bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Patient-Physician Communication on Medication Cost during Glaucoma Visits
Authors: Slota Catherine , Davis Scott A. , Blalock Susan J. , Carpenter Delesha M. , Muir Kelly W. , Robin Alan L. , Sleath Betsy
Published: December 2017

SIGNIFICANCE

This article is the first to investigate the nature of medication cost discussions between ophthalmologists and glaucoma patients. Only 87 of the 275 office visits analyzed had a discussion of medication cost. Providers should consider discussing medication cost with patients to identify potential cost-related barriers to medication use.

PURPOSE

Glaucoma is an incurable chronic eye disease affecting a growing portion of the aging population. Some of the most commonly utilized treatments require lifelong use, requiring high patient adherence to ensure effectiveness. There are numerous barriers to glaucoma treatment adherence in the literature, including cost. The aim of this secondary analysis was to describe the frequency and nature of patient-physician communication regarding medication cost during glaucoma office visits.

METHODS

This was a mixed-methods secondary analysis of video-recorded participant office visits (n = 275) from a larger observational study of glaucoma communication. We analyzed medical information, demographic characteristics, and interviewer-administrated questionnaires, as well as verbatim transcripts of interviews.

RESULTS

Only 87 participants discussed medication cost during their glaucoma office visit. The majority of the subjects who discussed cost had mild disease severity (51%), took one glaucoma medication (63%), and had Medicare (49%) as well as a form of prescription insurance (78%). The majority of glaucoma office visits did not discuss medication cost, and providers often did not ask about cost problems. Of the few conversations related to cost, most focused on providers offering potential solutions (n = 50), medical and prescription service coverage (n = 41), and brand or generic medication choices (n = 41).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings are similar to previous studies showing few patients have conversations with providers about the cost of glaucoma medications. Providers should consider bringing up medication cost during glaucoma office visits to prompt a discussion of potential cost-related barriers to medication use.
Promoter boundaries for theluxCDABEandbetIBA-proXWVoperons inVibrio harveyidefined by the method RAIL: Rapid Arbitrary PCR Insertion Libraries
Authors: Hustmyer Christine M. , Simpson Chelsea A. , Olney Stephen G. , Bochman Matthew L. , van Kessel Julia C.
Published: December 2017

Experimental studies of transcriptional regulation in bacteria require the ability to precisely measure changes in gene expression, often accomplished through the use of reporter genes. However, the boundaries of promoter sequences required for transcription are often unknown, thus complicating construction of reporters and genetic analysis of transcriptional regulation. Here, we analyze reporter libraries to define the promoter boundaries of theluxCDABEbioluminescence operon and thebetIBA-proXWVosmotic stress operon inVibrio harveyi. We describe a new method called RAIL (RapidArbitrary PCRInsertionLibraries) that combines the power of arbitrary PCR and isothermal DNA assembly to rapidly clone promoter fragments of various lengths upstream of reporter genes to generate large libraries. To demonstrate the versatility and efficiency of RAIL, we analyzed the promoters driving expression of theluxCDABEandbetIBA-proXWVoperons and created libraries of DNA fragments from these loci fused to fluorescent reporters. Using flow cytometry sorting and deep sequencing, we identified the DNA regions necessary and sufficient for maximum gene expression for each promoter. These analyses uncovered previously unknown regulatory sequences and validated known transcription factor binding sites. We applied this high-throughput method togfp, mCherry, andlacZreporters and multiple promoters inV. harveyi. We anticipate that the RAIL method will be easily applicable to other model systems for genetic, molecular, and cell biological applications.

Importance

Gene reporter constructs have long been essential tools for studying gene regulation in bacteria, particularly following the recent advent of fluorescent gene reporters. We developed a new method that enables efficient construction of promoter fusions to reporter genes to study gene regulation. We demonstrate the versatility of this technique in the model bacteriumVibrio harveyiby constructing promoter libraries for three bacterial promoters using three reporter genes. These libraries can be used to determine the DNA sequences required for gene expression, revealing regulatory elements in promoters. This method is applicable to various model systems and reporter genes for assaying gene expression.
Constrained Instruments and their Application to Mendelian Randomization with Pleiotropy
Authors: Jiang Lai , Oualkacha Karim , Didelez Vanessa , Ciampi Antonio , Rosa Pedro , Benedet Andrea L. , Mathotaarachchi Sulantha , Richards J. Brent , Greenwood Celia M.T.
Published: December 2017

