Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons^™

Funding Of Higher Education In Tennessee: A Qualitative Study Of The Perceptions Of State Legislators And Higher Education Leaders, David D. Collins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify issues that are considered important to the legislators and higher education leaders of Tennessee in making decisions that affect the funding of higher education. A further purpose was to identify actions that such individuals believe should be taken by higher education leaders to ensure that higher education is accountable and worthy of continued or increased financial support. Using a qualitative research design, interviews were held with 10 legislators and 6 higher education leaders selected in accordance with the concept of purposeful sampling. Legislative participants included five members from the Senate and five …

The Political Resources Model Of Representation: A Local Approach, Joe Manuel Cavazos

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The purpose of the study was to determine the applicability of the Political Resources Model of Representation to the Rio Grande Valley and to ascertain if political resources (poverty levels, educational attainment, and Hispanic representation) provide an adequate explanation of educational outcomes (ACT, TEAMS, and dropout rates).

The political Resources Model of Representation, used by Meier and Stewart, served as a theoretical framework for the study. Formerly, the model had been used at a national level and a state level. Representation variables were used to predict the applicability of the model to a region.

Political Resources variables were used to …

Millage Election Outcomes In Michigan Public School Districts: A Test Of The Rational Choice And Social Psychological Voting Models, Christopher Petras

Dissertations

In this study, the author tests two models of voting behavior to predict the likelihood of a public school millage passing. They are: (1) a rational-choice model, and (2) a social psychological model. The rational-choice model asserts that the likelihood of a school millage passing is a function of the millage's economic benefit as perceived by the voter. The social psychological model asserts that support for the local school millage is a function o f the voter's political attitudes and/or the salience of the ballot issue.

The author analyzed every millage election in the 561 (K-12) Michigan public school districts …

Nuclear Pariahs And Regimes In The New World Disorder, Wayne F. Lesperance Jr.

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

This thesis discusses the role of pariah states vis-a-vis the nonproliferation regime. Specifically, the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) is analyzed to determine, first, whether Iran is a pariah, second, the potential threat the IRI poses to the Persian Gulf region and third, the possible international responses that may be undertaken to address Iranian pariahtude in the nuclear field. Through the course of this thesis regimes are defined as a set of implicit and explicit rules, principles, norms, and decision-making procedures around which actor's expectations converge and which govern relations among states. Pariahs are defined as …

The Measurement Of Dental Disease In A Correctional Setting: The Importance To Functional Service Delivery, Walter S. Ormes

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe the prevalence of decayed, missing and filled teeth and periodontal disease among male, non-camp, nonpsychiatric inmates in the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) and to assess the impact of age, race, security level, and years of incarceration on these parameters of oral health. Additionally, this study was designed to determine the emergent, urgent or routine dental treatment needs of this same population and to compare the ability of the existing Michigan Department of Corrections dental program to meet these needs. A representative sample of 251 inmates was randomly selected from thirteen geographically …

The Impact Of The Patient Representative On Satisfaction, Diana L. Newman

Dissertations

As the cost of providing healthcare services continues to rise, hospitals and other healthcare provider organizations adopt businesslike approaches to increase efficiency and productivity. The satisfaction level of the individual patient may, however, be determined by how care is delivered rather than what services are provided.

In order to enhance patient satisfaction and prevent the consequences of dissatisfaction, many healthcare institutions have utilized the role of the patient representative. The primary function of the patient representative is to act as a liaison between the patients, their families, and the healthcare providers and staff.

The purpose of this study was to …

Influence Of Social Context On Evaluation Of Municipal Service Delivery, Anahid Petrosian

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This study examines the influence of social context on the evaluation of municipal service delivery. It hypothesizes that those individuals who are more satisfied with their immediate surroundings also are more satisfied with the municipal services they receive. A stratified sample of 1.027 household telephone numbers in McAllen, Texas, was selected for this study. The telephone survey resulted in 542 successful interviews, representing a 52.4% response rate. The study's conclusions suggest that first, satisfaction with the neighborhood appears to affect the general level of satisfaction with public services. Second, there was no significant difference in services satisfaction level based on …

Exploring The Policy Issues Of Electronic Freedom Of Information Act Requests Through The Use Of The Government Information Locator Service, Lori A. Rogers

