A statistical study of selected factors associated with expediture variations in central cities of Texas

Purpose: It was the purpose of this study to investigate through empirical research methods the degrees of influence exerted by selected fiscal, demographic, socio-economic, and political characteristics of cities upon the ordinary expenditures of the central cities of the Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas of Texas during the years 1950 and 1960. Methods: The methods used in this study were (1) Pearson’s Product-Moment Correlation in comparing variables of interval scale; (2) the Smirnov Test in comparing variables of ordinal scale to those of interval scale; and (3) linear regression analysis to determine the predictability of the various variables in influencing the expenditure levels of the central cities of Texas. Findings: From the analysis of the data gathered for this study the following conclusions appear to be in order: 1. Property tax received per capita exerts a strong influence upon expenditure levels of central cities of Texas. 2. Population size of Texas’ central cities is of significant influence upon their expenditures. 3. Intergovernmental revenue received per capita exerts a strong influence upon expenditure levels of Texas’ central cities. 4. Voter participation levels of Texas’ central cities are directly related to their levels of expenditures. 5. The percentages of the populations of Texas’ central cities which are over sixty-five years of age are directly related with their levels of expenditures. 6. The less Democratic (partisan) a city population tends to vote in national elections the more likely are its expenditures to rise, speaking again in reference to Texas’ central cities. 7. Factors such as population density, percent owner-occupied housing, per cent of population which was non-white, median family incomes, median school years completed, median age, and per cent increases in population exert relatively insignificant degrees of influence upon the expenditure levels of Texas’ central cities.