129 research outputs found
The role of small and large businesses in economic development
No full textIncreasingly, economic development experts are abandoning traditional approaches to economic development that rely on recruiting large enterprises with tax breaks, financial incentives, and other inducements. Instead, they are relying on building businesses from the ground up and supporting the growth of existing enterprises. This approach has two complementary features. The first is to develop and support entrepreneurs and small businesses. The second is to expand and improve infrastructure and to develop or recruit a highly skilled and educated workforce. Both efforts depend in large part on improving the quality of life in the community and creating an attractive business climate. ; Edmiston explores whether promoting entrepreneurship and small businesses makes sense as an economic development strategy. He concludes that it probably does, but with some caveats. Small businesses are potent job creators, but so are large businesses. The attribution of the bulk of net job creation to small businesses arises largely from relatively large job losses at large firms, not to especially robust job creation by small firms. More important, data show that, on average, large businesses offer better jobs than small businesses, both in terms of compensation and stability. Further, there is little convincing evidence to suggest that small businesses have an edge over larger businesses in innovation. More research is needed to properly evaluate the case for a small business strategy, and indeed, to determine whether or not public engagement in economic development itself is a cost-effective and worthwhile pursuit.Small business
Unsigned letter to George P. Edmiston, December 21, 1900
No full textThe author informs Edmiston that the owner of the Montana Saloon, Jno. Bioti, is very unhappy with the way things currently are, mentions a man named Raymond who is causing trouble, informs that a Pat Flynn believes that the union is failing; two pages, handwritten
Sade: queer theorist
No full textIn an era when both Church and State assigned gender roles and defined sexual practices in terms of male/female, lawful/illicit, Sade’s extensive accounts of sexual activity were categorized as deviant, prurient or provocative. William F. Edmiston explores how Sade’s unique challenge to sexual, moral and social taboos anticipates the discourses of queer theory. Following an overview of queer theory, Edmiston examines the categories of sex, gender and sexuality as treated in some of Sade’s best- and lesser-known works. He demonstrates the extent to which Sade erodes the boundaries of sexual opposition through discourses justifying rather than illegitimizing ‘unlawful’ sex. The author reveals the coexistence of two competing discourses on sexuality: a proclivity that cannot be eradicated, and a habit that one can choose to adopt. This pioneering re-reading culminates with an examination of how recent biographies attempt to force Sade into a normal/abnormal dichotomy, manipulating police reports, personal correspondence or narratorial interventions to establish (or not) the author’s homosexuality. Through revealing Sade’s attempts to undermine prevailing gender roles and sexual identities, Edmiston uncovers a ‘queer’ discourse that challenges the still common assumption that heterosexuality is exclusively natural and normative, and that nature has always prompted humans to reproduce, rather than to seek pleasure. Introduction Sade, a queer theorist? What is queer theory? ‘Sodomie’ and ‘antiphysique’ in the writings of Sade Corpus and other details 1. Sade’s erotic novels: can we read them as queer? Sex (anatomy): female/male Gender (behavior): masculine/feminine Sexuality: (object-choice of sexual pleasure) homosexual/heterosexual 2. Nature, sodomy, semantics and queer discourse Nature Sodomy: queer discourse Semantics Practice or proclivity? 3. Atrocities of a quite different kind: non-normative eroticism in Aline et Valcour Incest in the frame narrative Homosexuality and incest in the embedded narratives 4. Queering the Marquis Conclusion Bibliography Inde
A new perspective on rising nonbusiness bankruptcy filing rates : analyzing the regional factors
No full textNonbusiness bankruptcy filing rates have increased almost five-fold since 1980. This alarming growth was largely the impetus for the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005. The intent of the new law, which went into effect in October, 2005, was to eliminate alleged abuses of the bankruptcy system and to reduce filing rates. ; In deliberations on the new law, Congress expressed concern about the underlying causes of bankruptcy. The tools currently available for analysis leave serious gaps in understanding bankruptcy behavior. While many studies have sought to discover the causes of the rising filing rates, they have largely focused on aggregated data over time. This approach is logical—but ignores the considerable variation in filing rates across regions. Only by examining the regional differences in rates can we gain meaningful insight into their causes. ; Edmiston describes a new model of county bankruptcy filing rates. The model contributes to the current understanding by improving on some of the approaches already used in other studies and by including a number of determinants not previously considered. He concludes that homestead exemptions and wage garnishments can be effective policy levers in managing rising bankruptcy filing rates. He also finds that social issues—stigma, gambling, and health insurance, among others—are critical regional factors that may help explain the rising bankruptcy filing rates. Finally, he shows that higher levels of self-employment, another regional characteristic, are associated with lower bankruptcy filing rates.Bankruptcy
Could restrictions on payday lending hurt consumers?
