Recent IIPF Staff & Affiliated Faculty Academic Publications
A. Srithongrung & P. Byrnes. (2019). The Causal Linkages Among Arts, Knowledge Employment, and Local
Economic Performance. Economic Development Quarterly 33(4): 296-315.
This study extends art-related development literature by examining the causal relationships among artists, knowledge-class workers, and local income growth through direct and indirect paths. The units of analysis are 260 metropolitan statistical areas in the United States from 2001 to 2012. The results suggest that arts industries directly enhance the local economy. The arts industries also indirectly enhance the local economy through the accumulation of a knowledge-class workforce.
Available at the journal website.
C.L. Johnson & K.A. Kriz. (2019). Tax Increment Financing and Economic Development: Uses, Structures and Impact (2nd Edition). Albany, NY: SUNY Press.
This book brings together leading experts to examine the evolving nature of tax increment financing (TIF), the most widely used tool of local economic and community development. Originally designed as an innovative approach to the redevelopment of blighted areas, it has become a more general-purpose tool of economic and community development. Contributors offer case studies of the uses, structures, and impacts of TIF projects alongside more general discussions on the theoretical, financial, and legal bases for the use of TIF. They also explore its effect on overlapping jurisdictions such as cities, counties, and school districts. Some of the case studies capture TIF at its best—redeveloping areas that would likely never develop without substantial incentives. Other cases highlight questionable uses, especially where it has been used in new ways that those who developed the tool never envisioned.
C. B. Clark, C. Hayes, J. D. Armstrong, & K. A. Kriz. (2019). The Influence of Cognitive Empathy on Progressivism. North American Journal of Psychology 21(1): 21-38.
Moral psychology is a rapidly growing topic, and moral predispositions have been linked to a variety of political and social opinions. Thus far, there has been little work conducted in an effort to identify the aspects of cognition that underlie differences in endorsement of moral ideas. This study proposes that cognitive empathy, or the ability to infer the mental states of other people, may be an individual difference which influences the information people pay attention to when they make decisions about right and wrong. Using Moral Foundations Theory as a framework, we predicted that individuals with higher scores on a cognitive empathy test would endorse the individualizing foundations to a greater degree than the binding foundations. This was found to be true across three samples (Studies 1-3). We also examined the association between the moral foundations and the second order factors of the Big Five personality trait Agreeableness (Study 2) and perception of closeness with one’s in-group (Study 3). However, less clear patterns emerged. The major finding from this study was that cognitive empathy was consistently and strongly associated with endorsement of specific moral foundations in a predictable way even when controlling for relevant demographics and Big Five personality dimensions.
Available at the journal website.
A. Srithongrung. (2019). Testing Public Capital Budgeting and Management Theory Using Panel Data Analysis Methods. Sage Research Methods Cases Part 2. Sage Publication, Ltd. Online ISBN: 9781526478979
This case study relates the author’s experience while testing public capital budgeting and management theory using panel data analysis methods. The case suggests that, in contrast to what most people tend to believe, the quantitative research approach requires certain existing theories to set up a research hypothesis and establish a testing model in addition to using econometric knowledge and skills. This is because most quantitative approaches are for theory testing, rather than theory building, and as such, accumulated observations of public practices derived from the public finance literature is necessary. Furthermore, for panel data, serial correlation problem resulting in co-integration is equally important to control for the effects of time-invariant factors. Both problems yield seriously biased results causing a researcher to believe that there are effects of the independent variable, when in fact, there are none. This latter problem, the time-invariant factors, is relatively easy to address compared with dealing with the first problem, serial correlation and necessary co-integration.
Available at the publisher’s website.
A. Srithongrung, N.B. Ermasova, & J-E. Yusuf. (2019). Capital Management and Budgeting in the Public Sector. Hershey, PA: IGI Global.
This book describes, compares, and evaluates public infrastructure investment policy and practices in twelve countries based on principles recommended by public finance experts. The book finds that the best performers have a skilled workforce recruited through merit-based systems, are situated in relatively less corrupt countries, and are where decision makers are more saving- and investment-oriented. As an outcome of stronger strategic public infrastructure spending processes, these best performers tend to invest in public infrastructure networks more than other countries and are more efficient in their investment.
