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The Institute for Public Service and Policy Research is an
interdisciplinary research and public service unit of the
University of South Carolina. Its principal purpose is to
address current and emerging issues relating to matters of
public policy, governance, and leadership through research,
educational activities, publications, and direct assistance
programs. The goal of the Institute is to improve the quality
of social, political, environmental, and economic life, with a
primary focus in South Carolina.
The Institute has grown from a rich tradition of public
service at USC. It was organized in September, 1945 as the
Bureau of Public Administration. In 1969 the name was changed
to the Bureau of Governmental Research and Service. In 1988
its mission was expanded to include more service-related
policy research and it became the Institute for Public
Affairs. In 2001 the Institute became a part of the College of
Liberal Arts and its name was changed to the Institute for
Public Service and Policy Research to convey the functions of
the organization more clearly: to meet the training and
technical assistance needs of local and state government and
to conduct research to find effective solutions to the public
policy challenges facing our state and communities.
A more detailed account of the Institute’s early history can
be found in Twenty Five Years of Governmental Research
written by former director Robert H. Stoudemire.
Organizationally, the Institute is comprised of the following
areas:
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Tuesday, September 2, 2008
The Petroleum Crisis: Trends, Causes, Effects, and
Practices
– What Can South Carolina Do?
By Richard D. Young
This paper is the result of several months of intensive
research. Its scheduled publication date—September 2,
2008—comes after the completion of peer review. By chance,
this release date coincides with the destruction caused by
Hurricane Gustav along the Gulf Coast of the Southern United
States, particularly New Orleans. Like Katrina, this
hurricane has had a dreadful affect on the lives of many
individuals. While its economic impact is estimated to cost
comparatively less than Katrina ($6-10 billion in private
company insured loses vs. $41 billion), Gustav has caused
further worry about the petroleum crisis we face as a nation
and state. Though no spike in oil prices occurred, the
potential was real and could have been catastrophic.
Readers will find that this paper addresses the causes and
effects of the oil crisis, including those related to the
fragility of our petroleum production facilities and
weather-related conditions. This paper additionally covers
other important aspects of our oil dependence and offers a
comprehensive look at federal, state, and local measures to
mitigate the petroleum crisis. Recommendations, though by no
means all-inclusive, are presented as well.
Given the circumstances as to Hurricane Gustav and its
devastation, as terrible as it may be in terms of human
suffering and economic loses, this research paper is clearly
apropos and timely reading for policymakers and other
interested individuals. With Gustav, the significance of the
oil crisis is reinforced and the call to action is an
immediate one.
Richard D. Young
Click
here to
access this paper.
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Put it to the Voter: Issues in School
Bond Referenda - The passage of school bond referenda is
one issue of concern in education finance. School bonds are
one way of financing primary and secondary education related
capital expenditures in South Carolina. Population growth
coupled with aging infrastructure has made school
construction a priority for many school districts in South
Carolina. This paper will discuss school bond referenda in
South Carolina. First, it examines laws pertaining directly
to school bonds and those that may impact school bond
funding. Next, demographic factors and their effects on
referenda will be analyzed. Political aspects of referenda
and their passage will then be reviewed. Lastly, possible
strategies for passing referenda identified in previous
research will be examined. Click
here to read this paper.
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The May 2008 issue of Public
Policy & Practice is now available electronically.
Articles include:
▪ The Fiscal Situation in 2008:
Economic Conditions and Future Implications for State
Revenues and Expenditures—The United States and South
Carolina. By Richard D. Young
▪ Addressing Immigration in
South Carolina. By Mark A. Bondo
▪ A Downward Spiral: The
Effects of Plummeting Property Values on Neighborhoods.
By Anna Berger and William Tomes
▪ A Burning Question: How Will
Smoking Bans Affect South Carolina. By Amanda J. Reich
▪ An Interview with Retiring
State Senator John W. Drummond.
Click
here to view articles.
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A core
purpose of the Institute for Public Service and Policy
Research is to enhance the quality and effectiveness of
state and local government management and leadership. In
fulfilling this mission, the Institute administers the South
Carolina Local Government Rate and Practices Surveys. The
primary goal of these surveys is to help inform the
decision-making process for local government councils and
staffs. The Institute has recently published the third
report in this series entitled "South Carolina Local
Government Rate and Practices Survey: An Analysis of
Property Maintenance and Code Enforcement in South Carolina
- 2007." To download a copy of this report, please click
here. |
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The
Institute for Public Service and Policy Research has
released a report on the impact of fire protection ratings
on property and casualty insurance rates in Richland County.
In addition to the analysis of insurance rates, the report
explains the Public Protection Classification (PPC) rating
system and the efforts of Richland County and the City of
Columbia Fire Department to improve these ratings. To view a
copy of the report, please click
here.
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Celebrating
60 Years of Service to South Carolina
Over the past six decades, the organization known today as
the Institute for Public Service and Policy Research
has evolved into a world-class public service unit of the
University of South Carolina that provides training, technical
assistance, and research to meet the needs of the state and
its citizens.
The Institute serves a broad range of
individuals and organizations, including policy makers, local
and state government officials and agencies, school districts,
not-for-profit organizations, and private-sector
organizations. As our name suggests, the ultimate aim of the
Institute is to improve the lives of all South Carolinians
through the enhancement of public policy development and
public service activities.
Click presentation
for a brief slideshow of our celebration.
To mark the
Institute’s 60th anniversary, the Institute is
proud to announce the establishment of the South Carolina
Indicators (SCI) Project. The SCI is a comprehensive
web-based site that provides reliable data and analysis on
South Carolina’s status and position with regard to
education, the economy, the
environment, public safety, public health, social welfare,
culture and recreation, and government administration.
Visit the SCI Project web site at http://www.ipspr.sc.edu/scip.
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To read a report about our sixty years of
service to South Carolina, please click here. |
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