U.S. state higher education appropriations: assessing the relationships between agency politicization, centralization, and volatility

Figures & data

Figure 1. Scatterplot of average state general own-source revenue volatility and volatility in state higher education appropriations (absolute value presented).

Figure 2. State fiscal policy framework for higher education. Source: Adapted from Tandberg (2010b); Figure 2; With permission of Springer, Copyright © 2010.

Figure 3. Centralization of state postsecondary governance, 2009.

Table 1 Descriptive Statistics, standard deviation in parentheses.

Variables	Mean (SD)
Volatility in higher education appropriations	.003 (.181)
Volatility in state own-source general revenues	.003 (.153)
State higher education governance centralization index	28.203 (1.048)
Governor Appoints SHEEO	.056 (.229)
SHEEO Recommends Budget	.887 (.316)
Gov. Appoints SHEEO*SHEEO Recommends Budget	.053 (.224)
Indicator, = 1 if gubernatorial partisan control change	.095 (.293)
Governor’s budgetary power index	3.472 (.882)
Indicator, = 1 if divided partisan control of state government	.573 (.495)
Legislative professionalism index	.200 (.130)
Real state higher education appropriations per capita	203.492 (59.761)
Log of total state FTE enrolled students	11.573 (1.021)
Real state median household income (0000)	39.616 (6.440)
State unemployment rate	5.482 (1.717)
Observations	1225
Number of states	49

Table 2 Results from the base and fully interacted models.

	Model 1	Model 2
Volatility in state own-source general revenues	−.007 (.032)	−.009 (.032)
State higher education governance centralization index	.002 (.004)	.002 (.004)
Governor Appoints SHEEO	.029 (.024)	.129 (.034)**
SHEEO Recommends Budget	−.068 (.060)	−.062 (.057)
Gov. Appoints SHEEO*SHEEO Recommends Budget		−.112 (.045)*
Indicator, = 1 if gubernatorial partisan control change	.059 (.013)**	.060 (.013)**
Governor’s budgetary power index	−.017 (.015)	−.017 (.015)
Indicator, = 1 if divided partisan control of state government	−.031 (.012)*	−.030 (.012)*
Legislative professionalism index	−.285 (.110)*	−.286 (.110)*
Real state higher education appropriations per capita	.003 (.001)**	.003 (.001)**
Log of total state FTE enrolled students	−.128 (.043)**	−.126 (.043)**
Real state median household income (0000)	.005 (.002)*	.005 (.002)*
State unemployment rate	.007 (.005)	.007 (.005)
Constant	.745 (.459)	.720 (.463)
Observations	1225	1225
Number of states	49	49

^* p<0.05

^** p<0.001

Table

Indicator

One Board for All Public Institutions

One or Two Boards for All Public Institutions

Consolidated or aggregated budget

Budget review and recommendation

Single board for both 2 and 4 year governs 2 years

Single board for both 2 and 4 yr governs or coordinates 2 years

Agency has statutory new programme approval for 4 yr

Agency has statutory new programme approval for 2 year

Agency has statutory existing programme approval for 4 year

Agency has statutory existing programme approval for 2 year

Agency has statutory or policy new programme approval for 4 year

Agency has statutory or policy new programme approval for 2 year

Agency has statutory or policy existing programme approval for 4 year

Agency has statutory or policy existing programme approval for 2 year

Agency has statutory, policy, or advisory new programme approval for 4 year

Agency has statutory, policy, or advisory new programme approval for 2 year

Agency has statutory, policy, or advisory existing programme approval for 4 year

Agency has statutory, policy, or advisory existing programme approval for 2 year

Ratio of public institutions to boards

State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO). (2009). State budgeting for higher education in the United States. Boulder, CO: Author.

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