Theses and Dissertations

This study provides a preliminary view of the policy issues involved with allowing electronic Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests through the use of the Government Information Locator Service. The author used an exploratory, qualitative methodology consisting of an extensive literature review and a self-administered questionnaire that was sent to 54 Air Force (AF) FOIA managers. The literature review revealed that an informed citizenry is critical to a democratic society. To ensure its citizens have the opportunity to stay informed, Congress has enacted and amended laws to protect public access to federal information. The primary benefits of electronic FOIA requests …

Manipulating The Ooda Loop: The Overlooked Role Of Information Resource Management In Information Warfare, Gregory M. Schechtman

Theses and Dissertations

A ground-swell of interest in information as a weapon of warfare is growing within the U.S. armed services. Military strategists are looking at information as a tool to leverage our forces and make them irresistible in battle. Yet, there is little agreement as to what information warfare (IW) is, let alone how it is best fought. This fundamental disagreement is serving as an impediment to unified actions as the Air Force seeks its role in this arena. In particular, information resource management practitioners are questioning their role in supporting this mission. This thesis discusses limitations of existing information warfare interpretations …

Analysis Of Air Force Environmental Justice Methodology, Barbara E. Owens

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to analyze AFCEE's draft environmental justice methodology. The study provides background on the meaning of environmental justice along with related terminology, and covers historical events of the environmental justice movement leading up to the publication of EO 12898. A discussion of EO 12898, subsequent draft guidance, and other pertinent literature leads to the development of evaluation criteria used to analyze both AFCEE's methodology and an application of that methodology: the March AFB Disposal Final Environmental Impact Statement Given that AFCEE formed their own methodology to address environmental justice prior to any definitive guidance regarding …

A Study Of Factors On The Performance Of The Texas Academic Skills Program Test, Billy B. Watkins

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

At least thirty percent of students who enter Texas public higher education each year have basic skills deficiencies and cannot perform effectively in college. The TASP Test was developed to identify these students. Moreover, this test must be passed in order to obtain a degree from a Texas public institution.

A survey of 150 entering freshmen from the University of Texas-Pan American was examined to identify variables that influence student performance on the TASP Test.

Chi-square tests uncovered academic, socioeconomic, and institutional bivariate relationships with TASP performance. Multiple regression analysis indicated that academic variables primarily predicted TASP performance.

Censorship And The National Endowment For The Arts: An Analytical Look At The Enola Gay And Robert Mapplethorpe Controversies, Tamara L. Peterson

Honors Theses

This thesis is about government involvement in the arts community - how the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is affected, as well as the artists themselves. Censorship is the main focus. Selected for examination are two specific cases: an exhibition of the works of controversial photography, Robert Mapplethorpe, and the display of the Enola Gay fuselage at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. The Enola Gay incident was more recent, with the exhibit opening in 1995 on the 50th Anniversary of the end of World War II, while the Mapplethorpe controversy began around 1988. Both of …

A Community Divided: Coping With A Locally Unwanted Land Use, Robert H. Hamblen

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

Locally Unwanted Land Uses constitute a phenomenon peculiar to twentieth century industrialized countries. LULUs, as they have become known, are a facility or development that is perceived by citizens, communities, regions, or states as undesireable, so much so that effort and resources sufficient to end the threat of the facility being built in a location that will significantly impact those citizens, communities, regions, or states will be expended. This scenario has been replayed time and again in the country and others, in response to uses such as halfway houses, generating plants, and landfills.

A Model For Successful Reutilization Of A Military Installation: A Case Study Of Gentile Air Force Station, Maria L. Garcia

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research concerning base closure and reutilization focused on the roles of government agencies and the assistance they provided. This study looks at the community and the impact of installation closure. The process of planning for reuse of an installation is difficult and confusing. The guidance provided by the government has changed drastically since the first closures announced in the 1988 Base Realignment and Closure Committee recommendations. This study focuses on the strategy employed by Kettering, OH to successfully reuse Gentile AFS upon closure. As the final part in a longitudinal study, the research focus was lessons learned and implementation …

An Investigation Of Strategic Planning And Organizational Change: Halton Regional Police Service, Laurie Mcginn

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the strategic planning process used by the Halton Regional Police Service to assess its effectiveness in terms of counteracting staff resistance to change. Case studies of the process that was used in 1991 and repeated in 1995 were conducted. The findings reveal that the working philosophy of strategic planning would be better served by fully recognizing and anticipating employee resistance to change within the strategic planning process and developing solutions to help overcome its effects.

