The Politics of Reform in an Era of "Texas-style" Accountability: An Interview with Angela Valenzuela

"The following interview emerged from a mutual interest in understanding the nature and politics of school reform in an era, as Angela Valenzuela so pointedly asserts, of "Texas-style" accountability. We were particularly interested in discussing the implications, underlying narratives and motifs of education policy at the state and federal level. In light of these concerns and their role in shaping individually, socially and civically the communities we serve, we felt it necessary to end our discussion on a more personal note, with Angela sharing her views and experiences on actively transforming the status of education." Source : InterActions: UCLA Journal of Education and Information Studies. Vol. 1, Issue 2, Article 9.

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Review: Adolescent Boys: Exploring Diverse Cultures of Boyhood edited by Niobe Way and Judy Y. Chu.

Abstract : In their edited volume, Adolescent Boys: Exploring Diverse Cultures of Boyhood, Niobe Way and Judy Chu draw on empirical research to enrich current representations of boys development. They state that their main goal is to challenge stereotypes about adolescent boys propagated in social research and the popular media that is, to dispel myths of adolescent boys and, in particular, minority boys as "at-risk," "problematic," "not interested in intimacy, primarily interested in sex, and emotionally stoic" (p. 3). As editors, their commitment to a broader and deeper understanding of boys is reflected in the range of topics examined (e.g., identity development, family, peer, and romantic relationships, and schooling experiences), samples studied (e.g., boys from diverse ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic backgrounds), and methods employed (e.g., quantitative and qualitative approaches are utilized). As a whole, although the volume highlights when generalizations about boys are appropriate and when they should be tempered, it should not be read as a comprehensive overview of previous research conducted on adolescent boys. Authors : Amy Bellmore, University of California, Los Angeles | Adrienne Nishina, University of California, Los Angeles Source :InterActions: UCLA Journal of Education and Information Studies. Vol. 1, Issue 2, Article 14.

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The Declining Significance of Race

Race-Based Affirmative Action in College Admissions between 1986 and 2003

Abstract : Using eighteen years of data from more than 1,300 four-year colleges and universities in the United States, we investigate the extent to which institutional prestige, school sector, ethnic composition relative to that of the state, and changes in state affirmative action policy influence the propensity of colleges to consider race/ethnicity in their admissions decisions. We find that stated preferences for minority students in admissions increase slightly from 1986 to the early 1990s but then decline sharply from the mid 1990s until 2003. The decline is more pronounced for public than otherwise similar private institutions. More prestigious institutions are more likely to engage in affirmative action than other institutions and public institutions are more likely to engage in affirmative action at the beginning of our period of study than private institutions. Institutional support for affirmative action is affected both directly and indirectly by court decisions and administrative policies that restrict affirmative action. Effects of other policies, including ballot initiatives and laws, are less clear. We argue that sociological theories of stratification are ill equipped to explain the observed patterns of institutional preferences for minority students and suggest a rearticulation of Turner’s notion of sponsored mobility as a useful theoretical alternative. Authors : Eric Grodsky, University of California, Davis , Demetra Kalogrides, University of California, Davis

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Family Violence Statistics: Including Statistics on Strangers and Acquaintances

"Compares family and nonfamily violence statistics from victimization through the different stages of the justice system. Family violence is defined as all types of violent crime committed by an offender who is related to the victim and includes spouse abuse, parental violence against a child, and violence among other family members. Nonfamily relationships used for comparison include boyfriends and girlfriends, friends and acquaintances, and strangers. Data are drawn from victimization surveys, official police statistics, State and Federal court statistics, and surveys of inmates in State prisons and local jails." Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics

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Statistical Tables are also available : [link to site]

State Activities to Improve Service Delivery Systems for Individuals with Co-Occurring Mental and Addictive Disorders

"individuals in the United States are estimated to suffer from co-occurring mental and substance abuse-related disorders. Many states are actively planning and implementing strategies to improve service delivery systems for this population. This paper investigates the programmatic, financing, organizational, and related strategies that nine states are pursuing, as well as practices and models that local programs in those states are employing to better serve people with co-occurring mental and addictive disorders." Source: RAND Corporation

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A New Perspective on the US-China Trade Debate: Asia's Emerging Union

"The United States needs to improve its competitiveness and productivity in response to the challenge of Asian integration. Priorities should include restoring control over government finances and raising national savings; coordinated measures to reduce global trade and financial imbalances; adopting new measures to open markets and enforce trade agreements; strengthening government commitments to basic science; ensuring that education reforms, worker training, and visa policies allow American businesses and universities to attract international talent; and seeking continued improvements to high-tech and traditional infrastructure." Source: The China Business Forum

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Survey Research on Voter Attitudes Toward Internet Security Issues

"Voters are becoming increasingly insecure about using the Internet. In fact, the fear of identity theft is keeping many consumers from doing business online. While voters may not be particularly well-versed in the details of 'spyware' and 'phishing,' they have little faith in the ability of the market to root out bad actors and instead feel that government ought to be doing more to keep the Internet safe. The more voters learn about spyware, the more concerned they get, but they also realize that there are differences between different kinds of software that operate in the background. Voters believe that the Congress – not the states – should pass spyware legislation that focuses on punishing perpetrators who use spyware for fraudulent purposes."

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Report of the Task Force on the United Nations: American Interests and UN Reform

"The bipartisan Task Force on the United Nations, led by Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, and George Mitchell, former majority leader of the Senate, and coordinated by the Institute of Peace, released its report on June 15. Mandated by Congress at the request of Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA), the report offers an actionable agenda for Congress to strengthen the United Nations." Source : UNIP

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Employee Sentiment and Stock Option Compensation

Abstract : The use of equity-based compensation for employees in the lower ranks of large organizations is a puzzle for standard economic theory: undiversified employees should discount company equity heavily, and any positive incentive effects should be diminished by free rider problems. We analyze whether the popularity of option compensation for rank and file employees may be driven by employee optimism. We develop a model of optimal compensation policy for a firm faced with employees with positive or negative sentiment, and explicitly take into account that current and potential employees are able to purchase equity in the firm through the stock market. We show that employee optimism by itself is insufficient to make equity compensation optimal for the firm. Any behavioral explanation for equity compensation based on employee optimism requires two ingredients: first, employees need be over-optimistic about firm value, and second, firms must be able to extract part of the implied rents even though employees can purchase company equity in the market. Such rent extraction becomes feasible if employees prefer the non-traded compensation options offered by firms to the traded equity offered by the market, or if the traded equity is overvalued. We then provide empirical evidence confirming that firms use broad-based option compensation when boundedly rational employees are likely to be excessively optimistic about company stock, and when employees are likely to have a strict preference for options over stock. Authors : Nittai K. Bergman, Dirk Jenter | Source : NBER

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O.E.D. List of New Words

Amuse-bouche, ankle-biter, dagnabbit, ka-ching, Lib-Dem, and tankini are all new words added to the Oxford English Dictionary this month.

Here's the full list [link]

If you haven't played with the online O.E.D.yet, try it. Using the Advanced Search you can easily find the "first cited author," and "first cited date" of words. Did you know Jane Austen was the first cited author for the word "baseball" in 1815?

Most University libraries subscribe to the online O.E.D., if you're on the Stanford network you can access it through the following links : Main Page | Advanced Search Page

GlobalLex : A Guide to the U. S. Federal Legal System

"This guide was originally prepared to be added with similar guides for legal research of many foreign jurisdictions. The intended audience was global in scope and one without access to the printed sources and fee-based databases in American federal law. Since its first publication I have come to realize that the audience includes many internet users who require reliable legal sources through publicly accessible web-based databases. Many of the materials here are recent and not comprehensive in scope and date coverage. The guide is not intended to supplant traditional sources of legal research. It is my hope that it serves as an introduction to the field and leads the user to a more comprehensive exploration of American federal law."
Author: Gretchen Feltes, Faculty Services/Reference Librarian at New York University School of Law Library

What makes this site valuable to academic and scholarly researchers are the collected links to a wide variety of federal sources such as a list of presidential vetoes as far back as 1789, committee reports and documents, executive orders and proclimations, biographical information on federal judges etc.

