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Full-Text Articles in Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration

Influences Of Csi Effect, Daubert Ruling, And Nas Report On Forensic Science Practices, Timothy Patrick Scanlan Jan 2015

Influences Of Csi Effect, Daubert Ruling, And Nas Report On Forensic Science Practices, Timothy Patrick Scanlan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The media exaggerates the capabilities of crime laboratories while it publicizes the wrongdoings of individual forensic scientists. Such portrayals skew the perspectives of jurors and hinder expert witness testimony. Complicating the problem are separate, but related, phenomena that influence how forensic laboratories conduct casework. These phenomena are Cole and Dioso-Villa's conceptualization of the unrealistic expectations of forensic science created by fictional television, known as the CSI Effect; the Daubert ruling on the admissibility of expert testimony; and some federal policy changes as a result of a National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report that impacted requirements for the daily operation of …


The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act And High School Obesity, Derek Grills Jan 2015

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act And High School Obesity, Derek Grills

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

United States high school student obesity rates have doubled in the past 30 years to 13%, threatening the health of millions of adolescents. To mitigate the epidemic, Congress passed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) in 2010, which mandated significant changes to school nutrition and physical education. From a public policy perspective, the HHFKA changed school nutrition and exercise policy to affect obesity rates by changing intake and energy expenditure at school, though no study using national-level data examined this relationship. As such, the purpose of the study was to examine whether HHFKA policy compliance had a statistically significant effect …


The Impact Of Federal Emergency Management Legislation On At-Risk And Vulnerable Populations For Disaster Preparedness And Response, Joseph Catalino Jan 2015

The Impact Of Federal Emergency Management Legislation On At-Risk And Vulnerable Populations For Disaster Preparedness And Response, Joseph Catalino

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

It is well documented that in the aftermath of a natural or human caused disaster, certain at-risk and vulnerable populations suffer significantly more than do other population groups. As a result, Congress enacted the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act (PKEMRA) in part to address deficiencies in providing aid to vulnerable populations, though little is known if the PKEMRA has resulted as it was intended. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to assess the impact of the PKEMRA on addressing emergency preparedness deficits related to at-risk and vulnerable populations. The theoretical framework followed Howard's conceptualization of game and drama theory. …


Religiosity And Support For The Use Of Enhanced Interrogation, Stuart Hitchcock Jan 2015

Religiosity And Support For The Use Of Enhanced Interrogation, Stuart Hitchcock

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Young adults in the United States are less interested in organized religion and consider the use of enhanced interrogation techniques on terrorists and captured U.S. military personnel by enemy forces as justifiable. The relationship between religion, political ideology, and enhanced interrogation support are well known, yet it is not known if young adults with current or prior military service also consider these applications justifiable. The purpose of this study was to determine if religion influenced the opinions of young adults with current or former military service on the use of enhanced interrogations. The theoretical framework for this study included Milgram's …


The United Nations Training Of The Liberia National Police: Effectiveness, Results, And Future Implications, Yarsuo Laezee Weh-Dorliae Jan 2015

The United Nations Training Of The Liberia National Police: Effectiveness, Results, And Future Implications, Yarsuo Laezee Weh-Dorliae

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

After the United Nations' mission in Liberia (UNMIL) ends on September 30, 2015, effective policing will be a security concern for Liberians. Liberians have expressed fear that conflict could return if ongoing police training programs do not sustain public safety. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to understand how UNMIL's training affected public confidence in the Liberia National Police (LNP). The theoretical bases for this study included public choice theory and liberal democratic theory. Quantitative data were used to address impact of UNMIL's police training on the maintenance of law and order. These data were collected through a …


Determinants Of Usage Of Age-Appropriate Child Safety Seats In Connecticut, Giuseppina Mendillo Violano Jan 2015

Determinants Of Usage Of Age-Appropriate Child Safety Seats In Connecticut, Giuseppina Mendillo Violano

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, motor vehicle crashes are one of the leading causes of unintentional injury death and disability for children ages 1'15 years. Despite local, state, and federal legislative and educational efforts, children continue to be restrained improperly and thus face harm. Identifying behaviors and barriers that place child occupants at risk is crucial for implementing focused, injury-prevention programs and policies. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Connecticut's child passenger safety law that was strengthened in 2005. This study involved a multifactorial approach to predicting child seat use, guided by Roger's diffusion of innovations …


