Digital Commons Network^™

Review Essay: Ibn Khaldun On Sufism, Eslam Elbahlawan

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Desistance, Emancipation, Empathy, And Pedagogy: The Incarcerated Teaching Artist’S Approach To Poetry, Ghostwrite Mike

Journal of Prison Education Research

The Art of Recovery and Therapy (ART) leisure time activity group at Valley State Prison (VSP) in Chowchilla, California, is a resident-led arts and humanities-based self-help forum that has been available to carceral state residents for more than a decade and is administered in collaboration with full-time, non-custody, civil servant facility staff (CDCR site, n.d.). ART is among the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s (CDCR) longest running and most autonomous creator habitats founded and facilitated entirely by resident practitioners. ART wields a codified state regulatory authority to function and fundraise (Cal. Code Regs. § 3233-3237, 3240) as well as …

Bridging The Gap Between Muslim Students And School Leadership In The United States, Sahar Khawaja

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Entering the third decade of the 21st century, the political landscape in the United States presents a challenging environment for Muslims, mirroring the global trend of oppression and discrimination faced by this community (Neptune, 2021). Despite being the fastest-growing demographic in the nation (Lipka, 2017), Muslim Americans increasingly encounter discrimination. By actively addressing and dismantling these stereotypes, educators can cultivate an inclusive environment where the needs of Muslim students are understood and respected. Understanding the stories and experiences of these students is vital for school leaders, as it enables the creation of an environment where every student feels a genuine …

H.B. 22-1326: Analysis Of Colorado’S Fentanyl Policy, William Morris

Undergraduate Theses, Capstones, and Recitals

Fentanyl is one the most potent drugs on the market, its synthetic nature makes it is one of the deadliest at the lowest quantities. Many of its injectors are entirely unaware of its existence when they consume cocaine, methamphetamine, Xanax, ecstasy, and heroin. Nationwide and within Colorado, the use of synthetic fentanyl has perpetuated a crisis that threatens the health and safety of numerous communities, with both fatal and non-fatal overdoses continually on the rise. In 2022, Colorado passed H.B. 22-1326, aimed at curbing fentanyl deaths and non-fatal overdoses, by further criminalizing fentanyl possession. Understanding the effectiveness of felony-heavy drug …

Modeling The Impact Of Nato Policy Actions On Taliban Disinformation Campaigns With Lotka-Volterra Models, Timothy Tarter, Bella Santos

Graduate Research Conference (GSIS)

In this paper, we use an adaptation of the Lotka-Volterra Predator-Prey framework (via Affilit Et. Al.) to model the relationship between Taliban disinformation campaigns and NATO’s attempts to counter them. We find that aggression is a significantly preferred strategy over stagnation; this result should prompt decisionmakers to take strong stances against disinformation campaigns while maintaining a healthy defense against retribution. This leads us to propose the NATO Afghan Youth for Change program, which provides scholarships to individuals throughout the Afghan diaspora to become NATO influencers - a role which will both advance their personal goals and mitigate the spread of …

Public Surveillance And Human Rights: The Chilling Effect Of Surveillance Technologies And Legal Debates In Europe, Anna Calabrese

Graduate Research Conference (GSIS)

The rapid advancement and intense deployment of surveillance technologies pose a profound threat to fundamental human rights and render the balance between national security and rights and freedoms guarantees even more challenging. This paper interrogates the menace that digital tracking such as IMSI-catchers and other sophisticated tools represent to contemporary democracies with a specific focus on their potential to introduce a “chilling effect” to deter individuals in political and social communities from exercising their freedoms of speech, expression, association, thereby endangering the core values of all democracy. This analysis offers an overview of the state-of-the-art in Europe and highlights recent …

Peace Engagement And Non-Negotiable Commitment Through An In-Depth Lens (P.E.N.C.I.L) Theory: A Film Perspective On Un’S Conflict Resolution, Edward Moses Sam Selvaraj

Graduate Research Conference (GSIS)

