where she teaches in the master of public administration program. Her current research interests include intergovernmental relations, nonprofi t and government performance measurement, and nonprofi t advances in technology.

Since 1934, the federal government has provided a process for municipalities to declare bankruptcy, and approximately 500 governments have done so. In recent years, an average of less than one city government declares bankruptcy each year. In this article, the authors identify five factors that contribute to financial distress for cities which, if left unattended, can lead to municipal bankruptcy. This discussion is followed by an examination of the events that led to the bankruptcy of the City of Prichard, Alabama, once a prosperous suburb of Mobile.

No abstract

This study investigates the longitudinal political and administrative problems associated with federal–local government relations. The findings demonstrate four primary challenges of the system of federal grants‐in‐aid that hinder the relationship of policy design at the federal level and policy implementation in local communities: the politics of decentralization, subnational capacity, program accountability and program adaptability. A case study of the Community Development Block Grant, as assessed by the Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations and the General Accounting Office between 1974 and the present, is included to demonstrate the application of these problems within the system. Although the “evolution of devolution” can greatly benefit the recipients of public services at the local level, it often operates within an unorganized and ineffective system that public managers at all levels of government must continue to develop.

American colleges and universities are in need of innovative approaches to recruit and retain the upcoming generation of new faculty members. Specifically within the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) fields, there is an additional need to focus on meeting the needs of women in order to begin to address gender inequity within STEM. This chapter examines the impact of mentoring on self-efficacy for female graduate students and post doctoral fellows in STEM fields. Using data from a national study of selected U.S. academic institutions, recommendations are made in order to enhance mentoring practices that will reduce the barriers women face within STEM fields. Quality mentoring programs represent a viable way to enhance institutional change that may result in increased numbers of women in STEM fields.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract