Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons^™

Bureaucracy And Income Disparity In America, Daniel Daugherty

The Hilltop Review

The extent that income inequality has grown in the U.S. is disturbing. Only recently, in the wake of bank bailouts and the Occupy Wall Street movement, have Americans started noticing this disparity. Although protesters of the Occupy Wall Street movement demanded solutions, there were no clear signals on either side of the income gap what those solutions might be. Using a postmodern foundational approach, this paper explores the dynamics of income inequality. Highlighted are leading causes of the disparities entrenched in public policy with no solution. This paper submits that no single solution exists; rather a shift in American ...

The Presence Of Coups D'État Within Revolutions: Effects On Population Health, Rose E. Facchini

Master Theses

The present study is a comparative approach to revolutions and their effect on population health during the post-conflict period. Specifically, it attempts to determine whether revolutions that are accompanied by a coup d'état have a significant negative impact on post-revolution population health. Degree of revolutionary violence, governmental structures, and pre-revolution health systems is of particular interest as relevant variables. The study focuses on the Latin American countries of Nicaragua and Chile due to their similar region and timeframe. The revolutions and accompanying coup d'état in both of these countries do not demonstrate different patterns on public health in ...

Development Of The Rural Active Living Perceived Environmental Support Scale (Ralpess), M. Reneé Umstattd, Stephanie L. Baller, Erin Hennessy, David Hartley, Christina D. Economos, Raymond R. Hyatt, Anush Yousefian, Jeffrey S. Hallam

Muskie School of Public Service Publications

Background: Evidence supports the role of physical and social environments in active living, including perception of environment. However, measurement of perceived environments in rural settings is lacking. This study describes the development of the Rural Active Living Perceived Environmental Support Scale (RALPESS). Methods: Premised on social ecological and cognitive perspectives, 85 initial items were generated through a literature review and a mixed-methods investigation of "activity-friendly" environments. Items were organized by resource areas town center, indoor and outdoor physical activity areas, schools, churches, and areas around the home/neighborhood-and submitted for expert panel review. In 2009, a revised questionnaire was disseminated ...

The Pigou-Dalton Principle And The Structure Of Distributive Justice, Matthew D. Adler

Faculty Scholarship

The Pigou-Dalton (PD) principle recommends a non-leaky, non-rank-switching transfer of goods from someone with more goods to someone with less. This Article defends the PD principle as an aspect of distributive justice --- enabling the comparison of two distributions, neither completely equal, as more or less just. It shows how the PD principle flows from a particular view, adumbrated by Thomas Nagel, about the grounding of distributive justice in individuals' "claims." And it criticizes two competing frameworks for thinking about justice that less clearly support the principle: the veil-of-ignorance framework, and Larry Temkin's proposal that fairer distributions are those concerning ...

Equity By The Numbers: Measuring Poverty, Inequality, And Injustice, Matthew D. Adler

Faculty Scholarship

Can we measure inequity? Can we arrive at a number or numbers capturing the extent to which a given society is equitable or inequitable? Sometimes such questions are answered with a “no”: equity is a qualitative, non-numerical consideration.

This Article offers a different perspective. The difficulty with equity measurement is not the impossibility of quantification, but the overabundance of possible metrics. There currently exist at least four families of equity-measurement frameworks, used by scholars and, to some extent, governments: inequality metrics (such as the Gini coefficient), poverty metrics, social-gradient metrics (such as the concentration index), and equity-regarding social welfare functions ...

Evaluation Of Lift Up Your Voice! Advocacy Training For Older Adults And Their Caregivers: Executive Summary, Alison Gottlieb, Nina M. Silverstein, Kelli Barton

Gerontology Institute Publications

The Lift Up Your Voice! (LUYV) training, a component of Community Catalyst’s effort to support the Campaign for Better Care (CBC), is designed to mobilize grassroots advocacy structures of vulnerable older adults by directly engaging and empowering older adults and their caregivers. The goal of the evaluation is to assess the effectiveness LUYV in recruiting potential advocates, educating them about the health care reform, empowering them via advocacy skills training, and engaging them in state-based CBC activities.

The Public Library In The Community: Governance And Funding, Barbara Mcdade

Maine Policy Review

Barbara McDade’s article looks at the varied ways Maine public libraries are governed and funded, and the sustainability challenges they face.

Libraries In The Community: Changing Opportunities, Stephanie Zurinski, Valerie Osborne, Mamie Anthoine-Ney, Janet Mckenney

Maine Policy Review

When libraries first began, books were scarce and expensive. We live now in the Information Age. Public expectations about information are rapidly evolving. To remain relevant, libraries are expanding on sociologist Ray Oldenburg’s “Third Place” concept – public spaces which are “anchors of community life and important places for civic engagement”. Libraries have always offered a place for the community to come together. Now, libraries are becoming destinations by offering experiences ranging from the traditional story-telling to creation spaces and business incubators. Even with all the changes occurring in the world, libraries will remain the glue that holds the community ...

