Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: Researchers have suggested that American counties are emerging as leaders in local governance. This is mainly attributed to the fact that counties are being called upon to provide a whole host of new services to an ever-growing suburban and incorporated population. County executives are known to play a critical role in the provision of these services, however, researchers know very little about the factors contributing to county executive turnover. Several empirical analyses have explored tenure and turnover patterns of top-level government executives, yet these analyses have principally focused on municipalities.
This paper extends existing research by examining how factors contributing to government performance, political uncertainty, and community instability affect county executive turnover in counties with appointed administrators. This paper also attempts to determine whether an administrator/managers’ level of education, tenure, race and gender had statistically significant predictive or explanatory strength with regards to executive turnover.
The study sample consists of data collected on the 32 largest U.S. counties with council-manager forms of government. The models were estimated using a pooled cross-sectional panel beginning with year 1992 and ending with year 2005. The unit of analysis was appointed county administrators within large American counties. The Cox proportional regression procedure, a form of duration analysis, was employed to determine casual-effect.
County executive turnover can have profound effects on county policies and fiscal commitments. This paper provides a better understanding to both practitioners and scholars as to the “push” and the “pull” factors that explain and predict the turnover of county executives.

Publication Type: Abstract
Abstract: Abstract: Although studies have identified a number of positive and negative factors associated with voter acceptance or rejection of political integration in southern counties, few studies have developed or assessed an empirical model of political impacts of city-county consolidation. Based on the consolidation literature and theoretical perspectives of black political scientists, a number of propositions were examined. (1) It was expected that a consolidation pursued on a basis other than economic development would fail. (2) Further, it was believed that blacks (elected and non-elected) would more often oppose consolidation than whites. (3) Finally, it was assumed that blacks and whites would view Democrats and municipal resident as likely losers from consolidation. Objectives: The present study pursued one two major objectives. First, the study attempted to develop and empirically test a model of political impacts of city-county consolidation. Secondly, the study assessed the perception and beliefs of a minority group regarding the potential impacts of city-county consolidation in a southern county. Methods: The study examined data from interviews of black elites and a limited random survey of rank-and-file residents (whites and blacks) in a rural county facing a consolidation referendum. Results: Black leaders and rank-file blacks shared similar views on consolidation with whites. Black and white interviewers did not diverge significantly on the potential political impacts of a possible consolidation. Black political consciousness and influence may not actively develop in the face of “radical” restructuring. Conclusions: The author notes that blacks within rural political and socioeconomic contexts are likely to share similar views of political impacts from consolidation as those of white residents. The author concludes by suggesting that the model be further developed by comparing consolidation failures and successes. Additionally, the propositions in the present study could be examined with larger municipal populations.

Publication Type: Paper/Poster Proposal
Abstract: Analysis of national RDD samples conducted by the Pew Research Center and Princeton Survey Research Associates International finds a systematic and consistent underrepresentation of respondents in counties with the highest population density. The underrepresentation results from significantly lower cooperation rates in these counties, and leads to samples that, even when corrected for age, gender, race, ethnicity, education and census region, fail to reflect the true distribution of the public across all parts of the country.

Because high population-density counties voted heavily for John Kerry, this geographic disproportionality, if uncorrected, would result in an overestimation of Bush’s margin over Kerry by roughly two percentage points in pre-election polls conducted in the 2004 election cycle.

Moreover, evidence from the 2003 Pew Research Center Methodology Study, which was in the field for over three months and made every effort to complete interviews in even the hardest to reach and least cooperative households found that the disparity in response rates cannot be overcome by greater effort in the phoneroom.

Publication Type: Symposium Paper
Abstract: The Natrona County School District #1, in Casper, Wyoming, requested an external review of data use in the Fall of 2006. Researchers from the University of Texas at Austin were selected to conduct a study and generate recommendations. The team finalized and submitted a report of findings and recommendations for system improvement in August, 2007. Since then, NCSD personnel have charted a course that initially included distributing the report, holding focus groups to generate standards and a policy, and begun a data system software replacement process. When UCEA 2008 convenes, NCSD will have had the report for one year. This paper reports on the actions taken by NCSD personnel over this year toward becoming a data-informed district.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Researchers have suggested that American counties are emerging as leaders in local governance. This is mainly attributed to the fact that counties are being called upon to provide a whole host of new services to an ever-growing suburban and incorporated population. County executives are known to play a critical role in the provision of these services, however, researchers know very little about the factors contributing to county executive turnover. Several empirical studies have explored tenure and turnover patterns of top-level government executives, yet this research has principally focused on municipalities.
This paper extends existing research by examining how factors contributing to government performance, political uncertainty, and community instability affect county executive turnover in counties with appointed administrators. This paper also attempts to determine whether an administrator/managers’ level of education, tenure, race and gender had statistically significant predictive or explanatory strength with regards to executive turnover.
The study sample consists of data collected on the 32 largest U.S. counties with council-manager forms of government. The models were estimated using a pooled cross-sectional panel beginning with year 1992 and ending with year 2005. The unit of analysis was appointed county administrators within large American counties. The Cox proportional regression procedure, a form of duration analysis, was employed to determine casual-effect.
County executive turnover can have profound effects on county policies and fiscal commitments. This paper provides a better understanding to both practitioners and scholars as to the “push” and the “pull” factors that explain and predict the turnover of county executives.