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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Preserving Faith Amidst Disruption: The Impact Of Obama And Biden’S Woke Foreign Policy On Christian Values In Africa And Its Effect On American Democracy Promotion, Christophe Mwungura Apr 2024

Preserving Faith Amidst Disruption: The Impact Of Obama And Biden’S Woke Foreign Policy On Christian Values In Africa And Its Effect On American Democracy Promotion, Christophe Mwungura

Helm's School of Government Conference - American Revival: Citizenship & Virtue

In May 2023, Uganda enacted a law criminalizing homosexuality. The Ugandan parliament and President Yoweri Museveni defended the enactment of this law, arguing that homosexuality directly violates Ugandan cultural norms and Biblical doctrines. In response to this legislative action, the United States immediately condemned the law and threatened to withdraw the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), along with other forms of assistance and investments. Despite this, many Ugandans, supported by their leaders, publicly expressed their willingness to accept the aid suspension rather than repeal the law. This article will examine the promotion of LGBTQ rights in Africa, …


Navigating The Threat Posed By The Chinese Communist Party, Adam Opp Apr 2024

Navigating The Threat Posed By The Chinese Communist Party, Adam Opp

Helm's School of Government Conference - American Revival: Citizenship & Virtue

For decades, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the economic growth of China has become a threat to the United States. Beginning in 1978, the CCP issued a series of economic, market-oriented reforms which led to a period of economic growth and productivity increase in China. The CCP turned to diplomacy with the United States and other nations to increase foreign investment and implemented the Belt and Road initiative. The impressive scale of Chinese economic growth poses an economic and hegemonic threat to the United States, as China’s economy is projected to outpace the United States and the CCP has …


Roger Altman’S 2008 Public Policy Analysis: At Fault Without The Blame, Isaac Deak Apr 2024

Roger Altman’S 2008 Public Policy Analysis: At Fault Without The Blame, Isaac Deak

Helm's School of Government Conference - American Revival: Citizenship & Virtue

Roger Altman published “Globalism in Retreat” in 2009, in which he offers analysis of the 2008 financial crisis, blaming free-markets and globalism as causes of the calamity, only to praise China’s “state-capitalism”, which he believes allowed the Chinese to emerge ahead of the globalists in recovery. This article, despite its age, provides a timeless example of a dangerous tendency in public policy. It demonstrates how policymakers can implement deleterious policies which result in inevitable crisis, and then, they subsequently escape blame by explaining away the crisis with bad analysis and even worse policy suggestions for the future. Policy suggestions, in …


The Importance Of Dialogue Between The United States And North Korea: How Can The United States Respond To The Nuclear Issue With North Korea?, Unbi Choi Apr 2024

The Importance Of Dialogue Between The United States And North Korea: How Can The United States Respond To The Nuclear Issue With North Korea?, Unbi Choi

Helm's School of Government Conference - American Revival: Citizenship & Virtue

The nuclear issue with North Korea could create even more danger in currently tense international relations. In reality, a long-standing economic sanction is a factor in North Korea's continued hostile attitude toward the United States. The Trump administration chose negotiation instead of economic sanctions. Negotiations succeeded in temporarily easing tensions between the United States and North Korea. However, the Biden administration put economic sanctions back on North Korea. Since then, North Korea has increasingly cultivated hostility, even more than in the last few years, and is further developing nuclearization. As this example indicates, economic sanctions would have negative consequences. The …


Rethinking Supply Chains: Mitigating The Risk Of Chinese Dependence And Protecting Us Semiconductor Intellectual Property, Jamison Finnamore Apr 2024

Rethinking Supply Chains: Mitigating The Risk Of Chinese Dependence And Protecting Us Semiconductor Intellectual Property, Jamison Finnamore

