Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons^™

Travelers' Route Choice Behavior In Risky Networks, Hengliang Tian

Open Access Dissertations

The accurate modeling of travelers’ route choice decision making when faced with unreliable (risky) travel times is necessary for the assessment of policies aimed at improving travel time reliability. Two major objectives are studied in this thesis. The first objective is to evaluate the applicability of a process model to route choice under risk where the actual process of decision making is captured. Traditionally, we adopt “as-if” econometric models to predict people’s route choice decisions. The second objective is to investigate travelers’ capability to incorporate future real-time traffic information into their current route choice decision making. Two separate stated preference …

“Social And Economic Impacts Of Labor Migration On Migrants’ Households In Tajikistan: Working Out Policy Recommendations To Address Its Negative Effects”, Gulchekhra Khuseynova

School of Public Policy Capstones

The limited employment opportunities and low labor costs in the middle of 1990s –beginning 2000s that caused increased unemployment among population were main driving factors encouraging a high scale labor migration of Tajik citizens abroad. The labor migration from Tajikistan which, according to different sources, composes one third of the employable population of the country is probably the most dominant social feature of contemporary Tajikistan having its both positive and negative effects on communities, especially migrants’ households. During hard economic times and post-war recovery period the labor migration had tremendously contributed in reducing the poverty among population and decreasing unemployment …

Can A Default Option Reduce Default Rates?, Vanessa Joyce Megaw

School of Public Policy Capstones

Starting in 2008, major changes to the federal student loan system have increased the generosity and flexibility of repayment options. In theory, these efforts should reduce the effect of the business cycle on default patterns. However, since 2007, student loan default rates have persisted in rising. In response, several student loan advocates have proposed replacing the standard program with the income-based repayment program as the automatic repayment option. This stakeholder analysis explores the potential of this proposal from the perspective of borrowers, academic institutions, and student loan servicers through a literature review of empirical research of student loan default behaviors, …

Civic Engagement In Local Arts Agencies, Maya Kumazawa

School of Public Policy Capstones

Local arts agencies (LAAs), which support, promote, and develop the arts at a local level, can meet a community’s needs for engaging its citizens by using the arts in creative and strategic ways. In this capstone project, I explore how LAAs’ programs perceive and define civic engagement in order to understand how they seek to create civic competencies, and engage communities in crucial activities of local public life. Further, I analyzed current trends, practices, and program outcomes of LAAs that promote or integrate the arts in other civic activities to develop a resource for community leaders wanting to create a …

Evaluating Governance And Market Of Country Code Top Level Domain (Cctld): Lessons For Indonesia’S Cctld .Id, Dwi Elfrida Martina Simanungkalit

School of Public Policy Capstones

Domain name in this term refers to the Internet Domain Name System (DNS), the hierarchical naming system of Internet Protocol (IP) resources. One of the Top Level Domains (TLDs) of this structure is the country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD), which identifies the location of each nation on the Internet, such as .fr, .us, .id.

Country code Top Level Domains (ccTLDs) are not just simple identifiers on the Internet but Internet entities that enable people and institutions to exist in virtual countries and space. Moreover, ccTLDs as one of the Internet’s resources have become a business that fosters utilization of …

Encouraging Spanish-Speaking Parent Involvement: Overcoming The Barriers At Crocker Farm Elementary School, Krista Solie

School of Public Policy Capstones

The average student spends between six and seven hours in the classroom each day. However, children need educational support that exceeds the traditional school day in order to develop to their full potential, so parents play a vital role in a child’s ability to succeed. Parent involvement can take a variety of forms both formally in schools and informally at home, yet Spanish-speaking parents often face a variety of barriers that limit their ability to actively participate in their child’s education. While these problems typically occur in urban districts, Massachusetts and the Pioneer Valley in particular have a growing proportion …

Social Enterprise In Latin America: Dimensions Of Collaboration Among Social Entrepreneurs, Kevin Moforte Madsen

School of Public Policy Capstones

No abstract provided.

The Non-­Federal Match Requirement For Head Start: Why Does It Exist And How Does It Affect A Local Head Start Program?, Alan Dallmann

School of Public Policy Capstones

This paper looks at the relationship between the non--‐federal match requirement for Head Start Programs and program operations with regard to parent engagement. It argues that the purpose of non--‐federal match is perceived differently depending on the position of the person asked, and an exploratory case study is conducted to identify these differences. Non--‐federal match requirements are compared to practices of capturing this match from parent engagement at a local Head Start program and managers are interviewed from the site, program and federal level. The purpose of the non--‐federal match requirement, its burden on program operations, and the relationship of …

Fostering Connections: A Potential Game Changer For Connecticut To Ease Kids’ Transition From Dcf To Adulthood, Rose Egan

School of Public Policy Capstones

This paper examines how Connecticut can best utilize the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008: H.R. 6893 / P.L 110-351 (Fostering Connections Act). As of October 1, 2010, the legislation was amended to expand foster care services using Title IV-E funds. Title II, sec.201 of the Act provides states the option to extend foster care to youth through the age of 21. Connecticut already extends care to youth committed to DCF through age 21, and in some cases through age 23, yet it has one of the highest rates of youth exiting care at age 18. …

The Education Of A Farmer, Matthew D. Kushi

School of Public Policy Capstones

As the history of human civilization has unfolded, it has become clear that providing food security for fellow humans is one of the great moral issues of current times. One way to make food security sustainable is by having adequately trained farmers to take over from the retiring workforce of farmers in order to provide food and resources to people. National studies have found that fewer youth are educated as farmers by growing up on a farm. This has resulted in there being more responsibility put upon the private and public sectors to educate/train farmers, including colleges and universities.

