Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: Battles over campaign finance regulations are often driven by beliefs about the likely consequences of reform on the electoral process. Will reform increase voter participation in the political process? Will one party be advantaged over another? In this paper, we study fifty years of gubernatorial elections in fifty states to assess the effects of key campaign finance regulations on turnout, competitiveness, and partisan advantage. This panel dataset harnesses the variation across states and over time to test whether and how reform matters. Among other things, we find that individual contribution limits have the opposite effect of organizational contribution limits, with the latter increasing turnout, increasing competitiveness, and hurting Democrats. Perhaps most surprisingly, public financing with voluntary spending limits tends to hurt Democrats.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: The incumbency advantage in U.S. House elections is well documented by congressional scholars. Over 901f incumbents have won reelection to the House since World War II. Much of this advantage is attributed to House members who work hard to address constituents’ needs. Yet, House members do not win reelection just by performing well in office, they must also let their constituents know how well they are doing their jobs. In this paper, I examine how local newspaper coverage contributes to the incumbency advantage by providing an avenue for legislators to inform constituents about their legislative work. I find that not all incumbents are able to win local coverage, but those who do are viewed as more in touch with the district and are more likely to win support from constituents during their bids for reelection. Thus, while many House members work hard to represent their constituents on Capitol Hill, those who win local coverage of their efforts are rewarded the most.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This paper examines why state and local governments have implemented No Child Left Behind so quickly and completely even though they have significant reservations with the law. Its primary finding is that they have complied because of fears of losing federal education funding, even though the total funding at risk for noncompliance represents only between 2 and 8 percent of the total education funding in the United States.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: In the last two decades, a great deal of energy and attention has been dedicated to generating educational equity by increasing the involvement of parents in schools. Previous research suggests that black and Hispanic parents are more involved in their children’s education than white parents are (Kerbow and Bernhardt, 1993; Sui-Chu and Willms, 1996). However, the available literature also makes it clear that poor, black and Latino children benefit less from their parent’s efforts at school than white children do (McNeal, 1999; Sui-Chu and Willms, 1996, Lareau, 1989).
This paper brings two hypotheses to bear on these findings, using data from the National Household Education Survey. First, I examine the possibility that minority parents tend to be involved in their children’s education in different ways than majority parents, and that this difference affects children’s educational outcomes. Second, I examine the possibility that identical levels of parental involvement have differential effects based on the parent’s race and class. My analyses support both of these hypotheses and help explain the race and class gaps in parental involvement and children’s educational performance.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: This study examines the effects of September 11 on Locus of Control (LOC) and its consequences among university students in Florida. Ninety-four students participated in the study prior September 11 while 129 participated in the months following the attack. There are no significant differences between the two groups of students in terms of demographic characteristics often associated with LOC and/or depression. Findings indicate, however, that the two groups differ in important ways in terms of both levels of internality and the impact of internality on depression. The average level of internality is significantly lower in the group participating after September 11. In addition, results of multiple regression analysis indicate that, as expected from previous research, in the pre-tragedy group, internality exerts a significant main affect on depression while powerful others is significantly positively related to depression. Among students who participated after September 11, the patterns of relationships are startlingly different. None of the LOC dimensions has a significant main affect on depression. When the interaction terms are added to the equation, however, both internality and powerful others are associated with increased depression. Further, the internality X powerful others interaction term is significant and negative--indicating that the positive impact of internality on depression is strongest when belief in powerful others is low. These findings have important implications for the application of Locus of Control theory in situations in which the life experiences of individuals have been dramatically affected by the actions of others.