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2020 Virginia House Of Delegates: Demographics And Voting Behavior, Nathan Tatum

Student Publications

The focus of this project is on the demographic makeup of the 2020 Virginia House of Delegates, and how various demographic factors - political affiliation, gender/sex, race, religious affiliation, education level, and age - may influence their voting behavior on different legislation. The paper is divided into three parts. The first part explains the measures and methodology used in the creation of the dataset. The second and third parts make use of the information collected in the dataset. The second part details the demographic makeup of the 2020 Va. House and compares the makeup of the House to the makeup …

[Introduction To] The Dream Is Lost: Voting Rights And The Politics Of Race In Richmond, Virginia, Julian Maxwell Hayter

Bookshelf

Once the capital of the Confederacy and the industrial hub of slave-based tobacco production, Richmond, Virginia has been largely overlooked in the context of twentieth century urban and political history. By the early 1960s, the city served as an important center for integrated politics, as African Americans fought for fair representation and mobilized voters in order to overcome discriminatory policies. Richmond’s African Americans struggled to serve their growing communities in the face of unyielding discrimination. Yet, due to their dedication to strengthening the Voting Rights Act of 1965, African American politicians held a city council majority by the late 1970s. …

Election Reform In Virginia: Deliberation And Incremental Change, Daniel J. Palazzolo, John T. Whelan, Elizabeth Peiffer

Political Science Faculty Publications

Several key factors explain the incremental approach to election law after the 2000 presidential election. The close election in Florida spurred lawmakers in Virginia to create the Joint Subcommittee Studying Virginia's Election Process and Voting Technologies. This special subcommittee was formed to learn more about the capacity of election administration. Through that process, Virginia officials concluded that the election system was fundamentally sound, though they identified a need for additional resources to increase staff, improve polling place access for disabled voters, and clean up registration rolls. A declining fiscal outlook limited budget resources and constrained the legislature from adopting the …

Budgeting In Virginia: Power, Politics, And Policy, Daniel Palazzolo, John T. Whelan

Political Science Faculty Publications

In this chapter, we will first sketch out how budget making has evolved from an executive-centered, Democratic dominated process to one in which the executive and the legislature, Democrats and Republicans, share power. Secondly, the makeup of the budget will be analyzed, the major revenue sources and spending programs identified, as well as the trends in those realms. In doing so, we will highlight the constraints and opportunities facing the participants in the budget process. Finally, we will discuss how budgeting during the 1998 session illustrated several institutional and partisan features that had been in place before the session began.

The Effect Of The Mail In Voter Registration Form On Voter Turnout In The Commonwealth Of Virginia, Leroy O. Pfeiffer

Master's Theses

Over the years, many states have undertaken different approaches to increase voter registration and stimulate voter participation in the electoral process. One such approach was the Commonwealth of Virginia's Voter Registration Extension Form, which was instituted in 1989. Using statewide voter registration statistics and a survey of state voter registrars, this paper attempts to measure the impact that this form had on voter registration and turnout in the electoral process from 1989 to 1994. This thesis finds that the registration extension form was reasonably successful in terms of increasing registration. Yet, easing registration requirements does not significantly increase voter turnout.

Implementing Public Policy : The Virginia Comprehensive Community Corrections Act For Local-Responsible Offenders, Tracey L. Jenkins

Master's Theses

This is a study of how the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) attempted to implement a major crime initiative, the Comprehensive Community Corrections Act (CCCA). The aim is to explain the implementation process in DCJS with reference to organizational models developed by Richard Elmore (1978). A careful analysis of the day-to-day operation and decision-making processes of DCJS, with particular emphasis on the implementation of the CCCA, shows that DCJS normally corresponds with the expectations of the "organizational development" and "bureaucratic process" models described in Elmore's typology of organizations. Still, agencies often must adapt to political and policy changes that …

The 1990 Virginia Indoor Clean Air Act : A Case Study In Public Interest Lobbying, Louise Ryland Thornton

