Welcome to the Hobby Center for Public Policy

 

"Houston:  NASA Decelerating, but Economy Rocketing, Lubricated by Oil, Gas, Trade, and Other Accelerants"  A Real Estate and Economic Outlook for 2012 On May 8th the Institute for Regional Forecasting held its spring 2012 symposium. Dr. Ted C. Jones, Sr. Vice President-Chief Economist, Stewart Title Guaranty Company discussed the latest economic mega-themes of renting vs. homeownership, energy costs and a continual sputtering national economy. Trade and manufacturing (the Ports), the Medical Center (and the rest of the service industry), a renewed construction sector will all grow - with only transportation and government components adding drag. The $800 billion stimulus doesn’t seem to have stimulated much at all except a big pile of debt. The slide show and text from this program will be available for purchase in approximately two weeks. If you'd like to obtain a copy of CD-Houston, please call us at 713-743-3869 or complete the online publications form.     The Certified Public Manager Program is Now Offered at UH   The Hobby Center for Public Policy (HCPP) brings the nationally recognized Certified Public Manager (CPM) Program to the University of Houston. The CPM Program offers a challenging professional program designed to help today’s manager become tomorrow’s leader with innovative curriculum, problem-solving, and networking opportunities.Upon satisfactory completion of the courses and final project, the CPM graduate is entitled to use the official designation of Certified Public Manager® (CPM). The CPM designation exemplifies recognized standards for excellence in public management and leadership. Registration is now open. Learn more about the HCPP's Certified Public Manager program.         3rd Annual Community-Engaged Research (CEnR) Workshop: "Communication in Community-Engaged Research"   The theme of the 2011 CEnR Workshop was communication issues and processes in Community Engaged Research. In conjunction with the CEnR Workshop on October 27-28, PRIM&R offered three highly acclaimed educational courses on October 25-26. Some of the major topic areas include: Online Communities; Creating Community Networks to Promote Complex Goals such as Environmental Justice; Bridging the Gulf: A CEnR Approach to Assessing the Human Health Effects of the Deepwater Horizon Spill; Communicating About Human Subjects Protections in CEnR; Body & Soul: Promotion of Fruit and Vegetable Consumption in an African-American Community; and Substance Abuse and HIV Prevention and Treatment in Minority and GLBT Communities. Read more about the workshop.       Lanier Public Policy Conference - America 2011: The Lines, Numbers and Politics of a Changing Nation   On September 16, 2011 the Lanier Public Policy Conference --  America 2011: The Lines, Numbers & Politics of a Changing Nation -- addressed the critical factors surrounding the results of the 2010 Census.  How has the nation's population changed? Will congressional lines differ greatly after redistricting? Has political power shifted from one area to another? If you missed the conference or would like to refer to one of the presentations, visit the speakers page. Read the interview with Lanier Public Policy Conference keynote speaker US Census deputy director Thomas Mesenbourg in today’s Houston Chronicle: Census data still fascinate agency's veteran leader. We thank conference underwriter Shell and the conference’s official airline United for their generous support. We really could not have done it without them! We also thank the following sponsors. AT&T, Ramona Davis, Global Unisource, Inc., Outreach Strategists, William P Hobby Center for Public Service at Texas State University, Gwen Essinger and Lone Star Strategies. Their gifts benefit the Hobby Center for Public Policy’s Certified Public Manager (CPM) program.       The Civic Houston Internship Program (CHIP)   CHIP provides many opportunities for students to gain first-hand experience in public service and politics. The Hobby Center for Public Policy places University of Houston and University of Houston-Downtown undergraduates in the Houston offices of elected officials within all levels of government, with some non-profit organizations and on campaigns. CHIP is a perfect way to explore the possibilities of public service on a part-time basis. Regardless of where they work, government interns learn basic business skills and add to their professional network, with some interns earning permanent staff positions. Learn more about CHIP.       The Hobby Center for Public Policy Partners with NALEO for Citizenship Outreach   The University of Houston's Hobby Center for Public Policy has joined the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) as a partner to ensure that the close to 8 million Legal Permanent Residents (LPR) become US citizens and have a voice in the American political process. Learn more about the partnership and the various citizenship workshops taking place throughout Houston.     Redistricting 2011   Redistricting is the action of a state legislature or other body in redrawing electoral district lines. (American Political Dictionary, 1985). For the redistricting in 2011, the Hobby Center for Public Policy at the University of Houston and the Hobby Center for the Study of Texas at Rice University are working together to provide analytical, historical and technological expertise to local governments in the greater Houston metropolitan area, whether it is for city council, a county, an independent school district or a community college board. Find out more.       Hobby Center Director to Lead Research for Greater Houston NGVA Professor Jim Granato, director of the Hobby Center for Public Policy (HCPP) at the University of Houston, has been appointed president of the newly created Greater Houston Natural Gas Vehicle Alliance.  In his capacity, Granato will lead research and data analysis of issues relating to the use of natural gas as a transportation fuel. Continue reading the full media release.     A Comparative Analysis of Property Values: Designated Historic Districts vs. Non-Designated Historic Neighborhoods   With an impending vote on the proposed changes to Houston’s historic designation ordinance and process, city council members are studying the pros and cons of historic districts. The problem? Data and objective analysis are relatively nonexistent about the impact of historic preservation efforts in Houston neighborhoods.  To combat this problem, Preservation Houston asked the Hobby Center for Public Policy to complete a preliminary study using HCAD data to compare property values of homes in current historic districts to similar but non-designated neighborhoods. Read the findings.

