My Research Interests

Individuals and Families
Source: thiago-cerqueira-191866-unsplash.jpg

Communities
Source: Austin American-Statesman
Public Policy and Governance
My research interests revolve around the intersection between stakeholders, key policy actors, policy decisions and governance, with a broad interest in how place-based and identity-based communities (attempt to) influence state and local government policy and governance decisions, and conversely, how they are impacted by policy decisions.
I am building a research agenda that draws from my experience in a variety of substantive areas to understand how individuals and families, coalitions and communities engage in and influence policymaking and governance processes, as well as how policy decisions impact such communities, especially in the face of global economic and climatic shifts.
I have a strong background in social policy issues, especially those that target low-income and disadvantaged populations, such as self-sufficiency programs, long-term services/supports and employment/training programs. I also have growing familiarity with environmental and energy issues, including climate change adaptation and renewable energy development.
In both of these substantive areas, I am most interested in how individuals, coalitions and communities influence, and are influenced by, the policy and governance processes.
Research Approach
I take a multi-disciplinary approach to research. I have a robust foundation in public policy process frameworks and public administration theory, to which I add a strong background in economics (e.g., labor and welfare economics) and sociology (e.g., social movements theory).
My methods are similarly heterodox. I have used both correlational methods (e.g., difference-in-difference design) and set theoretic methods (e.g., fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis), and prefer to let the research questions, theoretical framework and data availability drive methodological choices.
Publications
2021:
Giordono, L. (2021). Taking a Policy Process Approach to Illuminate the Political Nature of Disability Policymaking. Evidence & Policy. https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/tpp/ep/pre-prints/content-evidpold2100015
Giordono, L., Gard-Murray, A., and Boudet, H. (accepted pending minor revision). From Peril to Promise? Local Mitigation and Adaptation Decisions after Extreme Weather. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability.
Giordono, L., Boudet, H., & Gard-Murray, A. (in press). Using fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) to Explain Local Adaptation Policy Responses to Extreme Weather. In P. A. Mello, Qualitative Comparative Analysis: An Introduction to Research Design and Application. Georgetown University Press.
Giordono, L., Steel, B. and McMorris, C. (2021). State Economic Inequality and Incivility. In Lovrich N., Benjamin F., Pierce J. and Schreckhise W. (Eds) Outside Looking In: Lobbyists’ Views on Civil Discourse in U.S. State Legislatures. WSU Press.
McMorris, C., Steel, B. & Giordono, L. (2021). The Urban/Rural Divide and Political Incivility in State Legislatures. In Lovrich N., Benjamin F., Pierce J. and Schreckhise W. (Eds) Outside Looking In: Lobbyists’ Views on Civil Discourse in U.S. State Legislatures. WSU Press.
2020:
Giordono, L. (2020) From Employment Optional to “Employment First”: Explaining Two Cases of State-level Disability Policy Change. Public Policy and Administration. https://doi.org/10.1177/0952076720942822.
Giordono, L., Boudet H., and Gard-Murray, A. (forthcoming). Local Adaptation Policy Responses to Extreme Weather Events. https://osf.io/96ebk/
Rothwell, D., Giordono, L., & Robson, J. (2020). Public income transfers and wealth accumulation at the bottom: Within and between country differences in Canada and the United States. Social Policy & Administration, spol.12629. https://doi.org/10.1111/spol.12629
2019:
Boudet, H., Giordono, L., Zanocco, C., Satein, H., & Whitley, H. (2019). Event attribution and partisanship shape local discussion of climate change after extreme weather. Nature Climate Change, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-019-0641-3
Giordono, L. (2019). Advocacy Coalitions in a Low Salience Policy Subsystem: Struggles under a Smooth Surface. Policy Studies Journal. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/psj.12330
Giordono, L., Jones, M., and Rothwell, D. (2019) Social Policy Perspectives on Economic Inequality in Wealthy Countries. Policy Studies Journal Yearbook. http://www.psjyearbook.com/content/article37-2019
Pierce, J., Giordono, L., Peterson H., & Hicks, K. (2019). Common Approaches for Studying the Advocacy Coalition Framework: Review of Methods and Exemplary Practices. Social Science Journal, Early View. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soscij.2019.06.005
2018:
Giordono, L., Boudet, H., Karmazina, A., and Steel, B. (2018). Opposition “Overblown”? Renewable Energy Siting in the Western United States. Energy Research and Social Sciences, DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2018.05.016.
