Public Policy Commons^™

Unmas Annual Report 2019, Unmas

Global CWD Repository

The work of UNMAS makes a difference in the lives of people. In its role as United Nations mine action coordinator, UNMAS enables and accelerates many of the core activities of the United Nations — from humanitarian action and peacekeeping to sustainable development and peacebuilding. In 2019, the clearance of landmines, explosive remnants of war (ERW) and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) paved the way for food distribution centres, playing fields and schools. Roads were made safe, ensuring that people could travel to markets, humanitarian workers could deliver assistance, and peacekeepers could go on patrol. UNMAS, guided by the United Nations …

Iraq Programme Report 2019, Unmas

Global CWD Repository

Transition: In 2019, UNMAS Iraq, along with its implementing partners and in collaboration with other United Nations (UN) organizations, continued to contribute to that end despite continuing security threats where we work, political uncertainty, social unrest, and reduced fund-ing for our clearance work, risk education programmes, and technical assistance provided to our Iraqi counterparts. In response, UNMAS Iraq:

• Clearance: Introduced a new business model with a reduced “international footprint”. By gradually reducing international staff and re-deploying the remainder from “hands on” clearance tasks to exclusively supervisory, consultative and quality assurance roles in support of an increased, fully qualified local staff. …

The Working Public’S Perceptions Of Service Dogs: A Phenomenological Investigation Of Gatekeepers’ Experiences, Angela M. Dial

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The purpose of this study was to capture the essence of the working public’s experiences with, and perceptions of service dogs. The population for the study was the working public of Kentucky, who through their employment, have experienced first-hand the phenomenon. A phenomenological framework informed the research design. In-depth, unstructured interviews were conducted to obtain data. Interview transcriptions were analyzed according to suggestions from Moustakas (1994) and Hycner (1985) regarding phenomenological research. The results of this research study naturally formed into five themes. Findings showed prevalent misunderstandings, confusion and lack of knowledge regarding service dogs, including how to identify a …

Social Disorganization Theory: The Role Of Diversity In New Jersey’S Hate Crimes Based On Race And Ethnicity, Dana Maria Ciobanu

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

The purpose of this correlational panel study was to test Shaw and McKay’s theory of social disorganization by examining the relationship between demographic diversity and hate crime rates. The study focused on the relationship between the level of diversity, residential mobility, unemployment, family disruption, proximity to urban areas, and population density in all 21 New Jersey counties and hate crime rates. The existing data of Federal Bureau of Investigations’ hate crime rates and the U.S. Census Bureau’s demographic diversity were operationalized as the percentage of Whites over all other races, and social disorganization from the 21 counties of New Jersey …

Preparing For A Changing Climate: The State Of Adaptation Planning In Maine’S Coastal Communities, Eileen Sylvan Johnson, Esperanza Stancioff, Tora Johnson, Sarena Sabine, Haley Maurice, Claire Reboussin

Maine Policy Review

Climate change is having a range of impacts on Maine’s coastal communities, impacts that will be further exacerbated by increased coastal flooding, storm events, and a warming Gulf of Maine. To better understand the status of adaptation planning by Maine coastal communities, we conducted a survey and in-depth interviews with decision makers from coastal communities. We found that communities are addressing the effects of climate change and have moved towards specific implementation strategies. Adaptation planning to date includes incorporation of climate change impacts in comprehensive planning and addressing impacts on roads, culverts, and waterfront infrastructure. Respondents indicated the need for …

At The Confluence Of Public Policy And History: The Value Of Historical Thinking In Public Policy Development, Daniel S. Soucier

Maine Policy Review

Daniel Soucier explains why conversations between those who study how policy decisions affected society in the past and those tasked with shaping the future are beneficial.

Beyond Repair: An Investigation Of The Experiences, Interpretations, And Self-Construction Of Black Women Welfare Recipients In The Deep South, Eniyah C. Willingham, Eniyah Willingham

Senior Projects Spring 2019

Based on six in-depth interviews with Black women in the Metro-Atlanta area who have at some point in the past ten years received welfare assistance, this project serves to understand how Black women relate to the welfare system in the current moment. To best understand their circumstances, I set forth a three-part question: how do Black women welfare recipients experience the welfare system in the current moment?; how do they interpret these experiences?; and lastly, how do these experiences and interpretations lend to how they conceptualize, construct, and/or manage their identities as Black women welfare recipients? I argue that my …

Study On Chinese Immigrants And Chinese-Americans In United States: A Focus On New York City, Xishixin Song

Senior Projects Spring 2019

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Social Studies of Bard College.