This paper introduces the P.E.N.C.I.L. Theory—Peace Engagement and Non-negotiable Commitment through an In-depth Lens—as a metaphorical and analytical framework for understanding the United Nations Security Council’s role in conflict resolution. Using the symbolic structure of a pencil, the theory critiques the Council’s decision-making power ("the lead") and its human consequences ("the eraser"), highlighting how failures in peacekeeping and diplomacy disproportionately affect civilian populations. Drawing on constructivist theory, the paper argues that norms and social narratives, especially those shaped by cinema, are critical in holding international institutions accountable. Through close analysis of films such as Hotel Rwanda, Sometimes in April, and …

Probation Officer Perspectives Of Rehabilitation Programs In The Federal Bureau Of Prisons, Brandon Christopher Harper

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to better understand the federal probation officer's perspective of rehabilitation programs in the federal bureau of prisons. The following research question provided a guide: What are federal probation officers' perspectives regarding the success of rehabilitation programs offered in the federal bureau of prisons? Semi structured interviews were conducted with 10 employees of a federal probation office located in the southern United States. Interviews were conducted using Zoom and audio-recorded and transcribed to text files for thematic analysis. The main findings in this study included the need to tailor programs for prisoners to …

An Assessment Of Virginia's Temporary Detention Order Process: Impacts On Public Services Delivery And Stakeholders, Teresa Gale Smith

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Stakeholders contend Virginia’s public system of mental healthcare lacks adequate access to services, and its temporary detention order process contributes to undue burden on individuals, state and private hospitals, and law enforcement. The purpose of this applied study was to analyze Virginia’s mental healthcare system to identify factors that can be altered and best practices that can be implemented to improve care for citizens admitted under temporary detention orders. The study did this through triangulation of data collection methods including archival dataset analysis, secondary document analysis, and semi-structured interviews. Additionally, the study examined the literature and offered suggestions for best …

State-Based Law Enforcement Accreditation Outcomes: A Multiple Case Study In Texas, Thomas L. Sanders

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The 21st century has brought new challenges to the nation’s law enforcement organizations, with agencies having to achieve a higher service standard to meet society’s demand for transparency, responsiveness, and justice. Prompted by presidential task force recommendations in 2015 and 2020, law enforcement agencies have sought methods to raise their organizational standards to build trust and legitimacy of policing in their communities. Based on federal guidelines, the accreditation of law enforcement agencies and implementation of the best practices in law enforcement throughout the nation have taken root in American policing. On a national level, the Commission on Accreditation for Law …

Nonstationary Heterogeneous Panels With Multiple Structural Changes, Badi H. Baltagi, Qu Feng, Wei Wang

Center for Policy Research

Nonstationary panels have been widely used in empirical studies in macroeconomics and finance. This paper considers multiple structural changes in nonstationary heterogeneous panels with common factors. Kapetanios, Pesaran, Yamagata (2011) showed that unobserved nonstationary factors can be proxied by cross-sectional averages of observable data. This means that unobserved error factors can be treated as additional regressors, and different break points in slopes and error factor loadings can be considered as multiple breaks in linear regression models with panel data. We generalize the least squares approach by Bai and Perron (1998) to nonstationary panels and show that the break points in …

Measuring Interoperability Within Nato: Adapted Off-The-Shelf Or Bespoke Solution?, John R. Deni, Matthew R. Macleod, Sarah E. Stewart, Katherine M. Banko, Adrian Jones

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

Despite decades of work on interoperability, NATO Allies cannot measure, assess, and build upon it fully and accurately. The lack of agreed formats or standards for collection, management, and the communication of findings have prevented the Allies from developing common interoperability measurement and assessment tools. Nonetheless, NATO could adopt extant standards, methodologies, processes, or tools to achieve its interoperability objectives. Testing this notion through use cases, the authors identify practical and conceptual hurdles to adopting an off-the-shelf solution. They conclude that the Alliance may need to create assessment standards, methodologies, processes, and tools from scratch, despite the difficulties of doing …

