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To improve traffic safety, states limit truck length and weight, and some set lower speed limits for trucks than for other vehicles. We examined the impact of truck-specific restrictions and general traffic-safety policies on fatality rates from crashes involving large trucks.

Examines degree of local cooperation between US and Mexican municipal managers, barriers to cooperation, and impact on local projects, such as the transportation system.

Using the case of attorney certification, the authors examine the relative validity of two explanations for professional regulation at the state level -- consumer benefit & supplier advantage -- that are provided in the policy-making literature. Some states establish government certification programs, whereas others validate private programs. In others, attorney certification is illegal. The authors find a strong relationship between lobbying by the legal profession & the existence of certification programs, but they determine that there is no relationship between interest in consumer protection & the existence of certification programs. The article concludes with a brief discussion of the political dynamics of professional regulation at the state level. 4 Tables, 18 References. Adapted from the source document.

Thirty-six states adopted some form of legalized cannabis by 2020, and policy characteristics varied considerably across the states. Nineteen of those states initially adopted legalized cannabis via ballot measure, and seventeen initially adopted via legislation. Implementation of cannabis policy across these types of policy adoption differed substantially in process and policy design. To characterize the policy environment, we develop a unique coding scheme for legalized cannabis with policy characteristics aggregated into three policy bundles. The pharmaceutical bundle treats cannabis as a legal but regulated drug. The permissive bundle allows greater individual discretion on cannabis use. The fiscal bundle treats cannabis as a potential revenue source. Using these policy bundles from the years 1994-2020, we explore how states continue to modify their policy approaches in the implementation period and assess the factors shaping policy adaptation over time, such as administrative capacity, partisan control, state fiscal health, and economic factors.

American states have used different approaches in adoption of cannabis policies and continue to modify those policies after approval. States also differ in how long it takes to implement such policies, and this influences the availability of legal marijuana. Such policy differences and implementation timelines could influence usage of marijuana and other illicit drugs by adolescents, young adults, and older adults. We develop an original coding scheme for marijuana legalization policies by classifying policy bundles characterized by three views of marijuana: as a pharmaceutical; as a permissive drug, or as a state fiscal revenue source. We test the impact of state legal marijuana policy characteristics on age group rates of marijuana use with panel regression models including control variables and fixed effects for 2000–2019. This design moves beyond a dichotomous construct of marijuana legalization and accounts for the dynamic adaptation of policies beyond their initial adoption. States with a higher pharmaceutical score experienced lower marijuana usage rates for adolescents and young adults while states with a permissive approach or fiscal approach experienced higher rates of marijuana use for all age groups. We find no consistent spillover effect of the pharmaceutical or permissive marijuana policy bundles on other illicit drug use for any age group, but fiscal bundles show some association with greater illicit drug use for adults. These more nuanced measures better reflect state policies as implemented and provide more clarity of the policy impact on target populations' marijuana usage.

Tests underlying assumptions regarding the impact of a concealed-handgun policy on violent crime rates, positing that significant differences exist within geographic areas, & that permit holders reside in areas not prone to high levels of violent crime. Analysis of aggregate-level data at the zip code level for Dallas, TX, along with individual-level data on permit holders, reveals stark differences across zip codes regarding the number of permits, sociodemographic characteristics, & violent crime rates. Permit holders are overwhelmingly white males & reside in areas with little violent crime. Those areas with high violent crime rates are the least likely to also contain a high number of residents with concealed-handgun permits. It is concluded that knowledge about the distribution of permits within geographic areas is vital to properly specify empirical models. 6 Tables, 3 Figures, 10 References. Adapted from the source document.

Much of what we know about turnout in American elections is based on national surveys of voters participating in presidential elections. Much less is known about voter participation in other types of elections. Using verified turnout and registration data, we surveyed registered voters to determine the demographic and attitudinul differences between two groups of voters: those who participated only in presidential elections and others who participated in midterm congressional, state, and local elections as well as presidential elections. We find that age, education, gender, social connectedness, personal contact with local public officials, and satisfaction with government services are significant factors in explaining electoral participation by registered voters.