There is also a link to the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents which include "statements, nominations, messages, speeches, press conferences and other Presidential materials released by the White House in the preceding week."

link to resource

World War II--Video Archive

This collection consists of short films and news clips, primarily in black and white, documenting Allied operations and activities during WWII. In addition to footage of campaigns in Europe and in the Pacific, the films document activities on the homefront, including the efforts of African American colleges and farmers, the relocation and internment of Japanese civilians, and the victory garden program sponsored by the U.S. Office of Civilian Defense. Source: Ball State University, Digital Library Initiative, Educational Resources Center

Link to site

WSSLinks : Women and Gender Studies Web Sites

Created and maintained by the Women's Studies Section of the Association of College & Research Libraries, WSSLinks is a collection of resources in support of Women's Studies. Collected into sections ranging from art, business, film, philosophy, music, science and technology, theology, history, archives, and more. Source : ACRL.

Link to site

Article : College students have evolved from clients to consumers

"Before the 1960s, the college student's role was that of a client, seeking the expertise and knowledge of the faculty, said Roger L. Geiger, distinguished professor of higher education. But during the 1960s and 1970s, the situation began to change perceptibly when student activists and certain administrators made significant changes to their college's curriculum, such as eliminating required courses and adding more "relevant" courses demanded by students. Also, policies such as mandatory attendance and comprehensive final exams were relaxed." Source : Penn State Live

Link to online article

The 2004 Racial and Gender Report Card: College Sports

"The 2004 Racial and Gender Report Card for College Sport showed that NCAA member institutions improved their record for gender hiring practices but lost ground on hiring practices by race. This was the final part of the 2004 Report Card and followed the release of the reports on the NBA, WNBA, Major League Baseball, NFL and Major League Soccer." Source: Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, College of Business, University of Central Florida

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Other reports available for download from this site : [link]

Early Violent Death Among Delinquent Youth: A Prospective Longitudinal Study

"The study found that 65 young people died during the follow-up period, all from causes other than illness. In 95.5 percent of the deaths, the cause was homicide or injuries resulting from a police officer’s apprehension efforts; 1.1 percent were suicides; 1.3 percent were from motor vehicle accidents; 0.5 percent were from other accidents; and 1.6 percent were from other external causes. Among homicides, 93 percent were from gunshot wounds." Source: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

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Assigning Deviant Youths to Minimize Total Harm

Abstract : A common practice in the fields of education, mental health, and juvenile justice is to segregate problem youths in groups with deviant peers. Assignments of this sort, which concentrate deviant youths, may facilitate deviant peer influence and lead to perverse outcomes. This possibility adds to the list of arguments in support of "mainstreaming" whenever possible. But there are other concerns that help justify segregated-group assignments, including efficiency of service delivery and protection of the public. Our analysis organizes the discussion about the relevant tradeoffs. First, the number of deviant youths (relative to the size of the relevant population, or to the number of assignment locations) affects whether the harm-minimizing assignment calls for diffusion or segregation. Second, the nature of the problematic behavior is relevant; behavior which has a direct, detrimental effect on others who share the assignment makes a stronger case for segregation. Third, the capacity for behavior control matters, and may make the difference in a choice between segregation and integration. We briefly discuss the empirical literature, which with some exceptions is inadequate to the task of providing clear guidance about harm-minimizing assignment strategies. Finally, we reflect briefly on the medical-practice principle "first do no harm," and contrast it with the claims of potential victims of deviants. Authors : Philip J. Cook and Jens Ludwig | Source : NBER

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BBC Four - Audio Interviews

Collection of over 100 audio clips of "cultural greats of the 20th Century talking about their work." The wide variety of interviews include clips and short biographies of Enid Blyton, Judi Dench, Le Corbusier, Bob Marley, Nureyev, Pele, Shaw, Tutu and political activist Michael Young (CASBS fellow 1959). Most of the clips are under 5 minutes long. Site is searchable and browsable by last name and clustered by categories such as writers, political activists, philosophers, actors, etc.

Link to site

The Role of Non-Farm Incomes in Reducing Rural Poverty and Inequality in China

Abstract : China’s record in reducing rural poverty has been nothing short of spectacular and should be a source of lessons for other countries. Rural poverty reduction is generally sought in the role of agriculture in contributing to farm incomes. However, non-farm employment in rural areas can also be a major contributor. Using detailed household survey data from Hubei province, we simulate the counterfactual of what rural households’ incomes, poverty, and inequality would be in the absence of access to non-farm sources of income. Results show that, without non-farm employment, rural poverty would be much higher and deeper, and that income inequality would be higher as well. We find that education, proximity to town, neighborhood effects, and village effects are crucial in helping particular households gain access to these opportunities. We also find that those who stay as pure farmers have non-observable characteristics that make them much more productive in agriculture, implying positive selection on these characteristics. Moreover, participation in non-farm activities has a positive spillover effect on household farm production.
Authors : Alain de Janvry, Elisabeth Sadoulet, and Nong Zhu | Source : Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics, U. C. Berkeley

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The Global Girl: How International Trade Liberalization Benefits Women

"This paper explains how trade improves the products and services we enjoy in America and helps create better jobs and spur economic growth. In particular, this paper focuses on how women benefit from the free flow of goods between countries and why they should support further efforts to liberalize the global market." Source: Indpendent Women's Forum

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Aggregating Conflict: The Impact of Municipal Boundaries on Electoral Politics

Abstract: This article examines the impact of city size on electoral competition for city council office. Models from election systems design are applied in the municipal contest in order to evaluate the impact of government structure as an intervening variable. Results show that city size matters even after electoral structure and socio-political diversity have been taken into account. District magnitude has a pronounced impact on electoral fragmentation, to the effect that each additional seat being contested adds two “effective” candidates to the race. Incumbency effects, election timing, and other institutional boundaries are also shown to be relevant factors conditioning electoral fragmentation. Author : Michael Latner, University of California, Irvine | Source : Center for the Study of Democracy, U.C. Irvine

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Oxytocin increases Trust in Humans

From Nature Article: "Can you bottle trust? The answer, it seems, is yes. Researchers have produced a potion that, when sniffed, makes people more likely to give their cash to someone to look after.

A Swiss-led research team tested their creation on volunteers playing an investment game for real money. When they inhaled the nasal spray, investors were more likely to hand over money to a trustee, knowing that, although they could make a hefty profit, they could also lose everything if the trustee decided not to give any of the money back."

Dr. Ernst Fehr, a professor of economics at the University of Zurich provides his paper online:

Oxytocin increases Trust in Humans, NATURE 435, 2 June 2005, 673-676 (with Michael Kosfeld, Markus Heinrichs, Paul Zak and Urs Fischbacher)

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Antonio Damasio on Brain Trust, NATURE 435, 2 June 2005, 571-572

Related research by Dr. Ernst Fehr :

Neuroeconomic Foundations of Trust and Social Preferences, forthcoming in American Economic Review (with Urs Fischbacher and Michael Kosfeld)

The Neuroeconomics of Mind Reading and Empathy, forthcoming in American Economic Review (with Tania Singer)

China: National Library opens digital portal

"A digital portal to collections of the National Library of China was opened on May 29, providing online search and accession to digitalized resources of the library. As the latest public service platform launched by the library, the D-portal combines 37 Chinese-language data banks, 77 foreign language data banks, 16,000-odd periodicals in both Chinese and foreign languages, as well as special resources including local records..." Source: People's Daily

