ERIC ED361439: Urban America: Policy Choices for Los Angeles and the Nation.

367 Pages·1992·5.8 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
ED 361 439
UD 029 450
AUTHOR
Steinberg, James B., Ed.; And Others
TITLE
Urban America: Policy Choices for Los Angeles and the
Nation.
INSTITUTION
Rand Corp., Santa Monica, Calif.
REPORT NO
ISBN-0-8330-1281-9; MR-100-RC
PUB DATE
92
NOTE
374p.
AVAILABLE FROM
RAND, 1700 Main Street, P.O. Box 2138, Santa Monica,
CA 90407-2138.
PUB TYPE
Books (010)
Collected Works
General (020)
Viewpoints (Opinion/Position Papers, Essays, etc.)
(120)
EDRS PRICE
MF01/PC15 Plus Postage.
DESCRIPTORS
Children; Correctional Rehabilitation; Crime; Drug
Abuse; Elementary Secondary Education; Essays; Family
Life; Government Role; Homeless People; *Policy
Formation; *Poverty; *Public Policy.; *Sociocultural
Patterns; Urban Education; *Urban Problems; Urban
Youth; Welfare Services
IDENTIFIERS
*California (Los Angeles); United States
ABSTRACT
This volume presents 13 essays on urban problems in
the United States. particularly in Los Angeles (California) following
the 1992 riots, and policy options for the future. Part 1 addresses
policies of the past three decades; Part 2 looks at children, youth,
and families; Part 3 discusses crime and criminal justice; and Part 4
examines public services and social welfare. Chapters are
as follows:
(1) "Public Policy and the Inner City across Three Decades" (Robert
A. Levine and Barbara R. Williams);
(2) "The Widening Income and Wage
Gap between Rich and Poor: Trends, Causes, and Policy Options" (Lynn
A. Karoly):
(3) "Families, Children, Poverty, Policy" (Julie
DaVanzo);
(4) "Helping Urban Teenagers Avoid High-Risk Behavior: What
We've Learned from Prevention Research" (Phyllis L. Ellickson); (5)
"Urban Education" (Paul T. Hill);
(6) "Military Service: A Closing
Door of Opportunity for Youth" (James R. Hosek and Jacob Alex
Klerman);
(7) "Crime and Punishment in California: Full Cells, Empty
Pockets, and Questionable Benefits" (Joan Petersilia);
(8) "Reforming
California's Approach to Delinquent and High-Risk Youth" (Peter W.
Greenwood);
(9) "Street Drug Markets in Inner-City Neighborhoods:
Matching Policy to Reality" (Peter H. Reuter and Robert J. MacCoun);
(10) "Financing Public Services in Los Angeles" (Preston Niblack and
Peter J. E. Stan); (11) "Needed: A Federal Role in Helping
Communities Cope with Immigration" (Georges Vernez); (12) "Providing
Health Care for the Uninsured and Underinsured in Los Angeles County"
(Robert E. Tranquada and Peter A. Glassman); and (13) "Getting
Nowhere: Homeless People, Aimless Policy" (Paul Koegel and Audrey
Burnam). Information on the contributors is included. (Contains 52
references.) (JB)
MIL
POLICY CHOICES FOR
LOS ANGELES
AND THE NATION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
"PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS
°Ike ol Educshonal Research and imptoreemnt
MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
D
CENTER (ERIC)
0 This document hos besn felarOduCCI
received from the person or otpanization
originating it
0 Minor thong's have been made to improve(
f*Of0ductren duality
Points of w(ew or opinions stated in this docu
TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
ment 00 not necessaray roprosent officio(
OERI position or Policy
INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)."
EDITED BY
MARY E. VAIANA
DAVID W LYON
JAMES B. STEINBERG
RAND
REST COPY IMBLE
URBAN
...
/
POLICY CHOICES FOR
LOS ANGELES
AND THE NATION
Edited by
James B. Steinberg, David W Lyon, and Mary E Vaiana
,
t
RAN D
This research was supported by RAND as a part of its program
of public service.
Urban America: Polity Choices for Los Angeles and the Nation
Edited by James B. Steinberg, David W. Lyon, and Mary E. Vaiana.
Chapter 13, Table 2: William C. Apgar, Jr., "Recent Trends in Rental
Vacancies," Working Paper 89-3, Joint Center for Housing Studies of
Harvard University, as published in Martha R. Burt,
Over the Edge:
1992, The Russell Sage
The Growth of Homelessness in the 1980s, ©
Foundation. Reprinted by permission uf the Russell Sage Foundation.
Cover design by Peter Soriano.
RAND
Copyright ©1992
ISBN: 0-8330-1281-9
RAND is a nonprofit institution that seeks to improve public policy
through research and analysis. Publications of RAND do not necessarily
reflect the opinions or policies of the sponsors of RAND research.
