Digital Commons Network^™

Developmental, Psychosocial, And Economic Predictors Of Healthy Newborns In Michigan’S Teenage Pregnancies, Cheryl Lauber

Dissertations

Teenage pregnancy is a critical health indicator. Using a risk reduction model, this study examined the relationship between the characteristics o f the teenage mother i and her newborn. The research questions were: ( I) what risk factors are associated with poor birth outcomes, (2) is addressing each factor the best way to reduce the risk, and (3) has the overall risk changed as the birth rate has declined? Developmental, psychosocial and economic risks were identified as independent variables, while age and race were mediators.

Combining the birth certificate records of women under age 20 from 1990 through 1997 resulted …

Will Succession Planning At The Department Of Energy/Nevada Succeed?, James H. Winget

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The topic of this professional paper is the succession planning program at the Department of Energy Nevada Operations Office (DOE/NV). I have prepared this paper for the Department of Public Administration in partial fulfillment of a Masters of Public Administration degree. The paper centers on the interpretation of data that was received through an office-wide survey of the staff and leaders of the DOE/NV. The data presented supports the theory that there may be significant weaknesses found in the current structure of the succession planning that may directly affect whether or not the program will succeed. The analyses performed focuses …

Gated Communities As Public Entities, Dennis W. Stransky

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Gated Communities as Public Entities identifies these organizations as phenomena of recent land development practices. The topics discussed include the history of private dwelling associations, the makeup of these organizations, and the parallels between them and their larger, public counterparts. Specific areas such as taxes, infrastructure, codes covenants and restrictions, and law enforcement are discussed in detail. Gated Communities have become a large part of the available housing choices for many homebuyers. Approximately one-third of the homes constructed today are part of private associations created as various forms of private corporations. The laws related to the creation of private corporations …

Coalition Formation: Governmental Practices To Resolve Social Issues, Delshanna Jones

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Small groups have formed to resolve social issues since the beginning of time. It is the village concept where activists meet in the center of town to discuss a concern and together work toward a solution to a problem. This is represented in the town of Plato’s Republic and how they handled its dilemma with Socrates disrespect and disruptions to their way of ruling/ their culture. People met at a central location, discussed the issue, agreed on a solution and, together, enforced the resolution. Thus, first governments used groups to find solutions to community problems (Bell and Smith, p.1). Citizens …

Impact Of The American's With Disabilities Act On Local Government (A Retrospective Review Of 10 Years Of Action) Specific To Personnel Administration, Mark A. Dascalos

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

President George Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law on January 26, 1990. This Act was intended to overcome many perceived or actual acts of discrimination against persons with disabilities residing in the United States of America. To date, no author has looked back to see what the impact of this comprehensive law has been on local government. This author through study will be determining what, if any, impact this law has had on the State of Nevada counties. This study is being limited in scope to personnel administration, and personnel related remedies. Recommendations for the future …

The Summer Day Treatment Program, Luis Salanas Lopez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The Summer Day Treatment Proposal addresses the request for proposal from the Tropical Texas Center for MHMR and the Children's Mental Health Plan to provide services to “At Risk” youth within a local school district.

The proposal outlines the education, family empowerment, individual and group counseling and self esteem development made available to twenty at risk youth for four weeks at a cost of $10,106.00.

Citizen Participation In The Digital Age: An Evaluation Of The Potential Of A Website To Encourage Community Involvement In School Board Issues, Scott Chambers

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the potential for school board websites to engage the public by promoting a greater understanding of school board issues and accepting feedback and recommendations from the local community. An analysis of school board websites in Ontario was conducted to measure the effectiveness of existing websites as a method for communication. The findings reveal that until school boards provide an incentive for citizens to visit their websites on a regular basis, they will not become a strong way to connect to the community.

The District Of Cochrane Social Services Administration Board: An Analysis Of The Provincial Objectives Driving Its Formation And The Organization’S Capacity To Meet These Objectives, Kathryn Miller

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines whether the short- and long-term goals surrounding the Ontario government’s decision to create district social services administration boards have been met based on a case study of the Cochrane District Social Services Administration Board (CDSSAB). The findings reveal that the province’s short-term objectives have been met and, although many challenges persist, the CDSSAB is well positioned to meet the long-term objectives of efficiency, less government, and superior integrated services.