Helm's School of Government Conference - American Revival: Citizenship & Virtue

This paper explores the complex economic interdependence between the US, China, and Taiwan, specifically in the semiconductor industry. China’s increased aggression and intellectual property (IP) theft threatens to unbalance the iron triangle of US, China, and Taiwan trade relations. The problem overview elaborates on Taiwan’s crucial role in the semiconductor supply chain, and China’s threat against it. The argument is made that the US must take a nuanced and multifaceted approach to solving the diplomatic, economic, and military policy problem. Criteria for success are outlined, emphasizing the need to address root causes and not compromise US commitment to a free …


Criminal Justice: Racial Equity In United States Of America, Glenn Bass Apr 2024

Criminal Justice: Racial Equity In United States Of America, Glenn Bass

Helm's School of Government Conference - American Revival: Citizenship & Virtue

The purpose of this paper is to provide the reader with a spiritual sense of awakening as it pertains to a revelation of the human spirit. A revival, or improvement in the condition of any individual or social infrastructure will re-establish citizenship and further restore virtue within the United States of America. Researchers have articulated that our criminal justice system is broken through police retention/recruitment, lack of resources, ineffective prosecution and public defenders, sentencing disparities, and lack of understanding of the socioeconomic status of the criminal or violent offender. These issues are subtopics underneath the umbrella of racial equity. The …


Can Volunteer Fire Companies Improve Recruiting?, David T. Button Apr 2024

Can Volunteer Fire Companies Improve Recruiting?, David T. Button

Helm's School of Government Conference - American Revival: Citizenship & Virtue

The accelerating inability of volunteer fire departments to attract new recruits presents the public sector with both above and below-the-line costs. Finding replacements for members aging out is the single greatest challenge that volunteer departments face. If this problem persists, the cost of replacing volunteers with paid staff would have a significant and negative impact on the tax base. Pay and benefits for professional staff (as well as capital costs associated with this conversion) would cause property taxes to escalate significantly in communities where volunteers have historically managed emergencies. Much research has been conducted in an attempt to determine how …


The True Cost Of Education, William J. Norris Iii Apr 2024

The True Cost Of Education, William J. Norris Iii

Helm's School of Government Conference - American Revival: Citizenship & Virtue

Education, rightfully, has been seen as the best way to train the next generation of citizens. The Founding Fathers held that it was essential for the nation’s growth to teach children citizenship and virtue. With the recent expansion of school choice options across the country, this is a good time to refocus on that goal, and examine the true cost of public education in America. This study will examine data, particularly information published by the Department of Education and the U.S. Census Bureau, to form a picture of the true cost of public education. Even though a large percentage of …


Citizenship And Virtue’ Are Requirements For Maintaining Liberty, Timothy P. O'Brien Apr 2024

Citizenship And Virtue’ Are Requirements For Maintaining Liberty, Timothy P. O'Brien

Helm's School of Government Conference - American Revival: Citizenship & Virtue

In the twenty-first century, the United States of America has been caught in a time of increased polarization, the Republic has been fraying as the sense of community has cracked, where fanatics on the extremes of the political spectrum have contributed to the disruption of normal political order driven by normative agendas. The underlying political theories on which the nations was founded emerged from the ancient Greek philosophers and passed through the early Christian philosophers to the Framers of the Constitution of the United States of America. This article explores the foundations of citizenship and virtue as it applies to …


Upholding Liberty And Justice Through The Virtue Of Citizen Volunteerism, David W. Bolton Apr 2024

Upholding Liberty And Justice Through The Virtue Of Citizen Volunteerism, David W. Bolton

Helm's School of Government Conference - American Revival: Citizenship & Virtue

Alexis de Tocqueville observed that colonial Americans were preoccupied with civic duty, and he spoke to the beneficial power of early American volunteer associations which did not rely on government solutions. Colonial Americans resolved immediate communal needs through volunteerism and charity via civic and religious organizations. From de Tocqueville’s perspective, an essential element of being a good citizen was contributing to your community through volunteerism and charity. State and federal government overreach could be avoided by resolving local issues locally. The true nature of citizenship was to ensure liberty and justice through voluntary, philanthropic efforts and avoiding the mandated funding …


City On A Hill: A Reflection On Christian Ethic And Human Morality, Mayce Combs Apr 2024

