Nonemployment Income and the Economic Base of Michigan Counties: 1959–1986

ABSTRACT Despite the fact that nonemployment income makes up approximately one-third of all personal income, its impact on local area economies has not been closely examined. This study uses Michigan county data to examine the impact of nonemployment income on nonbasic income over a twenty-seven-year period. This impact is compared to the impact of basic income by employing regression analysis to estimate comparative multiplier effects for both types of income. Nonemployment income is found to have a significant impact on nonbasic income, particularly in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan urban counties, where its impact appears to be stronger than that of basic income.     

The space-time evolution and driving forces of county economic growth in China from 1998 to 2015

Coordinated growth in regional economies is fundamental for sustainable economic development. In this study, the space-time dynamics of GDP per capita for 2,303 counties in China from 1998 to 2015 were analyzed based on an exploratory space-time data analysis (ESTDA) framework. The results showed that: (a) there was significant and increasing positive spatiotemporal correlation among county-level economic growth; (b) local spatiotemporal correlation pattern demonstrated a high–high cluster at the eastern coast, and low–low dispersion in the vast central and western regions; (c) changes in LISA time trajectory revealed that economic growth in the coastal urban agglomeration and Inner Mongolia was more dynamic, indicating the emergence of a local spatial structure locking feature and trajectory dependence; and (d) industrialization and informatization were the two primary contributors to county economic growth. Our study suggests that Chinese government should construct network channels linking the central region with eastern China, cultivate economic growth poles and growth axis, and focus on technological innovation to unlock path dependence in county economic growth.     

“Space Obesity”: The Effect of Remoteness on County Obesity

We test if remoteness of a county is one of the environmental factors that contribute to obesity. First, we employ geographically weighted regressions (GWRs) that allow us to observe local or regional patterns. We find that county obesity rate is spatially non‐stationary, remoteness affects county obesity rates, and there are spatial heterogeneities in how distance affects county obesity rates. Next, we refine our estimates of the effect of remoteness on county obesity rate using a random effect model that accounts for county‐level unobserved heterogeneity. Even after accounting for these heterogeneities and state fixed effects, we find measurable impact of remoteness on county obesity rate. Splitting the sample into metro and non‐metro counties, we find that remoteness matters more for the obesity rates in the metro counties.     

“Moderate” Environmental Amenities and Economic Change: The Nonmetropolitan Northern Forest of the Northeast U.S., 1970‐2000

ABSTRACT Population, employment, and income changes in a region comprised of eighteen nonmetropolitan counties of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York are described using Bureau of Economic Analysis data covering 1970 to 2000. Changes at the county level are examined as net differences using pooled cross‐section time series analysis. The specific focus of the empirical analysis is the effect that environmental amenities have in population and economic change. Empirical results indicate that a county's relative endowment of environmental amenities has positive economic change effects, but only when the county is relatively accessible as well. Further, the environmental amenity effects vary in their temporal consistency, even when accessibility is taken into account. In general, however, the reported results support the proposition that even relatively moderate environmental amenities can hold positive effects for economic change.     

Regional Development and Land Use Change in the Rocky Mountain West, 1982‐1997

ABSTRACT Economic and demographic restructuring, along with the increasing desirability of environmental amenities, have driven growth in the eight‐state region of the Rocky Mountain West to extraordinary levels in recent decades. While social scientists have developed a solid conceptual understanding of the processes driving growth and change in the region, the broad nature of the land use outcomes associated with in‐migration has not received nearly as much scholarly attention. This article initiates an in‐depth empirical investigation on the magnitude, nature, and spatial variation of land use change in the Rocky Mountain West over the 1982‐1997 time period. Data from the USDA's National Resources Inventory reveals that the conversion of landscapes from rural to urban types of land uses varies significantly from place to place, not only in terms of total land developed, but also with respect to how population pressures and a number of other local characteristics of counties manifest themselves in the spatial pattern of growth.     

Persistent Differences in Well-Being Between Appalachian Subregions

ABSTRACT Previously it was reported that regional variations in well-being (poverty, per capita income, and family income) among Appalachian counties did not originate from regional variations in urbanization, but from regional differences in well-being among nonmetropolitan counties. It was argued that southern Appalachian counties had higher levels of well-being at the end of the 1980s because nonmetropolian counties in southern Appalachia experienced greater economic growth during the 1980s than did nonmetropolitan counties in other Appalachian regions. In this paper these data are reanalyzed to test to what extent the original findings are affected by the presence (and failure to control) spatial autocorrelation. Using a spatial lag model it is shown that correcting for spatial autocorrelation statistically altered the original results. However, substantively, the conclusions from the original analysis did not change: regional differences in county well-being in Appalachia are largely the product of regional differences among nonmetropolitan counties, even after correcting the model for spatial autocorrelation.     

