Steven Deller | University of Wisconsin-Madison (original) (raw)

Papers by Steven Deller

The Journal of Regional Analysis and Policy, 2001

The environment in which local governments, particularly smaller more rural governments operate, ... more The environment in which local governments, particularly smaller more rural governments operate, has undergone fundamental changes. What was once modest part-time volunteer service by civic-minded persons has been transformed into complex, time consuming political environments. As the responsibilities and challenges of managing local government mounts, institutions of higher education can play a significant role in helping these community volunteers better understand and act upon the new environment in which they find themselves. In this article, we lay out one potential line of thinking to help institutions of higher education address this growing need for applied research and outreach education.

Routledge eBooks, Apr 24, 2015

The Review of Regional Studies, May 29, 2020

Using two alternative metrics of social capital, we explore how community structure influences th... more Using two alternative metrics of social capital, we explore how community structure influences the five-year survival rates of businesses started in 2000. Employing a family of spatial estimators to derive a set of global estimates and Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR), we find strong evidence that community-level social capital has a positive influence on business survival rates. Results suggest that while social capital is important in understanding business survival rates, relationships vary significantly across space. From, a policy perspective, it would be a mistake to treat social capital as a uniform asset where one approach fits all communities.

The Journal of Regional Analysis and Policy, Jul 1, 2009

The intent of this applied research project is to build on the Roback-Blanchflower-Oswald model l... more The intent of this applied research project is to build on the Roback-Blanchflower-Oswald model linking rent, wages and unemployment to amenities. Using non-metropolitan county level US data and detailed measures of natural and built amenities I estimate a structural model testing for trade-offs between rent, wages, unemployment and amenities. Results do not strictly confirm the Roback-Blanchflower-Oswald (RBO) model but there is sufficient evidence to suggest that amenities plays an important role in explaining observed levels rent, wages and unemployment.

The Review of Regional Studies, Jun 4, 2012

The rapid expansion of oil and gas extraction in large parts of the Marcellus fields in the Appal... more The rapid expansion of oil and gas extraction in large parts of the Marcellus fields in the Appalachian Basin and the Bakken fields in the Williston Basin of the Dakotas and Montana has reignited debate over the role of natural resource extraction as a rural economic growth strategy. While the popular media has focused on hydraulic fracturing and natural gas and oil production, there has been significant interest in silicon sand mining in western Wisconsin and southeastern Minnesota. This "frack sand" is used in oil and gas hydraulic fracturing activity. In this study we explore the relationship between non-oil and gas mining (NAICS 212) activities and economic growth for nonmetropolitan U.S. counties for the period 2000 to 2007. We find robust results suggesting that non-oil and gas mining is associated with lower population growth, and a positive impact on per capita income, but has no impact on employment growth.

Economic Inquiry, Feb 18, 2016

Using data for U.S. counties from 2005 to 2012, we test whether higher levels of economic diversi... more Using data for U.S. counties from 2005 to 2012, we test whether higher levels of economic diversity mediated the effects of the Great Recession via four measures of stability. Spatial spillover effects are modeled by the use of the spatial Durbin estimator with heteroscedastic errors. The data generally support the central hypothesis that higher levels of diversity within a county are associated with enhanced employment stability across all counties as well as subsets of metro and nonmetro counties. Results for wage stability, however, appear to contradict our other findings. We suggest that underlying labor elasticities can bridge these apparent contradictory results. (JEL R11,

Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, Nov 1, 2018

Within the theoretical framework of social capital, we explore how different religious traditions... more Within the theoretical framework of social capital, we explore how different religious traditions influence small business activity in U.S. counties. We motivate the analysis by emphasizing the ways in which religious organizations may facilitate social capital, a key factor in business formation and performance. We find that communities with a large concentration of religious congregations have a correspondingly higher level of small business activity. We also find important differences across religious traditions, suggesting that religion should not be treated as a monolithic dimension of social capital. In addition, by exploring different traditions, beliefs, and norms, proxied by religion, finer insights into social capital and community economic development can be gained.