Mining The Evidence: Public Comments, Evidence-Based Policymaking, And A Controversial Mine, Sun V. Nguyen

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

In policymaking, evidence-based policymaking is an essential method for influencing policies and decisions by telling decision-makers “what works” (Head, 2008). Western sciences typically make up most of the evidence decision-makers use, but because people are boundedly rational in understanding and incorporating it—politics, values, and beliefs impact thought processes— scholars and policymakers also include other types of knowledge to make decisions. One way for decision-makers to incorporate other types of knowledge into policies is through public comments. Although public comments may provide different types of knowledge to improve policy decisions, decision-makers face challenges with valuing different types of knowledge as evidence. …

Understanding Effectiveness Of A Diverse Board In The Nonprofit Sector: The Role Of Board Inclusion & Critical Mass Of The Diverse Board Members, Suparna Dutta

Theses and Dissertations

Using rated responses from nonprofit CEOs who participated in the 2016 BoardSource national survey, this study investigates whether nonprofit board inclusive behavior or board inclusive practices are positively correlated with nonprofit board effectiveness. It further examines whether a critical mass of racial and ethnic minority or women board members may moderate the relationship stated above. To answer these questions, the study tested six hypotheses using principal component analysis, followed by hierarchical regression analysis, and found no evidence of statistical significance in main or moderator effects. The study recommends that policymakers should frame policies that ensure mandatory quotas for women and …

Broken Experimentation, Sham Evidence-Based Policy, Kristen Underhill

Faculty Scholarship

Evidence-based policy is gaining attention, and legislation and agency regulation have been no exception to calls for greater uptake of research evidence. Indeed, current interest in “moneyball for government” is part of a long history of efforts to promote research-based decisions in government, from the U.S. Census to cost-benefit analysis. But although evidence-based policy-making (EBPM) is often both feasible and desirable, there are reasons to be skeptical of the capacity of EBPM in governmental decision-making. EBPM is itself bounded by limits on rationality, the capacity of science, the objectivity of science, and the authority we wish to give technocrats. Where …

Automated Vehicles Have Arrived: What's A Transit Agency To Do?, John Niles

Mineta Transportation Institute Publications

Ongoing innovations in automated and connected road vehicles create a path of radical transformation of personal mobility, the automotive industry, trucking, public transit, the taxi industry, urban planning, transportation infrastructure, jobs, vehicle ownership, and other physical and social aspects of our built world and daily lives.

In considering automated vehicle (AV) deployments and their cost, as well as the changes in traffic volume, congestion, rights of way, and the complexities of mixed fleets with both automated and non-automated vehicles, the time frame of impacts can only be surmised.

Still, it is worth considering a framework for understanding and managing the …

The Socio-Economic Impact Of The Disproportionate Occurrence Of Asthma In The State Of Mississippi: Should Reporting Be Mandated?, Lolita D. Gray, Jahniah Grimsley, Jabria Pearson

Journal of Health Ethics

The state of Mississippi continues to experience a disproportionate occurrence of asthma among its citizens and various associated socioeconomic impacts. The objective of this study seeks to gauge the perception of the participants in regards to this asthma disparity. Specifically, research questions seek responses to following: 1) Will mandated, systematic reporting of asthma occurrences among socioeconomically disadvantaged communities effectively address the asthma disparity and lead to a better quality of life? and 2) Will mandated, systematic reporting of asthma increase the socioeconomic impact among these communities? This cross-sectional study employs a case study methodology utilizing various research techniques, i.e. interviews, …

From College To The City: Implications Of Rail Transit On The Movement Of The Young, College Educated Into The City Center, Lenahan L. O'Connell, Juita-Elena Wie Yusuf, Timothy J. Brock, Benjamain Blandford

