SAGE Journal Articles and Readings

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SAGE Journal Articles

SJ-userguide.pdf

Article 1: Meyer, M. H., Wolf, D. A., and Himes, C. L. (March 2006). Declining Eligibility for Social Security Spouse and Widow Benefits in the United States? Research on Aging 28(2). 240-260.

This article discusses the declining eligibility for social security and widow benefits in the U.S. by tracing trends in marriage for women in five cohorts and predicting marital patters for the last three cohorts. The authors find that eligibility of the women is disproportionate. Women of African American descent are more likely to be ineligible for the benefits.

Questions to Consider:
  1. How does social security work and how does it improve the American citizens lives at the age of retirement?
  2. What policy changes need to be made so that benefits are distributed equally among women?
  3. Are the benefits and policies responsive to women who get a divorce?

Learning objective: Identify four government policy programs that attempt to improve citizen’s lives

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Article 2: Matsubayashi, T. and Rocha. R. R. (September 2012). Racial Diversity and Public Policy in the States.Political Research Quarterly 65(3). 600-614.

This article discusses how racial diversity affects public policy outcomes in the united states by examining the policy backlash hypothesis.

Questions to Consider:
  1. What is the electoral constraint hypothesis and how does it apply to blacks?
  2. What are the authors arguing in their study? Do their findings support their argument?
  3. What are the limitations of the backlash hypothesis?

Learning objective: Identify four government policy programs that attempt to improve citizen’s lives; Explain what policy is, who makes it, and how its made

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Article 3: Cummins, J. (October 2012). The Effects of Legislative Term Limits on State Fiscal Conditions.American Politics Research 41(3). 417-442.

This article discusses the effects of term limits on the states fiscal health. The author examines whether states with term limits encounter more fiscal problems than non-term-limited states. In using budget fata from 1983 to 2009 the author’s findings show that legislative turnover decreases budget balances.

Questions to Consider:
  1. Do you believe that term limits are useful, or are they an impediment of states that have implement them into the structure of their state legislature?
  2. How do term limits affect fiscal policy in states?
  3. Are term-limited legislators less knowledge than their career counterparts?

Learning objective: Explain the difference between fiscal policy and monetary policy; Recognize the fundamental language and laws of economics

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Article 4: Machain, C. M. and Morgan, T. C. (April 2012). The Effect of US Troop Deployment on Host States' Foreign Policy. Armed Forces & Society 39(1). 102-123.

This article discusses the deployment of troops abroad and their effect on the host state. The authors argue that as the number of US troops deployed to a host state increases, we should expect the host state to reduce its own troop levels, be more likely to initiate militarized interstate disputes, and be less likely to be the target of interstate disputes.

Questions to Consider:
  1. What are the intended and unintended consequences of troop deployment abroad?
  2. Explain Palmer and Morgan’s two-good theory of foreign policy. How does it apply to troop deployment?
  3. What were the authors’ findings in terms of the effects of troop deployment on the host state?

Learning objective: Explain how global and domestic pressures shape American foreign policy; Describe the strategies and instruments used to address foreign policy issues

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CQ Researcher

Learning objective: Describe the tension between national security and democracy and what it means for citizens