2003. "Who Benefits From Economic Restructuring? Who is Worse Off?: Lessons From the Past and Challenges for the Future." In David Brown and Louis Swanson (eds.), Rural Areas and Policies in the New Millenium. State College PA: The Pennsylvania State University Press (in press).
- Kraybill, David S. and Linda Lobao. July, 2001. County Government Survey: Changes and Challenges in the New Millennium. Rural County Governance Center, Research Report No. 1, National Association of Counties.
- Lobao, Linda and Rogelio Saenz. 2002. Spatial Inequality and Diversity as an Emerging Research Area. Rural Sociology 67 (4): 497-511
- Yamoah, Afia. 2002. Welfare Devolution, Economic Development Policy, and Public Services at the County Level in the United States, MS thesis Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economic, Ohio State University, Columbus.
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Progress 01/01/03 to 12/31/03
Outputs
We continue to analyze data from our national survey of county government officials that collects primary data on local government capacity, economic development activities, use of social services, and land use issues. Over 1500 county governments participated in the survey, reflecting a response rate of 62 percent. Nonmetro counties (relative to metro counties) report greater fiscal stress and less government capacity with regard to staffing and resources. Remote rural counties provide fewer public services, especially social services. They are less likely to engage in a economic development promotion. Using secondary data from this project, we examined the impacts of social program generosity and government employment on the economic well-being of county populations. Two measures of economic well-being were examined, median family income and income inequality. We found the greater social program generosity and higher government employment tended to reduce income
inequality. Higher federal employment and greater social program generosity also were related to higher income levels for county residents as a whole.
Impacts
The survey resulted in working with the National Association of Counties to provide county governments nationally with information. Future collaborative work is being planned with the National Association of Counties to continue surveying county governments nationally. Two refereed journal articles were completed.
Publications
- Lobao, Linda M., and Gregory Hooks. 2003. Public Employment, Social Welfare and Local Well-Being: Does a Lean and Mean Government Benefit the Masses? Social Forces 81 (December):519-556.
- Dewees, Sarah, Linda Lobao, and Louis Swanson. 2003. Local Economic Development in an Age of Devolution. Rural Sociology 68 (2):186-206.
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Progress 01/01/02 to 12/31/02
Outputs
We continue to analyze data from our national survey of county government officials that collects primary data on local government capacity, economic development activities, use of social services, and land use issues. Over 1500 county governments participated in the survey, reflecting a response rate of about 60%. Rural counties (relative to urban counties) report greater fiscal stress and less government capacity with regard to staffing and resources. Remote rural (non-metropolitan, non-adjacent) counties are more likely to report problems in addressing welfare reform-related issues. For example, they report less success in placing of welfare recipients into jobs and they report greater problems related to transportation for clients. Remote rural counties are less likely to engage in land-use planning and in economic development promotion.
Impacts
The survey of county governments is one of the first to provide data generalizable to remote rural counties.
Publications
- Lobao, Linda and Rogelio Saenz. 2002. "Spatial Inequality as An Emerging Research Area." Rural Sociology 67(4):497-511.
- Yamoah, Afia. 2001. Strategic Interaction among County Governments in the Choice of Local Economic Development Policies. MS Thesis. Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economic, Ohio State University.
- Linda Lobao. 2002. "Allocations and Spatial Inequality Across Regions: Discussion Commentary." Paper presented at the annual meetings of the American Sociological Association, Chicago, August.
- Linda Lobao. 2002. "Inequality Across Space: A Sociological View." Paper presented at the Delhi School of Economics, New Delhi India, January.
- Linda Lobao. 2002. Political Economy of Agriculture and Rural America during the 1990s: An Overview." Paper presented at the Rural Studies of Canada Conference, Guelph Ontario, March.
- Lobao, Linda. 2002. "Public Employment, Welfare Transfers, and Local Populations: Contrasting Social Policy Claims." Paper presented at Department of Sociology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, October.
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Progress 01/01/01 to 12/31/01
Outputs
In 2001, a national survey of county government officials was conducted to collect primary data on the local economic development activities, use of social services, and land use and environmental issues facing county governments. The survey was mailed to over three thousand county government officials and the response rate is about 60%. A report on findings from the survey was published by the National Association of Counties. We found that rural counties (relative to urban counties) report greater fiscal stress and less government capacity with regard to staffing and resources. Remote rural (non-metropolitan, non-adjacent) counties are far less likely to report successful placing of welfare recipients into jobs. For example, for counties that administer TANF, 30% of rural counties report that less than 20% of their welfare recipients in the past year took jobs, while only 10.6% of metropolitan counties indicated such low placement. We are continuing to analyze data
from this survey.
Impacts
Preliminary findings from the survey were reported at the National Press Club on July 14, 2001 and findings were also used by RUPRI in testimony to Congress in July on farm bill legislation. In particular, it was noted to Congress that rural counties (relative to urban counties) report greater fiscal stress and less government capacity with regard to staffing and resources, and are less likely to engage in land-use planning. A report on findings from the survey was published by the National Association of Counties.
Publications
- 2001 Kraybill, David and Linda Lobao. County Government Survey: Changes and Challenges in the New Millennium. Washington DC: National Association of Counties.
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