City On A Hill: A Reflection On Christian Ethic And Human Morality, Mayce Combs

Helm's School of Government Conference - American Revival: Citizenship & Virtue

In John Winthrop’s sermon A Model of Christian Charity (1630), he spoke to his congregation of the mission God had called them to. With the creation of a new blended nation, the only way to be exceptional was to reflect the gospel in policy, action, and foremost thought. Philosophers from ancient times to today acknowledge that an individual is made up of the soul and their body. From the soul, comes thought, reason, empathy, and a connection to a divine being who deciphers what is morally unjust. The body is a sinful, self-seeking vessel that does not have the ability …


Cyber Defense Planning In Tabletop Exercises And Consideration Of A Fractured Flaw Theory For Security Applications, Patrick K. Kilroy Ii Mar 2024

Cyber Defense Planning In Tabletop Exercises And Consideration Of A Fractured Flaw Theory For Security Applications, Patrick K. Kilroy Ii

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Cybersecurity threats endanger every part of American life. Security and emergency preparedness professionals plan and prevent cyber-attacks using tabletop exercises. The tabletop exercises establish the risks and protection strategies for multiagency threats, thus, various agencies and industrial partners must work together in these training events. The purpose of this grounded study will be to develop criteria for selecting tabletop participants and explore the risks of participation. An additional consideration is the impact of the sponsoring agencies' agenda on the value of the outcome for the participants. There is sufficient evidence to justify the investigation of these issues. Failing to include …


Employee Engagement In Public Sector Organizations, Rhonda Isler Dent Mar 2024

Employee Engagement In Public Sector Organizations, Rhonda Isler Dent

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Public Administrators recognize Employee Engagement (EE) as a significant component in fostering effective work environments in public sector organizations. EE is a recently established concept on Public Administration's agenda and the mantra for today's workplace, leading organizations to recognize the vested interest in measuring, observing, and increasing employee performance. Evidence suggests EE is vital to an organization's thriving in a competitive global market. The research study evaluated and measured the influences that affect EE in public-sector organizations. A quantitative method using the quasi-experimental design was used to answer the research question and address the corresponding hypotheses. The researcher used the …


Making Sense Of Ethnocentrism: Intelligence Analysis & National Cultural Dimensions, Travis J. Benson Mar 2024

Making Sense Of Ethnocentrism: Intelligence Analysis & National Cultural Dimensions, Travis J. Benson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Varying internal and external stimulants naturally oscillate the creation of objective intelligence analysis; however, the most egregious offender to accuracy and completeness is the natural human mental process. No element of intelligence analysis is more formidable than the cognitive process that houses specific deviations, known as biases, as it yields inaccuracies and alters what is believed to be a rational response to a complex analytical problem. The phenomenon of ethnocentrism is consistently identified as an analytical limitation of intelligence professionals, derived from cognitive bias. Ultimately, ethnocentrism manifests an analyst’s perception of information directly through the lens of culturally dependent heuristics …


How The Physical, Social, And Psychological Environment Impacts Border Security, John J. Smietana Jr. Feb 2024

How The Physical, Social, And Psychological Environment Impacts Border Security, John J. Smietana Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) is a theory of crime control that posits that crime can be mitigated by shaping the physical, psychological, and social environment to prevent the meeting of perpetrators and victims. Over several decades, the United States applied the principles of CPTED to the United States-Mexico border in San Diego to secure the international border. Despite the sovereign right to secure the international border, border security became a divisive and emotionally charged topic in the United States. Studies on the effectiveness of border security were qualitative and humanitarian, describing how border security negatively impacted certain groups …


An Exploration Of The Elderly And Disabled Participation Rate In The Medicaid Home And Community-Based Service (Hcbs) Program In The State Of Alabama, Arnita Hicks Feb 2024

An Exploration Of The Elderly And Disabled Participation Rate In The Medicaid Home And Community-Based Service (Hcbs) Program In The State Of Alabama, Arnita Hicks

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation explored elderly participation rates in the Medicaid Home and Community-Based Service (HCBS) program in the state of Alabama. This descriptive quantitative study explored the factors that impact elderly participation rates in the Alabama Medicaid HCBS program. This study identified the primary barriers preventing elderly participation in the Medicaid HCBS program, as well as presented the limitations of participation in long-term care services. This study found that as the largest source of healthcare in Alabama, the elderly and disabled populations have not utilized the Medicaid HCBS program to its potential.