 

 

The Long Term Consequences of the Financial Crisis

 

The American economy continues to suffer from the bursting of the housing bubble and subsequent collapse in the capital markets in spring of 2007. On April 4th, John Allison, retired CEO of Branch, Banking, & Trust (BB&T), discussed the causes of this crisis, including government policies and errors by financial institutions, and potential short and long-term solutions. View Mr. Allison's presentation "The Long Term Consequences of the Financial Crisis". Read the press release about the BB&T gift to the Hobby Center for Public Policy.

 

Hobby Center for Public Policy Launches EITM Summer Institute at UH Campus

 

The Hobby Center for Public Policy at the University of Houston is offering  the EITM Summer Institute. This is a great opportunity for students and faculty to take advantage of this innovative framework, which unifies formal empirical modeling. The two-week workshop focuses on the practical implementation of an EITM research design. It borrows key concepts from the social sciences, including political science, sociology, and economics. If you have a paper or dissertation that you believe will benefit from the EITM framework, this program may be right for you. Click here for more information.

 

 

 

 

 

Energy Management and Policy Group (EMAP).

 

EMAP is an interdisciplinary group whose research addresses academics as well as policy makers in business and government. In our work, "energy management" includes the assurance of adequate supplies, more efficient use of energy, the balancing of energy/environmental demands, and the development of new sources of energy. "Energy policy" includes public policy, business strategy, and the coordination of the two. Recent debates of our energy future stress the need for a transition from fossil fuels to other energy sources that produce less greenhouse gases. Given the scale of global energy use and the dominance of fossil fuels in the current energy mix, however, they will remain important for generations. Indeed, natural gas seems likely to serve as a "bridge fuel" to any alternative fuel that might grow large enough to make a difference in global energy supply. The Hobby Center for Public Policy is just one of five major centers and programs on the University of Houston campus that makes up the EMAP Group.  Learn more about UH Energy.

 

 

 

 

 

Hobby Center for Public Policy Launches Inside Policy & Politics Blog

 

Houston Chronicle readers can now interact with the Hobby Center for Public Policy (HCPP) through our Inside Policy & Politics blog. As one of the blogs featured by the Chronicle's City Brights section, Inside Policy & Politics promises to bring readers the latest information on research and analysis  taking place at the University of Houston's Hobby Center for Public Policy. Topics for discussion will be diverse and timely as you hear from experts such as Jim Granato, Richard Murray, Barton Smith, Bill Hobby, Renée Cross, and numerous others.

 

 

 

Operator Positions Available

 

Operator positions available at the Survey Research Institute - Hobby Center for Public Policy. Pay range up to $15 an hour. Bilingual opportunities for Mandarin, Korean, Vietnamese and Spanish speakers.  Contact Chris Mainka at 713-743-1529 or at cmainka@uh.edu.

 

 

 

2010 Needs Assessment Survey Report to the City of Houston and Community Development Department

The City of Houston Housing and Community Development Department contracted with the University of Houston’s Hobby Center for Public Policy to administer and analyze the results of a citywide Needs Assessment Survey as part of its 2010-2014 Five-Year Consolidated Plan. The Consolidated Plan is a five year plan required by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that serves as a comprehensive strategy to address the needs of low and moderate income residents in the City of Houston. The plan identifies community needs and provides a strategy to address those needs using Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME, ESG and HOPWA funds as well as other City and federal resources. Learn more about this Needs Assessment survey.

 

Missed the talk "An Evening of Conversation with Bill Hobby and Saralee Tiede" on October 14th?

How Things Really Work: Lessons from a Life in Politics is published by the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History and was released in October 2010. Written with his former chief of staff Saralee Tiede, Hobby frankly discusses  Texas politics with remembrances of working with state leaders Ben Ramsey, Dolph Briscoe, Bill Clements, and Ann Richards. Click here for the official site for Governor Hobby's Book and to view the entire presentation.

 

 

 

Check Out the Texas Political Atlas

 

 

View Texas politics and demography by county, what makes Texas an urban state, how demographics affect voting, and

more by downloading the Texas Political Atlas. Read the article about the Texas Political Atlas by Governor Hobby in the Texas Tribune.

 

Hobby Center for Public Policy  ▪  University of Houston  ▪  501 E Cullen Building  ▪  Houston, Texas 77204-5021  ▪  713 743 3970