Minorities' Perception Of The Comprehensive Emergency Management Model Of Distributing Of Information, Lawrence Davis Jan 2015

Minorities' Perception Of The Comprehensive Emergency Management Model Of Distributing Of Information, Lawrence Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Failure to receive critical and timely information from emergency management professionals (EMPs) may lead to the loss of life during disasters and emergencies. Recent research and government reports have indicated that there may be communication failures between EMPs and minority community members, though little is known about how minority communities perceive EMP communication efforts. The central research questions and purpose of this study were designed to explore the experiences of minority community members in receiving and interpreting disaster-related communications from EMPs. Data for this phenomenological study were acquired through-in-depth interviews with 13 African Americans (7 males and 6 females) located …


Qualitative Case Study On F-35 Fighter Production Delays Affecting National Security Guidance, Monique Marie Maldonado Jan 2015

Qualitative Case Study On F-35 Fighter Production Delays Affecting National Security Guidance, Monique Marie Maldonado

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Approaching $400 billion for its establishment and production, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) is the Department of Defense's (DoD) largest acquisition program in U.S. history. Unfortunately, significant delays have immobilized the program's production rate, and little research has examined whether and how such delays directly affect national security. The purpose of this study was to determine whether and how production delays in the JSF program directly affect national security. The theoretical foundations for this qualitative case study were Condorcet's modernization theory and Giddens's globalization framework. Data were collected from interviews with 15 senior DoD civilian, military, and JSF officials …


Public-Police Relations: Officers' Interpretations Of Citizen Contacts, Donal Alfred Hardin Jan 2015

Public-Police Relations: Officers' Interpretations Of Citizen Contacts, Donal Alfred Hardin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Perceptual differences in how citizens and police view police-initiated contacts can result in individual and communal tension, mistrust, and social strife, which complicate the relationships needed in order to thrive and promote safe environments. To examine how police officers interpret these contacts, this case study sought to explore the nature of citizen-police relations from the perspective of police officers in a city in the northwest part of the United States. Social contract and procedural justice theories were used to examine the circumstances that officers cited for taking enforcement actions, including operational definitions of police fairness and legitimacy from the Queensland …


Relief Aid Dependency Syndromes: A Case For Disaster-Prone Moroto District In Uganda, Richard Acaye Jan 2015

Relief Aid Dependency Syndromes: A Case For Disaster-Prone Moroto District In Uganda, Richard Acaye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Humanitarian aid, while useful in the short run, sometimes has the effect of contributing to poverty and poor economic conditions in the long run. This occurs when recipients of relief aid lose their initiative to fend for themselves and become reliant on external aid. The purpose of this mixed method study was to evaluate the degree to which dependency on long term aid has contributed to chronic poverty in the Moroto district of Uganda. This study was grounded on Harvey & Lind's conceptualization of the dependency syndrome. The research questions addressed the relationship between household production and investment pattern with …


Relationships Between A Prenatal Nutrition Education Intervention And Maternal Nutrition In Ethiopia, Divya Lakshmi Selvakumar Jan 2015

Relationships Between A Prenatal Nutrition Education Intervention And Maternal Nutrition In Ethiopia, Divya Lakshmi Selvakumar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Ethiopia, 17% of pregnant women ages 18-49 are malnourished and have low awareness of prenatal nutrition, which may relate to increasingly high rates of maternal and infant mortality. The purpose of this mixed methods research study was to determine the effects of a community-based prenatal nutrition education intervention program on maternal nutrition knowledge and attitudes in the Alaje district of Ethiopia. The theoretical framework was Sen's capability theory of poverty, in which opportunities can lead to well-being and promote economic development. Research questions focused on the relationships among 8 independent variables-age, income source, degree of program implementation, marital status, …


Stigmas Associated With Black American Incarceration Through An Afrocentric Lens, Wylie Jason Tidwell Jan 2015

Stigmas Associated With Black American Incarceration Through An Afrocentric Lens, Wylie Jason Tidwell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although extensive quantitative research has been conducted on Black American incarceration rates, to date, there has not been a study from an Afrocentric (Black American) perspective in the field of public policy. Using Dillard's conceptualization of Afrocentric theory, this study added to the field of public policy by examining how the stigmas associated with mass incarceration have reduced political and economic opportunities for Black Americans born 1965 - 1984. The purpose of this ethnographic study was to provide an Afrocentric voice by which the members of the Black American community are the center of the data collection on the stigmas …