Master's Theses

This thesis compares and contrasts the tactics and techniques used by Virginia public interest lobbyists in the passage of the 1990 VIRGINIA INDOOR CLEAN AIR ACT with Alan Rosenthal's analysis of state legislative lobbying found in his book, THE THIRD HOUSE. Primary sources include personal interviews and legislative documents, while newspaper articles provide the secondary source of information. Lobbyists used the indirect and direct lobbying techniques, suggested in Rosenthal's framework, to persuade others to their point of view. Supporters of the CLEAN AIR BILL had to deviate, in part, from some of Rosenthal's direct lobbying strategies due to Virginia's history …

The Silver Bullet Hypothesis : Case Studies Of Post-Webster Virginia Gubernatorial Elections, Anne M. Morgan

Master's Theses

The 1989 Webster vs. Reproductive Health Services U.S. Supreme Court decision triggered a "new politics of abortion," marked by a shift in venue of the abortion political debate to the states and by invigorated mobilization of pro-choice activists alarmed about a potential erosion of abortion rights in state laws. Surfacing in the wake of the decision was a "silver bullet" theory of abortion: that unrestricted support for legal abortion guarantees a candidate's electoral victory. Case studies of two post-Webster gubernatorial elections in Virginia fail to confirm the validity of the silver bullet theory. Public opinion findings reveal that the electorate …

Alienation And Altruism Among Street Level Bureaucrats: A Study Of The Virginia Victim/Witness And Crime Assistance Program, Susan Margaret O'Donnell

Master's Theses

Author Michael Lipsky argues that street-level bureaucrats are unresponsive to clients' needs because of five conditions that characterize the bureaucratic setting. These conditions include a chronic lack of resources, an ever-increasing client load, ambiguous or conflicting agency goal expectations, goal measures that encourage impersonal service, and the lack of a client reference group for workers. One purpose of this paper is to determine if the five conditions of work that frame Lipsky's argument in a street-level bureaucracy exist for the Virginia Victim/Witness and Crime Victim Assistance (V /W-CVA) program. Another objective is to evaluate the implications of these conditions for …

A Look At Black Youth Unemployment (Sixteen To Nineteen Years Of Age) Focusing On Black Youth In Virginia, Mary Martin Tucker

Master's Theses

This thesis will identify patterns of black youth unemployment in the nation and in Virginia and analyze the problem in Virginia. The analysis involves identifying discrepancies in unemployment rates across counties and cities in Virginia, selecting cases in which black youth unemployment is relatively low, and exploring reasons for lower rates. The ultimate aim is to determine why some areas have lower black youth unemployment than others, and to use that information to suggest courses of action for treating the problem. The case studies of Virginia counties and cities reveal that under certain local environmental conditions, such as strong economies, …

The North American Free Trade Agreement And Its Potential Impact On The Commonwealth Of Virginia, Brian Charles Kroll

Master's Theses

This thesis consists of two parts. First, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is described in terms of free trade theory, its precedents, and the text of the treaty. Second, the international aspects of Virginia's economy are examined with regard to NAFTA. This thesis asserts that if implemented, NAFTA will produce the following results for Virginia: merchandise exports to Canada and Mexico will continue to increase; employment supported by merchandise exports will continue to increase; factory relocations and related employment losses will continue to be outpaced by employment growth in other manufacturing areas; trade in services will undergo direct …

Lame Duck Theory Called Into Question, Lawrence Leonard Schack

Master's Theses

The foundations of lame duck theory, the expression connoting the study of executive/legislative relations in association with tenure constraints, are composed of broad generalizations which are generally unchallenged by political scientists. Evidence in support of this assertion is scattered throughout relevant literature, most of which centers upon the national executive, the two-term limitation imposed by the Twenty Second Amendment, and the subsequent lack of influence our country's presidents wield as their "political capital dwindles" proportionate with the temporal progress of their second term. Interestingly, while a great deal of time and energy has been devoted to the discussion of the …

Virginia Annexations As Metropolitan Reform Movements : Are They Obsolete?, Demetra Yeapanis Kontos