Link to Library Digital Portal | People's Daily Article

Revaluing the Yuan: Where Politics and Economics Collide

"As the Bush administration continues to pressure China to allow the yuan to rise against the dollar in order to stave off protectionist legislation in the U.S. Senate, Chinese officials continue to reply that they will not be coerced into taking action by a foreign government meddling in a matter of national sovereignty. Faculty members at Wharton and other China-watchers predict that China will eventually revalue the yuan, probably this year, because it is in China's own long-term interest to do so. These experts also note that the United States, by trying to force the issue in a vociferous, public manner, is possibly delaying the revaluation. In addition, they say, revaluing the yuan will not revitalize industries that have been battered by the movement of certain jobs to China, where labor and production costs are cheap." Source: Knowledge@Wharton

Link to full online article

No Child Left Behind: The Dangers of Centralized Education Policy

"Instead of using centralized decrees to turn mediocre institutions into excellent ones, as they have been trying but failing to do for the last several decades, the state and federal governments should be empowering individual families to 'vote with their feet' by transferring to the schools of their own choice. The key locus for such revolutionary reforms is the states. The best contribution the national government can make to educational improvement is to avoid educational policymaking and allow states to experiment with school choice programs." Source: The Cato Institute

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American Public Support for U.S. Military Operations from Mogadishu to Baghdad

"The support of the American public is widely held to be a critical prerequisite for undertaking military action abroad. This monograph describes American public opinion toward wars and other large military operations over the last decade, to delineate the sources of support and opposition for each war or operation, to identify the principal fault lines in support, and to illuminate those factors that are consistent predictors of support for and opposition to military operations." Source: RAND Corporation

Summary (PDF) | Full PDF Report

The Gender-Responsive Strategies Project: Jail Applications

"Current research about women offenders and strategies for evaluating current operating procedures related to women offenders are covered. Sections of this bulletin include: introduction; women in jail -- their numbers and characteristics; the Gender-Responsive Strategies project -- approach and findings; six gender-responsive guiding principles -- implications for jail administrators; jail classification and gender-responsive strategies for implementation in a jail setting; challenges and how to overcome them; parity and equity in programming; next steps; improving jail operations -- how jail administrators benefit from considering gender-responsive strategies; Maximizing Opportunities for Mothers to Succeed (MOMS): Alameda County Sheriff's Office, Oakland, California; and conclusion." Source: National Institute of Corrections

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An Investigation of the Effects of Alcohol Consumption and Alcohol Policies on Youth Risky Sexual Behaviors

Abstract: The problems of teen pregnancy, HIV/AIDS and the high rates of other sexually transmitted diseases among youth have lead to widespread concern with the sexual behaviors of teenagers. Alcohol use is one of the most commonly cited correlates of risky sexual behavior. The purpose of this research is to investigate the causal role of alcohol in determining sexual activity and risky sexual behavior among teenagers and young adults. This research also addresses the question of whether there are public policies that can reduce the risky sexual behavior that results in harmful consequences. Individual and aggregate level data are used to investigate these questions. Results show that alcohol use appears to have no causal influence in determining whether or not a teenage has sex. However, alcohol use may lower contraception use among sexually active teens. Authors:Sara MarkowitzRobert Kaestner, Michael Grossman | Source : NBER

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An Empirical Analysis of ‘Acting White'

"There is a debate among social scientists regarding the existence of a peer externality commonly referred to as ‘acting white.’ Using a newly available data set (the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health), which allows one to construct an objective measure of a student’s popularity, we demonstrate that there are large racial differences in the relationship between popularity and academic achievement; our (albeit narrow) definition of ‘acting white.’ The effect is intensified among high achievers and in schools with more interracial contact, but non-existent among students in predominantly black schools or private schools. The patterns in the data appear most consistent with a two-audience signaling model in which investments in education are thought to be indicative of an individual’s opportunity costs of peer group loyalty. Other models we consider, such as self-sabotage among black youth or the presence of an oppositional culture, all contradict the data in important ways." Source: Roland G. Fryer, Jr. and Paul Torelli (Harvard University)

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Diversity and the Ph.D.

"A new Woodrow Wilson report shows that, despite decades-long national efforts and some gains in enrollments, African Americans and Hispanics are still significantly underrepresented among recipients of Ph.D.s in the United States. The two groups, according to Diversity and the Ph.D., comprise 32% of all U.S. citizens in the typical age range of Ph.D. candidates (25-40), but just 11% of all U.S. citizens earning Ph.D.s—and only 7% of all doctoral recipients, including international students." Source: Woodrow Wilson Foundation

Executive Summary(PDF) | Full PDF Report

The Condition of Education 2005

The Condition of Education 2005 summarizes important developments and trends in education using the latest available data. The report presents 40 indicators on the status and condition of education and a special analysis of the mobility of elementary and secondary school teachers. The indicators represent a consensus of professional judgment on the most significant national measures of the condition and progress of education for which accurate data are available. The 2005 print edition includes 40 indicators in six main areas:
(1) enrollment trends and student characteristics at all levels of the education system from elementary education to adult learning;
(2) student achievement and the longer term, enduring effects of education;
(3) student effort and rates of progress through the educational system among different population groups;
(4) the contexts of elementary and secondary education in terms of courses taken, teacher characteristics, and other factors;
(5) the contexts of postsecondary education; and
(6) societal support for learning, including parental and community support for learning, and public and private financial support of education at all levels.

The report is browsable through the website and indicators are downloadable as individual PDF reports.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics

Link to site

Do politicians use the press to get free advertising?

Abstract: "If the media is biased towards conflict, candidates and issues raised negatively will receive more news coverage. I test this hypothesis using a new data set from the 2000 California election. Preliminary results show negative campaigning increases press coverage."
Author:Garrett R. Asay, University of California, Irvine | Source: Center for the Study of Democracy Symposium: Democracy and Its Development.

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2004 National Study of Postsecondary Faculty Report on Faculty and Instructional Staff in Fall 2003

"This publication is the first from the 2004 National Study of Postsecondary Faculty (NSOPF:04), a study of faculty and instructional staff employed in degree-granting public and private not-for-profit postsecondary institutions in the United States. This report describes the gender, race/ethnicity, tenure status, and income of all faculty and instructional staff, by employment status, institution type, and program area." Source:National Center for Education Statistics

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Making Progress Toward Graduation : Evidence from the Talent Development High School Model

Talent Development, a high school reform initiative, produced substantial educational gains for students in very low-performing schools in Philadelphia. Talent Development increased school attendance by nine days per year for each student. For a high school with 500 first-time ninth-graders, it helped an additional 125 students pass algebra and an extra 40 students complete a basic academic curriculum and get promoted to tenth grade. There are also indications that positive effects are beginning to extend to eleventh-grade math test scores and to graduation rates. Source : MDRC

Link to site | PDF Download

The Determinants of Faculty Patenting Behavior: Demographics or Opportunities?

Abstract:

We examine the individual, contextual, and institutional determinants of faculty patenting behavior in a panel dataset spanning the careers of 3,884 academic life scientists. Using a combination of discrete time hazard rate models and fixed effects logistic models, we find that patenting events are preceded by a flurry of publications, even holding constant time-invariant scientific talent and the latent patentability of a scientist's research. Moreover, the magnitude of the effect of this flurry is influenced by context --- such as the presence of coauthors who patent and the patent stock of the scientist's university. Whereas previous research emphasized that academic patenters are more accomplished on average than their non-patenting counterparts, our findings suggest that patenting behavior is also a function of scientific opportunities. This result has important implications for the public policy debate surrounding academic patenting.
Authors : Pierre Azoulay, Waverly Ding, Toby Stuart Source : NBER

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Media Reporting of Jury Verdicts: Is The Tail (of the Distribution) Wagging the Dog?