Mass Incarceration In America: Where's The Church?, Michael J. Wing Dec 2023

Mass Incarceration In America: Where's The Church?, Michael J. Wing

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Due to mass incarceration, correctional facilities in America are dealing with unprecedented levels of overcrowding, staff shortages, violence, suicide, and widespread mental illness among inmates. Budget cuts and the corresponding loss of vocational, educational, and treatment programs have exacerbated such problems. Mass incarceration and its deleterious consequences are challenging the very soul of America, and the church has largely stood by and watched this tragic situation unfold over the last fifty years. This research project has explored some of the barriers that have precluded churches from taking a more intentional, active, and impactful role in doing something about the national …


Keepers Of The Peace Or Soldiers: An Analysis Of The 1983 Beirut Marine Barracks Bombing And The Rationale Behind Deploying Troops In A Peacekeeping Capacity, Brock Bellinger Nov 2023

Keepers Of The Peace Or Soldiers: An Analysis Of The 1983 Beirut Marine Barracks Bombing And The Rationale Behind Deploying Troops In A Peacekeeping Capacity, Brock Bellinger

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

Despite President Reagan’s historic foreign policy success in ushering in the collapse of the Soviet Union and liberation of Eastern Europe, the loss of life during the Beirut Marine barracks bombing marks a substantial failure in Reagan’s foreign policy record. Reagan’s foreign policy failure in Beirut that resulted in the deaths of 241 Americans merits further examination amongst students of international relations as this peacekeeping mission illustrates the dangers of sending American troops into harm’s way without a clear and decisive goal and exit strategy. By evaluating the 1983 Beirut Marine barracks bombing, the hindsight and judgment of history allows …


The Perspectives Of Ghanaian Political Leaders And Citizens Concerning The Development And Implementation Of The Ghana Vision 2020 Development Plan, Kwame Aduhene-Kwarteng Nov 2023

The Perspectives Of Ghanaian Political Leaders And Citizens Concerning The Development And Implementation Of The Ghana Vision 2020 Development Plan, Kwame Aduhene-Kwarteng

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative research case study is to collect, investigate, and assess Ghanaian citizens’ and political leaders’ perspectives and viewpoints regarding the success or failure of Ghana Vision 2020 and the challenges facing developing nations. The study used a descriptive approach to examine Ghana’s Vision 2020 and the country’s development challenges using a descriptive methodology and primary and secondary sources. The 105 participants for the study included 65 males and 40 females living in Ghana. The theoretical framework of this study are modernization, globalization, and dependency theories. To that end, the study set out to investigate the question: …


Introducing Just Competition Theory: Christian Realist Strategic Risk Management In Great Power Competition, Jason A. Byrd Nov 2023

Introducing Just Competition Theory: Christian Realist Strategic Risk Management In Great Power Competition, Jason A. Byrd

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

How can a Christian Realist approach shape United States security policy to manage strategic risk during Great Power Competition? This work finds that Just War Theory, in particular jus in bello (behavior in war), is a common method used by Christian Realists to determine actions and manage consequences in war; however, it is not optimal for the challenges posed in Competition. A complementary structure uniquely applicable to actions below the threshold of armed conflict is needed. This argument is manifested through Just Competition Theory or jus in contentione. In a complex environment of Great Power Competition, principles of jus in …


Sex And Violence: An Exploratory Study Of Changes In Male And Female Violent Offenders' Choices Of Weapon And Victim Over Time, Lindsey Hutton Nagle Nov 2023

Sex And Violence: An Exploratory Study Of Changes In Male And Female Violent Offenders' Choices Of Weapon And Victim Over Time, Lindsey Hutton Nagle