The Importance Of Keeping The Constitutional Foundation Strong, Ellie Shoemaker

Helms School of Government Spring Public Policy Conference

A house with a weak foundation will inevitably fall. Foundations are essential to the rise and longevity of everything built. From architecture to ideas, governments are no different. They need strong foundations to guide laws and to shape the nation’s future. America’s foundation is its Constitution; it is the cornerstone for the Liberty American citizens enjoy and the Justice system that maintains law and order, it outlines what the founding fathers desired for the country, laying down the framework for the rights of citizens for generations to come. Every law must align with the Constitution as it continues to provide …

5 Keys To Global Dominance: ​ Examining China's Strategic Resources​, Zachary Renner, Grace Marie Farina, Grant Alexander Fellers, Jolie B. Hewitt, Samuel Truth Lemire, Reagan Grace Jones, Madolyn Sara Moore, Anya Veinberg, Gavin Dawit Sweeney

Helms School of Government Spring Public Policy Conference

The People’s Republic of China has become a significant international power by waging a form of unrestricted warfare on the United States and other Chinese competitors. Admiral John Arbuthnot Fisher believed controlling five key straights would give a nation global dominance. In the 21st century, international cooperation has created an environment where a nation must possess more than a geostrategic monopoly to control the world. Following Admiral Fisher’s philosophy, this paper looks at five key areas of interest that a nation would need to control to secure dominance. Simultaneously, it will discuss how the PRC attempts to control these areas …

A Modern Strategy To Combat Pornography, Dennis Izhboldin

Helms School of Government Spring Public Policy Conference

In keeping up with 2025’s Public Policy Conference theme, “Legacy of Freedom,” it would be beneficial to discuss the importance of freedom from addiction, especially related to pornography. The purpose of this essay is to assess the political feasibility of sweeping prohibitions on the access of pornography. To aid in the development of the essay, research was conducted which consisted of utilizing academic reports documenting the consequences of pornography on both its consumers and those featured in sexual scenes to set a background for the paper as well as survey data exploring public sentiment towards pornography and potential restrictions on …

Reigning In The Federal Reserve, Dylan Coombs

Helms School of Government Spring Public Policy Conference

Since the inception of the Federal Reserve Bank in 1913, the United States economy has experienced a cycle of “booms and busts,” periods of expansion and periods of contraction. Inconsistent monetary policy on the part of the Fed has led to both record inflation, and at times, dangerous deflation. Though these cycles persist, congress has continuously expanded the Federal Reserve’s authority to combat the very phenomena it created. The Feds current mandate, under the Federal Reserve Act instructs the bank to, “promote effectively the goals of maximum employment, stable prices, and moderate long-term interest rates.”[1] The statutes vague language …

Eastern Strategic Thought And Its Connection To Confucianism, Taoism And Chinese Buddhism Compared To Christianity In Western Strategic Thought, Joshua Harden

Helms School of Government Spring Public Policy Conference

Belief, whether religious in origin or the culmination of experiences and wisdom is part of the foundation for strategic intent. Personal decisions, situational leadership, and character are derived from the foundational worldview of the individual and this individual is characterized by a multitude of principles that make up their worldview. This can be extrapolated to explore the philosophical underpinnings of eastern strategic thought in comparison to that of western strategic thought. Eastern strategic thought is heavily influenced by Taoism, Confucianism and Chinese Buddhism but to what degree and to what end have these mechanisms influenced eastern strategic thought. On the …

Sex And Labor Trafficking In Cambodia, Kaeli Rasnake

Helms School of Government Spring Public Policy Conference

Human trafficking affects some forty-nine million men, women, and children, with twenty-nine million within the Asian and Pacific region trapped in a web of forced labor, sexual exploitation, and coerced marriage. Human trafficking is now one of the world’s most lucrative organized crimes, generating more than $150 billion a year. Southeast Asia is a particularly vulnerable region, where weak enforcement mechanisms, poverty, and cross-border mobility create fertile ground for trafficking networks. Cambodia has been designated as a tier 3 nation in this region by the U.S. Department of State due to widespread issues of labor and sex trafficking. Tier 3 …