Abstract: In 1996, Daniel Bailis and I published a statistical content analysis of media reporting on tort litigation between 1980 and 1990, at the peak of the "tort reform" debate. Compared with objective data on tort cases, we found that the magazine articles considerably overrepresented the relative frequency of controversial forms of litigation (product liability and medical malpractice), the proportion of disputes resolved by trial (rather than settlement), the plaintiff victory rate at trial, and the median and mean jury awards. Since that study was published, several content analyses have extended our work with respect to methodology and legal domain (e.g., employment discrimination cases, air-bag litigation, pharmaceutical industry litigation). In my paper, I will first briefly review the findings of these studies and sketch out their implications for claiming rates, settlement rates, and deterrence. I will then contrast two classes of explanations for the distortion. One class involves functional explanations involving media markets, the political interests of corporations, and the motivations of ordinary citizens. The second class involves formal attributes of the trial narratives themselves (plot features, numerical magnitude, and so on). I will argue that a formal, perceptual account is surprising successful in accounting for the observed pattern of distortion. In contrast, the functional accounts are either tautological or contradictory. If in fact the media distorts trial outcomes in the service of powerful corporate interests, they may be doing those interests a disservice. Everything else being equal, rational choice and psychological accounts agree that exaggerated estimates of the expected value of a lawsuit should encourage blaming, claiming, large awards, and overdeterrence. Author : Robert J. MacCoun, Center for the Study of Law and Society Jurisprudence and Social Policy Program. Source: JSP/Center for the Study of Law and Society Faculty Working Papers.

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Cost of Probation Supervision Much Lower than Imprisonment: FY 2004 Costs of Incarceration and Supervision

"The cost of supervising a criminal offender on probation in fiscal year 2004 was $3,425.72. The cost for imprisoning an offender for that same year was $23,205.59." Source: Newsletter of the Federal Courts

Link to article

Census of Population and Housing : 1890 Census

Data now available online

The census of 1890 was taken, under the supervision of Robert P. Porter,1 according to an act of March 1, 1889, and modeled after that used for the 1880 Census.

The enumeration began on June 2, 1890, because June 1 was a Sunday. The census employed 175 supervisors, with one or more appointed to each state or territory, exclusive of Alaska and Indian territory. Each subdivision assigned to an enumerator was not to exceed 4,000 inhabitants. Enumeration was to be completed in cities with populations under 10,000 (according to the 1880 Census results) was to be completed within 2 weeks. Enumerators were required to collect all the information required by the act by a per­sonal visit to each dwelling and family.

As in 1880, experts and special agents were hired to make special enumerations of manufactures,2 Indians living within the jurisdiction of the United States, and a separate enumeration of Alaska. Furthermore, the schedule collecting social statistics was withdrawn from enumerators; the work of obtaining statistics concerning mines and mining, fisheries, churches, education, insurance, transportation, and wealth, debt, and taxation, also was conducted by experts and special agents.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Link to site

U.S. Voter Turnout Up in 2004, Census Bureau Reports

"Sixty-four percent of U.S. citizens age 18 and over voted in the 2004
presidential election, up from 60 percent in 2000, the U.S. Census Bureau reported today. Tables from a November survey also show that of 197 million citizens, 72 percent (142 million) reported they were registered to vote. Among those registered, 89 percent (126 million) said they voted. In the 2000 election, 70 percent of citizens were registered; and among them, 86 percent voted.

Other highlights from the Voting and Registration in the Election of November 2004 online tables pertaining to the voting-age citizen population:

* In 2004, turnout rates for citizens were 67 percent for non-Hispanic whites, 60 percent for blacks, 44 percent for Asians and 47 percent for Hispanics (of any race). These rates were higher than the previous presidential election by 5 percentage points for non-Hispanic whites and 3 points for blacks. By contrast, the voting rates for Asian and Hispanic citizens did not change. These data pertain to those who identified themselves as being of a single race.
* Minnesota had the highest citizen-voting rate at 79 percent, and North Dakota the highest citizen-registration rate at 89 percent.
* Citizens age 65 and older had the highest registration rate (79 percent) while those age 18 to 24 had the lowest (58 percent). The youngest group also had the lowest voting rate (47 percent), while those age 45 and older had the highest turnout (about 70 percent).
* Among citizens, turnout was higher for women (65 percent) than for men (62 percent). The turnout rate for people with a bachelor’s degree or higher (80 percent) was greater than the rate for people whose highest level of educational attainment was a high school diploma (56 percent).
* Seventy-three percent of veteran citizens cast ballots, compared with 63 percent of their nonveteran counterparts.

Voting rates in the online tables are calculated using the voting-age population, which includes citizens and noncitizens."
Source: U.S. Census

Press Release | Detailed Tables | Historical Data

Labor Force Characteristics of Foreign-born Workers

"This news release compares the labor force characteristics of the foreign born with those of their native-born counterparts. The data on nativity are collected as part of the Current Population Survey (CPS), a monthly sample survey of approximately 60,000 households. The foreign born are persons who reside in the United States but who were born out- side the country or one of its outlying areas to parents who were not U.S. citizens." Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Link to online report

Buzz, Blogs and Beyond: The Internet and the National Discourse in the Fall of 2004

"Experimental research from the Pew Internet & American Life Project and BuzzMetrics suggests that political bloggers can make an impact on politics, but they often follow the lead of politicians and journalists. A report released today, entitled 'Buzz, Blogs and Beyond: The Internet and the National Discourse in the Fall of 2004,' employed new word-of-mouth tracking and cross-media correspondence techniques to examine the impact of online buzz on the national agenda during the last two months of the 2004 presidential election." Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project

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Allophilia: A Framework for Intergroup Leadership

Abstract: One of the most pressing concerns confronting leaders is intergroup conflict, often inspired or facilitated by prejudice. Not only might leaders inherit conflicts between political, religious, or organizational groups, but they may unwittingly contribute to them. Foundations of strong intragroup leadership, such as fostering strong group identification and cohesion, are often stepping stones to intergroup conflict. I refer to this as the "ingroup/outgroup leadership tradeoff." While the reduction of prejudice is essential to the reduction of intergroup conflict, I argue that the necessary approach is not to replace prejudice with the neutral stance of tolerance. Something critical lies beyond the reduction of prejudice and the promotion of tolerance: positive intergroup attitudes, allophilia. While the academic and applied literature on intergroup relations is well supplied with terms for negative intergroup attitudes (e.g., xenophobia, sexism, racism, anti-Americanism, classism, ageism, homophobia), there are surprisingly few terms for positive intergroup attitudes. Allophilia is a term I coin, derived from the Greek words meaning "liking, or love, of the other." The concept of allophilia provides a powerful anchor for a new framework for understanding intergroup leadership. To initiate the development of a framework of allophilia and leadership, I address three interrelated questions in this article: (1) What is allophilia in the context of intergroup relations?; (2) What role does-and might-allophilia play in intergroup leadership?; and (3) What are the keys to further developing allophilia as a framework for intergroup leadership theory and practice? The framework prompts leaders to push their societies and the world community away from the natural direction in which individuals and social system might otherwise unfold, leading them instead on a trajectory of positive intergroup relations. Author: By Todd L. Pittinsky | Source: Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government, Faculty Research Working Paper Series

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GATT Digital Library

"At present this site provides access to over 30,000 public documents and 200 publications of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). The public documents include reports, studies, and meeting records covering a broad range of topics related to international trade in the post-war period. Each document bears a unique symbol number and the entire collection is searchable by a range of fields including symbol, date, keyword in title, keyword in title, and organization name."

Link to library site

Does Money Buy Happiness in Unhappy Russia?

ABSTRACT: Surveys rank Russians among the unhappiest people in the world. Contrary to popular accounts of a uniquely melancholic national character, the subjective wellbeing of Russians depends heavily on both individual and collective economic wellbeing. Individual differences in living standards account for much of the variation in happiness levels among Russians in cross-sectional survey data. These effects are particularly sharp when we expand our measure of economic status beyond income to incorporate household wealth. Individual changes in wealth, however, cannot explain the recent, dramatic improvement in the distribution of happiness in Russia. Based on panel analysis of longitudinal survey data, this shift should be attributed to the collective experience of recovery from the shock of the 1998 ruble crisis, rather than to individual economic trajectories. Authors: Jane Zavisca and Michael Hout Source:Berkeley Program in Soviet and Post-Soviet Studies.