The Margaret Chase Smith Library: A Unique Collection Fostered By A History Of Collaboration, David Richards

Maine Policy Review

Maine is a small state with a long history of scarce resources, of “making do,” and of “helping your neighbor.” The state’s libraries are a prime example what can be achieved to maximize resources through partnerships and collaboration. David Richards discusses the Margaret Chase Smith Library in Skowhegan, Maine, which he terms “a unique collection fostered by a history of collaboration.” Richards describes the vital role collaborations with multiple kinds of partners have played in helping the library fulfill its four functions: archives, museum, education, and public policy.

Maine Libraries: A History Of Sharing And Collaboration, James Jackson Sanborn, David Nutty

Maine Policy Review

The high degree of collaboration among all types of Maine libraries is a unique and defining characteristic of the Maine library community. This article explores the history of sharing and cooperation among Maine’s libraries, identifies several ongoing collaborations and current projects, and explores some of the underlying factors that support this culture of collaboration. An argument is made for policies that would further collaboration through better coordination and funding of cooperative library activities.

Maine’S Btop Information Commons Project: The Building Block To Statewide Digital Literacy Efforts, Janet Mckenney

Maine Policy Review

Although Maine is a rural state, it has had success in keeping pace with technological changes since the rise of the Internet 20 years ago. In this section, authors describe some of these successes and the challenges faced by both consumers and libraries in the new digital environment. Janet McKenney discusses the recent BTOP [Broadband Technology Opportunities Program] federal grant that has increased the number of computers, workstations, and videoconferencing units in Maine libraries and is providing training and online learning resources to unemployed, low-income and senior citizens, along with assistance to local librarians to increase their technology skills.

The Maine School And Library Network, Thomas L. Welch

Maine Policy Review

Although Maine is a rural state, it has had success in keeping pace with technological changes since the rise of the Internet 20 years ago. In this section, authors describe some of these successes and the challenges faced by both consumers and libraries in the new digital environment. Tom Welch describes the development and importance of the Maine School and Library Network [MSLN], a pioneering effort that has brought inexpensive high-speed connectivity to all schools and libraries in Maine.

Maine’S Three Ring Binder, Fletcher Kittredge

Maine Policy Review

Although Maine is a rural state, it has had success in keeping pace with technological changes since the rise of the Internet 20 years ago. In this section, authors describe some of these successes and the challenges faced by both consumers and libraries in the new digital environment. Fletcher Kittredge presents the history and promise of Maine’s “Three Ring Binder,” a new and important fiber optic network that will bring high-speed broadband connectivity to rural parts of the state. The Three Ring Binder is expected both to improve economic opportunities for businesses and to increase high-speed Internet access for ...

Are Libraries Necessary? Are Libraries Obsolete?, Linda Silka, Joyce Rumery

Maine Policy Review

Libraries are under siege. They face competing demands not only from different people but also from the same people at different times. Some assert that libraries must continue to strengthen their role as physical centers at the heart of their communities. Others argue that the future of libraries is at the leading edge of the revolution in digital information technologies. The authors introduce this special issue of Maine Policy Review on libraries and information. They provide an overview of the importance and complexity of the issues underlying these varying visions for how Maine libraries should serve their communities in the ...

Community Dialogue For Peace, Alida Furaha Umutoni, Elly Musafiri, Paul Rutayisire, Charles Gasarasi, Justin Murwanashyaka

Peace and Conflict Management Review

No abstract provided.

Utility Manual (2012), Bill Young, Steve Wyatt

MTAS Publications: Full Publications

The purpose of this manual is to provide cities with a better understanding of funding water and sewer utility operations.

Pstat: Promoting Sustainable Transportation Among Teens, Jordan Bryner, Yi Ying Chin, Candice Patton, Rebekah Patton, Christopher Stanfill, Rick Wheeler, Jeffrey Keith Clark Ii, Paul Frymier, Chris Cherry, David Irick, Leon Tolbert

Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Publications and Other Works

Can an innovative, team-based, hands-on design and construction project involving high school students change their attitudes and personal preferences for transportation to favor lower impact modes? This was the main question PSTAT (Promoting Sustainable Transportation Among Teens) sought to answer. Since the last decade, global climate change has fuelled increased development of alternative transportation modes that have lesser impact on the environment. However, society is not embracing the change with open arms. Therefore, there is a critical need for a paradigm shift, which could be especially timely for teen-aged students starting to adopt their own personal transportation preferences. By exposing ...

Tap Water Treatment And Testing, Matt Oswalt

Anthropology Undergraduate Research (COLA)

Introduction

My research is focused on how the water we drink is cleaned and filtered and whether or not it is safe to drink the water from the tap.

Women And Economic Development In The Middle East And North Africa, Lindsay Markle

Student Papers in Public Policy

Women in the Middle East and North Africa face daily challenges due to gender norms in society. These norms are rooted in culture, religion, and family structure and affect the way women are able to participate in their economy and public sphere. In an age of globalization and an increasingly open economy, governments in the Middle East and North Africa would benefit financially from incorporating more women into their workforce.

School Of Public Affairs Newsletter, Vol. 2, Iss. 2, Kristy Modrow

School of Public Affairs Newsletter

No abstract provided.