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Violent offenses are part of the history of humankind, and as such, both male and female violent offenders have perpetrated these acts, often with gender differences between male and female offenders present. As more women leave the home and enter the workplace, the gap in gender roles has narrowed, so it follows that this narrowing may also be reflected in the actions of violent offenders. Although there are various explanations for the narrowing of the gender gap in crime, understanding the differences between male and female offenders can help inform gender-based interventions. To address this idea, the type of weapon …


Ai And National Security: The United States Risks Losing Its Competitive Edge, Royce Morris Oct 2023

Ai And National Security: The United States Risks Losing Its Competitive Edge, Royce Morris

Liberty University Journal of Statesmanship & Public Policy

Recent developments in artificial intelligence (AI) have caused concern over the ethical implications of large-scale AI implementation. As a result, leading technologists and computer scientists have advocated an incremental rather than comprehensive approach to AI development and implementation to allow ethical and structural guidelines to provide a public safety net. However, such an approach does not account for the geopolitical and national security implications of lagging behind competitors like China, who have publicly stated goals of reaching AI supremacy within the next ten years. This article presents a national security analysis of the risks to American national security by allowing …


The Impact Of Bail Reform On Arrest Rates For Aggravated Assault In Two Cities, Brion P. Gilbride Oct 2023

The Impact Of Bail Reform On Arrest Rates For Aggravated Assault In Two Cities, Brion P. Gilbride

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

With the recent push to implement bail reform in various U.S. cities and states, the impact of such reform was studied using aggravated assault arrest statistics for Philadelphia, a city that implemented bail reform via prosecutorial discretion, and for Pittsburgh, which had not implemented bail reform. Using the time period of January 2017 through December 2019, a quantitative analysis was completed on aggravated assault arrest counts in both cities to ascertain whether the removal of bail as a deterrent caused aggravated assault arrests to increase. Using a t-test, linear regression, and ANOVA, it was determined that bail reform had minimal …


Res Communis Omnium V. Res Nullius In U.S. Space Mining Law & Policy: A Multilevel Theoretical Analysis Of U.S. Public Policy On Space Minerals Mining Under Title Iv, §51301- §403, U.S. 2015 Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act (Public Law 114-90) & Its Implications For International Space Law Under Articles I & Ii, 1967 Outer Space Treaty, Samuel Chuks Japhets Oct 2023

Res Communis Omnium V. Res Nullius In U.S. Space Mining Law & Policy: A Multilevel Theoretical Analysis Of U.S. Public Policy On Space Minerals Mining Under Title Iv, §51301- §403, U.S. 2015 Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act (Public Law 114-90) & Its Implications For International Space Law Under Articles I & Ii, 1967 Outer Space Treaty, Samuel Chuks Japhets

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The outer space territory and celestial bodies are unfathomably rich in strategic mineral resources worth trillions of dollars such as water ice, helium-3, platinum, iron, cobalt, and ammonia. These space resources, distinct from their space territorial and celestial bodies loci, need to be located, characterized, captured, processed, concentrated, and transported to points of use in-situ or on Earth by capable state and private space investors, stakeholders, or national agencies, for private benefits. Investors in this embryonic space mining industry need legal certainty and predictability under unambiguous legal and policy frameworks that guarantee property interests over extracted minerals. The Problem is …


Facebook Usage By Small-Town Governments: A Multi-Case Study In Southwestern Virginia, Adam Luke Tolbert Oct 2023

Facebook Usage By Small-Town Governments: A Multi-Case Study In Southwestern Virginia, Adam Luke Tolbert

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this mixed methods multi-case study is to analyze (1) how small-town governments are using the Facebook social media platform to serve residents; (2) the results that are experienced by the small-town governments and residents in the town’s use of Facebook; and (3) the factors that influence the small-town governments to use Facebook to serve residents. The setting for the study is three small-town governments (Abingdon, Lebanon, and Marion) located in Southwestern Virginia. The theoretical framework guiding this study is the T3 Framework for Innovation by Dr. Sonny Magana. This theoretical framework, originally created to assess the use …