Student Visa Control And Information Exchange, Lisa Bellamy Jan 2015

Student Visa Control And Information Exchange, Lisa Bellamy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Expired student visas can contribute to illegal residence in the U.S. and may also be a valuable source of information for Homeland Security. Although the reason for remaining in the U.S. might be for nonthreatening purposes, threatening actions could occur as an individual gets lost in the country. The purpose of this study was to determine how visas were issued, the reasons an individual may remain beyond the approved visa date, and the mechanisms intelligence and law enforcement agencies use to exchange information with each other. This research was based on the new war theory and the Lockwood Analytical Method …


County Demographic Influence On Toxic Chemical Activities Of Chemical-Related Industry In Michigan, Lisa Helen Perricane Jan 2015

County Demographic Influence On Toxic Chemical Activities Of Chemical-Related Industry In Michigan, Lisa Helen Perricane

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There are a large number of chemical facilities that emit toxic chemicals in Michigan, and there is a concern regarding toxic chemical exposure to the residents of Michigan counties. However, it is uncertain whether chemical companies that emit toxic chemicals in Michigan are influenced by county demographic factors in deciding whether to engage in voluntary pollution prevention (P2) activities and whether this decision influences U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (U.S. EPA) Risk-Screening Environmental Indicators (RSEI) scores. Using Bullard's theory of environmental justice, the purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if there was a correlation between chemical-related industry's voluntary P2 …


The Effect Of Pay Banding On Generational Cohort Perceptions Of Job Satisfaction, Charles Terence Polk Jan 2015

The Effect Of Pay Banding On Generational Cohort Perceptions Of Job Satisfaction, Charles Terence Polk

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

For over 3 decades, the federal government has attempted to introduce pay-for-performance into the federal workforce. It is important for federal agencies to understand the impact of pay-for-performance, specifically pay banding, on job satisfaction and retention of frontline managers as agencies face the exodus of the retiring Baby Boomer generation. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of pay banding on job satisfaction and intention of frontline managers to leave the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The theoretical foundation for this study was Adams's equity theory as viewed through the lens of Mannheim's generational theory. The overarching research …


Methods Used In Public Policy Decision Making By County Managers In North Carolina, Jeffrey Bryan Gowen Jan 2015

Methods Used In Public Policy Decision Making By County Managers In North Carolina, Jeffrey Bryan Gowen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have examined ways in which policy makers develop their decisions. The literature has not explored, however, the methodologies used by county managers to arrive at decisions, or whether they consider the medium- and long-term policy implications, or second and third order effects, of those decisions. The purpose of this study was to identify the methodologies and decision-making processes used by county managers in North Carolina. The theoretical framework was Lindblom's theory of incrementalism in decision making. Data for this phenomenological study were collected through semi-structured interviews with 10 purposefully selected county managers, and were coded and categorized to identify …


Understanding Presidential Voting Motivation By Factors Of Agency, Sharlene Wilson Jan 2015

Understanding Presidential Voting Motivation By Factors Of Agency, Sharlene Wilson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The President of the United States sets the tone for policy and has significant power in adopting and implementing policy. Despite this acknowledged power, prior studies, have not examined whether or not agency theory is predictive of voting in U.S. presidential elections. Agency theory is important in the scope of voting behavior as it identifies the relationships which support significance in practicing the activity. This correlational study examined the statistical impact of personal agency, social agency, and sociocultural agency on predictive voting behavior. This study used secondary data originally collected between 1956 and 2008 by the American National Election Study …


Knowledge Of Overdiagnosis And The Decision To Participate In Breast Cancer Screening, Kimberly T. Nembhard Jan 2015

Knowledge Of Overdiagnosis And The Decision To Participate In Breast Cancer Screening, Kimberly T. Nembhard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2014, breast cancer was the second leading cause of death among Canadian women, with women over age 50 years making up 82% of the identified cases. To address this issue, the Ontario Breast Screening Program developed a media campaign that promoted the benefits of mammogram screening, but not the associated risks (i.e., false-positive, false-negative, radiation exposure, and overdiagnosis). This study was designed to determine whether there was a statistically significant relationship between knowledge of overdiagnosis and participation in mammogram screening. This cross-sectional, correlational study used schema theory supported by the effective health communication model. Forty-one women were invited to …


