The Arkansas Policy Program at Hendrix College in Conway released its first report, “Governance in Little Rock, Arkansas: At-Large and District Elections and the Impact on Representation,” on May 28.
AAP, a new student-faculty think tank, provides original nonpartisan analysis on public policy issues in Arkansas. It was founded by Hendrix politics professor Jay Barth with support from the Bill and Connie Bowen Odyssey Professorship.
“Governance in Little Rock, Arkansas: At-Large and District Elections and the Impact on Representation” is “the first comprehensive analysis of the mechanics and impact of the distinctive city election system in Arkansas’ largest city,” a news release says.
The report, funded by the Hendrix Allred Research Fund, examines history of the city’s government structure blending at-large and ward representation; patterns of city board member elections focusing on geography, race and gender; the competitiveness of the city’s elections; and the comparative cost of elections for at-large and ward seats.
Read the full report here.
Barth and Kiril Kolev, assistant professor of politics and international relations, were the report’s lead authors, along with Lora Adams, a recent Hendrix graduate and international relations major. Hendrix students apply to become part of APP for an academic year, which includes research and public opinion work.
“Developing an Odyssey Professorship focused on this theme was obvious because such policy-related projects have become a central component of my ongoing professional development in recent years with Hendrix students often heavily involved in that work,” Barth said in the release.
APP plans to release additional reports in the future, each with students taking the lead on working with an advocacy group or foundation on a separate report to be released publicly and published electronically.