“Debrucing” the Link between Tax and Expenditure Limits and Special District Governments

We provide a direct test of the extent to which the stringency of a Tax and Expenditure Limit (TEL) influences the creation of special district governments by examining one of the strictest TELs in U.S. history, the Colorado Taxpayer's Bill of Rights (TABOR). Through analysis of panel data from 1993 to 2004 of general purpose and special district governments, we test the relationship between TABOR and the creation of special districts. The novelty of our research involves the use of successful and failed attempts to override TABOR to measure variation in TEL restrictiveness at the county and municipal geography. Our results indicate that counties and municipalities unable to override TABOR's restrictions and therefore bound by the TEL have no greater use of special district governments than local jurisdictions experiencing similar demand for services but not bound by TABOR. These results are robust to failed override attempts specific to tax revenue as well as debt proceeds. Furthermore, results are unaffected by the use of multiyear lagged measures of override attempts and the inclusion of county debrucing initiatives that passed or failed by a small margin—i.e., less than 60 percent of votes. Contrary to anecdotal evidence, our results find no relationship between tax and expenditure limits and the formation of special districts.     

中国西部地区县域城乡统筹发展模式探讨

县域城乡统筹发展是西部地区经济社会发展的必由之路。现阶段,受资源禀赋、人力资源、产业发展、制度环境等要素条件影响,中国东、中、西部县域城乡统筹发展水平有明显差异。自2001年国家实施西部大开发战略以来,特别是“十一五”时期,西部地区县域经济城乡统筹发展已经取得积极成效。西部不少市县在立足当地实际、因地制宜地加快县域城乡统筹发展的过程中,逐步形成各具特色的县域城乡统筹发展模式。对于西部地区县域城乡统筹发展模式的研究,也就在于总结、梳理西部各省县域城乡统筹发展成就、经验和做法,比较不同区域、不同县区县域城乡统筹发展路子或模式,探讨西部地区统筹城乡发展、转变经济发展方式思路和对策。     

基于熵权TOPSIS和ESDA的甘肃省县域经济时空演变研究

县域经济是我国国民经济的基本单元,研究县域经济差异对于一个地区的发展以及整个国民经济的发展都有重大意义。本文以甘肃省86个县域及嘉峪关市共87个地域为研究单元,选取人均GDP 、第二、三产业比重等12项相关指标建立了县域经济发展水平综合评价体系,利用熵权TOPSIS法和ESDA法对近20年来甘肃省各县域经济发展水平进行时间和空间两方面的评测。结果表明：从1995—2015年20年期间,甘肃省经济明显增长,但与全国各地经济发展水平相比还处于缓慢发展阶段;甘肃省县域经济发展水平两极差异明显,排名靠前及靠后的县域在20年间变化不明显,省会兰州及河西地区发展水平较高,陇中和陇南地区县域发展水平整体较低,呈现“强者恒强,弱者恒弱”的格局;空间自相关性显著,低值聚类的显著性更强;热点分析显示,甘肃省县域经济呈现明显的单核型经济空间结构,发展水平较高的地区对周边城市带动作用很小,地域差异明显。     

Change in the Concentration of Employment in Computer Services: Spatial Estimation at the U.S. Metro County Level

ABSTRACT This article models the concentration of computer services activity across the U.S. with factors that incorporate spatial relationships. Specifically, we enhance the standard home‐area study with an analysis that allows conditions in neighboring counties to affect the concentration of employment in the home county. We use county‐level data for metropolitan areas between 1990 and 1997. To measure change in employment concentration, we use the change in location quotients for SIC 737, which captures employment concentration changes caused by both the number of firms and the scale of their activity relative to the national average. After controlling for local demand for computer services, our results support the importance of the presence of a qualified labor supply, interindustry linkages, proximity to a major airport, and spatial processes in explaining changes in computer services employment concentration, finding little support for the influence of cost factors. Our enhanced model reveals interjurisdictional relationships among these metro counties that could not be captured with standard estimates by state, metropolitan statistical area (MSA), or county. Using counties within MSAs, therefore, provides more general results than case studies but still allows measurement of local interactions.     