This …

Effects Of Different Methods Of Aggregation Of Probabilities On The R&D Investment Portfolio For Optimal Emissions Abatement: An Empirical Evaluation, Olaitan P. Olaleye

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

This thesis examines two possible orders of combining multiple experts in elicitations with multiple de-composed events: Should experts be combined early or later in the decision process? This thesis is in conjunction with the paper (Baker & Olaleye, 2012) where we show that it is best to combine experts early as later combination leads to a systematic error. We conduct a simulation to more fully flesh out the theoretical model. We also conduct a theoretical analysis aimed at determining how significantly these two methods differ. We find that all results are in accordance with the theory but combining experts later …

Policy Alternatives To Increase Access To Early Childhood Education And Care In Massachusetts, Meghan Lemay

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Access to early childhood education not only leads to improved social, academic, and health outcomes for children, but can also carry the same benefits into adulthood. Early education and care programs can work against some of the negative effects of social factors such as socioeconomic status, discrimination, social support, and work demands which have been linked to physical and mental health outcomes. Early education programs could intervene not only in the life of a child, but also impact parents, families, and populations. This thesis will review the research showing early childhood education leads to better social and health outcomes and …

Energy Efficiency Programs At All Utilities: An Analysis Of The Factors That Lead Electric Utilities To Invest In Energy Efficiency, Christopher J. Pletcher

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

While the utilization of energy efficiency has grown in recent years, it has not been distributed evenly across the country. In some states, over 2% of a utility’s budget is spent on energy efficiency; in other states that number is 0. Much of the growth in energy efficiency has been due to state policies and the development utility-level energy efficiency programs. Yet, all utility programs are not created equal. Because they are often exempt from state regulation (and therefore state energy efficiency policy), publicly-owned utilities have traditionally lagged behind IOUs when it comes to EE programs.

This research quantifies energy …

Greening The Building Code: An Analysis Of Large Project Review Under Boston Zoning Code Articles 37 And 80, Sandy J. Beauregard

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

In 2007, Mayor Thomas Menino and the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) implemented an amendment to the Boston Zoning Code Article 37 (Green Buildings) requiring new construction approved under Article 80B (Development Review and Approval: Large Project Review) be designed and built to meet the United States Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (USGBC LEED) certification. This amendment is intended to promote green building practices in the city and reduce the environmental impacts of buildings larger than 50,000 square feet. Article 37 does not require that the buildings actually achieve LEED certification, but they need to be LEED …

Collaborative Decision-Making Processes In Planning: Opportunities And Challenges In The City Of Rafaela, Argentina, Maria Belen Alfaro

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

There is a large body of literature in the planning field on the topic of collaborative processes of decision-making, particularly in the United States and Europe. However, there appears to be less debate on the subject of complementing these ideas with contributions from urban governance. This research aims to contribute to that complementary work. In order to accomplish that, this thesis presents first a theoretical analysis of collaborative rationality and urban governance contributions. This analysis focuses on the articulation of those aspects that can offer a more holistic framework for addressing urban issues in a more inclusive way. Second, it …

Syllabus: Experiential Reflections On Public Policy, With A Spotlight On Sustainability, Marissa Carrere

Sustainability Education Resources

In this course, students will study a theoretical model for understanding and analyzing public policy, and they will apply this model to their professional and life experience. This course focuses on the application of theoretical material to narrative accounts of a student’s experience, with the goal of informing experience through interdisciplinary research. With a collaborative work environment and through regular small-group and full-class discussions, this course critically investigates real world public policy issues.

Heritage Interpretation As Public Discourse: Towards A New Paradigm, Neil A. Silberman

Neil A. Silberman

No abstract provided.

Gpra Modernization Act Of 2010: Examining Constraints To, And Providing Tools For, Cross-Agency Collaboration, Jane E. Fountain

Jane E. Fountain

Cross-agency collaboration is widely viewed as a powerful means for government reform and performance improvement. Greater coordination across agencies offers the potential for the Federal government to address complex policy challenges that lie inherently across agency boundaries and jurisdictions. Further, cross-agency initiatives promise a means to increase efficiency, effectiveness and accountability by reducing overlap, redundancy and fragmentation. To further these ends, the Government Performance and Results Act Modernization Act of 2010 requires the Executive branch and federal agencies to develop cross-agency performance goals and specifies directives toward their advancement, use, review and measurement.

Several lines of research examine governance across …

Enhancing Information Services Through Public-Private Partnerships: Information Technology Knowledge Transfer Underlying Structures To Develop Shared Services In The U.S. And Korea, Jane E. Fountain, Seok-Jin Eom

Jane E. Fountain

What are e-government success factors for using public-private partnerships to enhance learning and capacity development? To examine this question, the authors developed a comparative case analysis of the development of the Business Reference Model (BRM), a national-level e-government initiative to promote shared information services, in the U.S. federal government and the Korean central government. The results indicate institutional arrangements deeply affect the outcomes of knowledge transfer. The study shows that private sector partners in both countries played various roles as “brokers” of information technology (IT) knowledge between government and the private sector by: raising awareness of the necessity of the …