Gta Reform: City Of Burlington – Identification And Analysis Of The Process Used By The City To Evaluate The “Golden” Report, Mickey Frost

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the policymaking process used by local governments in order to determine whether the rational or incremental model of decision-making is most evident. A case study of the process used by the City of Burlington in response to recommendations made by the GTA Task Force concerning the City’s governance was conducted. The findings reveal that the policymaking process in Burlington was reflective of both models of decision-making, but elements of the incremental model and persuasion were more evident than the problem solving that is associated with the rational model.

Interorganizational Networking In The Local Government Sector: Case Study Of The Municom Network, Geoffrey Singer

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the potential implications of information and communication technologies on interorganizational relations in the local government sector based on a case study of the Municom Network, which was designed to electronically link Ontario municipalities. The findings reveal that the Municom Network could be an important addition in strengthening interorganizational relationships in the future, as it provides a number of useful tools for direct communication, it is an efficient and powerful means of keeping municipal practitioners updated on events that affect their organization, and it serves as a central repository of municipal information.

Intergovernmental Cooperation In Metropolitan Grand Rapids, Michigan, James M. Kadlecek

Dissertations

This case study contributes to the understanding of governance in Metropolitan areas of the U.S. by examining cooperative activity among local units of government in the Grand Rapids, Michigan metropolitan area. A conceptual framework identifies the factors which impact cooperation, and displays a theoretical continuum of approaches to metropolitan governance.

The research methodology is qualitative and includes four years of participant observation, extensive records analysis, a survey of local government managers and 21 interviews with key informants.

The findings identify 151 examples of formal and informal cooperation occurring in Grand Rapids metro, as well as eight categories of factors which …

Cost Sharing Under Complex Federalism: Welfare Reform Cost Neutrality Calculations, Robert G. Lovell

Dissertations

The American system of welfare for families with children is a partnership between the federal and state governments. Under this partnership, the federal government establishes the basic eligibility policies for the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program, the principal program providing cash assistance to poor families. States determine payment levels and administrative policies. Costs are shared through a formula reflecting each state’s ability to pay.

To encourage policy experimentation by the states, a section of the act creating the AFDC program allows the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to waive some provisions. This became …

Information Warfare: Technology And The Information Advantage, Daniel Matthew Parker

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

This thesis analyzes information warfare--that emerging form of warfare that attempts to destroy, degrade and exploit the information systems of another, while protecting one's own--in the context of the technology of warfare. Just as one might peel an onion, the analysis proceeds from a general analysis of technology in warfare to the more specific analysis of information warfare as it is currently defined. Information technology is an enabling factor in the emergence of information warfare as a new warfare area. Although it is revolutionizing the way warfare is conducted, the elements of information warfare have been practiced for thousands of …

Pounding Seas Against The Shore Wife Battering In The U.S. Navy And Its Relationship To Duty Assignment, Peter James Mercier Iii

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the severity of wife battering in the U. S. Navy and to determine if duty assignment has an impact on its occurrence. Although considerable research on wife battering has been conducted in the general population over the past 25 years, limited research has focused its attention on wife battering in the military; there has been virtually no research conducted in the Navy. The present research utilizes Norfolk, Virginia Naval Base Police data on domestic disturbance calls at five Navy housing complexes, as well as ship deployment schedules, and compares the incidence of …

Implementation Of An "Early Return To Duty" Policy Within The Michigan Civil Service: An Exploratory Study, James Patrick Hurren

Dissertations

In an effort to control rising Worker's Compensation costs and accommodate disabled employees, the State of Michigan initiated an "Early Return to Duty" policy which encourages injured workers to return to work prior to being fully recuperated. During the recovery period, injured workers are assigned restricted duties consistent with their medical limitation.

Despite legislative and administrative mandates, the Early Return policy has not been fully implemented by all departments within Michigan Civil Service. The lack of uniform acceptance and application of the policy presents serious complications for managing resources effectively and has a direct bearing on achieving expected policy outcomes. …

Sources Of Recreational And Community Conflict From Tourism In Moab, Utah, Susan R. Van Patten

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A written survey of 200 Moab residents was used to measure residents' attitudes 11 toward tourism. Three regression models were developed using variables identified in the tourism literature to measure the relative importance of interpersonal contacts with tourists, negative impacts to outdoor-recreation experiences, and community experience in predicting attitudes toward tourism. Interpersonal contacts and recreation impacts both had fairly high predictive capabilities. It was concluded that interactions between recreation visitors/tourists and local residents should be a focus of further research.

