Browsing by Author "Valikhanova, Aiganym"

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    The 44th Kinder Houston Area Survey: Destination Houston: A Growing Region’s Path to Prosperity
    (Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 2025) Potter, Daniel; Dawson, Lauren; DeLisi, Anna; Goolsby, Karen Pren; Niznik, Aaron; Njeh, Joy; Perez, Katherine; Simburger, Dylan; Valikhanova, Aiganym; Williams, Lee
    In 2010, Rice University launched the Kinder Institute for Urban Research. The Houston Area Survey had just wrapped up its 29th administration. Over the past 15 years, as the Kinder Institute has expanded, it has continued to document the story of Houston through its annual survey. This year’s edition reflects on this period, highlighting one of the region’s key distinguishing traits: continued growth.
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    89th Texas Legislative Session: Priorities and Policy Views
    (Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 2025) Valikhanova, Aiganym; Dawson, Lauren; Delisi, Anna; Goolsby, Karen; Niznik, Aaron; Njeh, Joy; Perez, Katherine; Potter, Daniel; Simburger, Dylan; Williams, Lee
    The Texas legislature’s 89th regular session commenced on January 14, 2025, and will run until June 2, 2025. During this 140-day legislative period, the state legislature will introduce and vote on bills, resolutions, and emergency matters. School vouchers, public school funding, water supply, and cannabis regulations are some of the key issues in this session. To evaluate public expectations for this legislative session and support for proposed policies, residents in Fort Bend, Harris, and Montgomery Counties who are part of the Greater Houston Community Panel were asked about their top priorities for state legislators and how strongly they support or oppose the proposed issues.
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    Financial Knowledge, Banking, and Fintech in Houston and Harris County
    (Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 2025) Potter, Daniel; Dawson, Lauren; DeLisi, Anna; Goolsby, Karen; Niznik, Aaron; Njeh, Joy; Perez, Katherine; Simburger, Dylan; Valikhanova, Aiganym; Williams, Lee
    Financial literacy and access to capital through a bank are both related to improved economic well-being. To better understand these issues, the Greater Houston Community Panel (GHCP) asked residents of Houston and Harris County, Texas, to report on their financial knowledge, use of banks, and use of more modern financial technology applications (fintech). This report provides a snapshot of the findings.
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    Housing Affordability and Instability
    (Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 2025) Potter, Dan; Dawson, Lauren; DeLisi, Anna; Niznik, Aaron; Njeh, Joy; Perez, Katherine; Pren, Karen; Simburger, Dylan; Valikhanova, Aiganym; Williams, Lee
    This snapshot looked at housing affordability and instability in the Houston area. Residents were asked how difficult it was in the past 12 months to afford housing costs, and if certain factors such as increasing rents or utility bills, contributed to the difficulty they experienced. Residents were also asked whether the challenges they faced had forced them to move in the past year.
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    Under Pressure: Target Governments’ Domestic and Foreign Policy Responses to Economic Sanctions
    (2023-04-19) Valikhanova, Aiganym; Morgan, T. Clifton
    How do targeted governments respond to economic sanctions? This dissertation contributes to the literature on sanctions effectiveness and, more specifically, on target governments’ strategies for mitigating the costs of sanctions. I argue that once sanctions are imposed, the target government becomes inward-looking and focuses on adapting its domestic and foreign policies to survive sanctions. Each chapter examines specific policies designed to address potential losses in the financing, international standing and engagement, and domestic political support for the regime. The main findings suggest that target governments change their spending and borrowing patterns as they face a drop in revenue associated with economic restrictions. Furthermore, they tend to engage more actively with international organizations to maintain their international standing as part of their foreign policy. Finally, target governments intensify state propaganda to ensure their political survival, and the official narrative may be immune to counterpropaganda from sanction senders and other foreign actors. Together, these findings show that target states change their policies to restore core aspects of the pre-sanctions status quo, and senders should pay attention to these complex processes.
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    What 'Home' Means to Residents in the Houston Area
    (Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 2025) Niznik, Aaron; Dawson, Lauren; DeLisi, Anna; Goolsby, Karen P.; Njeh, Joy; Perez, Katherine; Potter, Dan; Simburger, Dylan; Valikhanova, Aiganym; Williams, Lee
    The idea of “home” is a multidimensional concept that encapsulates a variety of meanings, ranging from psychological orientations and physical locations to the relationships that unfold within. In the summer of 2024, members of the Greater Houston Community Panel were surveyed and asked, “What do you think of when you hear the word ‘home’?” and given an open space to write 1-2 sentences to describe what came to mind. This snapshot explores the ways in which area residents conceptualize home. In short, residents organized their thinking into four broad categories: 1) psychological orientations/attachments, 2) geographical location/built environment, 3) social relationships, and 4) activities. Additionally, while most residents have positive associations with home, some do not feel “at home” and associate the word with negative experiences, highlighting the fluid nature of home in the context of high stress.