C. William Swank Program in Rural-Urban Policy (Policy Briefs)
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Item Taking Measure of Ohio's Adequacy Gap in School Funding(Ohio State University. Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics, 2019-01) Feng, Bo; Partridge, Mark D.; Perez-Silva, RodrigoNationally, Ohio ranks 15th in per pupil spending. Even though Ohio does a better job than almost all other states in directing school funding to poor and minority students, a new study by researchers with The Ohio State University’s C. William Swank Program in Rural-Urban Policy shows there is still much to be done to achieve funding adequacy and equity across school districts in Ohio.Item The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Its Effect on Food Insecurity(Ohio State University. Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics, 2014-05) Cho, Clare; Partridge, Mark D.This policy brief provides an overview of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the main support and criticism of the program, focusing on its effect on food insecurity. It also provides a more in depth review of SNAP in Ohio.Item Growth and Change: Tracking Ohio's Recovery from the Great Recession(Ohio State University. Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics, 2014-11) Cho, Clare; Partridge, Mark D.Great Recession that began in December 2007 and ended in June 2009 was the most severe since the Great Depression. In addition to having one of the steepest declines in employment, the recovery has been among the slowest. Yet, we are in our sixth year of economic expansion, which is already the 5th longest since WWII. Although the lengthy expansion has been remarkable given the weak recovery, especially in terms of net job growth, we are getting to the point where another downturn would not be surprising.Item Reevaluation of the Impact of Coal Mining on the Virginia State Budge(Ohio State University. Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics, 2015-06-18) Farren, Michael D.; Partridge, Mark D.Downstream Strategies, an environmental consulting and policy analysis firm, published The Impact of Coal on the Virginia State Budget in 2012, finding that the coal mining industry was responsible for a net cost of 21.9 million USD to the Commonwealth in 2009 (considering only the Virginia General Assembly's General Fund and Transportation Fund revenues and expenditures). We provide a reanalysis of the same topic, considering the effect the presence of the coal industry has on the entire state budget that is not limited to the General Fund. We estimate that in our study year of 2011, the coal industry contributed 31.95 million USD in taxes and fees to the state while the Commonwealth's expenditures relating to the coal industry totaled 24.4 million USD. However, firms producing coal in Virginia also benefit from two exclusive refundable tax credits which we estimate combine to 49.37 million USD. We find that the coal industry was associated with a net cost of 36.7 million USD to the Virginia state budget in 2011.Item The Ohio and National Economy: 2016(Ohio State University. Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics, 2015-12) Partridge, Mark D.Falling mobility is bad for the economy as people don’t move to economic opportunity. Ohio’s poor record on attracting net migration is a key reason for why the state’s job growth lags the nation, but it explains OH’s low unemployment rate. An aging workforce presents challenges, but I think they will be manageable, especially if there are modest/high levels of immigration. Changes in the behavior of the young adults will present challenges and opportunities.Item A Reportcard on Rural and Urban Ohio(Ohio State University. Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics, 2015-06) Cho, Clare; Partridge, Mark D.; Feng, BoThe policy brief provides a comparison of rural and urban communities in the U.S. and Ohio over the last decade. In addition, it provides a discussion of differences across rural communities in Ohio and efforts to strengthen these communities.Item School Choice in Ohio: Moving from Theory to Practice(Ohio State University. Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics, 2016-01) Rembert, Mark H.; Partridge, Mark D.; Feng, BoOver the last twenty years, the education landscape in Ohio has dramatically changed as school choice policies have opened up public funding to private schools and charter schools, increasing school options for parents and students. In recent years, the utilization of Ohio’s school choice programs has rapidly grown, with more than 350,000 Ohio students participating in a school choice program in 2014. As these programs have grown, the amount of public funds involved in school choice program has also grown, well exceeding $1.5 billion in 2014. This rise has shifted the public discourse around school choice from theory to practice, with a greater focus on whether school choice policies are delivering on their promises of better student outcomes and great efficiency in the delivery of education.Item Small Business & Entrepreneurship in Ohio: Promoting Prosperity by Growing from Within(Ohio State University. Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics, 2016-08) Rembert, Mark H.; Partridge, Mark D.; Feng, BoSmall businesses and entrepreneurs have long been recognized for the important role they play in our economy. As recently as the first quarter of 2015, small businesses with fewer than 50 employees accounted for more than a quarter of total employment in Ohio, while nearly one in ten jobs were in businesses five years old and younger. Yet, even more important than the total job numbers, small businesses and entrepreneurs play a critical role in the dynamic evolution of the economy through job creation and job destruction. Simply, small business and new business development is a lot like a lottery; while many won’t be successful, if there are enough small business start-ups, the greater the chance that one will be successful and create scores of jobs and wealth. Even if many small start-ups fail, a key advantage is that a greater intensity of start-ups builds up a culture that celebrates entrepreneurship and better informs government as to how to create a climate to foster their success.Item The Geography of Rural American Poverty(Ohio State University. Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics, 2017-02-15) Partridge, Mark D.Much of rural America is struggling today due to a downturn in the commodity super cycle that has hampered mining, energy, and agriculture. This is exacerbated by the fierce foreign competition that has faced lower-wage rural manufacturers for the last 20 years.Item Connecting the Dots on Ohio's Broadband Policy(Ohio State University. Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics, 2017-04) Rembert, Mark H.; Feng, Bo; Partridge, Mark D.The internet continues to link itself to nearly every aspect of our daily lives: business, news, entertainment, communication, shopping, and education, just to name a few. The incredible benefits offered by information technologies have led individuals, businesses, and public institutions to become more reliant on the internet. As this transformation in how we communicate and do business has occurred, access to reliable internet has become a necessity for individuals and businesses.Item Taking Measure of Ohio's Opioid Crisis(Ohio State University. Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics, 2017-10) Rembert, Mark H.; Betz, Michael R.; Feng, Bo; Partridge, Mark D.Opioid addiction, abuse, and overdose deaths have become the most pressing public health issue facing Ohio. Ohio leads the country in drug overdose deaths per capita, a rate that continues to rise, overwhelming families, communities, and local governments across the state. In this policy brief, we aim to contribute to the understanding of this unfolding crisis and highlight insights that can inform policymaking.