Available from the publisher.
B.S. Bunch and B.E. Ferrara. (2018). Factors to Consider When Analyzing the Need for an Elected State Treasurer. Public Budgeting and Finance 38(4): 32-51.
Since 2010, public officials or other stakeholders in at least seven states have proposed the elimination of the publicly‐elected state treasurer position in their respective states. Advocates claim this would cut costs while opponents argue that it would decrease accountability and checks and balances. During the mid‐1990s and early 2000s, three states (Texas, Minnesota, and Florida) eliminated the elected state treasurer position. This paper presents case studies of what happened in those states and uses the findings, along with other information, to discuss factors to consider when evaluating whether a state should eliminate its elected state treasurer position.
A. Srithongrung. (2018). An Evaluation of Performance-based Budget Reform in Asian Countries. International Journal of Public Administration 41(4), 257-267.
This article investigates the effects of performance-based budgeting (PBB) adoption on the spending of the central government in eleven Asian countries over an 18-year period. The theoretical argument is that PBB does not permanently change the spending structure for various reasons, including but not limited to the lack of clear linkages between performance results and resource allocation. This hypothesis is supported by the study’s results, which suggest that PBB temporarily changes the spending size in some programs. However, such changes are not permanent; there are no structural changes in the baseline budget. These findings suggest that PBB may not be different than other budget reforms.
Available at the journal website.
R. Funderburg. (2018). Regional Employment and Housing Impacts of Tax Increment Financing Districts,” Regional Studies 53(6): 874-886.
This paper estimates the impacts of tax increment financing (TIF) districts on employment and residential development in Polk County, Iowa, using quasi-experimental methods. A spatially lagged-adjustment model is adapted for use at the parcel level. Results indicate that TIF districts contributed gross declines in private sector, non-governmental employment. Job losses attributable to TIF totalled 110 jobs per square mile, and the negative employment effects were sustained over the long term between 2001 and 2011. In contrast, there is some evidence that TIF districts have contributed positively to residential development, although the increase in housing near the districts was not found to be statistically significant in the quasi-experimental integrated lagged adjustment model.
A. Srithongrung. (2018). Capital Budgeting and Management Practices: Smoothing Out Rough Spots in Government. Public Budgeting and Finance 38(1), 47-71.
Public capital budgeting and management literature recommends long‐term capital and fiscal planning practices to prevent large fluctuations in outlays caused by fiscal stresses. This study extends the literature by examining the effects of long‐term capital planning and management practices such as the use of a capital budget, separate impact analyses, and the use of bond financing and dedicated revenue sources on capital spending volatility. The empirical results confirm that several of these practices smooth out state government capital outlays that vary because of socio‐economic and financial factors.
Available at the journal website.
B. Bunch. (2018). Planning and Financing Infrastructure in the Trump Years: What Can the Administration Learn from Previous Large Infrastructure Programs? in The Public Infrastructure of Work and Play, Edited by Michael A. Pagano. Champaign: University of Illinois Press.
To help inform the current debate on how to address the nation’s infrastructure, this chapter examines three major infrastructure initiatives of the past. It begins with background information regarding the definition of infrastructure, historical spending trends, infrastructure needs, and the impact of infrastructure investment. It then provides an overview of major historical infrastructure initiatives, including the nineteenth-century construction of canals and railroads, New Deal capital programs during the Great Depression, and development of the interstate highway system in the 1950s and 1960s. The chapter concludes with a discussion about future infrastructure needs and financing options, drawing on the experiences with the historical infrastructure programs as well as other sources.
Available on the publisher site.
Academic Presentations
Additional Fall/Winter 2019 Presentations
KDI Presentation on Behavioral Public Finance
Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce Economic Outlook Presentation
ABFM 2019 Presentations
B. Bunch, P. Byrnes, and G. Cassidy
R. Funderburg, J. Drucker, D. Merriman, and R. Weber
E. Buxton, K. Kriz, M. Creemens, and K. Jay
Spring/Summer 2019 Presentations
MPSA 2019 Presentation – Transue, K. Kriz, and A. Kriz
GFRC 2019 Presentation – K. Kriz & Funderburg