Journal of Planning Literature, Aug 1, 2000

This bibliography re views the lit er a ture on the no tion of quality of life and how it af fect... more This bibliography re views the lit er a ture on the no tion of quality of life and how it af fects sev eral plan ning is sues. The concept of qual ity of life is ex am ined in gen eral terms through def i ni tions, con cepts, mod els, and meth ods. Fol low ing this are dis cus sions on qual ity of life as it re lates to places or geographic ar eas, pri mar ily ur ban ones, but also ru ral ar eas and neigh bor hoods; the role of qual ity of life in hu man mi gra tion; the im pact of qual ity of life on firm lo ca tion; and the re la tionship be tween qual ity of life and re gional eco nomic growth. The au thors con clude that qual ity of life will increasingly play a sig nif i cant role in var i ous plan ning di men sions, but that role is likely to be a com plex one. TA BLE OF CON TENTS J.-C. DISSART is a grad u ate stu dent in ur ban and re gional planning at the Uni ver sity of Wis con sin-Mad i son. STEVEN C. DELLER is a pro fes sor of ag ri cul tural and ap plied econom ics at the Uni ver sity of Wis con sin-Mad i son.

In this in-depth case study, input-output analysis, secondary data analysis, focus groups, and pe... more In this in-depth case study, input-output analysis, secondary data analysis, focus groups, and personal interviews were employed to investigate the local-level impacts of a Native American casino. Both impacts in the small, rural Midwestern town which hosts the casino and Tribal-level impacts were examined. Analysis suggests that the economic impacts in the host town are similar to those that might be associated with the introduction of any large employer. Employment and income have increased locally; business opportunities have been created; and some local public services, such as law enforcement, have been strained. The casino has also altered the character of the community, creating an atmosphere of a busy, tourist center in a previously quiet, rural town. The sudden change in the financial position of the Tribal members has resulted in a variety of unresolved cultural, social, and economic difficulties. Specific conflicts have arisen between the Tribe and the local community over issues such as the tax exempt status of the trust land on which the casino is located and payments in lieu of tax. Although the casino presents the unique opportunity for the Native American and non-Native American communities to engage in economic and community development plans together, they have not fully explored these options because of a lack of communication and understanding between the communities. It is useful to categorize gaming enterprises by their relative size and function. Noncommercial gaming used for fund-raising for non-profits, such as church bingo, can be considered charitable gaming. These games usually.offer small prizes and generate relatively small amounts of revenue. Small-scale gaming enterprises include river boat casinos, historic town casinos, and Native American casinos. These gaming enterprises have been introduced largely for the purpose of economic revitalization in depressed economic regions and are often highly regulated and restricted to specific geographical locations within states. They may offer high-stakes games and prizes, but do not generally generate the level of revenue and tourist draw that large-scale casinos do. Large-scale gaming enterprises are high-profile, high profit, commercial operations such as found in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and Monte Carlo. Some casinos cross the boundaries of these categories. For example, the Foxwoods Casino is a Native American casino owned by the Pequot Mashantucket Tribe of Connecticut. Yet, it is also the largest single casino in the world and generates a large amount of revenue like a large-scale casino. 2 The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) of 1988 stipulates that federally recognized Native American tribes may operate high stakes gaming enterprises on federal trust land in states that allow gaming for any other purposes (such as state lotteries or cha. ritable gaming). IGRA requires each tribe to negotiate a gaming compact with the state that outlines the tribe's and state's roles in regulation of the gaming enterprise. 3 The case study town will be referred to as "Casino Town" throughout this analysis to maintain the town citizens' and tribes ' anonymity. The case study tribe will be referred to simply as the "Tribe.

Community Development, Oct 9, 2017

Increasingly, many believe that food is for much more than simple biological maintenance. Our soc... more Increasingly, many believe that food is for much more than simple biological maintenance. Our society is replete with examples of how food symbolizes our value structures, our relationships with each other, and the environment in which we live. We welcome friends, new and old, into our homes to share meals. We often do business over lunch or dinner. We welcome new neighbors with baked goods or vegetables from the garden. Religions base many of their traditions on restricting particular types of food or on full-on feasting. All implore believers to feed the hungry. Cultural traditions vary greatly around the world, but it would be difficult to find an example that did not involve an element of respect for the way their food is produced, handled, prepared, or consumed. Traditionally, food was consumed in rather close proximity to where it was produced. It was only in recent decades that these traditions were disrupted. This disruption was coincidental with increasing human populations and the advent of refrigeration, transportation infrastructure, petroleum-based production inputs, concentrated and specialized large-scale production technologies, and other ingredients necessary to the development of the long supply chain model of providing food. Add to that the dual income household, information technology, and the concomitant overall busyness of modern life. The resulting disconnects have, arguably, played a role in the disruption of the fabric of the human community. As a result, the last two to three decades have witnessed a steady growth in interest in policies, programs, and practices aimed at ameliorating these conditions, and some are looking to food as an essential ingredient. Many would argue that there are unintended consequences, primarily anthropomorphic but also more broadly construed, associated with the manner in which our food supply chain has evolved. These concerns range in focus from health, to environment, to economic structure, to social justice. But, for each argument critical of our current food system, there are to be found strong counter-arguments; the popular press is replete with stories that lean toward taking specific sides in these arguments, often demonizing those on the other side. As editors of this special issue, we sought out local food scholars who strive to be fair, balanced, and as factual as possible in their arguments. For community development practitioners, we think this even-handed approach is appropriate as it should foster more sustainable community change. For community development scholars, this approach should