Attitudes Of Returning Citizens In Government-Managed Post-Release Programming, Zachary D'Jon Weaver Jan 2015

Attitudes Of Returning Citizens In Government-Managed Post-Release Programming, Zachary D'Jon Weaver

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nearly 700,000 prisoners return to communities annually, and approximately two-thirds are rearrested within 3 years of release. The cyclic pattern of recidivism presents risks to both returning offenders and the communities that accept them. Reentry research tends to include the voice and experiences of juveniles, community members, and service providers, and narrowly focuses on the socioeconomic conditions of adult ex-offender populations pre- and post-release. Few researchers have explored the attitudes of those returning citizens or the perceived impact on treatment success, as related to employment-based, post-release reintegration programs. This study investigated the attitudes of 32 participants of Project Empowerment, the …


Exploring Potential Associations With The Presidential Discretionary Power Of Fema Funds Dispensation, Matthew Thomas Eagles Jan 2015

Exploring Potential Associations With The Presidential Discretionary Power Of Fema Funds Dispensation, Matthew Thomas Eagles

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

US presidential approval of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding has been the subject of much research that largely has been inconclusive or contradictor as it relates to whether funds may have been distributed in a biased way through the use of presidential discretionary power. The purpose of this study was to explore if or to what degree US presidents acted in a potentially biased manner with the approval of FEMA approvals during election years in election battleground states. This study was an exploration of whether there was presidential political favoritism in approving FEMA funding from 1996-2012. The theoretical constructs …


The Burqa Ban In France And Its Potential Implications On Islamic Terrorism, Ifeanyi Valentine Madu Jan 2015

The Burqa Ban In France And Its Potential Implications On Islamic Terrorism, Ifeanyi Valentine Madu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Islamic terrorism has become a global problem which has resulted in human, social, political, and economic costs. Many Islamic terrorist organizations have focused their attacks on the West and its interests. They justify these acts by making reference to policies of the West, which they believe are inimical to Islam. France, a Western country, recently introduced a law which bans the Islamic face veil (the burqa) in public places in the country. This study examined the implications of this law. The research question focused on the perceived relationship between this law and increased acts of Islamic terrorism. The theoretical construct …


Beyond Elections: Ghana's Democracy From The Perspective Of The Citizenry, Ransford Osafo-Danso Jan 2015

Beyond Elections: Ghana's Democracy From The Perspective Of The Citizenry, Ransford Osafo-Danso

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ghana's democracy has been hailed by scholars, practitioners, and the international community in recent years as a shining example in the West African subregion as a result of the country's record of organizing successive elections with minimal or no violence. However, the evaluation of Ghana's democracy has predominantly focused on the elections and disproportionately captures the views of the political elite; conspicuously missing is the perspective of the ordinary Ghanaian. This presents an incomplete picture of Ghana's democracy, given the relevance of citizens' participation in democratic societies. To address this gap in knowledge, this qualitative case study explored the practice …


The Effect Of A State Legitimation Process On Child Support Payments And Father-Child Relationships, Chalonda L. Smith Jan 2015

The Effect Of A State Legitimation Process On Child Support Payments And Father-Child Relationships, Chalonda L. Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

For noncustodial fathers, having legal rights and leaving an inheritance to their child or children are important aspects of being an active father. Georgia state law sees a difference between paternity and legitimation, and for some noncustodial fathers, although paternity is established and they are responsible for supporting that child financially and medically as deemed through child support enforcement, they have no legal rights to their children, nor can they petition the courts for visitation until legitimation is established. This correlational study examined the impact that the legitimation policy has on noncustodial fathers and their relationship with their child, as …


Neighborhood Risks And Resources Correlated With Rates Of Successful Reentry Of Youth Returning From Detention Centers In Massachusetts, Nokuthula Sibanda Jan 2015

Neighborhood Risks And Resources Correlated With Rates Of Successful Reentry Of Youth Returning From Detention Centers In Massachusetts, Nokuthula Sibanda

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Youth delinquency is a major social problem in the United States with approximately 29% of youths aged 18 to 21 reoffending within the first year of release in Massachusetts. Given the amount of state resources used for youth corrections, the factors that encourage the youth to reoffend become important to understand. The purpose of this quantitative, cross-sectional correlational study was to examine whether community and environmental risks and resources are related with successful reentry of youth returning from detention centers in Massachusetts. Using the collective efficacy and routine activities theory to explain the motivations to reoffend, the study sought to …