Evaluating The Public Participation Methods Used In Toronto’S Integrated Solid Waste Resource Management Process, John Ballantine

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines whether a meaningful public consultation process was used in the Solid Waste Management Marketplace Engagement Program (SWM-WEP) – later renamed Toronto’s Integrated Solid Waste Resource Management Process (TIRM) – based on case studies of the various meetings that took place throughout the process. The findings reveal that the public consultations that occurred in the SWM-WEP/TIRM cannot be characterized as a true dialogue because power was not transferred from bureaucrats and elected officials to the general population.

Women On Council: A Case Study Of 12 Ontario Cities, Kelly Barrowcliffe

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines whether there is a greater proportion of women represented in urban politics than in provincial and federal legislatures. Case studies of 12 cities in Ontario were conducted and compared to data about female representation in the Canadian House of Commons. The findings reveal that women are not more represented at the local level than at other levels of government.

The Role And Performance Of Governmental And Nongovernmental Organizations In Family Planning Implementation : Jordan As A Case Study, Khalaf Al Hadded

Dissertations and Theses

The role of governmental and nongovernmental nonprofit organizations in population issues has become a familiar reality in contemporary Third World countries. A distinct irony lies in the increasing growth of the role of NGOs in implementing public programs that are conventionally assigned to government bureaucracy. In certain circumstances, these organizations become an outlet to deliver and do certain things that government agencies are not able to do. Although there is an extensive body of research and publications on nongovernmental and charitable organizations in the Third World, there are only a few cases where small NGOs are working directly with the …

Political Spuds, Dalia Samir El-Naggar

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Public Policy: Affirmative Action, Social Equity, And Employment Patterns In Michigan's Construction Industry 1966-1997, Henry Joseph Bowers

Dissertations

Affirmative action public policy did not experience much debate when it was put in place during the late 1960’s. However, the debate is occurring in the 1990s. Its merits are being weighed and there are movements locally to eliminate affirmative action policy.

The Michigan construction industry is the focus of this study. This study examined not only these employment outcome benefits, but also outlines the outcome benefit trends over thirty-one years for national employment and employment in the state of Michigan with an emphasis on the construction industry. Details regarding white-collar and blue-collar occupational grouping trends as well as unemployment …

Correlation Between The Number Of Children A Woman Has In The Women, Infants, And Children Program And Their Ratings Of The Program, Elizabeth Trevino

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This paper tests the proposition that W.I.C. is satisfactorily meeting the educational, prenatal care and management needs of the W.I.C. clientele. Specifically, the difference of satisfaction between women who have all their children in the program and women who do not have all their children in the program will be determined. The women with more than one child in the program may have more experience with the program and as a result, rate it higher. From a political perspective, the findings of this study are important to the government and taxpayers that are concerned with how well W.I.C. actually serves …

An Analysis Of The Socio-Economic Impact Of Casino Gambling In Mesquite, Nevada, And Its Implications For Public Policy, Janice K. Herfeld

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study is a preliminary analysis of the socio-economic impact of casino gaming in Mesquite, Nevada. Mesquite is being studied from this perspective in order to provide policymakers with information that will aid in the determination of public policy relevant to and in conjunction with casino gaming activity. A combination of site visits to the area and interviews with casino executive personnel and relevant law enforcement was conducted for the purposes of gathering information for this study. Three police departments (Mesquite, Nevada, Cedar City, Utah and St. George, Utah) were interviewed to determine the crime rate in jurisdiction. Relevant data …

An Analysis Of The Socio-Economic Impact Of Casino Gaming In Mesquite, Nevada, And Its Implications For Public Policy, Janice K. Hetfeld

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study is a preliminary analysis of the socio-economic impact of casino gaming in Mesquite, Nevada. Mesquite is being studied from this perspective in order to provide policymakers with information that will aid in the determination of public policy relevant to and in conjunction with casino gaming activity. A combination of site visits to the area and interviews with casino executive personnel and relevant law enforcement was conducted for the purposes of gathering information for this study. Three police departments (Mesquite, Nevada, Cedar City, Utah and St. George, Utah) were interviewed to determine the crime rate in jurisdiction. Relevant data …