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Freakonomics blog

Where "a rogue economist explores the hidden side of everything." Authors Steven D. Levitt (CASBS fellow 2003) and Stephen J. Dubner offer this blog as a companion to their new best-seller Freakonomics. Previous posts include transcripts from interviews and updates.

Link to blog

Would Equal Opportunity Mean More Mobility?

"Adult economic status is positively correlated with parental economic status in every society for which we have data, but no democratic society is entirely comfortable with this fact. As a result, all democratic societies have adopted policies aimed at reducing the effect of family background on life chances, and most left-of-center political parties think that governments should do even more. This paper makes two main arguments. First, equal opportunity does not imply eliminating all sources of economic resemblance between parents and children.... Second, the size of the correlation between the economic status of parents and their children is not a good indicator of how close a society has come to equalizing opportunity." Authors : Christopher Jencks and Laura Tach | Source: Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government, Faculty Research Working Paper Series

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An Exploratory Look at Supermarket Shopping Paths

"We present exploratory analyses of an extraordinary new dataset that reveals the path taken by individual shoppers around an actual grocery store, as provided by RFID (radio frequency identification) tags located on their shopping carts. In order to explore the spatial patterns observed in the data, we present a multivariate clustering algorithm not yet seen in the marketing literature that is able to handle data sets with unique (and numerous) spatial constraints. The resulting output conveniently summarizes each cluster with an observed shopping path, thus enabling us to familiarize ourselves with the 'canonical trip types' that are typical of grocery store travel." Source: Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania

Online Article | Full PDF Report

University of Minnesota Human Rights Library

"The University of Minnesota Human Rights Library houses one of the largest collections of more than twenty-one thousand core human rights documents, including several hundred human rights treaties and other primary international human rights instruments. The site also provides access to more than four thousands links and a unique search device for multiple human rights sites. This comprehensive research tool is accessed by more than a 175,000 students, scholars, educators, and human rights advocates monthly from over 135 countries around the world. Documents are available in six languages - Arabic, English, French, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish."

Link to Library

Head Start Reauthorization: Enhancing School Readiness for Hispanic Children

"This white paper serves as a tool for policy-makers and advocates to shape the Head Start reauthorization debate in order to address the school readiness needs of Latino children. Head Start is our nation’s premier early childhood education program; however, it can be improved to better meet the needs of Hispanic families. This analysis documents key access and quality challenges for Latinos, examines provisions in recent legislation to reauthorize Head Start, and provides policy recommendations for improving the program for Latino families." Source: National Council of La Raza

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A New Beginning: Strategies for a More Fruitful Dialogue with the Muslim World

"Focus groups in three Muslim countries--Egypt, Indonesia, and Morocco--show better communication could change opinions and reduce widespread anti-Americanism, concludes a Council Special Report, A New Beginning: Strategies for a More Fruitful Dialogue with the Muslim World." Source: Council on Foreign Relations

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Modernizing China's Military: Opportunities and Constraints

"Projects future growth in Chinese government expenditures as a whole and on defense in particular, evaluates the current and likely future capabilities of China’s defense industries, and compares likely future expenditure levels with recent defense expenditures by the United States and the U.S. Air Force. The authors forecast that Chinese military spending is likely to rise from an estimated $69 billion in 2003 to $185 billion by 2025-approximately 61 percent of what the Department of Defense spent in 2003." Source: RAND Corporation

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Leadership by the Numbers? It's One Part of Todd Thomson's Management Strategy at Citigroup

"At a time when the accounting scandals of Enron, WorldCom and other corporations are still fresh in people's minds, it's interesting to note that Todd S. Thomson, chairman and CEO of Citigroup Inc.'s Global Wealth Management division, describes the role of CFO as "the conscience of a company." Source: Knowledge@Wharton.

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Republicans Divided About Role of Government - Democrats by Social and Personal Values

Beyond Red vs. Blue : "Republicans have neither gained nor lost in party identification in 2005. Moreover, divisions within the Republican coalition over economic and domestic issues may loom larger in the future, given the increasing salience of these matters. The Democratic party faces its own formidable challenges, despite the fact that the public sides with them on many key values and policy questions. Their constituencies are more diverse and, while united in opposition to President Bush, the Democrats are fractured by differences over social and personal values. " Source: The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press

Report website includes questionnaire, and detailed demographic tables.
Link to website

Overworked and Overpaid: The Costs of Learning by Doing

Abstract: In medicine, law, consulting, and many other careers, a significant proportion of human capital is created throgh profession-specific learning-by-doing (LBD. In the absence of long-term wage contracts, if LDB effects are sufficiently large, then young workers should face a negative wage in return for high future wages. However, if workers are liquidity constrained, then young workers compete away those returns to expereience by working inefficiently hard. This inefficiency results in higher lifetime earning, causes older workers to exert too little effort, and tends to lower the observable (monetary) returns to experience. Unlilke traditional models, this can explain "career concerns" in professions where effort and ability are observable. Source: Institute of Industrial Relations. Institute of Industrial Relations Working Paper Series. Paper iirwps-119-05. Author: Marko Tervio, University of California, Berkeley

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The Economic Costs of Drug Abuse in the United States 1992–2002

"The economic cost of drug abuse in 2002 was estimated at $180.9 billion. This value represents both the use of resources to address health and crime consequences as well as the loss of potential productivity from disability, death and withdrawal from the legitimate workforce. This estimate has incorporated extensive new data, although several major components have been trended forward." Source: Office of National Drug Control Policy

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ClinicalTrials.gov

"ClinicalTrials.gov offers up-to-date information for locating federally and privately supported clinical trials for a wide range of diseases and conditions." The database "currently contains approximately 13,000 clinical studies sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, other federal agencies, and private industry. Studies listed in the database are conducted in all 50 States and in over 100 countries."

You can browse trials by condition, sponsor, and status. Valuable not only for those doing research on conditions, but also those conducting competitive intelligence on participating corporations. Searchable

Link to site

The Status of Muslim Civil Rights in the United States 2005

"In 2004, CAIR processed a total of 1,522 incident reports of civil rights cases compared to 1,019 cases reported to CAIR in 2003. This constitutes a 49 percent increase in the reported cases of harassment, violence and discriminatory treatment from 2003 and marks the highest number of Muslim civil rights cases ever reported to CAIR in our eleven year history." Source: Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)

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Life Histories of North American Birds

"A web browser-based electronic book collection of Life Histories of North American Birds, selected from the hundreds of species biographies assembled and written by Arthur Cleveland Bent and his collaborators and published in a twenty-one volume series between 1919 and 1968 by the United States Government Printing Office. "

About the Work of Arthur Cleveland Bent (1866-1954)

His extraordinary Life Histories of North American Birds, published in a twenty-one volume series (1919-1968), provided behavioral information not available in the standard field guides. These pioneering studies are the durable foundation on which almost all other compilations of North American bird biology (including the contemporary Birds of North America) rest. In them Bent and his collaborators present, in enthusiastic, readable prose, comprehensive information about courtship, nesting, eggs, young, plumages, food, behavior, voice, enemies, and more. Readers who supplement their field guides with these delightful accounts acquire a deeper understanding of both the birds and their observers (as well as an interesting cultural history lesson).

Link to Site

Publication and the Internet: Where Next?

"There are, I believe, two important components to a new publishing model. The first is to rely as much as possible on the authors of scientific papers to take over functions now carried out by scientific journals. Good software tools can facilitate this. The second is to recognize tasks that -- irreducibly -- require professional editors and staff, and to assign the real costs and collect revenues for these tasks. In the following, I will quote costs for these services as a fraction of the present cost for the Physical Review to process a paper." Source: APS News

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Foreign Doctoral Dissertations Database

Center for Research Libraries (CRL) "has more than 750,000 uncataloged foreign doctoral dissertations, of which approximately 20,000 are included in this database."