Small Business Economics, Aug 9, 2019

We assess how women-owned and operated businesses relate to income inequality at the community le... more We assess how women-owned and operated businesses relate to income inequality at the community level. Using U.S. county-level data within the framework of modeling uncertainty, we employ a spatial Bayesian model averaging approach to identify which specific control variables are most consistent with the underlying data generating process for inequality. We find that higher income inequality is linked to larger shares of women-owned and managed businesses. These results are consistent with women-owned businesses being more prevalent at the extremes of the household income distribution where some women are pulled into business ownership at the lower end of the income distribution spectrum and others are driven by opportunities at the higher end of the distribution. We also found meaningful differences in the underlying control variable across our three measures of income inequality. Only a handful of control variables, such as the unemployment rate, rates of college education, and housing costs, are consistent predictors of income inequality.

who spent long summer hours interviewing migrant workers in Wisconsin. Lisa Wade and Rob Staude p... more who spent long summer hours interviewing migrant workers in Wisconsin. Lisa Wade and Rob Staude prepared the code book, did the coding, helped with the analysis of the data, assisted in the drafts of the manuscript, and searched the literature for comparable studies. Barbara Foelmi prepared the text with a careful eye to editing and accuracy.

Applied Economics, Jun 15, 2017

During the period of the Great Recession, previous research has found that women-owned firms were... more During the period of the Great Recession, previous research has found that women-owned firms were less likely to lay-off workers than were firms owned by men. Given that the individual firm behaviour has a cumulative effect on regional economic performance, we expect greater stability across those regions with a larger share of women-owned and managed businesses. We test this hypothesis using US county data during the period from 2007 to 2013 at the US county level. Consistent with the findings of Matsa and Miller, our results suggest that regional economic stability increases with the share of women-owned and managed establishments.

The Review of Regional Studies, Oct 11, 2007

Using U.S. county-level migration data from the 2000 Census, we examine patterns of migration of ... more Using U.S. county-level migration data from the 2000 Census, we examine patterns of migration of older people. This study makes three contributions to the literature. First we focus attention on differences in migration patterns of older people by separately modeling four age classifications. Second, using Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR), we look for and find significant spatial variation in the determinants of migration of older people. Third, because many older migrants relocate purely for quality of life, we examine the role of amenities, both natural and built, in explaining migration patterns.

Regional Science and Urban Economics, Sep 1, 2016

Using a panel (2000-2011) of cross-state relocation patterns of manufacturing firms from the Nati... more Using a panel (2000-2011) of cross-state relocation patterns of manufacturing firms from the National Establishment Time Series (NETS) database we estimate a state-to-state relocation model for all manufacturers and separately for three groups of industries defined by knowledge intensity. The analysis of the data suggests that very few manufacturing firms relocate across state lines in any given year and the vast majority of those that do are small in size and move to adjoining states. Econometric results reveal that regional determinants of relocation decisions vary by type of manufacturing firm. Whereas a number of factors considered in this study are significant in the models, estimated marginal effects at the mean are infinitesimal. This implies that states attempting to encourage manufacturing firms to relocate from other states via traditional perspectives on business climate are unlikely to be successful.

Routledge eBooks, May 1, 2021

Choices. The Magazine of Food, Farm, and Resources Issues, 2012

International Journal of Public Administration, Nov 3, 2009

We offer a practical test of local government effectiveness in the provision of public services.

Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Dec 1, 1995

The effects of structural shifts in the treatment of intergovernmental aid during the 1980s are t... more The effects of structural shifts in the treatment of intergovernmental aid during the 1980s are tested using a sample of 1,929 rural counties with local road responsibilities. A dynamic model is used to test the hypothesis that local public officials treated intergovernmental aid differently after the Reagan/Bush policy of Fiscal Federalism was implemented. Empirical tindings from the dynamic model are that Federal aid was much more stimulative at the end of the decade than in earlier years but the effects of state aid remained the same throughout the 1980s. These differences are attributed to a perception that Federal aid is less certain and more transitory than permanent.