The Legislative History Of Gambling, 1861 - 1915, Ben Hetfeld

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Nevada’s way of regulating gambling has been of such interest over the past years that it has been given a name, the “Nevada Model”. Interested parties usually are seeking to learn if this model of gambling regulation will work in other political units of this country. The point of this paper is to give some background to the “Nevada Model” by looking at how the acts of the legislature of the state evolved through time. Of equal importance is the understanding of the role the miners played in the formation of Nevada’s culture and lifestyle. The miners brought Nevada its …

Highway Safety Funding For The “El Protector” Program From The Texas Department Of Transportation, Colin Barto Ashburn

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The proposal is in response to the request for proposals from the Texas Department of Transportation. The Hidalgo County Sheriff's Department's proposal is for funding of the “EL PROTECTOR” Program. The program seeks to reduce the Hispanic fatalities and injuries from alcohol-related crashes and non-seatbelt compliance.

Remote Sensing And Geographic Information Systems For Decision Analysis In Public Resource Administration: Case Study In A Southwestern Watershed, William G. Kepner

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Alternative futures analysis is a scenario-based approach to regional land planning that attempts to synthesize existing scientific information in a format useful to community decision makers. Typically, this approach attempts to investigate the impacts of several alternative sets of choices preferred by representative stakeholder groups relative to selected environmental or economical endpoints. Potential impacts from each of the scenarios are compared to current conditions of the region in terms of a set of processes that are modeled within a geographic information system. Future conditions are generally examined from the perspective of a recent baseline condition (versus empirically determined using a …

World Birding Center-Edinburg: An Application To The Meadows Foundation, Wendy Smith Sturgis

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The World Birding Center is a unique and innovative partnership among Texas Parks & Wildlife Department and the cities of Brownsville, Mission, Weslaco, Harlingen, Edinburg, McAllen, Hidalgo, Roma, Rio Hondo and South Padre Island. The WBC is a first of its kind regional approach to nature conservation and birdwatching.

Edinburg's portion of the budget is 8.75%, and the City will fund salaries for a director and education coordinator and operations specific to the Edinburg center through the City's general fund.

Texas Parks & Wildlife Department estimates 175,000 visitors annually. Direct local expenditures (based on an average visit of 6.3 days, …

If You Build It, Will They Come? The Effect Providing Recreation And Parks Has On Attracting New Businesses, Peter Bernard Lamont Jr.

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This study investigates recreation and park's influence on the Rio Grande Valley's ability to attract businesses. Input was solicited from companies that initially located or relocated in the Rio Grande Valley within the last ten years. Quality of life is compared to six possible influences on the location/relocation decision. Recreation and parks is scored relative to five other indicators of the quality of life. Relative importance is determined through a Likert scale. Company types are broken down into manufacturing/distribution and technical/headquarters companies plus small and large companies. Company types and sizes are be compared against each other and the overall …

Public Finance Of Professional Athletic Facilities: Case Studies In Stadium And Arena Finance, Larry Harala

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

During the course of the 1990s cities across the country opted to expend public monies at record levels on stadium and arena construction. The focus of this paper will be an examination of whether or not spending public money on private athletic facilities is justifiable. For the purpose of this paper “justifiable” will mean; that the overall economic benefit to the community can be clearly and quantifiably demonstrate to have a net positive economic impact on the community while benefiting all socio-economic elements of the community at large. The types of facilities that this paper will examine are arenas and …

Financing Public Infrastructure: A Case Study On Whether Development Impact Fees & Exactions Or Property Taxes Should Be Used To Support The Financing Of New Public Infrastructure, John P. Korkosz

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Development impact fees and exactions are financing mechanisms that local governments increasingly use to finance the cost of public infrastructure. The primary reason that local governments favor development impact fees and exactions to finance public infrastructure is that the costs associated with growth falls on developers. Two legal cases --Golden v. The Planning Board of The Town of Ramapo, New York and the Construction Industry Association of Sonoma County v. The City of Petaluma, California-- serve as the basis for the support of development impact fees and exactions as a method to manage growth (So & Getzels: 53, 1988).