Link to Database

The Hive and the Honey Bee

"The Hive and the Honeybee now consists of the full text of ten books from the Phillips Collection, chosen by a team of scholars for their historical importance and usefulness to beekeepers today. Each book is fully searchable." Source:Albert R. Mann Library at Cornell University.

Books by author:

• Alley, Henry. The beekeeper's handy book, or, Twenty-two years' experience in queen-rearing, containing the only scientific and practical method of rearing queen bees, and the latest and best methods for the general management of the apiary Henry Alley, Wenham, Mass. : 1883.
• Doolittle, Gilbert M.. Scientific queen-rearing as practically applied; being a method by which the best of queen-bees are... T. G. Newman, Chicago : 1889.
• Dzierzon, Jan. Dzierzon's rational bee-keeping, or, The theory and practice of Dr. Dzierzon Houlston & sons, London : 1882.
• Huber, François. New observations on the natural history of bees Printed for J. Anderson ; Edinburgh : 1806.
• Langstroth, L.L. Langstroth on the hive and the honey-bee; a bee keeper's manual... Hopkins, Bridgman, Northampton : 1853.
• Miller, C. C. Fifty years among the bees A. I. Root Co., Medina, Ohio : 1911.
• Munn, W. Augustus. A description of the bar-and-frame hive John Van Voorst, London : 1844.
• Phillips, Everett Franklin. Beekeeping [1915?]
• Quinby, M. Mysteries of bee-keeping explained; being a complete analysis of the whole subject : ... C. M. Saxton & Co., New York : 1853.
• Root, A. I. The A B C of bee culture; a cyclopædia of everything pertaining to the care ... A.I. Root, Medina, Ohio : 1879.

Link to Site

Renditions: Constraints Imposed by Laws on Torture

"This report discusses relevant international and domestic law restricting the transfer of persons to foreign states for the purpose of torture. The U.N. Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT), and its domestic implementing legislation (the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998) impose the primary legal restrictions on the transfer of persons to countries where they would face torture." Author: Michael John Garcia, Legislative Attorney Source: Congressional Research Service

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The Grand Old Spending Party: How Republicans Became Big Spenders

"The GOP was once effective at controlling nondefense spending. The final nondefense budgets under Clinton were a combined $57 billion smaller than what he proposed from 1996 to 2001. Under Bush, Congress passed budgets that spent a total of $91 billion more than the president requested for domestic programs. Bush signed every one of those bills during his first term. Even if Congress passes Bush’s new budget exactly as proposed, not a single cabinet-level agency will be smaller than when Bush assumed office." Source: The Cato Institute

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Attention, Speculators: Here's a Lesson from Hong Kong's Housing Bubble

"Whenever housing prices soar -- in Shanghai, San Francisco or Santiago -- experts wonder whether the cause is a speculative bubble that could eventually burst, causing widespread distress. Such frenzied swings are not confined to real estate alone, of course, as any investor who lost his shirt during the dot-com mania of the 1990s knows. What causes such bubbles? Is there a way of spotting them while the bubble is actually being formed -- rather than after the fact? A new research paper that examines volatility in Hong Kong's residential market between 1992 and 1997 offers interesting insights into these questions." Source: Knowledge@Wharton

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Commerce Department Forecasts Record Arrivals and Spending by 2006 for Travel to the United States

"The United States is projected to achieve record arrivals and receipts by 2006, according to the semi-annual Forecast of International Travel to the United States released today by the U.S. Department of Commerce. In 2006, the United States is forecasted to host more than 52 million international visitors who will generate almost $110 billion in exports. The previous record arrival year was 2000 when over 51 million international travelers visited the United States." Source: U.S. Department of Commerce

Press Release
Forecast of Top Overseas Travel Markets to the United States
Forecast of International Travel to the United States

Small Classes in the Early Grades, Academic Achievement, and Graduating From High School

"It is well established that small class size in the early elementary grades boosts student achievement in those grades and allows students to be more engaged in learning than they are in larger classes. But there has been little research on the long-term effects of small class size. A new study involving a large sample of students followed for 13 years shows that four or more years in small classes in elementary school significantly increases the likelihood of graduating from high school, especially for students from low-income homes." Source: Journal of Educational Psychology (via American Psychological Association)

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Is the Melting Pot Still Hot? Explaining the Resurgence of Immigrant Segregation

Abstract : "This paper uses decennial Census data to examine trends in immigrant segregation in the United States between 1910 and 2000. Immigrant segregation declined in the first half of the century, but has been rising over the past few decades. Analysis of restricted access 1990 Census microdata suggests that this rise would be even more striking if the native-born children of immigrants could be consistently excluded from the analysis. We analyze longitudinal variation in immigrant segregation, as well as housing price patterns across metropolitan areas, to test four hypotheses of immigrant segregation. Immigration itself has surged in recent decades, but the tendency for newly arrived immigrants to be younger and of lower socioeconomic status explains very little of the recent rise in immigrant segregation. We also find little evidence of increased nativism in the housing market. Evidence instead points to changes in urban form, manifested in particular as native-driven suburbanization and the decline of public transit as a transportation mode, as a central explanation for the new immigrant segregation." Source : NBER

Link to PDF Report (available to Stanford Community)

Human language: Resources from linguistics and beyond

"This article aims at introducing and reviewing language-related Internet sites covering computational linguistics, which is closely interconnected with library and information science, computer science, and engineering, as well as linguistics per se, which itself is interconnected with various disciplines. These sites encompass language data covering field notes, lexical resources, written and spoken corpora, and language fonts and software, together with second-language learning resources, linguist-mediated digitization activities for preserving endangered human cultures and languages, e-books and e-journals, and more."

Link to site

FRASER - The Federal Reserve Archival System for Economic Research

"The Federal Reserve Archival System for Economic Research (FRASER™) is a unique project of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis that currently consists of over 40 thousand pages of historical economic data. The goal of FRASER™ is to contribute to the quality of scientific economic research through the creation of a public electronic archive of economic statistical publications and data, furthermore, it represents a logical extension of the long-standing mission of the Research Division of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis to provide timely and convenient data to scholars, analysts, students and interested observers of the U.S. economy."

Link to Site

Poverty and Place in North America

"This paper provides an overview of poverty in North America: in Mexico, the United States and Canada. It begins with an overview of growth and inequality in the three countries. The second section of the paper presents concepts and measures of poverty and reports the overall incidence of poverty in the three countries using various measures. The third section explores the relationship between the level of economic development and poverty, both between and within countries. The fourth section looks at the relationships between household composition and poverty and between race/ethnicity and poverty in the US and Mexico. The final section briefly raises policy issues that emerge from the analysis." Source: Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government, Faculty Research Working Paper Series Authors : Mary Jo Bane and Rene Zenteno

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Does Teacher Preparation Matter? Evidence about Teacher Certification, Teach for America, and Teacher Effectiveness

"Recent debates about the utility of teacher education have raised questions about whether certified teachers are, in general, more effective than those who have not met the testing and training requirements for certification, and whether some candidates with strong liberal arts backgrounds might be at least as effective as teacher education graduates. This study examines these questions with a large student-level data set from Houston, Texas that links student characteristics and achievement with data about their teachers’ certification status, experience, and degree levels from 1995-2002." Source: American Educational Research Association Authors: Linda Darling-Hammond, Deborah J. Holtzman, Su Jin Gatlin, Julian Vasquez Helilig

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Migrants entering or leaving the United Kingdom and England and Wales, 2003

"...provides detailed estimates about international migrants for the years 1994 to 2003. t includes analyses by citizenship, country of last or next residence, main reason for migration, usual occupation, age and sex and length of stay. Headline figures of international migration in 2003 were published on 4 November 2004." Source: National Statistics Office, UK