Giordono, L. and Edwards, M. (2018). Social Policy. In E. Weber, R. Clucas, P. Southwell and M. Henkels (Eds), Oregon State and Local Politics: Change and Continuity. OSU Press.
Taylor-Winney, J., Giordono, L., Lesmeister, M., Fenn, M., & Krahn, G. (2018). Disability Inclusion in 4-H: Aligned with the Mission, Stopped Short by Methods. Journal of Youth Development, 13(3), 191–211. https://doi.org/10.5195/jyd.2018.604
2017:
Giordono, L., & Pugatch, T. (2017). Non-tuition Costs, School Access and Student Performance: Evidence from the Gambia. Journal of African Economies, 26(2), 140–168. https://doi.org/10.1093/jae/ejw033.
Work in Progress
Giordono, L. and Rothwell, D. (in progress). Face validity of the Supplemental Poverty Measure in Rural America: The Role of Redistributive Institutions. (Current status: manuscript under preparation)
Giordono, L. and Lovrich, N. (in progress). Income Inequality and Civility in State Legislatures. (Current status: manuscript under preparation)
Rothwell, D., Weber, B., and Giordono, L. (in progress). The Oregon Earned Income Credit’s Impact on Child Poverty. https://osf.io/hbt28/ (Current status: manuscript under preparation)
Walter-Smith, A., Giordono, L., and Jones. M. (in progress). A Qualitative Comparative Analysis of Policy Narratives. (Current status: manuscript under preparation)
Selected Client Reports
Rothwell, D., Giordono, L. & Weber, B. (2020). Initial Findings from the Oregon Poverty Measure Project: 2017. Corvallis, OR: The Ford Family Foundation and Providence Health Foundation.
Giordono, L., Lodewick, K. & Michon, S. (2013). The National Fund for Workforce Solutions: Data Brief 2013. Boston, MA: National Fund for Workforce Solutions.
Lodewick, K. & Giordono, L. (2009) Human Services Plan for Lane County. Eugene, OR: Program and Policy Insight.
Giordono, L. & Lodewick, K. (2007). Comprehensive Needs Assessment for the Oregon Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Services: Final Report. Eugene, OR: Program and Policy Insight, December 2007.
McNeal, N., Giordono, L., & Lodewick, K. (2006) Denver TANF Evaluation Project: Final Report. Salem, OR: Public Knowledge.
Schimmenti, J., Gamse, B., Giordono, L., Kupfer, A., & Smith, W.C., and Weiland, C. (2003). Evaluation of the Equipped for the Future Reading Project Pilot: Final Report. Cambridge, MA: Abt Associates, Inc.
Giordono, L., Checkoway, A., Koepnick, R., & Jastrzab, J. (2002) Evaluation of the Hanley Career and Technical Program. Cambridge, MA: Abt Associates, Inc.
Hebert, S., Giordono, L., & Dun Rappaport, C. (2002) Initiative to Strengthen Organizational Effectiveness in Workforce Development: Year End Report of the Assessment Team. Cambridge, MA: Abt Associates, Inc.
Jastrzab, J., Bernstein, L., Litin, L., Braat-Campbell, S., Stickney, E., Artis, E., & Giordono, L. (2001) A Profile of AmeriCorps Members at Baseline. Cambridge, MA: Abt Associates, Inc.
McGahey, R., Levin, M., Heald, A., & Giordono, L. (2001) Evaluating the Workforce Innovation Networks (WINs): A Report to the Ford Foundation. Cambridge, MA: Abt Associates, Inc.