Th is article explores the ability of elected offi cials to aff ect the autonomy of state ethics commissions. Th e author examines autonomy as a function of the capacity of ethics commissions to control their fi nances and personnel decisions and how the presence or absence of that capacity aff ects whether bureaucratic structures can function independently of politics. Using data from the 2011 State Integrity Investigation, the analysis extends previous arguments concerning political actors' desire to aff ect ethics commissions. Findings suggest that elected offi cials use their positions to control the makeup of commission leadership and fi nancial resources, with the goal of decreasing commissions' ability to act autonomously.

In this article, I examine the effects of the increased transparency and reporting requirements on the decisions of local education agencies (LEAs) to draw down federal dollars allocated to state programs in nonmission areas. Data from LEAs and program expenditures are used to develop a model detailing how transparency impacts the decisions of LEAs in two states in drawing down funds from a federal grant program. Findings suggest that rather than the theoretical expectation that managers act in an anticipatory manner, managers are more concerned with immediate financial needs.

Online education has grown in popularity as a choice option over the past decade.  A variety of studies exist on methodologies for content delivery and on the impacts of online education for specific communities.  However, few works have considered the utility of online educational choices in comparison to physical schools.  Using an expected utility model this paper examines the value conferred to a student in an online charter school versus traditional physical schools in the same state.  Value in this case is defined as the likelihood of performing better on a standardized test.

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