In Mendelian randomization (MR), genetic variants are used to construct instrumental variables, which enable inference about the causal relationship between a phenotype of interest and a response or disease outcome. However, standard MR inference requires several assumptions, including the assumption that the genetic variants only influence the response through the phenotype of interest. Pleiotropy occurs when a genetic variant has an effect on more than one phenotype; therefore, a pleiotropic genetic variant may be an invalid instrumental variable. Hence, a naive method for constructing instrumental variables may lead to biased estimation of the causality between the phenotype and the response. Here, we present a set of intuitive methods (Constrained Instrumental Variable methods [CIV]) to construct valid instrumental variables and perform adjusted causal effect estimation when pleiotropy exists, focusing particularly on the situation where pleiotropic phenotypes have been measured. Our approach includes an automatic and valid selection of genetic variants when building the instrumental variables. We also provide details of the features of many existing methods, together with a comparison of their performance in a large series of simulations.CIVmethods performed consistently better than many comparators across four different pleiotropic violations of the MR assumptions. We analyzed data from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) Mueller et al. (2005) to disentangle causal relationships of several biomarkers with AD progression. The results showed that CIV methods can provide causal effect estimates, as well as selection of valid instruments while accounting for pleiotropy.
WNK1 kinase and the termination factor PCF11 connect nuclear mRNA export with transcription
Authors: Volanakis Adam , Kamieniarz-Gdula Kinga , Schlackow Margarita , Proudfoot Nick J.
Published: December 2017

Nuclear gene transcription is coordinated with transcript release from the chromatin template and messenger RNA (mRNA) export to the cytoplasm. Here we describe the role of nuclear-localized kinase WNK1 (with no lysine [K] 1) in the mammalian mRNA export pathway even though it was previously established as a critical regulator of ion homeostasis in the cytoplasm. Our data reveal that WNK1 phosphorylates the termination factor PCF11 on its RNA polymerase II (Pol II) C-terminal domain (CTD)-interacting domain (CID). Furthermore, phosphorylation of the PCF11 CID weakens its interaction with Pol II. We predict that WNK1 and the associated phosphorylation of the PCF11 CID act to promote transcript release from chromatin-associated Pol II. This in turn facilitates mRNA export to the cytoplasm.
Induction of Hyphal Growth in Schizosaccharomyces japonicus
Authors: Niki Hironori
Published: December 2017

Schizosaccharomyces japonicus is a dimorphic yeast. Depending on the nutrient conditions, the transition between growth as yeast cells and growth as hyphal cells can be reversibly induced. In addition to nutrient stress, induced DNA lesions, such as those produced by camptothecin, also induce hyphal growth regardless of the nutrient status. This protocol describes both methods of induction.
Preparation of DNA from Embryonic Stem Cells or Other Cultured Cells
Authors: Behringer Richard , Gertsenstein Marina , Nagy Kristina Vintersten , Nagy Andras
Published: December 2017

Characterization of embryonic stem (ES) cell-mediated genome alterations, including random insertional transgenesis, gene trapping, gene targeting, and site-specific recombinase-mediated changes, is performed mostly at the ES cell level, before the introduction of these alterations into a mouse. A detailed characterization requires a larger amount of DNA than is required for the initial detection of the candidates for the desired alteration. This protocol describes the preparation of DNA from a 10-cm tissue culture plate. The cells are trypsinized and lysed, and DNA is recovered from the lysate by organic extraction followed by ethanol precipitation.
Methylation-Specific Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) for Gene-Specific DNA Methylation Detection
Authors: Lizardi Paul M. , Yan Qin , Wajapeyee Narendra
Published: December 2017

Methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MS-PCR) is a more rapid way to detect changes in DNA methylation than is bisulfite sequencing. In addition, by incorporating some basic automation, samples can be prepared and analyzed in a 96-well plate format. The method can be used either quantitatively (qRT-PCR-based MethyLight) or qualitatively (using agarose gels) to detect changes in DNA methylation; both are described in this protocol.
Methyl-Cytosine-Based Immunoprecipitation for DNA Methylation Analysis
Authors: Lizardi Paul M. , Yan Qin , Wajapeyee Narendra
Published: December 2017

In mammalian cells, DNA methylation at the 5-position of cytosine leads to recruitment of proteins that selectively recognize and bind 5-methylcytosine (5mC). Taking advantage of the structural identity of 5mC, various affinity purification-based protocols have been developed to enrich for either DNA that is modified by 5mC or proteins that recognize 5mC. In this protocol, an antibody against 5mC is used to immunoprecipitate the methylated DNA. The method can be scaled up to perform genome-wide DNA methylation analysis. Because immunoprecipitation is a straightforward procedure that does not require any prior modification of genomic DNA, we also describe several commercial kits available to perform the immunoprecipitation-based detection of DNA methylation.
Whole-Mount In Situ Hybridization of Xenopus Embryos
Authors: Saint-Jeannet Jean-Pierre
Published: December 2017