The Rural Hospital Dilema: Will Nevada’S Rural Hospital System Survive?, Nancy L. Anderson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study, prepared for the Department of Public Administration, will review and discuss the rural hospitals in the State of Nevada. By virtue of its size and population distribution, Nevada has a need for rural hospitals. These hospitals, which are of critical importance for Nevada residents, are constantly struggling with how to build and support their limited health system capacity and infrastructure. To survive, rural hospitals must offset the losses they have sustained as a result of decreased federal funding. Some ways these losses have been offset is by employing some of the programs created by the Balanced Budget Act …

Examination Of The Bureau Of Land Management's Implementation Of The Wild, Free-Roaming Horse And Burro Act At Red Rock National Conservation Area, Christine E. Brehm

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

For unknown reasons horses went extinct on the North American continent approximately ten thousand years ago and were subsequently reintroduced by Spanish settlers in the 1400's. As European settlers moved westward, horses were perceived as competition for grasslands and their numbers were curtailed. Wild horses were granted Federal protection in 1959 with the passage of the 'Wild Horse Annie' law and further protected with the passage of the Wild, Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act of 1971. Through the Department of the Interior, the Bureau of Land Management was charged with management of wild horses on public lands. Physical searches of …

An Examination Of A Brownfield: The Former North Las Vegas Armory Site, Rebecca L. Fowler

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This thesis is a case study of the redevelopment project of the former Armory site in Las Vegas, Nevada, a United States Environmental Protection Agency Brownfield Pilot Project. This investigation uses benefit-cost analysis to determine whether the project is economically feasible. This examination includes a description of the Brownfield program, a description of the site, selection criteria, and the proposed future use of it. The results show that the benefits exceed the costs.

The Perceived Economic, Social, And Cultural Impacts Of Gaming On A Michigan Indian Tribe, Maureen Elizabeth Myers

Dissertations

The economic, social and cultural effect of tribal gaming on a Michigan Indian tribe is the focus of this study. Twelve individuals, identified as knowledgeable informants, were interviewed on how the tribal community has been impacted by the successful gaming operations and whether the nature of the gaming enterprises was an important factor.

During the interview process, the members of the community defined the changes in their lives resulting from the large amount of income that was benefiting this previously impoverished community. The participants were asked to describe, in their own words, important changes that had occurred in their personal, …

Implementation Theory And Determinants For Success: A Case Study Of Televised Distance Learning Implementation In An Urban University, Deanne Shuman

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Management

The purpose of this study is to explore the implementation process of a distance learning initiative using televised instruction in an urban university. The scope and complexity of problems faced by colleges and universities today are growing, and public institutions are being asked to do more with less. Despite limited budgets and stretched resources, institutions are expected to be responsive to the challenges of change. Distance learning using televised instruction, which brings the classroom to the learner, is an available technology that can be responsive to students' diverse needs.

This study explores factors that facilitated or served as barriers in …

Practitioners’ Perspectives On Alternatives To The Paper-Based System For Preventing Welfare Fraud, Timothy Jerome Cole

Dissertations

Federal agencies have begun to devote greater attention to detecting welfare fraud. This dissertation reviews three proposed alternatives to the current Paper- Based system for preventing welfare fraud, namely, the Paper-Based system with Fingerprint Imaging, Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT), and EBT with Fingerprint Imaging. It also examines the policy implications likely to result from implementation of these various systems.

Practitioners were randomly selected from agency directories and mailed a survey. Information was sought on their socioeconomic background, professional affiliations, and opinions on several welfare fraud detection systems.

Statistically significant differences in their responses resulted from differences in their socioeconomic backgrounds, …

Kicking At The Closet Door: The Opinions, Attitudes, And Experiences Of Military Homosexuals, Rodney Lee Parks

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to investigate the opinions, attitudes, and experiences of active-duty homosexual/bisexual military servicemembers. Very little research currently exists on this topic because the sample population remains hidden among the ranks of their heterosexual counterparts for fear of discrimination, harassment, and physical violence. Using a snowball sampling technique, survey analysis was conducted to analyze the relationship among homosexual/bisexual military servicemembers and assess their experiences. Most homosexual men and women serve effectively in the military and are proud of their military performance. Although many homosexuals join the military to suppress their desires, the majority (70%) felt that …