Data from the Moab resident survey were also used in conjunction with a survey of mountain bikers visiting or living …

Southern Appalachian Settlement Schools As Early Initiators Of Integrated Services, Eloise H. Jurgens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This historical-descriptive study examined Southern Appalachian settlement schools as early initiators of integrated health and social services with education from the 1900s through the 1970s. Three schools were studied: Hindman Settlement School (KY), Pine Mountain Settlement School (KY) and Crossnore School, Inc. (NC). The purpose of the study was to determine the type and extent of services provided, the relationship of the settlement schools with their respective county public school system, and the transfer, if any, of integrated services from the settlement schools to public schools as the public schools took over educational responsibilities once offered by the settlement schools. …

Recreation, At A Glance, Michelle A. Wilkins

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

As Utah prepares to showcase its majestic landscapes worldwide during the 2002 Olympic Games, countless travelers continue to explore the state's splendor. Utah is famous for its land of many faces. From the red rock of Canyonland National Park to the snow-capped mountains along the Wasatch front, the state is rich in natural diversity. This diversity translates into a broad spectrum of recreational opportunities the state can offer. For instance, Utah's alpine and cross-country ski conditions are among the best in the world. In warm months, rigorous alpine and rock trails have earned Utah the reputation as the "bicycling capital …

An Experimental Technique In Lowering Total Dissolved Solids In Wastewater, Aaron Crotts

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

An experimental method for lowering total dissolved solids in wastewater. This thesis project has been undertaken by Aaron Crotts in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies. The problem undertaken in this thesis is to apply an experimental technique in wastewater treatment in hopes of reducing the total dissolved solids. Total dissolved solids consist of various dissolved ions in water such as calcium, magnesium, sulfur and sodium. In looking at one industry in particular a local Ice Cream manufacture, the problem with total dissolved solids is evident because of their manufacturing process, an …

An Evaluation Of Privatization, Taxes, And User Fees As Alternative Strategies For Municipal Trash Collection, James Neubecker

Dissertations

This study consists of evaluating the perceived quality of the various methods of collecting residential trash and paying for that collection in four Michigan cities. The cities selected are East Lansing, Lincoln Park, Saginaw, and Wyoming. Theyshare similar demographic characteristics, including median income and population size, as well as number and location of trash pick-ups. The study compares paying for trash collection services with tax dollars, user fees, and direct private charges to the vendor. It also evaluates the residents’ perceptions of quality when municipal workers are compared with private company workers providing trash collection services.

Questionnaires were sent to …

Crises In The Regulation Of Long-Term Care, Randall Earl Phillips

Dissertations

This study reviews the history of the legislative process that led to the passage of the Nursing Home Reform Act of 1987 and the implementation of the regulations. The analysis uses the model of Masmanian and Sabatier to identify the variables and assess their impact on the implementation process. The content of the regulations in terms of various statutory and nonstatutory variables is assessed, and an estimate is made of their effect on the program.

Three aspects of the regulations are examined. First, the relative importance of how compliance is to be determined--subjectively, objectively, or clinically. Second, the design and …

The Public Administrations As Civic Shaman: The Self-Reflective Integrator Of Policy Frames Of Reference And Social Character, Phillip A. Brown

Dissertations

This study discusses the discipline of Public Administration and the Public Administrationist in relation to policy frames of reference and social character. The relationship of policy frames of reference and social character is the basis for public trust As the American political system becomes more and more fragmented, public administrationists, sometimes by default, become the trustees for safeguarding the public trust.

The concept of policy frames of reference, as it evolves in this discussion, refers to the ability of the public administrationist to understand the interactions of changing issues impacting on the interactions of changing issues, or quantum thinking. Social …

A Conceptual Plan For The Provision Of Reception Facilities In The Philippines, Elson Estioko Hermogino

World Maritime University Dissertations

This dissertation synthesizes a conceptual plan for the provision of reception facilities to improve marine environmental protection in the Philippines. The study is premised on the perception that the various pollution control measures formulated by the Philippine Coast Guard, which are mandated to address ship source pollution, are not being implemented due to the absence or severe inadequacy of the needed reception facilities in ports. The extent of maritime activities is presented while the various legislation, rules and regulations adopted by the Government concerning marine environmental protection in general, and the provision of reception facilities in particular, are examined. In …