Identifying And Mitigating Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking In An Urban Community, Anne Ellen Gresham Jan 2015

Identifying And Mitigating Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking In An Urban Community, Anne Ellen Gresham

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Human trafficking, domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST), and commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) are complex and multifaceted occurrences in the United States. As the numbers of youth ensnared in sexually exploitive situations increase, organizations and communities are called upon to address the ramifications of this abuse; little research was located, however, that examined collaborative networks and partnerships that address victim identification and mitigation of DMST and CSEC. The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to determine whether strategic partnerships existed within the community under investigation. The theoretical framework was environmental theory, as first described by Florence Nightingale; …


Perceived Factors Contributing To Coronary Heart Disease In African American Women, Funmilola O. Sholanke Jan 2015

Perceived Factors Contributing To Coronary Heart Disease In African American Women, Funmilola O. Sholanke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American women (AAW) suffer from disproportionately high death rates due to coronary heart disease (CHD) compared to Caucasian women. Although there have been a number of studies targeting African American adults with CHD in clinical interventions, very few studies have addressed the social determinants of health and the influence of AAW's perceptions of health factors on health outcomes. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to fill the gap in the existing knowledge base by examining the lived experiences of 10 AAW diagnosed with CHD with a focus on the perceptions of environmental, socioeconomic, and cultural factors related to …


The Mediating Role Of Payout In The Relationship Between Private Foundations And Grantee Organizations' Financial Health, Angie Kim Jan 2015

The Mediating Role Of Payout In The Relationship Between Private Foundations And Grantee Organizations' Financial Health, Angie Kim

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although private foundations are assumed to be beneficial, their impact on grantee organizations is not well understood. This quantitative research explored how private, nonoperating foundations influence grantees' financial capacity to pursue their missions. Principal-agent theory was applied to rationalize foundations' social good purpose, along with subsidy theory of public charities' need for capital accumulation, thus comprising a unique framework for identifying pathways of relationships amongst influencer variables of foundations' operating characteristics; the outcome of grantees' months of unrestricted, liquid net assets (MULNA); and the mediator of foundations' payout rate. Multiple regression and indirect effects analyses of data on 612 cases …


Critical Factors In Police Use-Of-Force Decisions, Orville Nickel Jan 2015

Critical Factors In Police Use-Of-Force Decisions, Orville Nickel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study investigated law enforcement officers' perceptions of the legal, normative, and practical considerations that are implicit in their decisions when faced with using physical force. Law enforcement officers observe and protect fundamental human rights. A significant problem, however, is that physical force is sometimes misused, impacting public confidence in police services. The study was framed by Durkheim's conflict theory and Beirie's concepts of police corporate culture and social control. It used a grounded theory method and predeveloped case scenarios presented to 2 male focus groups of 7 and 6 participants respectively, and 2 female focus groups of 5 and …


Employees' Perceptions About The Deterrence Effect Of Polygraph Examination Against Security Compromises, Joshua Lee Cook Jan 2015

Employees' Perceptions About The Deterrence Effect Of Polygraph Examination Against Security Compromises, Joshua Lee Cook

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Controversy continues over the use of polygraph testing to deter and detect potential leakers as critics argue that the technique is based on faulty assumptions. The purpose of this descriptive and exploratory research study was to determine whether there was a perceived deterrence effect related to the use of polygraphs between a group of participants who were subjected to a polygraph examination within the past year compared to those who have not experienced a polygraph examination within the same time period. Paternoster and Simpson's, as well as Vance and Siponen's, rational choice models and Bandura's social learning theory served as …


The Center For Total Health: Healthcare Reform In Cook County, Illinois, James Leon Miles Jan 2015

The Center For Total Health: Healthcare Reform In Cook County, Illinois, James Leon Miles

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) of 2010 requires hospital systems in the United States to shift the culture of patient care from a focus on sick-care to a focus on prevention and wellness care. Little is known about how hospital systems will make this culture shift while retaining quality patient care. The purpose of this case study of a pioneering hospital-based PPACA-compliant initiative was to answer the research question of how Wallace's revitalization movement theory (RMT) "a rapid culture change model"could serve as a transferable evaluation framework for PPACA prevention and wellness care compliance in hospital-based programs. …