Historically, techniques to analyze the localized distribution of mRNAs during development were performed on sectioned embryos using radioactively labeled riboprobes. The processing of the tissues and the use of emulsion autoradiography were laborious and time-consuming, leading to the development of more direct approaches. The nonradioactive whole-mount in situ hybridization method was first introduced in Drosophila embryos, and later adapted to Xenopus embryos for abundant transcripts such as muscle actin. Since then, the technique has been improved and is now broadly used for the spatial detection of even less abundant transcripts in Xenopus. The technique has been especially powerful in the analysis of changes in gene expression in embryos manipulated by mRNA or antisense oligonucleotides microinjection, and in animal cap explants exposed to exogenous factors. The protocol described here provides an excellent signal-to-noise ratio for most labeled probes. It also is relatively high-throughput: With a little practice, approximately 50 samples can easily be processed simultaneously.
Detergent Lysis of Tissue Culture Cells for Immunoprecipitation
Authors: DeCaprio James , Kohl Thomas O.
Published: December 2017

This protocol describes the lysis of tissue culture cells for the solubilization of proteins of interest for immunoprecipitation. Upon collection of cells by centrifugation and depending on the use of either Tris- or phosphate-based cell lysis buffers, cells are rinsed, respectively, in either TBS or PBS before lysis. If possible, the pH of the Wash buffer should match that of the Lysis buffer. Adherent cells can be directly lysed on the plate. This is particularly useful upon lysis encompassing mild nonionic detergents, leaving the cytoskeleton intact. Alternatively, adherent cells can be scraped off the plate and directly resuspended in Lysis buffer or Wash buffer for transfer to a tube followed by the addition of Lysis buffer.
Can agricultural credit scoring for microfinance institutions be implemented and improved by weather data?
Authors: Römer Ulf , Musshoff Oliver
Published: December 2017

Purpose

In recent years, the application of credit scoring in urban microfinance institutions (MFIs) became popular, while rural MFIs, which mainly lend to agricultural clients, are hesitating to adopt credit scoring. The purpose of this paper is to explore whether microfinance credit scoring models are suitable for agricultural clients, and if such models can be improved for agricultural clients by accounting for precipitation.

Design/methodology/approach

This study merges two data sets: 24,219 loan and client observations provided by the AccèsBanque Madagascar and daily precipitation data made available by CelsiusPro. An in- and out-of-sample splitting separates model building from model testing. Logistic regression is employed for the scoring models.

Findings

The credit scoring models perform equally well for agricultural and non-agricultural clients. Hence, credit scoring can be applied to the agricultural sector in microfinance. However, the prediction accuracy does not increase with the inclusion of precipitation in the agricultural model. Therefore, simple correlation analysis between weather events and loan repayment is insufficient for forecasting future repayment behavior.

Research limitations/implications

The results should be verified in different countries and climate contexts to enhance the robustness.

Social implications

By applying scoring models to agricultural clients as well, all clients can benefit from an improved risk assessment (e.g. faster decision making).

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study investigating the potential of microfinance credit scoring for agricultural clients in general and for Madagascar in particular. Furthermore, this is the first study that incorporates a weather variable into a scoring model.
Mercantilism and the future: the future lives of an old philosophy
Authors: Rich Paul
Published: December 2017

Discussion of the theoretical underpinnings of Public Administration necessarily involves an appraisal of the legacy of mercantilism. Few movements have had more lasting influence on the development of Public Administration or roused more controversy. As a philosophy originating in the Elizabethan era, its effects on the structure and form of political governance and organizations were astounding. Although sometimes cast as a relic of a bygone era, this article discusses how mercantilism and its progeny are alive and well in the twenty-first century global economy
Jeremy bentham: on organizational theory and decision making, public policy analysis and administrative management
Authors: Martin Lawrence L.
Published: December 2017

Jeremy Bentham (1748 - 1832) was an eccentric 18th Century English genius of many interests. He was the leader of a group of social and political reformers known as the philosophical radicals that included John Stuart Mill. While Bentham never held a government position, his writings influenced many who did. Bentham’s ideas and works touch on a variety of disciplines including: administrative management, criminal justice, economics, law, organizational theory and decision making, philosophy, political science, public administration, public policy, social welfare, and sociology. Bentham was a wordsmith adding such terms to the popular lexicon as: "minimize," "maximize," and "rational." He was also the first person to use the term "international." This article looks at Jeremy Bentham’s contributions in three areas: organizational theory and decision-making, public policy analysis, and administrative management. The article argues that although his ideas and works have been dismissed as passé in the post 1960s era of selective social consciousness and heightened political correctness, Bentham has much to say that is still important and relevant today
Mixing state, market and network governance modes: the role of government in "Crowded" policy domains
Authors: Keast Robyn , Mandell Myrna , Brown Kerry
Published: December 2017