Preventing Inevitable Decline: The Message Plato And The Roman Empire Send To The American People, Emma G. Dayton

Helms School of Government Spring Public Policy Conference

Plato’s Theory of Inevitable Decline outlined heavily in his Republic provides the basis for this paper. One can compare his theory to several governments throughout history, such as the Roman Empire. By examining the Roman Empire, one identifies three areas where the republic erred: education, military defenses, and economic flourishing. Mistakes in these areas led to the country’s downfall. Taking Plato’s theory and drawing from Rome’s example, Plato’s Theory of Inevitable Decline can be tested against several independent variables in present-day America. The state of American decline can be studied by examining her education system, military defenses against outside threats, …

Readings From The Kenyan Constitution: A Critical Discourse Analysis On Legacy And Freedom, Sarah Marjie

Helms School of Government Spring Public Policy Conference

One of the most important documents about historical realities is the Constitution. It establishes the principles of fundamental human rights and institutional provisions for governing a country. Given the above, the study explores the aspects of the 2010 Kenyan Constitution, focusing on the themes of legacy and freedom. It aims to explore the relevant articles and chapters to show how the principles of legacy and freedom are articulated. It does this by paying attention to the language employed, the historical and cultural contexts adopted, and the power dynamics at play in the Constitution. The purpose of the study is to …

A More Perfect Disunion: Warning Signs Of Revolution And Regime Collapse, Elena Mccloy

Helms School of Government Spring Public Policy Conference

In the 14^th Century, the late European Latin lexicon had a new word to describe the cyclical nature in which regimes found themselves moving from periods of prosperity to periods of discontent, with each revolution fueled by the belief that radical change was necessary for survival. History rewards us with the opportunity to examine each cycle of revolution for distinct patterns of recurrence, so that we may be better prepared for the next stages of change. This paper outlines the most common trends indicating political upheaval, studying current and historical examples from The United States, the Middle East, and …

Education Standards In The Us Military, Makayla Donnelly

Helms School of Government Spring Public Policy Conference

The United States military has been observed by many conservative and libertarian thinktanks, such as The Heritage Foundation and CATO, as losing strength and effectiveness. Many outside of these major thinktanks are concerned about why defense takes up so much of the discretionary budget when the military seemingly continues to decline as majority of military branches fall short on their recruitment quotas. To boost recruitment and bolster the US military several branches have reexamined policies and altered them to expand the recruiting pool. One policy that is being investigated for reexamination is education standards. Education standards in some branches may …

Rural Nonprofit Employees’ Perceptions Of Employee Retention, Melody Annette Cole

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In this qualitative case study, the employee retention problem of a rural nonprofit organization in North Carolina was explored. Specifically, the employees’ feelings regarding the issues affecting the organization’s employee retention problem were collected to provide administrators at the organization with recommendations to increase employee retention. Through interviews, participants shared their perspectives on employee retention and why they believe there is a retention problem at the organization. In addition, 10 exit interview records of previous employees were reviewed. Applying the conceptual framework of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the data collected from the interviewed participants and from exit interviews of previous …

The Influence Of Hadrah Arts And Emotional Intelligence Towards The Students Social Skills At Mts Nurusshibyan, Siti Fatimah

Journal of Indonesian Tourism and Policy Studies

This study aims to determine the effect of hadrah activities and emotional intelligence on the social skills of students at Madrasah Tsanawiyah Nurusshibyan, Singkawang City. This research uses a quantitative research method with the use of questionnaires as a data collection tool. The subjects of this study were students at Madrasah Tsanawiyah Nurusshibyan in Singkawang City totaling 181 people with the following characteristics: MTs students, grades VII-IX, 101 female respondents and 80 male respondents. The sample determination used the Slovin formula with a Margin of Error of 5%. The results of the study are as follows: (1) Social skills at …