Conserving Biological Diversity and the Conservation Reserve Program

ABSTRACT The lack of success with the endangered species approach to conserving biodiversity has led to calls for programs that are designed to maintain viable populations of species before they become endangered. While wildlife preserves are an important component of biodiversity conservation, effective protection of species will often take place on land that is used primarily for purposes other than wildlife habitat. The suitability of these lands as wildlife habitat can be influenced by government programs. An important example of a program affecting agricultural land use is the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), which is the largest land retirement program in US. history. The expected down-sizing of the program in the mid 90s sharpens the need for improved targeting if the program is to continue to provide wildlife benefits. This paper studies how well the current CRP fares as a biodiversity conservation program and suggests possible ways to target the CRP to conserve wildlife habitat. A methodology for tackling this task in Oregon is outlined.     

Application of Fuzzy-Set Clustering for Regional Typologies

Qualitative and quantitative procedures have been used to aggregate communities and counties for regional economic analysis. However, Once aggregated, communities and counties are perceived as homogeneous entities; this often belies the diversity that may exist. In order to capture the non-uniqueness of counties, fuzzy-set clustering procedures were employed to derive a typology of Nevada counties. Fuzzy-set clustering procedures employing fuzzy-set membership values and possibility theory derive county membership values associated for specific county clusters. Information from fuzzy partitions yields a means for posterior evaluation of county clusters which is independent of the algorithm producing them. From county membership values calculated from results of the fuzzy-set clustering analysis for Nevada, specific economic development programs for aggregate and individual counties are derived.     

Regional Innovation Systems: Implications for Nonmetropolitan Areas and Workers in the South

ABSTRACT A public policy response to global competition is the creation of a geographic concentration of innovative activity (regional innovation systems [RIS]) that will enhance metropolitan economic development through knowledge spillovers, product development, and new firm spin‐offs. This article identifies three types of RIS in the thirteen southern states based on a cluster analysis of twenty indicators of innovative and entrepreneurial activity. Next, regression analysis is used to determine if the 1990–2000 growth rates of nonmetro county population, employment, and earnings were related to proximity to an RIS after controlling for other county characteristics associated with local economic development. The research findings indicate that nonmetro counties near an RIS experienced more rapid population and employment growth; however, changes in nonmetro growth rates varied by type of regional innovation system. In addition, proximity to an RIS had a stronger impact on nonmetro population change than on nonmetro job growth.     

中国县域农业现代化评价

通过对国内县域农业现代化的发展水平评价进行文献综述,构建可以评价中国县域农业现代化发展水平的一套指标体系,运用数学模型方法,对国内62个县进行量化测算,得出各地县域农业现代化发展的综合评分,并对其进行评价分析,全国县域农业现代化整体水平不高,而且各县发展不平衡,差距很大。农业现代化水平较高的县一般也是经济发展较好地区,农业现代化水平较低的县一般也是经济发展较落后地区,但是农业大县不一定是农业强县。最后提出加快中国各类县域农业现代化发展的对策建议。

     

Analysis of the influence of land finance on haze pollution: An empirical study based on 269 prefecture-level cities in China

Under the system of political centralization and economic decentralization, the expanding scale of land finance and the increasingly severe environmental pressure have jointly become crucial features of China's urban development. Therefore, it is of great practical significance to study the intrinsic mechanism of land finance on haze pollution for China's economy to achieve kinetic energy transformation and green development. This paper empirically analyzes the impact of land finance on haze pollution using a dynamic spatial Durbin model based on panel data of 269 prefecture-level cities in China from 2004 to 2017. The statistical results show that haze pollution has a significant “snowball effect” and space spillover effect. Land finance has a significant positive effect on haze pollution. Land transfer both by agreement and by bid invitation, auction, and listing have significant positive effect on haze pollution. However, the promoting effect of land transfer by agreement on haze pollution is significantly higher than that of land sale by bid invitation, auction, and listing. Furthermore, regional heterogeneity implies that for cities in the eastern region, land finance is conducive to alleviating haze pollution. In contrast, for cities in the central and western regions, land finance significantly promotes haze pollution.     

Geographical and Gender Differences in Labor Force Participation: Is there an Appalachian Effect?

ABSTRACT. A recent article in this journal concluded that West Virginia's low labor force participation rates cannot be attributed to economic, demographic, or institutional factors and that they probably result from an Appalachian culture which has a strong preference for non-market activities. This article reviews the diverse social science literature on determinants of labor force participation and then takes a closer look at Appalachian participation. It presents and uses a more comprehensive model, focuses on the county level instead of the state, and examines variations within Appalachia and over time. The main findings are that the Appalachian labor force gap is either nonexistent or very small and that there is no statistical evidence of a unique or pervasive Appalachian cultural effect. Appalachian labor force behavior appears to be quite average given the conditions faced by Appalachians.     