Master's Theses

The proliferation of local governments and single-purpose regional governmental districts has given local and state government administrators throughout the country many problems. The multiplicity of governments exacerbates conflicts of authority, duplication of services, inadequate service levels, and many other problems. Three basic metropolitan reforms have been implemented to solve these problems: consolidation, disintegration and regional organization. Each of these types of reform has been implemented in Virginia. The most controversial of these reforms is annexation, a form of consolidation where an independent city annexes county land. What contributes to the controversy of annexation movements is that unlike most states, Virginia's …

Virginia, The United States And The World : The Effects Of Political, Cultural And Economic Factors On Export Activity, Kimberly Sue Williams

Master's Theses

During the Middle Ages, the "marketplace" may have consisted of one village; products were made and sold locally. From a business person's perspective, there was little need to find out about the preferences of people in another town, let aone on another continent. In the middle of the twentieth century, American made products were sold in America; there was not much incentive to find about the tastes of people in another country. Business in the 1990's is different. Today there is a "global marketplace." Technology has made the planet smaller, facilitating communication and transportation between nations. The world today, in …

Medical Care Facility Planning And Regulation In Virginia Through Certificate Of Public Need, Ronald Stephen Webb

Master's Theses

It is the central argument of this thesis that the cost of medical care has been the most salient political consideration in the evolution of certificate of public need Virginia. Certificate of need is a regulatory mechanism that public officials use to achieve health planning goals by controlling medical facility capital expenditures. This thesis sets the development and implementation of certificate of need in Virginia against the broad background of medical facility public policy in this country, as well as significant political movements in Virginia.

Several themes are evident from this analysis. Over time, the center of medical facility planning …

The Political And Legal Framework For Cable Television Franchising By Virginia Local Government, Clyde Edward Roettger

Master's Theses

Within the last decade state-of-the-art cable television has gone from an unsuccessful, premature proposal in Virginia, to operative franchises in several jurisdictions , including Richm::m.d, Henrico, Chesterfield, Arlington, and Alexandria. There are also a number of franchises which have been in operation for many years and which are intended largely for reception improvement with sone minimal extra services, such as those in Petersburg, Hopewell and Colonial Heights. It is proposed here to raise significant issues which could have been addressed by Virginia state and local government as to the regulation of this rapid growth of cable television in the Cormnnwealth, …

The Role Of Socio-Economic Status In Determining Voting Behavior In Richmond, Virginia, Arthur Henry Verburg

Master's Theses

The question as to why an individual votes as he does has been a much-researched and frequently debated source of inquiry. Many scholars over the years have examined the question from different approaches, utilizing a variety of data, and have arrived at several different answers. In this paper I will explore one such answer: the role of socio-economic status (SES). The area of study will be the City of Richmond, Virginia, during the years 1968-1973.

Justices Of The Peace And Magistrates In Virginia And West Virginia, Krista Unterzuber

Master's Theses

The justice of the peace system has long been a part of the judicial process in the United States. The system originated in Great Britain and was transferred to the British colonies in the seventeenth century. Through the years the duties of the justice of the peace increased in number and importance. In recent years the powers of the office have declined and criticism of the system has mounted. As a result sane state governments have eliminated the justice of the peace system entirely and instituted the magistrate system. Two states which have taken such action are Virginia and West …

Power, Elitism, And Lawyers: An Examination Of The Richmond Legal Establishment And Its Impact On The Making Of Social And Economic Policy-Making Within The Commonwealth Of Virginia., Stephen C. St. John

Honors Theses

Within the annals of American academia, much time and effort has been expended in the attempt to answer the crucial question of who wields power within the community and more specifically inside the realm of governmental policy-making. This pursuit has taken many forms and focuses throughout the years, as the spotlight of community power inquiries have shifted from one group of societal actors to another. Such focuses however have quite frequently neglected to give proper consideration to the immensely important roles played in the community and governmental power structure by those individuals who collectively form the legal profession. Of all …

Selected Aspects Of Interstate 295 : The Interstate Highway System Of Virginia, Gilray Moyes Anderson

Master's Theses

This paper has hopefully given the reader a better understanding of the Interstate Highway System in the United States and Virginia through a general history , with related planning and process of a particular road­ way, I-295. Using 1295, this thesis has attempted to correlate the connection of one planned interstate road­ way in Virginia with others in the Virginia system.