The three governance modes of state, market and network have long been recognized as key forms of social organization. However, the failure of these modes to solve complex public problems has meant that new hybrid arrangements drawing on and mixing the strengths of each mode have come to the fore. This situation results in what is contended to be a “crowded” policy domain which may erode the potential for positive service delivery and programme outcomes. This paper argues that policy and decision-makers need to recognize the difference between these modes and select optimal mixes. The paper proceeds by tracing the evolution of the expanded mix. It sets out a coherent framework to aid decision-making and explores the challenges faced by governments in balancing the structural and operational mechanisms necessary to sustain the engagement of such a diverse set of players
“Come out neville!”: Some thoughts on the myth of progress
Authors: Cawley R. McGreggor
Published: December 2017

This essay emerges from the author’s ongoing attempts to explore the implications of the postmodern condition on the activity called public administration. The approach is unorthodox; mixing current international events with history of science, administrative theory, and ending with an intriguing science fiction novel. The central theme of the essay is the myth of progress connected with Michael Spicer’s excellent analysis of competing theories of state. Whatever else might be said of the essay, the argument comes full circle. It begins with the idea that governing is hard work and ends on the same note.
Government is them: How traveling the road to wellville can undermine the legitimacy of public administration
Authors: Sementelli Arthur
Published: December 2017

The Road to Wellville is a useful allegory to describe the consequences a therapeutic approach to Public Administration can have on citizen participation. A therapeutic approach assumes that the citizens in an administrative state, are sick, and therefore need intervention by the government to heal them, regardless of whether we want it or not. In The Road to Wellville, Kellogg, though well intentioned, relied on alternative, unconventional therapies to try to cure health problems. This paper uses The Road to Wellville to illustrate how public organizations that adopt a therapeutic approach can broadly undermine legitimacy
Emotional labor as carnivalesque behavior: Avoiding administrative evil in the public space
Authors: Pressley Cindy L. , Noel Michael E.
Published: December 2017

Metaphors are used a great deal in theory but are not always fully explained. This paper expands on the carnival metaphor used by Boje (2001) by clarifying the type of carnival the metaphor describes, in this case the sideshow carnival. The sideshow carnival metaphor helps to explain how emotional labor can be used to avoid situations of administrative evil that have been partially caused by the separation of mind/body of public servants operating in public space. The authors of this article illustrate the application of the sideshow carnival metaphor by showing how emergency professionals in the area of natural disaster management have become more professionalized over the last several decades. This professionalization has led to a focus on the rational mind over the emotional body. By engaging in emotional labor, emergency professionals are engaging in carnivalesque behavior that helps to repair the mind/body connection. If the connection is not repaired, the rational mind will take over and the public space wherein the emergency professional exists can co-opt the professional leading them to be unable to see the potential evil acts they might commit.
Exploring the potential of social networking sites for public service professionals
Authors: Hu Qian , Bryer Thomas
Published: December 2017

Social networking sites (SNSs) have established an important presence in our daily lives and at work. This study explores how public service professionals use SNSs and how they perceive the potential of SNSs. This study further examines the relationship between the use of SNSs and social trust and civic participation. Last, this study identifies the challenges and opportunities facing public administration practitioners who use SNSs to build collaboration and promote public interests. Based on the nationwide survey results, this study provides a broader understanding of SNS use among public service professionals. Furthermore, it also provides management recommendations on how public service professionals can make full use of SNSs to facilitate their interactions with other public service professionals and citizens, and foster collaboration to pursue public interests.
Holding employees accountable for the accomplishment of organizational goals: The case of the u.s. federal government
Authors: Rubin Ellen V.
Published: December 2017

Aligned appraisal systems explicitly hold employees accountable for contributing to the accomplishment of organizational goals. Furthermore, appraisal alignment is consistent with both core bureaucratic expectations and New Public Management control regimes, but the efficacy of the policy and its substantive impact have yet to be considered in detail. Over the last decade, federal agencies were encouraged to revise appraisal systems and include alignment. Using the bureaucratic policy adoption literature, an empirical model assesses why agencies choose to adopt and/or implement alignment. The empirical analyses reveal that not all agencies adopting alignment in their appraisal systems fully implemented it for employees and managers. Organizational resources and ideology of political appointees influence adoption, while the strength of strategic program management efforts exhibits a weak association with implementation.
Management matters in renewable portfolio standards
Authors: Fowler Luke
Published: December 2017

