Morrison Institute for Public Policy Publications Archives
Morrison Institute for Public Policy is a leader in examining critical Arizona and regional issues, and is a catalyst for public dialogue. An Arizona State University resource, Morrison Institute is an independent center that uses nonpartisan research and communication outreach to help improve the state's quality of life.
Morrison Institute is part of the College of Public Programs in the School of Public Affairs at Arizona State University. Additional publications are available at the Morrison Institute for Public Policy. Date range of repository publications is 1992 – 2015.
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- Creators: Hedberg, Eric
- Creators: Arizona Community Foundation
- Creators: Center for Competitiveness and Prosperity Research
This follow-up to the 2001 landmark report, "Five Shoes Waiting to Drop on Arizona's Future," focuses on the projected future of the state if Arizona fails to address its Latino educational attainment gap. The publication is more of an economic impact statement than an education report, with indicators pointing out consequences and contributions, depending on action or inaction in closing the gap of Arizona's future workforce.
High costs alone are enough to make anyone dizzy. How can health care and health insurance be understood now when tight budgets are presenting tougher and tougher choices to individuals and policy makers? One answer is to step back and take another look at what quality research says about the costs and benefits of health and health insurance and match those facts and figures with experiences among Arizonans. This report does just that. It also presents recommendations that could help Arizona fare better in the coming years. Money may make the world go round, but choices determine the future. In addition to reviews of state and national economic studies, focus groups and interviews were held with metro Phoenix and metro Tucson residents who did not have, or recently lost, health insurance. Participants’ own words are used throughout the report to illustrate a variety of research findings.
Mobility is crucial to everyday life in rural and urban settings, and for individuals with disabilities and low-income populations public transportation can be a major obstacle to keeping them socially engaged. For some individuals, public transportation is their sole way to see a doctor, get groceries and maintain employment. A 2015 survey of individuals with developmental disabilities in 28 states found that Arizona is the worst when it comes to reliable transportation. What can Arizona do to increase funding and continually improve its transportation services? This report examines some avenues to mobility.
Mexico is Arizona’s No. 1 trading partner with over $15 billion in trade annually. The bulk of Arizona’s international commerce is with Sonora, the immediate neighbor to the south, but there are other potential economic opportunities worth exploring across Mexico. Here the focus is on Guanajuato, one of Mexico’s most economically advanced states with robust international trading ties. Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions and Morrison Institute for Public Policy at Arizona State University researched the potential for enhanced economic ties between Arizona and Guanajuato, a state and capital city by the same name located in Central Mexico, 227 miles northwest of Mexico City and about 1,100 miles southeast of Phoenix. Watts College and Morrison Institute partnered with the L. William Seidman Research Institute at ASU’s W.P. Carey School of Business to produce a detailed economic profile of Guanajuato in order to guide ongoing and future exploration of expanded trade with Arizona.
This is the fourth in a series of briefs in which Morrison Institute for Public Policy will report on selected aspects of Arizona’s child welfare system. Morrison Institute’s first white paper discussed the less visible but more common side of child maltreatment: neglect. The second white paper examined family conditions that can influence a family’s subtle “drift” towards unsafe situations that often correlate with neglect, as well as how different types of prevention might help interrupt the “drift into failure.” The third paper analyzed Arizona Department of Child Safety data to identify the prevalence of various types of neglect in Arizona reports. This paper highlights some key conclusions from the neglect analysis and identifies future areas for study and analysis as part of the Spotlight on Arizona’s Kids project. Future papers will research, analyze and discuss prevention services in Arizona and elsewhere, with an emphasis on best practices. These collective efforts are intended to help state leaders, child advocates and others discuss and identify the most-effective child abuse and neglect prevention strategies. Spotlight on Arizona’s Kids is funded by the Arizona Community Foundation
This year, Arizona Directions assesses the health of both ends of the P-20 spectrum: early childcare and education and the high school /postsecondary-to-industry nexus. Both are viewed through the lens of Arizona’s current competitive position and its trajectory through the broader economic landscape. How well does Arizona regulate, promote and ensure equitable access to quality early childcare and to programs that help children enter Kindergarten ready to learn? Does Arizona’s production of graduates and skilled workers align with current and projected industry needs? In other words, are we setting our children up to succeed in the new global economy? At the same time, are we creating a talent pool that will help Arizona stand out as the place to start and grow a business? Arizona Directions’ data-driven approach enables Arizonans to step back and examine the evidence without the distraction of clashing political rhetoric. The report is designed to create a common reference point for civil discourse and post-partisan, collaborative approaches to improving Arizona’s competitiveness. Still, the data are merely the kindling. Many minds are needed to stoke the fire and convert its energy into real-world results.
This first-time survey of individuals and families experiencing homelessness in Arizona provides a detailed portrait of the state's homeless population. By statistically validating some long-held assumptions about homelessness, this research will provide the empirical evidence needed to advance both prevention and treatment strategies.
In this study, Morrison Institute reviewed how ACEs are associated with diseases that are the leading causes of death for adults in Arizona. With this focus in mind, heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, and chronic lower respiratory diseases like COPD or chronic bronchitis were included in this study.