The interstate highway system in Virginia is the accumulation of the history of roads in the State from the first Indian trails and paths. Based on what the present has given us the future will bring larger, safer and …

Chronic Illness And The Richmond Nursing Home, Robert L. Gordon

Master's Theses

The problem of aging and chronic illness has become more acute with the 19601s and more in the public attention than ever before. Projected figures for 1970 estimate 9.1% of the population will be in the aged group. In 1965 one out of five under 17 was affected by chronic disabilities. Both the private and public sectors of the economy are involved in seeking solutions.

This thesis deals with the adm inist rative area of the public sector. The thesis attempts to state the problem, point out knowledge and recommendations in the hospital administration field and show the Richmond Nursing …

A Study Of The Cuban Community In Richmond, Mary E. Tyler

Master's Theses

For Cubans there has been a long, historic exile path to the United States. The Spanish historian Justo Zaragoza noted that 100,000 persons fled the island in 1869,² following the start of the Ten Years' War agitating for independence from Spain. Again in 1895 when the War for Independence broke out, Cuban colonies were founded in Southern Florida, Tampa, and other U.S. cities.

Political activity was very much a part of the exile groups from the time that the great Cuban hero, Jose Marti plotted his revolution in a house in Tampa.³ Revolutionary activity was carried on among …

An Analysis Of "The Third House" In The General Assembly Of Virginia, John Rowland Davis

Master's Theses

The problem as presented in this research will be (1) to present a profile study of the lobbyists in the State of Virginia; (2) to point out the techniques used by lobbyists as well as the cost of lobbying in Virginia; and (3) to point out existing as well as previous legislation dealing with lobbying and to show its effectiveness.

Th purpose of this thesis is not to synthesize all the available literature concerning pressure groups, but, instead, the objective will be to present an accurate and objective study of lobbying in the State of Virginia using those sources that …

A Study Of The Four Public Bridges Across The James River, Demitrios Basiliou Pantele

Master's Theses

As a result of its expansion to both the northern and southern banks of the James River, the city of Richmond, Virginia, has been obliged to construct a number of bridges in order to provide a link between the two parts of the city. There are now four such structures connecting north and south Richmond, the eldest dating back to the eighteenth century, with the most recent having been erected as recently as 1934. In the pages that follow it shall be our purpose to tell the story of these four spans not only from the point of view of …

Administrative Reorganization Of The Government Of The State Of Virginia Under Governor Byrd, Robert Greg Barr

Honors Theses

Administrative reorganization is a tremendous subject. In the final analysis, it involves the history of administrative organization, proposals for its improvement, reforms in its structure, desirability of further changes, and the adequacy and beneficial effects of changes already instituted, as well as the broad ramifications of governmental theory inextricably related to any scheme of administrative structure. It is a study of the entire executive branch of a government in all its aspects. These subjects offer interesting fields of research for the student of government and history, as well as the student of economics in some instances. Exploitation of the opportunities …

The Juvenile Court : It's Purpose With Special Treatment On The Juvenile And Domestic Relations Court Of Richmond, Virginia, Harold L. Ronick

Honors Theses

The objectives of the writer in writing this monograph are two - first, to acquaint himself with the Juvenile And Relations Court of his own city, and second, to compile the records of the court so that they may known to all interested people.

The work is divided into four sections - in the first the early fundamental history and principles of Juvenile Courts in which an attempt is made to show that the Juvenile Court can trace its origin back to the English Common law Courts.

In the second section the writer discusses the bills passed by the General …

The Fellow Servant Doctrine And Its Application In Virginia, Winston G. Crenshaw

Honors Theses

Prior to early in the twentieth century, working men were forced to accept conditions as laid down by their employers. It was largely essential that they work under whatever circumstances their employers saw fit to apply--their jobs were dependent upon their submission.