Jeronimo Cortina | University of Houston (original) (raw)

Papers by Jeronimo Cortina

Research & Politics, Jul 1, 2019

The use of vote centers-specific locations in a county where all voters will vote-is on the rise ... more The use of vote centers-specific locations in a county where all voters will vote-is on the rise nationwide, as more than a dozen states used this process by 2018. More states are moving toward using voting centers to remedy the problem of low voter turnout, with the assumption that the centralization of voting to several core county locations will increase voter accessibility. What we have less clear information about is the effect of vote centers on turnout in individual elections across several cycles. Using a natural experiment in Texas-a state that has three fixed election cycles-we find vote centers have a small positive impact on traditionally lower turnout elections but no effect on higher turnout elections. The cumulative impact of vote centers has a small effect on turnout over time. These results suggest a more cautious assessment is needed when considering the use and impact of vote centers.

American Review of Politics, 2017

The outbreak of political scandal depresses the approval ratings of the individuals involved, esp... more The outbreak of political scandal depresses the approval ratings of the individuals involved, especially the president. Yet, less is known about the partisan effects of approval ratings during scandal, especially the “stickiness” of partisan ties to leaders involved in scandal. Using a survey experiment, we expose respondents to manufactured news coverage of both illegal and not illegal (mismanaged policy) activities involving President Obama. The results demonstrate that the President’s co-partisans are more likely to approve of the President and less likely to desire to impeach the president, even after being informed about illegal activity. In contrast, out partisans are more likely to demand the President’s impeachment for both illegal and not illegal activity. This article provides evidence of how partisanship persists (and even expands) during presidential scandals and how partisan linkages are important to surviving scandal.

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Residential location has been shown to significantly impact mental health, with individuals in ru... more Residential location has been shown to significantly impact mental health, with individuals in rural communities experiencing poorer mental health compared to those in urban areas. However, the influence of an individual’s social group on the relationship between residential location and mental health outcomes remains unclear. This study disaggregates the rural-urban binary and investigates how geography and social groupings interact to shape mental health outcomes. Merging data from PLACES and Claritas PRIZM, we conducted a hotspot analysis, generated bivariate choropleth maps, and applied multiscale geographically weighted regressions to examine the spatial distribution of mental health and social groupings. Our findings reveal that mental health is influenced by complex interactions, with social groups playing a critical role. Our study highlights that not all rural and urban areas are alike, and the extent to which social groups influence mental health outcomes varies within and...

agricultural-assistance-program-is-inadvertently-subsidizing-migration-to-theu-s/ Mexico's agricu... more agricultural-assistance-program-is-inadvertently-subsidizing-migration-to-theu-s/ Mexico's agricultural assistance program is inadvertently subsidizing migration to the U.S. For those Mexicans that choose to do so, migration to the U.S. can be both incredibly costly and risky. But with annual wages less than a third the cost of migration, how are migrants able to afford to do so? Jeronimo Cortina looks at the role of Mexico's Procampo agricultural assistance program, finding that its cash transfers are inadvertently encouraging many Mexicans to emigrate to the U.S. He argues that for the subsidy to achieve its purpose, then it must be conditional, or that instead, the Mexican government should create a regional structural fund aimed at rural counties in which migration is not yet prevalent to provide incentives to transform idle arable land into a productive investment, thus minimizing migratory pressures. People migrate for many reasons. Most, do in search of greater opportunities, and the desire to help their families. Some are forced by necessity-profound economic deprivation, the intensifying effects of climate change, violence or even political unrest. Whatever may be the underlying reason, moving from one country to another is an expensive undertaking-even between close neighbors like the U.S. and Mexico.

Political Research Quarterly

The wall along the U.S.–Mexico border has become one of the most controversial issues in the immi... more The wall along the U.S.–Mexico border has become one of the most controversial issues in the immigration debate. Although the American public is often aligned with partisan predispositions, often ignored is the role that geographic distance to the border plays in forming attitudes. This paper explores the role of proximity, partisanship, and their interaction as determinants of public attitudes toward the border wall. This paper argues that geographic distance has two effects on public attitudes: as a catalyst for direct contact and as a dynamic filter that shapes how people process information and understand a particular place or policy. Using geocoded survey data from 2017, this paper shows that as the distance to the U.S.–Mexico border increases, Republicans are more likely to support building a wall along the entire border with Mexico due to a lack of direct contact, supplanting direct information with partisan beliefs.