Advance Fee Fraud On The Increase: The Shield Of Support Over The Victims, Ovenseri Ven Ogbebor Sep 2023

Advance Fee Fraud On The Increase: The Shield Of Support Over The Victims, Ovenseri Ven Ogbebor

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research study addresses the activities of Advance Fee Fraudsters whose activities sometimes impact the status and life of their victims. Research to date appears to have focused on crime, Advance Fee Fraud, and its techniques. The intent of this study is to take the reader through the various types of Advance Fee Fraud (AFF) with special attention to how the victims may get help, an aspect of AFF that has been greatly neglected by previous researchers who mainly focus on the techniques and modus operandi of the fraudsters. Until recently, the concept of AFF was limitedly known, but with …


Cognitive Machine Individualism In A Symbiotic Cybersecurity Policy Framework For The Preservation Of Internet Of Things Integrity: A Quantitative Study, Gary C. Wong Sep 2023

Cognitive Machine Individualism In A Symbiotic Cybersecurity Policy Framework For The Preservation Of Internet Of Things Integrity: A Quantitative Study, Gary C. Wong

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative study examined the complex nature of modern cyber threats to propose the establishment of cyber as an interdisciplinary field of public policy initiated through the creation of a symbiotic cybersecurity policy framework. For the public good (and maintaining ideological balance), there must be recognition that public policies are at a transition point where the digital public square is a tangible reality that is more than a collection of technological widgets. The academic contribution of this research project is the fusion of humanistic principles with Internet of Things (IoT) technologies that alters our perception of the machine from an …


Understanding Recidivism: A Phenomenological Study Of Repeat Offenders' Lived Experiences Under Placer County, California Probation Supervision, Andrew Stephenson Beasley Aug 2023

Understanding Recidivism: A Phenomenological Study Of Repeat Offenders' Lived Experiences Under Placer County, California Probation Supervision, Andrew Stephenson Beasley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This transcendental phenomenological study aimed to explore the lived experiences of repeat offenders under probation supervision within Placer County, California. The hierarchy of needs theory provided the theoretical framework for the study. The central research question was: What are the lived experiences of the repeat offenders under Placer County, California probation supervision? The three guiding questions asked the following: 1) How do offenders describe their lived experiences as a repeat offender? 2) How do offenders describe the support or lack of support from correctional intervention? 3) How do participants perceive the challenges experienced after being released back to the community? …


A Perfect Storm: Exploring The Impact Of The 2020 Sociopolitical Climate And Covid-19 On Police Attrition, Cullen Marshall Duncan Aug 2023

A Perfect Storm: Exploring The Impact Of The 2020 Sociopolitical Climate And Covid-19 On Police Attrition, Cullen Marshall Duncan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The spring and summer of 2020 created new challenges, related to strain, for the law enforcement profession. These challenges were precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the “defund the police movement.” The purpose of this study was three-fold: 1) to understand if the events of 2020 were responsible for increased police turnover, 2) to analyze retiree data pre- and post-spring of 2020, and 3) explore ways in which strain and turnover can be mitigated following critical events. The research design utilized in this study was a mixed method design. Bayesian modeling revealed support for the null hypotheses pertaining to the …


Firefighter Staffing Model Implications On Fire Casualties And Fire Loss: Life Safety And Socio-Economic Impacts Of The Fire Service, Jeffrey Daniel Shoffner Jul 2023

Firefighter Staffing Model Implications On Fire Casualties And Fire Loss: Life Safety And Socio-Economic Impacts Of The Fire Service, Jeffrey Daniel Shoffner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Fire and rescue services are considered a staple among services provided by governments to local communities. Local governments are often charged with providing these services, especially across the United States and Canada. As with any professional service, there are standards set forth in order to ensure services are adequate and provide equity to the citizens that they serve. The purpose of this dissertation will be to delve into the common staffing configurations of career fire departments across the United States and Canada, particularly related to staffing levels on fire engines and ladder trucks. Fire departments utilize various staffing models, but …