While many states have adopted renewable portfolio standards (RPS), they have employed agencies with very different missions to manage these programs. These organizational differences are important in understanding how agencies are approaching the policy implementation. However, there is little research on the comparative effectiveness of these implementation approaches. This article begins with a background of RPS programs, and presents a typology of RPS implementation agencies. The effectiveness of RPS implementation approaches is tested with a pooled state-level dataset covering 14 years of program adoption and implementation. The results indicate implementation approach is substantively important in explaining policy outcomes and the growth of renewable energy. More specifically, the findings suggest using an economic development approach is the most effective way of producing growth in renewable energy generation.
Of rhizomes and pointillism: David john farmerʼs influence, method and art in the field
Authors: Huff Richard , Cors Cynthia , Song Jinzhou , Pang Yali
Published: December 2017

The work of David John Farmer has been recognized as critical to the Public Policy and Administration canon. Its impact has been far-reaching both geographically because of its international application and theoretically because of the vast array of public administration challenges it can help resolve. This paper uses the concepts of rhizomatic thinking and reflexive interpretation to describe Farmerʼs work. And because a critical piece of Farmerʼs work is a bridging of the gap between theory and practice, it formally introduces Farmerʼs research approach as Farmerʼs Method. This article is intended to serve as a useful tool for students, practitioners, and theorists in understanding the vast contributions of David John Farmer and the practical application of his work.
Managing boundaries in integrated care: A qualitative study of collaboration between municipalities and county councils in sweden
Authors: Alvinius Aida , Larsson Bodil Wilde , Larsson Gerry
Published: December 2017

Swedish healthcare has undergone continuous development over several decades. Today, legal responsibility is shared on the local and regional levels, i.e. between municipalities and county councils. The purpose of the present study is to gain a deeper understanding of boundary spanning roles and strategies involved in municipal and county council collaboration. A grounded theory approach was used. Fifteen informants from several Swedish health care authorities were interviewed. A tension exists between preserving boundary strategies that stifle collaboration and boundary spanning strategies that facilitate it. The way boundary spanners manage their role is assumed to influence the centre of gravity for this tension and thus the combination of favourable boundary spanning strategies and favourable boundary spanning roles is one way of getting the current form of collaboration to work.
Neoliberalism and the entrepreneurial subject: Tracking bevirʼs decentered theory of governance
Authors: Marshall Gary S.
Published: December 2017

Governance is central to our current understanding of public administration and policy. Mark Bevirʼs work provides governance studies solid epistemological grounding through a social constructionist approach which gives rise to a decentered theory of governance. This article explains decentered theory by examining the entrepreneurial subject as an artifact of neo-liberal governance. In doing so, it explores the key concepts that give shape to decentered theory.
Resistance is overcome in one dialogic OD model (Appreciative Inquiry)
Authors: Schmidt Anthony H.
Published: December 2017

This study was launched because practitioners of Appreciative Inquiry (AI) instilled awareness for needed AI outcome research. Therefore, the goal of this research was to identify the salient AI processes and levers and the rate of AI success and failure. This study was specific to U.S. municipalities due to a researcher finding AI failure probability therein. In direct opposition, eight U.S. municipalities were identified from the literature as having utilized AI in 14 projects and all were successful even when resistance was present in three applications. A survey revealed 15 AI initiatives identified as successful even when resistance was present in eight, resulting in validation. This study utilized a mixed methods exploratory case study design, sequentially in the mix, consisting of a literature review and application of two unique instruments applied to three populations.
An ontology-based goal framework to evaluate the level of the organizational goals achievement
Authors: Tengku Izhar Tengku Adil , Torabi Torab , Bhatti M. Ishaq
Published: December 2017

This paper is about gathering the measurement data and making an effectiveness results to assist decision-making process to evaluate the level of the organizational goals achievement. In order to achieve this aim, we designed GOAL framework as a platform represents five steps for domain experts and entrepreneurs to identify the relevant organizational data to assist decision-making process in relation to the organizational goals. The aim of this paper concentrates on the design of this framework. GOAL framework associated with the organizational goals ontology aim to identify the dependency relationship between organizational goals and dependency relationship between organizational data and organizational goals. Metrics is defined for this dependency to identify which organizational data is relevant to the organizational goals. The framework is flexible to change without affecting things around because the framework is applicable in any organizational data with different organizational goals.
Budgeting concepts and processes: perceived value for state budgeting
Authors: Hackbart Merl M. , Ramsey James R.
Published: December 2017