Migration and Development, 2014

Using data from eight focus groups and two household surveys conducted in the cities of Tirana, A... more Using data from eight focus groups and two household surveys conducted in the cities of Tirana, Albania and Quito, Ecuador, this paper finds that migration from at least one parent has a negative impact on the life satisfaction of children and adolescents left behind relative to that of children and adolescents who live with both parents who have never migrated. The results of this paper suggest that the impact of migration goes beyond traditional ones (e.g. remittances), which is useful for understanding how different components of international migration in general, and parental migration in particular, relate to outcomes that not only affect the full development prospects of children and adolescents, but also have important implications for policy initiatives that seek to address both the positive and negative impacts of migration on sending countries.

Policy Studies Journal, 2014

Migration theories often ignore the role that states play in stimulating migration through public... more Migration theories often ignore the role that states play in stimulating migration through public assistance policies. Using the case of Mexico, this article explores the role of the state as a migrantproducing actor by examining the relationship between migration and social assistance policies in the form of monetary cash transfers. It argues that direct, unconditional cash transfers, like those provided by agricultural programs such as Procampo, rather than providing the incentives needed to retain individuals in their home country, may instead be providing the resources needed to migrate, particularly if the amount of the transfer is insufficient to spur investment. Instead of discouraging migration by enhancing economic opportunities and reducing poverty, such policies can actually make it easier and more appealing for its beneficiaries to migrate.

QScience Proceedings, 2013

Among the many challenges that the world faces today, one is of particular relevance to internati... more Among the many challenges that the world faces today, one is of particular relevance to international migration and development. The world faces significant demographic changes affecting the future developmental prospects of both developed and less developed countries. More developed countries are simultaneously facing low fertility rates and ageing populations, while less developed countries, in contrast, are experiencing higher birth rates and a significant "youth bulge." The fiscal, social, economic and political implications of these imbalances are obvious for both developed and less developed countries, while the policy interventions to attenuate these impacts, however, are not so obvious. More developed countries, for instance could increase productivity levels, significantly increase the age of retirement and eligibility for benefits and could potentially use other tax revenues to fund benefits. For less developed countries the policy choices are basically reduced to interventions seeking to increase the rate of economic growth in order to incorporate younger generations into the labour market and to expand the state's capacities to provide basic social services such as health and education. One of the single most accommodative policies that could potentially address these challenges is international migration. On average, migrants tend to be young people seeking for the most part better economic prospects to support their families. Migrants moving from countries with high unemployment rates, and dire prospects to better their lives, to countries with an increasing ageing population and low fertility rates could not only balance out these demographic imbalances but also improve the developmental prospects of both developed and less developed countries.

Harvard Journal of Hispanic Policy, 2005

combines interests in political behavior and public policy. In political behavior he specializes ... more combines interests in political behavior and public policy. In political behavior he specializes in ethnic politics, with particular emphasis on Latino public opinion and electoral involvement. His primary interests in public policy include immigration and immigrant settlement and incorporation. He has edited, co-edited and co-authored numerous books including Sending Money Home: Hispanic Remittances and Community Development; Latinos and U.

Foreign Affairs Latinoamerica, 2005

Page 1. 1 Remesas: límites al optimismo Por Jerónimo Cortina, Rodolfo de la Garza y Enrique Ochoa... more Page 1. 1 Remesas: límites al optimismo Por Jerónimo Cortina, Rodolfo de la Garza y Enrique Ochoa-Reza De Foreign Affairs En Español, Julio-Septiembre 2005 Las remesas son una fuente importante de ingreso para las ...

New Perspectives on International Migration and Development, 2013

This paper investigates some of the potential consequences of the impact of the financial crisis ... more This paper investigates some of the potential consequences of the impact of the financial crisis on international migrants' families back home. Using Mexico's 2006 and 2008 Encuesta Nacional de Ingreso y Gasto de los Hogares (ENIGH), a national representative survey of more ...

Understanding Minority and Immigrant Politics, 2008

A Quantitative Tour of the Social Sciences, 2009

policydialogue.org

Conventional wisdom argues that the relationship between migration and remittances is positive an... more Conventional wisdom argues that the relationship between migration and remittances is positive and reinforcing. The basic idea is that as the number of migrants in a host country in period one grows, the level of remittances sent to the home country will increase in period two, ...

Politics, Groups, and Identities

Cambridge University Press

Abstract: Social scientists become experts in their own disciplines but aren&#x27;t alway... more Abstract: Social scientists become experts in their own disciplines but aren&#x27;t always familiar with what is going on in neighboring fields. To foster a deeper understanding of the interconnection of the social sciences, economists should know where historical data come from, ...