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SAGE Journal Articles

SJ-userguide.pdf

Article 1: Yan, W. and Douglas, A. C. (August 2013). Federal Environmental Regulation Impacts on Local Economic Growth and Stability. Economic Development Quarterly 27(3). 179-192.

This article discusses the employment growth and employment stability effects of the Clear Air Act regulations and whether the implementation of the regulations weakens local economies.

Questions to Consider:

1. What are the provisions of the Clean Air Act and when was this legislation passed?

2. What did the authors find in terms of the effect of the Clear Air Act regulations on local economies?

Learning Objective(s): 15.3 Identify the political costs and benefits of teetering on a fiscal cliff

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Article 2: 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: 15.4 Relate the ways that entitlement programs such as Medicare and Social Security are subject to the prisoner’s dilemma

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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: 15.3 Identify the political costs and benefits of teetering on a fiscal cliff

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CQ Researcher

Logic7eCh15-futurearctic.pdf

Weeks, J. (September 2013). Future of the Arctic. CQ Researcher, 23(33). 789-812.

This article discusses the global interest in the Arctic and how it is rising as climate change causes Arctic sea ice to melt at record rates. Many observers say uncontrolled Arctic development could damage fragile ecosystems and communities already under serious pressure. Others say the United States is not paying enough attention to the Arctic and has not set detailed priorities for the region. Now critics want to bar such projects, but the energy industry and Alaska officials say Arctic oil and gas reserves can be tapped responsibly.

Questions to Consider:

1. Identify the three main priorities of President Obama’s national strategy.

2. Should the U.S. build an Artic deep-water port? Why or why not?

3. What are some of the outside interests identified in the article?

Learning Objective: 15.2 Explain how the tragedy of the commons complicates nations’ attempts to address climate change siness and technology; 14.4 Identify the ways in which news is a product of politics.