Published 1992 by RAND
1700 Main Street, RO. Box 2138, Santa Monica, CA 90407-2138
To obtain information about RAND studies or to order documents, call
Customer Service, [phone], ext. 6686
4
PREFACE
In 1948 RAND was founded "to further and promoie scientific, edu-
cational and charitable purposes, all for the public welfare and se-
curity of ',he United States." On the basis of this charter, RAND's
mission has focused on informing public policy through research
and analysis. Since the rnid-1960s, this research and analysis has
covered a broad range of social and economic issues of concern to
citizens and policymakers at every level of government. This work,
carried out under the auspices of RAND's Domestic Research
Division, today spans criminal and civil justice, education and hu-
man resources, health sciences, labor and population, and environ-
ment and natural resources. Funding for this research comes from
the federal, state, and local governments and from philanthropic
foundations and charitable gifts.
In the wake of the civil disturbances in Los Angeles during the spring
of 1992, we at RAND began to consider how we might contribute to a
better understanding of the forces at work today in American cities
and especially in Los Angelesand how what we had learned over
the years from our research might contribute to building better
communities for tomorrow. We drew on RAND's unique assets: the
expertise of our professional staff and our extensive research and
policy analysis over the years on a broad range of issues affecting our
cities and their inhabitants.
This collection of essays, written by some of RAND's most-distin-
guished analysts, represents a contribution to the local and national
debate on key issues that will shape policy in the coming years.
Ill
iv
RAND does not speak with one voice, but many; what we have in
common is a commitment to professional excellence and a dedica-
tion to sound, thoughtful, and innovative public policy. We offer this
volume in that spirit.
James A. Thomson
.o.
C
CONTENTS
iii
Preface
ix
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1
fames B. Steinberg and David W. Lyon
15
PART 1
Public Policy and the Inner City
Across Three Decades
17
Chapter One
Public Policy and the Inner City
Across Three Decades
Robert A. Levine and Barbara R. Williams
53
PAR l' 2
Children, Youth, and Families
55
Chapter Two
The Widening Income and Wage Gap Between Rich
and Poor: Trends, Causes, and Policy Options
Lynn A. Karoly
v
vi
Chapter Three
83
Families, Children, Poverty, Policy
Julie DaVanzo
Chapter Four
105
Helping Urban Teenagers Avoid High-Risk Behavior:
What We've Learned from Prevention Research
Phyllis L. Ellickson
Chapter Five
127
Urban Education
Paul T Hill
Chapter Six
153
Military Service: A Closing Door of Opportunity for
Youth
James R. Hosek and Jacob Alex Klerman
PART 3
173
Crime and Criminal Justice
Chapter Seven
175
Crime and Punishment in California: Full Cells, Empty
Pockets, and Questionable Benefits
Joan Petersilia
Chapter Eight
207
Reforming California's Approach to Delinquent and
High-Risk Youth
Peter W. Greenwood
Chapter Nine
227
Street Drug Markets in Inner-City Neighborhoods:
Matching Policy to Reality
Peter H. Reuter and Robert J. MacCoun
vii
253
PART 4
Public Services and Social Welfare
Chapter Ten
255
Financing Public Services in Los Angeles
Preston Nib lack and Peter J.E. Stan
Chapter Eleven
281
Needed: A Federal Role in Helping Communities
Cope with Immigration
Georges Vernez
Chapter Twelve
307
Providing Health Care for the Uninsured and
Underinsured in Los Angeles County
Robert E. Tranquada and Peter A. Glassman
Chapter Thirteen
329
Getting Nowhere: Homeless People, Aimless Policy
Paul Koegel and Audrey Burnam
About the Contributors
355
Selected RAND Research
363
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Many people contributed their time, intellectual energy, and good
will to this book. We would like to thank the following RAND staff
and consultants who reviewed the individual chapters: Beth Asch,
Robert Bell, Sandra H. Berry, Jonathan Cave, Tom Glennan, Peter
Jacobson, James P. Kahan, Edward Keating, John J. Kir lin, Stephen P.
Klein, Arleen Leibowitz, Grant N. Marshall, Lorraine McDonnell,
Bridger Mitchell, Joseph P. Newhouse, Bruce Orvis, Mark Peterson,
Elizabeth Rolph, David Ronfeldt, Randy Ross, Hilary Saner, Brian M.
Stecher, Susan Turner, Gail L. Zellman. Their comments sharpened
the focus and refined the substance of each essay.
James N. Dertouzos and Daniel A. Relies administered the review
process and kept it on track under a very tight schedule.
Allan Abrahamse and Peter Morrison provided useful tabulations of
1990 census data.
Wendy B. Anderson and Sybil Sosin of RAND's Publications
Department masterminded the production process, cheerfully
causing order to appear from chaos. Janet DeLand performed elec-
tronic wizardry on the files and made software incompatibilities dis-
appear. Elise Kalfayan prepared the marketing materials.
Gary Bjork graciously found time to write the biographical sketches
of the contributors.
Doris Siegel lent her computer skills, patience, and organizational
talents to nearly everyone. Without her as a focal point, all the pieces
would never have come together.
ix
1 )