State budgeting processes and decision making have been the subject of numerous research efforts. Such studies have been based upon the premise that improved budget processes will improve budget decisions and resource allocations. Among the specific topics of such studies have been the nature and focus of state budgetary processes and innovations as well as inquiries into the training and background of state budgeting personnel. This study focused on the perceived contributions of budget theory, processes and concepts by state budget practitioners. The inquiry also analyzed the differences between state budget directors and their staffs regarding such "perceived" contributions. The results indicate a high degree on similarity of perceived values of the various budget theories, processes and concepts by both groups. Budget process and evaluation concepts were identified as valued concepts which enhanced their budget preparation and execution skills. Both groups indicated a high value for revenue and expenditure forecasting. Such high values probably result, in part, from the fiscal stress encountered by state governments over the past decade. Overall, the study further clarifies which budgeting concepts and processes are most highly valued by state budget practitioners. In addition, the results provide insights for the design of budgeting and financial management courses in public administration and professional development programs.
Recent developments in public financial management in the european community: a symposium
Authors: van der Hoek M. Peter , Thai Khi V.
Published: December 2017

This symposium examines recent developments in public financial management in the European Community (EC). Prior to 1994, this community had twelve country members. It is almost impossible to cover all aspects of the public financial management development of all EC country members. Moreover, the sympo-sium does not cover the most recent changes made by each EC member in order to reach a fiscal unification set for 1992. Five of the six articles for the symposium cover Denmark, Great Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, and Spain. The sixth article examines common features of public financial management developments as well as revenue and outlay trends in all EC countries.
The national voter registration act and national-state conflict: the case of south carolina
Authors: Ransom Bruce
Published: December 2017

Why is South Carolina resisting compliance with the National Voter Registration Act of 1993? In a case study with implications for other states challenging the implementation of the motor voter law, the author frames his analysis on the basic of a conflict between nation-centered and state-centered views of American federalism. He argues that: (1) the lingering influence of a traditional political culture (for South Carolina), (2) states' rights tendencies associated with the devolution of more authority to the states in domestic policy, (3) Republican Party hegemony for strengthening the role of states in the federal system, and (4) the general objection of subnational officials to unfunded federal mandates converge to propel South Carolina and several other states (9 of 10 led by Republican governors) to seek judicial relief under the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution from what they see as the national government exploiting its authority at the expense of states.
Attitudes towards debt-equity-swaps and privatization of state-owned enterprises
Authors: Milman Claudio
Published: December 2017

This study describes the privatization experience of Chile focusing primarily on the role played by debt-equity-swaps (DES). The use of a survey instrument and archival data suggest that DES speeded up the privatization process in Chile and made the privatization of large State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) easier. This is the first empirical study linking financial innovation (e.g. DES) to a privatization program.
General revenue sharing loss: alabama local government fiscal responses
Authors: Cooper Steven D.
Published: December 2017

This study explores linkage between Alabama local governments’ lost General Revenue Sharing (GRS) and their resultant coping strategies in the years following this federal program’s demise. Previous studies have failed consistently to relate particular coping strategies to how GRS monies were spent and to differing magnitudes of GRS loss among governmental jurisdictions. This study finds a possible linkage between Alabama local governments that cut basic governmental services and their previous GRS “dependency” and spending preferences.
Budgeting in hungary during the democratic transition
Authors: LeLoup Lance T. , Dietz Andrea , Hogye Mihaly , Papai Zoltan , Urban Laszlo , Varadi Laszlo
Published: December 2017

The transition to democracy and a free market economy in Hungary and other Central European nations has provided a unique opportunity to study rapid change in budget systems, institutions, and policies. This article examines budgeting in Hungary since 1989, beginning with an analysis of the comparative budgeting literature in an attempt to identify an appropriate theoretical framework for the study. Then it explores budgetary definition and measurement problems, debt and economic conditions, external actors and constraints on the budget, budget institutions and process, and the impact of Parliament on the budget and concludes by assessing the problems and prospects for Hungarian budgeting.
Financial management trends in latin america
Authors: Asselin Lynnette McCormack
Published: December 2017

Reform of the government financial management system is part of every public sector reform program currently being implemented in Latin America. This is because of the emphasis on efficiency, effectiveness and economy that has become part of the development dialogue on public sector performance. Although it is still too early to measure the benefits derived from the reforms, it is possible to identify certain positive experiences, as well as lessons learned and problems encountered.
Estimating and managing the federal subsidy of fannie mae and freddie mac: is either task possible?
Authors: Feldman Ron
Published: December 2017