基于遥感影像的县域贫困度评估方法

贫困是当今世界普遍面临的问题之一,阻碍着中国的经济发展、社会稳定以及环境保护。近年来,中国的脱贫工作取得了显著成效,但长期以来对贫困区认定缺乏科学、合理的识别方法,扶贫资金和项目指向不准等问题仍较为突出。因此,贫困区域的有效瞄准和识别对新时期扶贫开发具有重大意义。本文以山东省30经济贫困县和30经济强县中的12个县为样本。首先通过对贫困县的县年鉴查询,确定以农民人均纯收入作为贫困度标准,对比年鉴数据筛选判别贫困县的指标,不同年份进行对比,选取距海洋距离、人均粮食面积、公路里程和人均新增建设用地面积为遥感指标,确定指标权重,然后构建贫困度遥感评估模型。结果表明,模型决定系数为0.5934,两者极显著相关。基于数据分析和遥感影像对比得出的贫困县的评价标准以及指标评估分析得到的贫困度县域均与现有贫困县有很好的对应,与山东省贫困县分布现状基本吻合,综合考虑了贫困现状及其潜在可能性,评估更加全面和深入。因此基于遥感进行县域贫困度识别评价具有一定的可行性。该研究可为县域贫困度评价和动态监测提供参考。     

2001—2010年河南省县域农业生产效率动态分析

运用数据包络分析(DEA)模型对河南省108 个县域2001—2010 年的农业生产效率进行分析,获得了各县域的纯技术效率、规模效率和综合技术效率,对各县农业生产效率的时空动态进行了分析。结果表明：河南省各县域纯技术效率有效的地区在增加,总体纯技术效率明显增加;大多数县域的农业生产规模效率已达到较优水平,但规模效率有效的地区还很有限,还存在一定的增长空间,总体规模效率有所下降;河南省农业生产综合效率基本保持稳定,但各县域的波动较大。这说明河南省在2001—2010 年间对农业的技术投入有显著增加,正在有效弥补过去技术效率水平较低的“短板”,其综合技术效率仍有较大的提高空间。     

Telecommunications Infrastructure in the Southeastern United States: Urban and Rural Variation

The capabilities of central office (CO) telephone switches in four southeastern states (Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Tennessee) provide detail on spatial variation in telecommunications technologies. A proposed six‐level hierarchy of switch capability was used. Switches with digital capability are concentrated disproportionately in metropolitan areas, largely in response to larger numbers of business establishments. The overall picture in the Southeast is one of tremendous variation—variation across states and variation within the four states being studied. Rural (nonmetro) counties generally, but not always, have both fewer switches overall and fewer switches with digital capability. North Carolina and Tennessee, the two most urban of the four states, also have seen the greatest entry by new telecommunications competitors. These two states have the largest percentages of advanced (digital) switches in both metro and rural counties. At the county level, the number of switches is primarily a function of a county's population but, even more significantly in three states, of the number of business establishments in the county. On the whole, it is residents of metropolitan—not rural—areas who are most likely to be served by newer forms of digital telecommunications.     

The Share of Southeastern Black Counties in the Southern Rural Renaissance

Some authors have suggested that a leading problem associated with US factory employment for blacks may be that the nonfarm jobs--specifically manufacturing--have tended to go to heavily white counties rather than to the mainly black counties of the Deep South. This study is limited to the 1959-1977 period, the time of the most vigorous nonmetropolitan employment growth. To test the hypothesis that factory jobs have bypassed heavily black counties, a 100% sample of nonmetropolitan counties was used from 13 Southern states for the 2 time periods, 1959-1969 and 1969-1977. Results show that the minority counties were not bypassed by Southern rural factory job growth either in the 1960s or the 1970s, but their gains were not as sizeable as those of more heavily white counties. Both the neoclassical economics of discrimination--with its individualistic "taste for discrimination"--and the stinging critique by Marshall in 1974 that such analysis ignores the important role of institutionalized racism--can "explain the empirical conclusions of this article." Traditional "smokestack-chasing" methods are by no means hopeless. While co-ops and community development corporation strategies can be combined with traditional methods, it is important that foundations, government agencies, anti-poverty programs, and black leadership also focus on projects to competitively attract jobs in the traditional fashion.