School of Public Service Faculty Publications

This chapter focuses on how investment in the American rail infrastructure has shaped changes in the population and residential patterns. Specifically, the chapter examines the association between commuter rail systems, urban rail transit systems, and the movement of the college-educated young into the inner city. Two hypotheses are proposed about the characteristics of rail systems and the relationship to the growth in the percentage of young college graduates residing in close-in neighborhoods. Using a sample of central cities within the 51 largest metropolitan areas in the U.S., the chapter compares the growth in young college graduates (ages 25 to 34 …

Pedal To The Metal: Accelerating The Transition To Electric Vehicles, Nicole Larson

Pomona Senior Theses

This thesis explores barriers to widespread adoption of electric vehicles and proposes possible policy solutions. It analyzes main barriers including awareness, upfront cost, and range anxiety, as well as existing policy solutions, and a detailed case study examining policy differences in high adopting versus low adopting states. Awareness and eduction surrounding electric vehicles and their capabilities, financial incentives and market mechanisms for reducing costs, and charging infrastructure and efficiency improvements are examined. Conclusions were formed through interviews with various experts as a method of data collection. It was found that many existing state and local level policies could be scaled …

United Nations (Un) Mine Action Strategy 2019-2023, Unmas

Global CWD Repository

The United Nations Mine Action Strategy 2019-2023 is an accountability framework for the UN system. The Strategy reflects the collective engagement of the United Nations Inter-Agency Coordination Group on Mine Action (IACG-MA). Members contribute to the objectives of the Strategy in accordance with their respective mandates and ensure the effective integration of mine action within global and country-level coordination mechanisms, including those relevant to humanitarian, peace and security, and development frameworks.

The Waiting List: Addressing The Immediate And Long-Term Needs Of Victims Of Explosive Weapons In Syria., Hi

Global CWD Repository

This report looks at the challenges linked to the use of explosive weapons in the Syrian context for the provision of adequate immediate assistance and to plan for mid- to long-term assistance to the victims of explosive violence, to ensure their full recovery and inclusion into society. It is based on data and testimonies collected from humanitarian agencies, actors and patients across all areas of control in Syria. The testimony of Farah, a Syrian girl injured during the bombing of her school, and of her mother, is shared throughout the report to illustrate the challenges faced by victims.

The report …

Framing The Debate: The Role Of Gender, Beneficiaries, And Cost In Paid Parental Leave Policy Support, Kimberly Anne Saks Mcmanaway

Wayne State University Dissertations

In 1963, President John F. Kennedy’s Commission on the Status of Women found that the lack of income security during pregnancy and childbearing “one of the major remaining gaps in the protection of workers against losses of income,” (American Women 1963, p. 27). Despite popular support for such a policy, the United States remains one of only three countries that does not have a such a policy (OECD, 2017). Commentators have argued that the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 was successful due to the diverse coalition behind it which included feminist groups and conservative religious organizations alike. The …

The Impact Of Faith-Based Organizations On Schools And Families For Prevention Of Bullying And Youth Violence, Jason L. Groce

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The lack of research regarding the potential relationship between the reduction of bullying through participation in faith-based organizations may have failed to expand available bullying intervention methods. Faith-based organizations could assist in reducing bullying via moral instruction, boundary-setting guidance, social engagement techniques, and understanding social engagement with the bully's parents. This study explored the relationship between bullying and involvement in faith-based activities through (a) discovering the association between the reduction of bullying incidence or inclinations and faith-based activities, and (b) identifying the mechanisms responsible for the suppression of bullying orientations and behaviors through faith-based activities. The theoretical construct of the …

Effect Of Hot Spot Policing On Reducing Officer Stress, Alfred Henry Hollie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Police officers endure various threats ranging from verbal abuse to physical attacks, which can escalate and lead to police officer stress. Despite the abundant research exploring the relationship between high-stress occupations and environmental health, adequate exploration of the relationship between officer stress and hot spot policing (HSP; area with an above-average level of crime) has yet to occur. The purpose of this correlational study was to use Cohen and McKay's conceptualization of the stress-buffering hypothesis to explore whether HSP mitigates the negative impact of job stress, leading to improved officer performance and ultimately improved relationships between the police and communities …