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Recent studies of state assumption of the CDBG-Small Cities program have been limited by two factors. First, they have been single-state case studies or confined to a small number of states. Second, they have adopted a narrow context for examining the likely impacts of community development following state assumption. This paper attempts to expand policy information based upon earlier work by studying a larger cross-section of states and considering the issues of redistribution and decentralization from a broader context. We find some significant policy changes from previous HUD program management but suggest that such may be due to the CDBG economic development amendment and an increase in multipurpose projects in the states. Unlike Morgan and England's (1984) recent article in PAR, we suggest that decentralization may not necessarily lead to decreasing redistributive community development policies in the states. Rather, redistribution may be incorporated within the enlarging proportion of multipurpose projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the economic analysis of the regulation of agriculture in the U.S. It is stated that regulation for agriculture can help foster competition by intervening to increase the number of firms or to dictate certain courses of action. It implies that promoting competitive market pricing and dealing with externalities such as fertilizer run-off and by-products of feedlots are the most prominent general regulatory fields of actions for agricultural development. It suggests the need for understanding the supply function to analyze the producer benefits or cost from regulatory measures.

The article discusses the policy acceptance in the U.S. of reliance on automatic fiscal stabilizers. The author provides a history of previous fiscal stabilizer studies. The author states that it is necessary to illustrate the potential incompatibility of an annually balanced budget that has economic stability. The article also discusses institutional changes which made automatic fiscal stabilizers more important and the acceptance of automatic fiscal stabilizers as part of government policy. An analysis of how the U.S. executive and legislative branch is involved is also provided.

This study analyses the impact of regulatory legislation, specifically the Nunn- McCurdy Act, by the United States Congress on major military acquisition programmes. Nunn- McCurdy's stated objective is to curtail cost growth in weapon system acquisitions. To achieve this end, the legislation threatens cancellation of military acquisition programmes that breach specified cost growth thresholds. This effort collects and analyses a unique data set spanning the lifetime of the Nunn- McCurdy legislation to reveal the threat of termination is rarely enforced. Secondary effects, in the form of programme restructuring are found to be prevalent, but not in those areas that most adversely affect the programme. Thus, Nunn- McCurdy does not provide a strong incentive for acquisition programmes to change processes or procedures. As a result, the legislation is ineffectual in achieving its objective, and cost growth in major US military acquisition programmes remains problematic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses on the measure used to gauge poverty in the U.S., Europe and other developing countries. It discusses that the present official measure of poverty in the U.S. is flawed and both, the poverty threshold and measurement of available resources should be improved. It reports that European countries provided with sufficient social aid but they face a technical problem of relative poverty threshold. Also mentioned are the levels of economic development in developing and underdeveloped countries.

The article aims to present a conceptual framework for the analysis of ecosystem services (ES) supply in the U.S. It will also discuss some of the data and modeling issues that arise in predicting farmers' participation in ES contracts and the supply of ES resulting from them. To frame the discussion, the researchers outline a model of the supply of ES that illustrates the ways that spatial and system complexity can affect it. This model is used to discuss the data and modeling issues that arise in empirical implementation.

Government policy has long linked resource production with economic development in surrounding rural communities. The purpose of this article is to examine how the 's (USFS) resource-based, rural development policies have shifted due to economic restructuring and environmental challenges to the “management” of nature. Historical data was gathered on USFS timber harvests and policies toward forest-dependent communities. Data was also gathered through interviews and participant-observation on a USFS-supported, locally planned ecotourism project. USFS rural development policies have shifted from predominantly providing federally determined, sustained timber harvests in the industrial era to increasingly emphasizing local, amenity-based entrepreneurship and economic diversification in the post-industrial era. USFS rural development policies and resource production have been de-coupled. However, amenity-based development may depend both on amenity migrants and sustained commitment from external sources to support local initiative, given limited entrepreneurship in rural areas long dependent on high-wage extraction and manufacturing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the development of the policy analysis related to food and agricultural industry in the U.S. It is stated that policy analysis and science are in a symbiotic relationship as economics and politics attempt to define questions for study and for alternative solutions. It implies the relevance of educational institutions in producing the analysts of tomorrow and officials who attempt to demonstrate to their fellow citizens that government can be a competent, creative and even exciting place to work.

The article explores the role of the economist in the process of establishing public policy that regulates the food and agricultural industry in the U.S. According to Jim Shaffer, the economic regulation results from the attempt of citizens to articulate preferences about the physical and social environment they share. It is stated that economists must look for specific issues that will lead to useful and effective regulation policy research and education through identifying the production and marketing processes. The economists are advised to be active in developing and refining the public policy of regulation that needs careful empirical analysis of defined issues.

The article reflects on the timeliness of the topic of ecosystem services (ES) in the arena of agricultural policy in the U.S. According to the author, policies and programs founded in ES science and economics can provide genuine alternatives to decades of commodity-based federal farm policy. The evolution of agricultural policy as it transforms to incorporate ES measures and transactions is uncertain. It will be marked by analytic challenges and policy retreats to old ways. ES assessments will enable budget allocation, planning and priority setting on the part of public agencies.