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The Institute for Public Service and Policy Research is an interdisciplinary research and public service unit of the University of South Carolina. Its principal purpose is to address current and emerging issues relating to matters of public policy, governance, and leadership through research, educational activities, publications, and direct assistance programs. The goal of the Institute is to improve the quality of social, political, environmental, and economic life, with a primary focus in South Carolina.

The Institute has grown from a rich tradition of public service at USC. It was organized in September, 1945 as the Bureau of Public Administration. In 1969 the name was changed to the Bureau of Governmental Research and Service. In 1988 its mission was expanded to include more service-related policy research and it became the Institute for Public Affairs. In 2001 the Institute became a part of the College of Liberal Arts and its name was changed to the Institute for Public Service and Policy Research to convey the functions of the organization more clearly: to meet the training and technical assistance needs of local and state government and to conduct research to find effective solutions to the public policy challenges facing our state and communities.

A more detailed account of the Institute’s early history can be found in Twenty Five Years of Governmental Research written by former director Robert H. Stoudemire.

Organizationally, the Institute is comprised of the following areas:  

 

 




 

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INSTITUTE NEWS and UPCOMING EVENTS

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Richard Young's A Guide to the General Assembly of South Carolina, winner of a Notable State Document designation in 2001, has been updated and is now available as an electronic publication. To access the document, please click here.

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Each day, news reports detail the struggles state and local government agencies are having in dealing with the economic crisis. The Governmental Research and Services staff has written a paper outlining cutback management practices. The paper summarizes 20 years of research on governments’ response to fiscal stress. Click here to view this paper.

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The November 2008 issue of Public Policy & Practice is now available electronically. Articles include:

The Freshwater Resource in South Carolina: An Analysis of the Key Policy and Management Issues. By Jack C. Kresslein

Stormwater Management Planning in South Carolina. By William E. Tomes

A Feasibility Analysis of South Carolina Wind Resources for Electric Power Generation. By Jeffery L. Beacham, John R. Jensen, and Zhongwu Wang

Lies, Damn Lies, and Energy Independence – A Book Review – Gusher of Lies: The Dangerous Delusions of Energy Independence. By Mark A. Bondo

Click here to view articles

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Put it to the Voter: Issues in School Bond Referenda - The passage of school bond referenda is one issue of concern in education finance.  School bonds are one way of financing primary and secondary education related capital expenditures in South Carolina.  Population growth coupled with aging infrastructure has made school construction a priority for many school districts in South Carolina. This paper will discuss school bond referenda in South Carolina. First, it examines laws pertaining directly to school bonds and those that may impact school bond funding. Next, demographic factors and their effects on referenda will be analyzed. Political aspects of referenda and their passage will then be reviewed. Lastly, possible strategies for passing referenda identified in previous research will be examined. Click here to read this paper.

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A core purpose of the Institute for Public Service and Policy Research is to enhance the quality and effectiveness of state and local government management and leadership. In fulfilling this mission, the Institute administers the South Carolina Local Government Rate and Practices Surveys. The primary goal of these surveys is to help inform the decision-making process for local government councils and staffs. The Institute has recently published the third report in this series entitled "South Carolina Local Government Rate and Practices Survey: An Analysis of Property Maintenance and Code Enforcement in South Carolina - 2007." To download a copy of this report, please click here.

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The Institute for Public Service and Policy Research has released a report on the impact of fire protection ratings on property and casualty insurance rates in Richland County. In addition to the analysis of insurance rates, the report explains the Public Protection Classification (PPC) rating system and the efforts of Richland County and the City of Columbia Fire Department to improve these ratings. To view a copy of the report, please click here.

 

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Celebrating 60 Years of Service to South Carolina 
Over the past six decades, the organization known today as the Institute for Public Service and Policy Research has evolved into a world-class public service unit of the University of South Carolina that provides training, technical assistance, and research to meet the needs of the state and its citizens.

The Institute serves a broad range of individuals and organizations, including policy makers, local and state government officials and agencies, school districts, not-for-profit organizations, and private-sector organizations. As our name suggests, the ultimate aim of the Institute is to improve the lives of all South Carolinians through the enhancement of public policy development and public service activities.  

Click presentation for a brief slideshow of our celebration.

To mark the Institute’s 60th anniversary, the Institute is proud to announce the establishment of the South Carolina Indicators (SCI) Project. The SCI is a comprehensive web-based site that provides reliable data and analysis on South Carolina’s status and position with regard to education, the economy, the environment, public safety, public health, social welfare, culture and recreation, and government administration. 

Visit the SCI Project web site at http://www.ipspr.sc.edu/scip.

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To read a report about our sixty years of service to South Carolina, please click here.
 
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