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Data-Mining Journals and Books: Using the Science of Networks to Uncover the Educational Resarch Community

"To investigate the process through which the educational research community can become more vibrant and cohesive, the authors of this article ask: How can the numerous networks that constitute the field of educational research be analyzed in an effort to understand and influence the pattern through which knowledge of educational phenomena are exchanged? The authors contend that understanding these complex networks will illuminate the dynamic processes through which community members identify with one another, researchers collaborate, and ideas connect—three social processes that shape replication and generalization efforts. The authors outline three ways in which examining the field’s members and products can be used to move closer to the ambitious yet attainable goal of establishing an academic community that exchanges information in ways that allow others to confirm, extend, and generalize research findings." Source: American Educational Research Association

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State Court Sentencing of Convicted Felons -- Statistical tables

"Presents detailed data from the nationally representative sample survey of felons convicted in State courts in 344 counties. Tables present the number of felony offenders in State courts, sentences received, demographic characteristics of convicted felons, the number of felons sentenced to probation, the number of felons convicted by trial and guilty plea, and the time required to process felony conviction cases." Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics

Tables are available in both PDF and Spreadsheet format

Link to download site

How Program Officers at Education Philanthropies View Education

"This paper examines the educational views of program officers at education philanthropies. It reports the results of a survey conducted in 2005."Source: The Brookings Institution, Brown Center on Education Policy Author : Tom Loveless Senior Fellow, Governance Studies

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Hispanics Gaining Jobs But Suffering Worse Wage Losses in U.S. Labor Force

"Hispanic workers accounted for more than 1 million of the 2.5 million new jobs created by the U.S. economy in 2004. But Hispanics are the only major group of workers to have suffered a two-year decline in wages and they now earn 5 percent less than two years ago, according to a Pew Hispanic Center analysis of latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau." Source: Pew Hispanic Center

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The Evolution of the Mexican-Born Workforce in the United States

Abstract : "This paper examines the evolution of the Mexican-born workforce in the United States using data drawn from the decennial U.S. Census throughout the entire 20th century. It is well known that there has been a rapid rise in Mexican immigration to the United States in recent years. Interestingly, the share of Mexican immigrants in the U.S. workforce declined steadily beginning in the 1920s before beginning to rise in the 1960s. It was not until 1980 that the relative number of Mexican immigrants in the U.S. workforce was at the 1920 level. The paper examines the trends in the relative skills and economic performance of Mexican immigrants, and contrasts this evolution with that experienced by other immigrants arriving in the United States during the period. The paper also examines the costs and benefits of this influx by examining how the Mexican influx has altered economic opportunities in the most affected labor markets and by discussing how the relative prices of goods and services produced by Mexican immigrants may have changed over time." Source : NBER

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The NEA 2005 Almanac of Higher Education

Full contents are available as individual downloads from the National Education Association.

1. Overview by Harold S. Wechsler
2. Faculty Salaries: 2003-2004 by Suzanne B. Clery and Amelia M. Topper
3. Higher Education's Fiscal Fortunes Some Light in the Tunnel at Last :by William Zumeta
4. The Higher Education Act Reauthorization Issues and Prospects :by Thomas R. Wolanin
5. Saving Public Colleges and Universities: An Urgent Call to Political Action by William Dale Crist
6. Globalization and the University: Myths and Realities in an Unequal World by Philip G. Altbach
7. Bargaining for Contingent Faculty (supplemental table) by Christine Maitland and Gary Rhoades
8. Higher Education Support Professionals: Trends in Demographics and Worklife Perceptions by Linda K. Johnsrud and Jocelyn Surla Banaria
9. Appendix: NEA Higher Education Bargaining Units

Link to download site

Country Analysis Brief: United Arab Emirates

"The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is important to world energy markets because it contains 98 billion barrels, or nearly 10 percent, of the world's proven oil reserves. The UAE also holds the world's fifth-largest natural gas reserves and exports significant amounts of liquefied natural gas." Newly updated April 2005 Source: U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration

Link to Report

Public Perceptions of the Pay Gap

"Women working full time earn about 75 percent of what men working full time earn. Even after considering job tenure, years in the labor market, occupation, education, and other factors usually associated with pay, about 20 percent of the gap remains unexplained. Do Americans know about this disparity? Why do they think there is a pay gap? In March 2005, the AAUW Educational Foundation commissioned a nationally representative poll conducted by Lake, Snell, Perry, Mermin and Associates to learn about common perceptions of the pay gap." Source: American Association of University Women (AAUW)

Link to Research Highlights | Link to poll data

New U.S. Census Bureau State Population Projections

From Press Release : "Three states -- Florida, California and Texas -- would account for nearly one-half (46 percent) of total U.S. population growth between 2000 and 2030, according to Census Bureau state population projections released today. Consequently, Florida, now the fourth most populous state, would edge past New York into third place in total population by 2011; California and Texas would continue to rank first and second, respectively, in 2030. These three states would each gain more than 12 million people between 2000 and 2030. Arizona, projected to add 5.6 million people, and North Carolina, with 4.2 million, would round out the top five numerical gainers. As a result, Arizona and North Carolina would move into the top 10 in total population by 2030 — Arizona rising from 20th place in 2000 to 10th place in 2030 and North Carolina from 11th place to seventh place. Michigan and New Jersey are projected to drop out of the top 10." Source: U.S. Census

Link to Tables - Table data is downloadable in Exel, PDF, and CSV formats

Medieval studies: Gateways, subject guides, and more

Compiled by John Jaeger, a librarian at Dallas Baptist University and Paul Victor Jr., a librarian at the University of Florida, this online article links to authoritative online guides to Medieval Studies. Sources include Georgetown University, College of Staten Island: SUNY, Stanford, and Yale.

The article "attempts to introduce the reader to some of the excellent sites available on the Internet that relate to medieval studies. Some of these sites are gateways that link to a broad range of online resources. Other sites are large subject guides provided from large universities that have medieval studies programs. Additionally, there are subject-specific sites that focus on particular aspects of medieval study, such as history, literature, philosophy, or religion. These resources can be particularly helpful in locating precise information. Also, there are subscription databases, such as the International Medieval Bibliography, that give researchers access to a large collection of resources not freely available on the Web."

Link to site

U.S. Sees First Double Digit Growth in International Visitation Since 1992

"The U.S. Department of Commerce today announced that more than 46 million international visitors traveled to the United States in 2004, an increase of 12 percent from 2003. This marks the first year of double-digit growth since 1992. The United States experienced growth in visitation for 15 consecutive months through December 2004." Source: U.S. Department of Commerce

Link to Press Release and data

Country Analysis Briefs: Nigeria

"An OPEC member, Nigeria is the largest oil producer in Africa and the eleventh largest in the world. The country is a major oil supplier to both Western Europe and the United States." Newly updated April 2005. Source: United States Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration

Link to Report

Inequities Persist for Women and Non-Tenure-Track Faculty: The Annual Report on the Economic Status of the Profession 2004-05

"Following the pattern of recent years, this annual report first examines the economic situation of full-time faculty at different types of institutions, after which it considers longer-term trends affecting higher education and faculty status. Highlights include a comparison of the salaries of university and college presidents to those of faculty and a discussion of probably the single most significant trend for higher education faculty: the growing predominance of contingent positions. For the first time, this year's report touches on the pay of contingent professors relative to that of tenure-track faculty, an issue on which sufficient data unfortunately do not yet exist. The report concludes with a matter of abiding concern: the question whether women faculty are making progress toward equity with men." Source: American Association of University Professors

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"I can but I don't want to": The Impact of Parents, Interests, and Activities on Gender Differences in Math

"The general conclusion that we draw from our work is that, although girls' performance and self-perceptions of ability suggest that they feel competent in math, they are less likely than boys to find it intrinsically interesting and their parents are less likely to create math-supportive or math-promotive environments for them. It appears, instead, that the achievement environment in many homes is a gendered environment and that messages from parents about achievement continue to be sent through gender-typed filters." Source: Gender Differences in Mathematics (Cambridge University Press) by Ann M. Gallagher (Editor), James C. Kaufman (Editor) ISBN: 0521533449

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Contacts between Police and the Public: Findings from the 2002 National Survey

"Presents data on the nature and characteristics of contacts between residents of the U.S. and the police over a 12-month period. Findings are provided from a nationally representative survey of nearly 80,000 residents age 16 or older. Detailed information is presented on face-to-face contacts with the police, including the reason for and outcome of the contact, resident opinion on police behavior during the contact, and whether police used or threatened to use force during the contact. The report provides demographic characteristics of residents involved in traffic stops and use-of-force encounters and discusses the relevance of the survey findings to the issue of racial profiling." Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics

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Family-Friendly Policies: Boosting Mothers' Wages

"Family-friendly policies allow workers to meet their family responsibilities, along with their work responsibilities. Family-friendly policies often entail a 'flexible workplace,' where the workday or workplace can be altered according to the family and caring responsibilities of the worker. This report looks at two types of flexible workplace policies—scheduling flexibility and access to leave for the birth of a child (a form of anticipated leave)— and finds that they have either positive effects or little to no effect on wages." Source: Center for Economic and Policy Research [via DocuTicker]

Link to PDF Report

Measuring Child Well-being: Reducing Risky Behavior

"The panel will focus on two important issues: teen pregnancy and violent crime committed by, and against, youth. Levels of teen pregnancy and violent crime have been substantially reduced from their mid-1990s peak and speakers will offer insights on specific programs and policies that could help these trends continue in the right direction." Source: Brookings Welfare Reform & Beyond Initiative Public Forum

Download Event Transcript (PDF) | Download "Child Well-Being Index (PDF)

Firearm Storage Patterns in US Homes With Children

"This study determined the prevalence and storage patterns of firearms in US homes with children. Methods: We analyzed data from the 1994 National Health Interview Survey and Year 2000 objectives supplement. A multistage sample design was used to represent the civilian noninstitutionalized US population. Results: Respondents from 35% of the homes with children younger than 18 years (representing more than 22 million children in more than 11 million homes) reported having at least 1 firearm. Among homes with children and firearms, 43% had at least 1 unlocked firearm...." Source: RAND Corporation

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Remembering Saul Bellow : 1915-2005

From the Guardian: "With his death, says John Burnside, Saul Bellow has joined the pantheon of writers whose greatness rests not on vogue but on what they say about being human" Link to article

also...
Bellow's Nobel Prize Lecture: December 12, 1976
Full text and sound recording.
Link to site

What Do Wage Differentials Tell Us about Labor Market Discrimination?

Abstract : "We examine the extent to which non-discriminatory factors can explain observed wage gaps between racial and ethnic minorities and whites, and between women and men. In general we find that differences in productivity-related factors account for most of the between group wage differences in the year 2000. Determinants of wage gaps differ by group. Differences in schooling and in skills developed in the home and in school, as measured by test scores, are of central importance in explaining black/white and Hispanic/white wage gaps among both women and men. Immigrant assimilation is an additional factor for Asians and workers from Central and South America. The sources of the gender gap are quite different, however. Gender differences in schooling and cognitive skills as measured by the AFQT are quite small and explain little of the pay gap. Instead the gender gap largely stems from choices made by women and men concerning the amount of time and energy devoted to a career, as reflected in years of work experience, utilization of part-time work, and other workplace and job characteristics." Source: NBER

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Bargaining Power in Marriage: Earnings, Wage Rates and Household Production

From the abstract : "What determines bargaining power in marriage? This paper argues that wage rates, not earnings, determine well-being at the threat point
and, hence, determine bargaining power. Observed earnings at the bargaining equilibrium may differ from earnings at the threat point because hours allocated to market work at the bargaining solution may differ from hours allocated to market work at the threat point. In the divorce threat model, for example, a wife who does not work for pay while married might do so following a divorce; hence, her bargaining power would be related to her wage rate, not to her earnings while married. More generally, a spouse whose earnings are high because he or she chooses to allocate more hours to market work, and correspondingly less to household production and leisure, does not have more bargaining power. But a spouse whose earnings are high because of a high wage rate does have more bargaining power." Source: NBER

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Choosing Electoral Rules: Theory and Evidence from US Cities

Abstract: This paper studies the choice of electoral rules, in particular, the question of minority representation. Majorities tend to disenfranchise minorities through strategic manipulation of electoral rules. With the aim of explaining changes in electoral rules adopted by US cities (particularly in the South), we show why majorities tend to adopt "winner-take-all" city-wide rules (at-large elections) in response to an increase in the size of the minority when the minority
they are facing is relatively small. In this case, for the majority it is more effective to leverage on its sheer size instead of risking to concede representation to voters from minority-elected districts. However, as the minority becomes larger (closer to a fifty-fifty split), the possibility of losing the whole city induces the majority to prefer minority votes to be confined in minority-packed districts. Single-member district rules serve this purpose. We show empirical results consistent with these implications of the model. Source: NBER

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September 11: Recent Estimates of Fiscal Impact of 2001 Terrorist Attack on New York

"While the attack's fiscal impact on New York from 2002 through 2003 appears to be less sever than initially expected, ascertaining its long-term impact is difficult, because other events also affected New York's economy and tax revenues." Source: U.S. General Accountability Office

Download PDF Reports : Highlights only | Full Report

Postsecondary Participation Rates by Sex and Race/Ethnicity: 1974-2003

"This Issue Brief examines participation in postsecondary education among women and men and among different racial/ethnic groups, from 1974 to 2003. Participation rates are defined here as the proportion of 18- to 24-year-olds who are enrolled in or have completed postsecondary education. Over this time period, the participation rates of young women and of young Whites outpaced that of their male and minority counterparts, so that by 2003 young women had a higher participation rate than young men (reversing the pattern in 1974) and the 1974 gaps in participation rates favoring young Whites over Hispanics grew larger." Source: National Center for Education Statistics

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National Faculty Salary Survey by Discipline and Rank in Four-Year Colleges and Universities

"This year's report contains salary comparisons for 244 disciplines at colleges and universities nationwide. Salaries within each discipline are reported separately for the ranks of Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, New Assistant Professor, and Instructor." This is a 24-page executive summary of the full report, which is available for purchase. Source: College and University Professional Association for Human Resources

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An order form, plus executive summaries of compensation reports for academic administration and mid-level executives, is available : Link to site

Foundation Growth and Giving Estimates: 2004 Preview

"Giving by the nation's more than 66,000 grantmaking foundations increased to a new high of $32.4 billion in 2004, according to Foundation Growth and Giving Estimates: 2004 Preview, a new report from the New York-based Foundation Center. This estimated 6.9 percent rise reversed two years of modest reductions. The beginning of a stock market recovery and higher levels of new gifts into existing foundations in 2003 were the primary factors driving up 2004 giving. Newly established foundations also contributed to the growth." Source: Foundation Center

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Election Maps of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

"This site is designed to help the understanding of the electoral geography of Great Britain and Northern Ireland." Kable's Government Computing adds, "Each of the 646 constituencies can be viewed and the interactive service allows users to switch between boundaries of all local authorities, wards, electoral divisions and parishes. Users can also chose between a range of views, from street level detail to a wider overview designed to help with larger rural constituencies." Source: Ordnance Survey

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PictureAustralia

"The images you will find in PictureAustralia relate to all things Australian. The service provides access to images from the 19th century to the present day and includes both local history and national events.... You will find black and white and colour photographs, of people, places, buildings and events, as well as drawings, sketches, paintings and some maps. You will also find images of three-dimensional items such as sculpture and costume." Source: National Library of Australia

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