No full textThe payday loan, or more generally, the deferred deposit loan, is among the most contentious forms of credit. It typically signifies a small-dollar, short-term, unsecured loan to a high-risk borrower, often resulting in an effective annual percentage rate of 390 percent a rate well in excess of usury limits set by many states. Consumer advocates argue that payday loans take advantage of vulnerable, uninformed borrowers and often create “debt spirals.” Debt spirals arise from repeated payday borrowing, using new loans to pay off old ones, and often paying many times the original loan amount in interest. ; In the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, many policymakers are considering strengthening consumer protections on payday lending. Yet few studies have focused on any unintended consequences of restricting such lending. Thus, the question arises: Could restrictions on payday lending have adverse effects? ; Edmiston examines payday lending and provides new empirical evidence on how restrictions could affect consumers. His analysis shows that restrictions could deny some consumers access to credit, limit their ability to maintain formal credit standing, or force them to seek more costly credit alternatives. Thus, any policy decisions to restrict payday lending should weigh these potential costs against the potential benefits.
Characteristics of high foreclosure neighborhoods in the Tenth District
No full textThe foreclosure crisis that began in earnest in 2006 continues to shrink the once valuable assets of homeowners, communities, and investors. In the last three years, more than three million households have lost their homes, and as many as 5 million more could lose their homes in the next three years. ; A striking feature of the crisis is the variation in its severity across both time and space. Initially, the foreclosure crisis hit low-income neighborhoods disproportionately. Foreclosures remain concentrated in these neighborhoods. But in recent months, the foreclosure epidemic has spread more deeply into higher-income neighborhoods. What accounts for the evolving pattern of foreclosure rates across neighborhoods, and where might concentrations of foreclosures occur in the future? ; Edmiston analyzes the seven states of the Tenth Federal Reserve District to help shed light on the foreclosure rate pattern and to explore where foreclosure trends are likely to head. His analysis confirms that foreclosure rates have been high in low-income neighborhoods--but only to the extent that subprime mortgages penetrated those neighborhoods. He also finds that the foreclosure crisis is seeping into higher-income neighborhoods--due primarily to unfavorable conditions in local economies and residential real estate markets.
Attracting the power cohort to the Tenth District
No full textA long debated issue in regional economics is whether “people follow jobs” or “jobs follow people.” That is, do people move to where jobs are available, or do employers locate their facilities where potential employees reside? If people follow jobs, an appropriate economic development policy would be to concentrate on luring employers, especially large employers. This view reflects many traditional state and local economic development policies. If, on the other hand, jobs follow people, a better policy would be to focus on luring skilled people by creating an environment that is an attractive place to live. ; Increasingly, state and local economic development agents are following the latter policy. In particular, many state and local governments are seeking to attract a “power cohort” of young, childless, college-educated residents. These people are not only attractive to employers but are typically more responsive to the quality of the urban milieu, which can be influenced by policy. Because singles are generally more mobile than families with school-aged children, much of the economic development effort is focused on that subgroup, but the effort also focuses on childless couples. ; In the Tenth District most cities are relatively weak in attracting this power cohort. Specifically, the district cities as a whole attract fewer migrants from this cohort than would be expected given their populations, wage levels, and housing costs. This fact raises an important question: Why? ; Edmiston argues that the relative performance of migration across Tenth District cities—and elsewhere in the United States—is largely a function of two sets of factors. The district does well based on the first set of factors: unemployment, wages, and taxes. The district is relatively weak based on the second set of factors: cultural and recreational amenities, intellectual capital, topography, and crime.
