Urban Institute

About: Urban Institute is a nonprofit organization based out in Washington D.C., District of Columbia, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Medicaid & Population. The organization has 927 authors who have published 2330 publications receiving 86426 citations.

Housing consumption disequilibrium and local residential mobility.

Abstract: An economic theory of local residential mobility is developed and empirically examined. The theory predicts that local mobility is most likely to occur among households whose actual housing consumption deviates the most from their utility-maximizing levels and whose monetary and psychic costs of moving are least. Two separate models are used in applying the theory to data obtained from a national household survey in the USA. The inclusion of variables designed to capture the needs of families to adjust their housing adds little explanatory power compared with more conventional predictors of mobility, although the housing-consumption variables generally have plausible effects on household mobility. Not all local moves are motivated primarily by housing considerations—nearly a third of all local moves are associated with new household formation, marriage, or divorce.

The Determinants of the Incidence of Intergovernmenta l Grants: A Survey of the International Experience

Abstract: Although the presence of objective formula-based grants is an important component of a stable, equitable and efficient system of intergovernmental fiscal relations, the final incidence of grants is not always according to what is stated in the formula because there are other intervening institutional factors. Furthermore, the intergovernmental grant mechanism itself is often a function of the same interests or forces that ultimately drive the incidence of grant resources. This paper relates the horizontal allocation of intergovernmental grants directly to their potential underlying determinants, including normative policy issues, voter choice arguments and political considerations. An international comparison of empirical incidence studies reveals that besides local expenditure needs and local fiscal capacity, other factors including political influence and a jurisdiction’s size play important and consistent roles in determining the horizontal allocation of per capita intergovernmental grants

Using general strain theory to explore the effects of prison victimization experiences on later offending and substance use

Abstract: We examine the relationship between victimization during incarceration and the likelihood of former prisoners' subsequent criminal behavior and substance use from a general strain theory (GST) perspective. Data from the multi-site evaluation of the Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative were used, involving interviews with 543 men and 168 women in 12 states at four time points: once before prison release and 3 times after release. Path analyses show support for GST by indicating that prisoners who are physically assaulted or threatened have negative emotional reactions to such experiences, specifically hostility and depression, which increases their likelihood of violent criminal behavior and substance use after release. Language: en

Projecting From Advance Data Using Propensity Modeling: An Application to Income and Tax Statistics

Abstract: This article proposes and evaluates two new methods of reweighting preliminary data to obtain estimates more closely approximating those derived from the final data set. In our motivating example, the preliminary data are an early sample of tax returns, and the final data set is the sample after all tax returns have been processed. The new methods estimate a predicted propensity for late filing for each return in the advance sample and then poststratify based on these propensity scores. Using advance and complete sample data for 1982, we demonstrate that the new methods produce advance estimates generally much closer to the final estimates than those derived from the current advance estimation techniques. The results demonstrate the value of propensity modeling, a general-purpose methodology that can be applied to a wide range of problems, including adjustment for unit nonresponse and frame undercoverage as well as statistical matching.

Longitudinal Research on Aging Drivers (LongROAD): study design and methods

Abstract: As an important indicator of mobility, driving confers a host of social and health benefits to older adults. Despite the importance of safe mobility as the population ages, longitudinal data are lacking about the natural history and determinants of driving safety in older adults. The Longitudinal Research on Aging Drivers (LongROAD) project is a multisite prospective cohort study designed to generate empirical data for understanding the role of medical, behavioral, environmental and technological factors in driving safety during the process of aging. A total of 2990 active drivers aged 65–79 years at baseline have been recruited through primary care clinics or health care systems in five study sites located in California, Colorado, Maryland, Michigan, and New York. Consented participants were assessed at baseline with standardized research protocols and instruments, including vehicle inspection, functional performance tests, and “brown-bag review” of medications. The primary vehicle of each participant was instrumented with a small data collection device that records detailed driving data whenever the vehicle is operating and detects when a participant is driving. Annual follow-up is being conducted for up to three years with a telephone questionnaire at 12 and 36 months and in-person assessment at 24 months. Medical records are reviewed annually to collect information on clinical diagnoses and healthcare utilization. Driving records, including crashes and violations, are collected annually from state motor vehicle departments. Pilot testing was conducted on 56 volunteers during March–May 2015. Recruitment and enrollment were completed between July 2015 and March 2017. Results of the LongROAD project will generate much-needed evidence for formulating public policy and developing intervention programs to maintain safe mobility while ensuring well-being for older adults.