THE PERSISTING PROBLEM OF REGION IN AMERICAN STATE POLICY RESEARCH

• Published in: Social science quarterly Vol. 67; no. 1; pp. 84 - 97
• Main Authors: TUCKER, Harvey J., HERZIK, Eric B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Austin, Tex University of Texas Press 01-03-1986; University of Texas Press, in cooperation with the Southwestern Social Science Association
• Subjects: BUDGETING, BUDGETS, FISCAL PLANNING; Coefficients; Current Issues in American Politics; ECONOMIC ANALYSIS; Economic competition; Economic models; Geographic regions; Modeling; Parametric models; POLITICAL POLICY; Public assistance programs; PUBLIC POLICY; Regionalism; REGIONALISM, REGIONAL COOPERATION; Socioeconomic development; Socioeconomics; STATE GOVERNMENT; United States; UNITED STATES, 1945 TO PRESENT; WELFARE
• ISSN: 0038-4941; 1540-6237

Although cross-sectional models of welfare expenditure in the American states are almost always presented as static, many relationships are in transition. This paper reports sequential cross-sectional analysis of a conventional model of welfare expenditure for fiscal years 1951 to 1978. Many parameters exhibit significant change in this short time span. Empirically, state policy differences have become more closely linked to region, while presumed causes of such differences (i.e., socioeconomic and political attributes) have become less strongly linked to region. The authors' analysis leads to the specification of an alternative model with region as a key independent variable.