Rising foreclosures in the United States: a perfect storm
No full textResidential foreclosures in the United States have been rising very rapidly since 2006. In the second quarter of 2007, the share of outstanding mortgages in some stage of foreclosure stood at 1.4 percent, near historic highs and up from less than 1 percent a year earlier. The number of mortgages entering the foreclosure process reached an all-time high in mid-2007, suggesting that the foreclosure surge is likely to get worse before it gets better. ; The foreclosure surge was created by a perfect storm of events. First, in recent years the share of subprime mortgage originations increased substantially. Second, foreclosure rates for adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) have increased considerably, especially for subprime ARMs. This increase is largely due to rising short-term interest rates and to payment resets for many nontraditional mortgages. Finally, high loan-to-value originations in recent years, coupled with stagnant or falling home prices, have left many people with insufficient equity to sell or refinance their homes. ; Edmiston and Zalneraitis provide a detailed dissection of the current foreclosure surge. They conclude with a discussion of why the foreclosure situation is likely to get worse over the next one to two years and why it is likely to improve afterward.Mortgage loans
A Quick-Start Guide to Using Evidence-Based Policy at the Local-Level
No full textPublic health practitioners recognize the transformative impact that evidence-based policies can have on the health of communities, particularly when working on potential solutions to address the root causes of health issues. This has become even more apparent as the understanding of the impact of social determinants of health is clearer, especially because they can be impacted by policy levers. However, the process of identifying, developing, adopting, and implementing policies based on evidence may seem overwhelming. While there are certainly many factors to consider, this guide describes several \u201cquick-start elements\u201d for engaging in a policy process which can help to accelerate the adoption of evidence-based policies in an accessible way. Designed to support public health practitioners and their partners as they seek to leverage policy to address the public health needs of their communities, the guide illustrates a practical, applied policy process that health agency staff can use based on their practices.336712-ASUGGESTED CITATION: Kelly, M.A., Puddy, R.W., Kucik, J., Mwaungulu, G., & Edmiston, A. (2023, February). A Quick-Start Guide to Using Evidence-Based Policy at the Local Level. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Office of Policy, Performance, and Evaluation.Quick-Start-Guide-508.pd
New insights in the determinants of regional variation in personal bankruptcy filing rates
No full textNonbusiness bankruptcy filing rates have increased very rapidly over the last couple of decades. In 1980, roughly 15 of every 10,000 Americans filed for bankruptcy protection. By 2004, that number had reached 54 of every 10,000 Americans. These alarming increases in bankruptcy filing rates over the last decade were largely the impetus for the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act, which went into effect in October, 2005. A substantial literature already exists that seeks to determine the causes of personal bankruptcy, but critical holes in the literature remain. In particular, existing studies offer only weak inferences about the role of stigma in explaining the decision to file for bankruptcy or in explaining regional variation in bankruptcy filing rates. I enhance the existing literature by using innovative approaches to measuring the effects of age and geography, traditional proxies for stigma, and by utilizing a novel proxy for stigma, namely, religious adherence. There is also a lack of consensus on the effects of gambling on bankruptcy, with most research finding no statistically significant relationships. I utilize a unique measure of proximity to gambling establishments and subsequently find more definitive results. The existing literature lacks consensus on the effects of homestead exemptions as well, with some finding positive effects, some finding negative effects, and still others finding no effects. I assert that the explanation of these inconsistent results may lie in endogeneity, and therefore I estimate two-stage models that effectively instrument for homestead exemptions. In addition, I explore the effects on bankruptcy filing rates of factors generally left out of existing studies, including small business and self-employment, a full distribution of age and income, more narrow demographic definitions, disability, lack of health insurance, public assistance, housing and vehicle choices, and additional information on debts and debt service.Bankruptcy
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