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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

The Use Of Collaboration In Nongovernmental Organization Public Policy Advocacy, Randy Barrack Nov 2009

The Use Of Collaboration In Nongovernmental Organization Public Policy Advocacy, Randy Barrack

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to explore the definitions, benefits, and challenges of collaborations as used by nongovernmental organizations in their pursuit of public policy advocacy, and more specifically the role of NGOs as advocates in the public policy process. A qualitative design using a case study approach was used to examine the collaborative strategies and techniques used by the 12 statewide education NGO members of the Virginia Education Coalition in pursuit of their advocacy goals in public policy. The direction of this study was guided by the following questions: (1) What is collaboration, and when, how, and why …


Talking Us Into War: Problem Definition By Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson And George W. Bush, Barbara Ellen May Warner Aug 2009

Talking Us Into War: Problem Definition By Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson And George W. Bush, Barbara Ellen May Warner

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

How presidents talk us into war merges the study of problem definition in public policy with the study of rhetoric in communications. Using both qualitative and quantitative methods, this research analyzes the key words used by two presidents, Lyndon B. Johnson and George W. Bush, to persuade us into escalating a war in Vietnam and engaging in a pre-emptive war in Iraq, respectively. The findings indicate that presidents repeat words that are patriotic, emotive, metaphorical, symbolic and religious, tapping into American themes of Manifest Destiny and even predicting dire outcomes if we do not accept their definitions of the dangers …


Do State Regulatory Institutions Matter: Using Network Theory To Explore Linkages Between Air Policy Boards And Pollution Outcomes, Debra Jacobs Jun 2009

Do State Regulatory Institutions Matter: Using Network Theory To Explore Linkages Between Air Policy Boards And Pollution Outcomes, Debra Jacobs

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to test an adapted model of network theory against state air pollution control institutions. Air pollution control presents a regulatory problem that has interstate, intrastate and multiple federal dimensions. It is one of extreme complexity and uncertainty, from both a regulatory and scientific perspective. The changing political environment federally has enabled states to redefine their roles in the regulatory process (Adler, 1997; Krane, 2007). Drawing from network theory in intergovernmental policy processes my research tests three key factors in explaining state air pollution levels: tenure in office of the air policy administrator, the use …


The Effect Of Teachers' Unions On Issues In School Reform, Katie Reed May 2009

The Effect Of Teachers' Unions On Issues In School Reform, Katie Reed

Public Administration & Policy

The thesis is divided into a number of sections. Part II examines some of the relevant literature on teachers’ unions and reform in education (specifically, merit pay, charter school, and school voucher reforms). The literature review presented in Part II is split up into two sections itself; Section A which examines the actual effectiveness of the aforementioned school reform programs on student achievement, and Section B, which examines literature showing the ways in which teachers’ unions impact school reform. In Part III, primary sources, including direct statements and information from teacher union websites and newspaper articles, are analyzed to determine …


Coping With Dr-Cafta: Assessing The Impact Of The Agreement And Designing Adjustment Programs For Sensitive Agriculture In Honduras, Alvaro Durand-Morat May 2009

Coping With Dr-Cafta: Assessing The Impact Of The Agreement And Designing Adjustment Programs For Sensitive Agriculture In Honduras, Alvaro Durand-Morat

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Honduras has for almost two decades embraced economic integration as a way to achieve sustained economic growth. The DR-CAFTA agreement signed in 2004 represents another step towards economic openness. The agreement generated a heated debate about the benefits and costs to the Honduran economy. Previous assessments suggest that Honduras will have a marginal aggregate benefit from DR-CAFTA. The findings from this study suggest that the agreement might actually yield a marginal loss vis-à-vis the counterfactual. Previous studies also stress the potential for large losses resulting from the agreement, particularly for some traditional and sensitive agricultural sectors. The findings from this …


Best Practices For Vulnerable Adult Investigation Policies And Procedures At Blue Earth County, Anna Stindt Jan 2009

Best Practices For Vulnerable Adult Investigation Policies And Procedures At Blue Earth County, Anna Stindt

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this project is to update the policies and procedures for conducting vulnerable adult investigations in Blue Earth County to reflect changes in the statute and to incorporate current best practices for conducting investigations.


The Effectiveness And Adoption Of Market-Based State Health Care Expansion Programs, Nathan Gregory Myers Jan 2009

The Effectiveness And Adoption Of Market-Based State Health Care Expansion Programs, Nathan Gregory Myers

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Market-based state health expansion programs are alternatives to government programs like Medicaid and SCHIP which also seek to expand access to health insurance for uninsured populations. These programs either utilize the private health insurance market or function according to market principles. The market-based policies at issue in this research are state high-risk health insurance pools, limited benefit plans, group purchasing arrangements, reinsurance programs, and Health Insurance Flexibility and Accountability waivers. This research addresses two separate but related research questions: (1) Do these market-based programs provide general economic and social benefits for the citizens of a state? (2) What role does …