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac receive explicit and implicit off-budget subsidies from the federal government. This paper reviews the methods to estimate the dollar amount of the subsidies. None of the three techniques to estimate the indirect subsidy yield accurate point estimates. They do suggest that Fannie and Freddie could receive billions of dollars in subsidies in some years and much smaller amounts in other years. However, assessing the size of the implied subsidies is most valuable in demonstrating that Fannie and Freddie, not the federal government, control their size. Efforts to improve federal control face significant difficulties including informational asymmetries and the political incentives that have led to the status quo. These drawbacks bolster the rationale for eliminating federal support for Fannie and Freddie.
Accountability of government sponsored enterprises
Authors: Stanton Thomas H.
Published: December 2017

Government sponsored enterprises (GSEs) are federally chartered, privately owned institutions that benefit from the perception that the government stands behind their financial obligations. GSEs provide large amounts of credit to selected constituencies such as farmers, home buyers and students. On the other hand, GSEs lack sufficient accountability to the government and taxpayers that create and subsidize them. Three elements of accountability deserve attention: (1) assure that GSEs are well capitalized and properly supervised to protect against unnecessary financial risk; (2) authorize continuing independent analysis of their public benefits and costs; and, (3) provide for an exit strategy so that the government can withdraw its sponsorship once a GSE outlives its public purposes.
Compliance reporting decisions in municipal audits: the impact of budget variance and employment sector
Authors: Kidwell Linda Achey
Published: December 2017

Governmental auditors must report on compliance with laws and regulations if such noncompliance has a material impact on the financial statements. Little is known about what factors impact a governmental auditor’s reporting decisions. This study examines reporting decisions regarding violations of the Louisiana Local Government Budget Act. Study participants included private practitioners and employees of the Legislative Auditor. Subjects were asked where they would report Budget Act violations under differing degrees of noncompliance. Budget variance and employment sector impacted compliance reporting decisions. At higher levels of budget variance, higher levels of reporting were used. Legislative auditors were found to report at higher levels than private practitioners. They apparently viewed non-compliance as black-and-white; any level of noncompliance was reported in the compliance report. Private practitioners, however, applied a materiality test.
Public entrepreneurs in the policy process: performance-based budgeting reform in florida
Authors: Berry Frances Stokes , Flowers Geraldo
Published: December 2017

How do entrepreneurs in the public sector effect major policy changes? Are the same entrepreneurs likely to be involved from the idea initiation stage through design, adoption, implementation and institutionalnation, or are there different prominent entrepreneurs in each of the policy stages? What does the pattern of entrepreneurial participation mean for the success of the policy? Utilizing a case study of Performance-Based Program Budgeting (PB2 ) in the State of Florida, this paper employs the observations of key Florida policymakers and advocates to describe the strategic and purposive actions of public entrepreneurs in the four stages of the PB2 budget reform policy process. The work supports current research that major policy changes, such as the adoption of PB2 in Florida, require purposive and strategic actions from public entrepreneurs for their fruition. The paper also contributes to the growing implementation and budgeting literature that describes and assesses performance-based budgeting in the states, and provides observations on necessary conditions for institutionalizing PB2 in Florida.
How agency conditions facilitate and constrain performance-based program systems:a qualitative inquiry
Authors: Flowers Geraldo , Kundin Delia , Brower Ralph S.
Published: December 2017

This paper examines how administrators in two very different Florida state agencies implemented performance-based program budgeting. It identifies the key organizational conditions that facilitate and inhibit implemen-tation and propose implications for generalizing these observations to other settings. The study concludes that agency variables make implementation much more difficult in some settings and that a one-size-fits-all approach may contribute to a variety of delays and conflicts in the implementation process.
Implementing florida’s performance and accountability act: a focus on program measurement and evaluation
Authors: Sheffield Sheila R.
Published: December 2017

The 1990s brought major budget and management reform to the State of Florida. Foremost among the reforms was performance-based program budgeting, brought about by the 1994 passage of the Government Performance and Accountability Act (GPAA). The Act established a number of supports for a complete performance-based budgeting system including citizen-driven benchmark development, creation of performance indicators, performance measurement, outcome reporting, and program evaluation and justification reviews. This paper addresses the output and outcome measures used to tie performance standards to budget appropriations and to evaluate programs after they have been on performance-based program budgeting for a year.
Local government performance through the eyes of citizens
Authors: Glaser Mark A. , Denhardt Robert B.
Published: December 2017

