Eric D. Raile

The Executive Toolbox: Building Legislative Support in a Multiparty Presidential Regime

How do presidents win legislative support under conditions of extreme multipartism? Comparative presidential research has offered two parallel answers, one relying on distributive politics and the other claiming that legislative success is a function of coalition formation. The authors merge these insights in an integrated approach to executive-legislative relations while also considering dynamism and particular bargaining contexts. The authors find that the two presidential “tools”—pork and coalition goods—function as imperfect substitutes. Coalition goods establish an exchange baseline, while pork covers the ongoing costs of operation. Pork expenditures also depend upon a president’s bargaining leverage and the distribution of legislative seats.

Fingerprint-based background checks for personal care workers: Stakeholder views of policy criteria

ABSTRACT Decision makers face difficult choices when tasked with identifying and implementing appropriate mechanisms for protecting the elderly and other vulnerable adults from abuse. A pilot project involving fingerprint-based criminal history background checks for personal care workers in Michigan has supplied an opportunity to examine one such mechanism. In conjunction with the pilot project, we have conducted a stakeholder analysis with the aim of informing decision makers about stakeholder perceptions of standard policy criteria like effectiveness, efficiency, and equity. We employed focus groups and a Web-based survey to collect data from stakeholders. While stakeholders generally see fingerprint-based background checks for personal care workers as potentially effective and as a net benefit, they also point to a variety of contingencies. They also recognize difficulties and constraints for government involvement. This preliminary analysis provides solid foundational information for decision makers and for more extensive benefit–cost analysis.

Analysis and action: The political will and public will approach

Addressing complex social problems requires the implementation of public policies in support of positive social change efforts. Both political will and public will are crucial elements of such effo...

The Role of UX in Government System Expansion

In order to design an expansion for an existing government system that satisfies the strategic requirements of having public value, legitimacy, and feasibility, the expanded system must create something real and substantial that the target population can make use of. Our User Experience (UX) framework helps to identify areas where public value, legitimacy, and feasibility are strong, and also need more attention. We show how we used a hybrid approach that combines usability evaluation, focus groups, and online surveys to identify the user and stakeholder experiences that drive design forward in a way that leads to the success and stability of the implemented expansion.