Chad R. Miller

The Policy Diffusion of the State R&D Investment Tax Credit:

Since the first U.S. state adopted the Research and Development (R&D) tax credit in the early 1980s, the policy has spread to most of the other states. The diffusion continues with numerous modifications and enhancements to the basic R&D tax credit. This study examines the diffusion of the R&D investment tax credit using event history analysis supported by qualitative research. The conclusions of the research are that the R&D tax credit is an economic development approach associated with an existing manufacturing base and implementation is aided by political factors. Adjacent state competition does not appear to lead toward adoption. Applying these findings to the current literature on the effectiveness of the state R&D tax credits highlights the need for thorough policy evaluation before the adoption of tax credits as part of an economic development program.

Rethinking local business clusters: the case of food clusters for promoting community development

The business cluster concept is perhaps the most popular paradigm for studying and promoting local and regional economic development. While the business cluster literature acknowledges the existence of both locally-oriented and export-oriented clusters, research and practice places overwhelming emphasis on the latter. This paper examines two food-related business clusters, the Maine local produce cluster and the export-oriented Mississippi catfish cluster, to shed light on often-overlooked advantages of local business clusters. The Maine local produce cluster provides an “existence proof” that local clusters can be dynamic engines of local economic growth, and can have significant advantages over export-oriented clusters in terms of stability and resiliency. We call for further research to better understand the role of local-oriented business clusters in sustainable community development.

Using the Advocacy Coalition Framework to Understand Freight Transportation Policy Change

The advocacy coalition framework (ACF) was developed to study complex, enduring public policy processes involving multiple actors. In this article, it is applied to the freight transportation policy subsystem in the United States, in which the highway motor complex has traditionally dominated coalitions from other transportation modes (e.g., railroads, aviation, and inland waterways). Using historical analysis and the Appalachian wood products industry as an illustrative example of the policy change toward intermodalism, the article shows how changes external to the subsystem are forcing a rethinking of the governing belief systems. The research provides support for several ACF hypotheses and substantiates its validity as a framework for studying the freight transportation policy subsystem. Conclusions regarding the need for increased policy-oriented learning and the prediction of the emergence of a new intermodal coalition are made based on the ACF.

Public Works Policy Implications of Sustainable Reverse Logistics Operations

The tremendous growth in returns has enthused private sector interest in reverse logistics (RL) as firms attempt to meet various challenges, but the implications of this trend have garnered limited public sector attention. In today’s highly competitive global economy, the ability to efficiently and effectively handle returns provides a competitive advantage so public works policy that facilitates sustainable RL through lean and green operations can support economic development. This article conducts a review of the RL literature to determine the role played by government. Next, an RL model using data from the electronics industry in the Dallas, Texas, region is utilized to examine how public works management and policy can affect RL operations. Implications for local and state government public works agencies to assist businesses with RL sustainability efforts are developed.

Seventy-Five Years of Transportation Administration Becoming Public Administration

Public sector investment in transportation accounts for about 4% of all governmental spending but may represent the public investment most frequently accessed by citizens. This means that transportation administration faces public administration (PA) type challenges, and a number of these are discussed in this special issue of Public Works Management & Policy. Transportation administration is a subfield of PA, but it has enjoyed its own distinct history and evolution, partially due to the dependence upon engineers to carry out this mission. This commentary argues that the field has evolved from a coterie of apolitical technicians to more closely mirror the practice and values of the general body of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA). Recent changes in spending on transportation infrastructure and a shift to a more integrated operational focus have moved transportation to be more in alignment with PA.

A New Public Philosophy for a New Railroad Era: Applying the Blacksburg Manifesto to Contemporary Transportation Issues

This article begins an effort to demonstrate the relevance of the Refounding perspective to a new generation of public administrators, using railroad policy as an example. After introducing the Blacksburg Manifesto and the public philosophy that forms the normative grounding of the Refounding project, the article uses railroad administration, with its characteristics of corporatism and pluralism, to highlight the dominant Hamiltonian-Madisonian philosophy of public administration. Short-line railroads are discussed as an example of an alternative Jeffersonian public philosophy. The article concludes with thoughts on what a balanced normative grounding for railroad administration could look like and a call for further revitalization of the Refounding project.

Economic Development Perspectives and the Policy Process The Case of Railroad Revitalization Versus Rails-to-Trails

State and local governance operates in the context of multiple competing economic development perspectives. This article highlights three perspectives: Thomas Friedman’s flat world metaphor, Richard Florida’s spiky creative class world, and Michael Shuman’s localism, and reviews their resulting implications for a specific case in Mississippi. The examination of whether to revitalize the Columbus and Greenville Railroad in Mississippi or turn it into a recreational trail illustrates that the assumptions derived from these perspectives affects policy process and implementation. The implications are that public administration needs to operate with an agency perspective in the sense expressed in the “Blacksburg Manifesto.”

Public Administration Theory in the Obama Era

The authors listed above and a few others met during the 2009 Public Administration Theory Network Conference, as part of the Open Space Technology process, to talk about what the new Obama administration might mean for public administration theory. Open Space Technology is a self-organizing process where participants set their own agenda to discuss complex topics of interest (see Stout & Bryer, 2009. This essay summarizes our conversation and presents some ideas for moving forward public administration theory). The group generally had a sense of hope about the future of public administration within this new Obama era. The Obama administration has brought a new appreciation for government and the public service and also recognizes that markets do not solve all of our problems. In his inaugural speech, President Obama called for “the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves.” He went on to note that: For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job, which sees us through our darkest hours. It is

An economic model comparison of EMSI and IMPLAN : Case of Mistletoe Marketplace

Economic Modeling Specialist International (EMSI) model is a common economic development research tool that has begun to be utilized for tourism research. Therefore, it is important to examine the differences between the EMSI model and the commonly used Impact Analysis for Planning (IMPLAN) model. The multiplier effects of the default version of EMSI and IMPLAN were compared using data obtained from a visitor expenditure survey of the Jackson Mississippi Mistletoe Marketplace. The results revealed that IMPLAN estimated larger multiplier effects (both type I and type II) than EMSI for the total output and employment (job supports).

Institutional Legacy as the Driver of Port Development Strategy: The Case of the Port of Gulfport

Numerous East and Gulf Coast ports are undergoing expansions based on the prospect of increased cargo from the expansion of the Panama Canal. The Port of Gulfport in Mississippi is one of these port projects. This commentary explores how and why Mississippi decided to make a huge public investment in port infrastructure. An historical approach is used to explore the factors that led to the investment decisions. The need for economic development and competition from neighboring ports were found to be legacy factors driving the decision-making. The lessons from the case include the need for effective public relations, to understand market forces that impact port success, and to consider how seaports influence economic development in the metropolitan region and state in which they are located.