Citizens generally do not have a good understanding of local government and consequently have difficulty assessing performance objectively. Instead, they permit a variety of indicators and sources of information to shape their perceptions of government. This research takes a first step toward an improved understanding of citizen-government relations, especially focusing on how citizens see government. The survey results from over 1800 citizens in Orange County, Florida (including the metropolitan area of Orlando) are analyzed through a series of multiple regression models employing varied assumptions and citizen populations to better understand what drives citizen perceptions of local government performance. To effectively change citizen-government relations, local government must honor citizen values and priorities by demonstrating that it listens to citizens and acts on what it hears.
Benchmarking and cost accounting: the North Carolina approach
Authors: Rivenbark William C. , Carter K. Lee
Published: December 2017

Benchmarking is a management tool that promotes process improvement. By comparing service units across jurisdictions, best practices can be identified and used to enhance less efficient and effective operations. However, the lack of generally accepted criteria to compare service costs for local government has hindered benchmarking initiatives. One of the key components of the North Carolina Local Government Performance Measurement Project (NCLGPMP) is the full-cost accounting model developed to ensure that localities employ the same methodology to collect and report cost data associated with performance measures. This article presents an overview of the development and implementation issues associated with that model and highlights the areas of direct costs, indirect costs, and capital costs. It is argued that accuracy and comparability of performance and cost data are the fundamental ingredients of a benchmarking and performance measurement project.
Governmental purchasing in the public policy process: orienting theory and practice
Authors: Sinclair Thomas A.P.
Published: December 2017

What do purchasing officers and policy theorists have to offer one another? Policy frameworks could help purchasing officers anticipate or predict change and respond to those changes earlier and more effectively. Likewise, purchasing officers and the study of the governmental purchasing systems they operate could contribute a great deal to the development of policy theories or frameworks. This paper outlines the central features of two important policy frameworks; institutional analysis and development (IAD) within the tradition of institutional rational choice (Ostrom, 1999), and the advocacy-coalition framework (Sabatier and Jenkins-Smith, 1999) and applies those frameworks to the government purchasing arena.
Promises and pitfalls of contracting for public services: the lawa case
Authors: Emerson Sandra M.
Published: December 2017

Historically, public services were provided by public institutions because they were seen as either the best-insulated or most sensitive to public sentiments. Today, the fusing of public responsibility with private expertise draws on research and theory stretching from Taylor’s scientific management to Osborne and Gaebler’s reengineering of government. This paper focuses on the historical promises and pitfalls that have come to define public service contracting in the twenty-first century. It describes the experiences of the Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) with purchase of service contracts. The exploration of LAWA’s approach provides insight on how managers meet the community’s needs for efficiency and equity by capitalizing on contracting for public services.
Uncovering patterns of state short-term debt financing
Authors: Trogen Paul C.
Published: December 2017

Despite balanced budget requirements, each year most states carry short term debt (STD) across fiscal years. Logit analysis results suggest structural fiscal stress causes states to carry STD across fiscal years. This strategy may not be rational, because STD is a tool for smoothing short-term shortfalls, and not for correcting structural fiscal stress. Cross sectional time series analysis results suggest both structural and cyclical factors influence the amount of year end STD. Findings suggest STD amounts fluctuate as a rational temporary replacement for long-term debt, growing when long term rates rise and decreasing when they fall.
Regulation vs. self-governed compliance in government procurement: the perceived impact of
Authors: Penska Kenneth , Thai Khi V.
Published: December 2017

The United States defense industry has had a long history of unethical and illegal business practices. Recent polls find that most Americans believe that their nation’s weapon acquisition system is one of the worst managed activities in the public or private sectors and the defense industry is neither efficient nor honestly managed. Although the defense acquisition process has been the subject of many reform efforts, it is reasonable to ask whether these reform efforts have had any success. The Defense Industry Initiative on Business Ethics and Conduct, commonly known as DII, is the defense industry’s selfgoverned program responding to the concern regarding ethical business practices in defense procurement. This study is to assess the Defense Industry Initiative on Business Ethics and Conduct in an attempt to find the perceived impact of this self-governed compliance program.
The anatomy of a budget recommendation
Authors: Thurmaier Kurt
Published: December 2017

How analysts make recommendations to the budget director and governor depends partly on the nature of the state budget office (SBO). This paper contrasts the development of a budget recommendation in an office with a strong policy orientation with recommendations fashioned in an office with a strong control orientation. One important difference is that control oriented analysts focus almost exclusively on the technical and legal facets of budget problems, whereas their policy oriented counterparts spend considerable time on the social, legal, and political (SLP) facets. The SLP framework enables the policyoriented analysts to apply economic rationality to evaluate requests and make recommendations that are consonant with the governor’s policy agenda.