Mal-Information, The Anatomy Of An “Information Disorder”, Susan Maret

Secrecy and Society

Mal-information is a fairly recent addition to federal policy and the lexicon of political communication with implications for understanding censorship and secrecy during the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper reviews documents authored by IGOs, NGOs, and the US government that mark the evolution of mal-information as true information intended to cause harm. The term, as it is currently employed, is now associated with misinformation and disinformation to create a complex of “information disorders” known as the acronym MDM. In this paper, the creep of the term mal-information and its use by federal agencies such as the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency …

A Narrative Review Of The Covid-19 Infodemic And Censorship In Healthcare, Mitchell Liester, Sohaib Ashraf, Patricia Callisperis, Hector Carvallo, Shankara Chetty, Robert Enzenauer, Carlos Franco-Paredes, Raul Pineda, Panagis Polykretis, Rachel Wilkenson, Peter Mccullough

Secrecy and Society

Ideological and financial motivations have undermined science for decades. In this narrative review, we explore how organizations and governments used misinformation, disinformation, censorship, and secrecy to manage the COVID-19 pandemic. Various rationales for employing censorship and secrecy during the COVID-19 pandemic are examined including how organizations and governments create confusion about the risks associated with their products and blame avoidance to shift responsibility and to avoid accountability for their actions. Methods of censorship employed during the COVID-19 pandemic are reviewed, examples are provided, and the consequences of these actions are reviewed. Information included in this review was obtained from scientific …

Covid Cover-Up: Secrecy, Censorship And Suppression During The Pandemic, Brian Martin

Secrecy and Society

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, most health authorities, governments, and mass media organizations presented a single official view concerning lockdowns, masking, distancing, and vaccines. The methods used against contrary views can be classified into four types: flooding, ignoring, censoring, and attacking. The method of information flooding involves presenting dominant views in a unified front, overwhelming contrary views by volume and consistency. The method of ignoring includes the absence of research on alternative approaches, failure to report on research contrary to orthodoxy, and not mentioning challenging views. Censoring involves active measures to prevent the circulation of contrary information and …

“Burned At The Stake”: Unpacking Disinformation In The Story Of A Coach Allegedly “Terminated” For Expressing Anti-Transgender Women Athlete Beliefs, Ellen J. Staurowsky

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

On August 29, 2023, a video testimony entitled ‘Burned at the Stake’: One NCAA Coach’s Battle to Protect Women’s Sport was released. The film was part of a “female athlete storytelling series” developed and funded by the Independent Women’s Forum (IWF) designed to support the IWF’s stated agenda to “fight to save women’s sports and counter the radical agenda that seeks to erase women” by allowing transgender girls and women on teams that match their identities. The central figure in the video is Kim Russell, then head women’s lacrosse coach at NCAA Division III Oberlin College, who claimed her right …

Mobilizing Prevention And Early Detection Of Alzheimer's Disease And Related Dementias (Adrd) In Allegheny County Through The Area Agency On Aging (Aaa), Laiba N. Mirza

Public Health Capstone Projects

1. Objectives: In collaboration with the Department of Human Services (DHS): the Area Agency on Aging (AAA) using the Healthy Brain Initiative (HBI), my capstone project will involve the development of a comprehensive literature review examining the impacts of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) on patients and their caregivers. The project aims to help the AAA focus on strategies to delay the onset of ADRD in Allegheny County. It also seeks to evaluate and enhance early detection programs for ADRD established by the AAA in communities within the county. Additionally, the project will explore how public health initiatives can …

Health Equity & Parental Leave: Addressing Gaps In Maternal Health Policy, Destiny L. Smith

Public Health Capstone Projects

Objective: This capstone project at Duquesne University will address health equity by focusing on employer-provided maternal and parental leave policies in the United States among underserved groups. It aims to address the gaps in these policies and analyze how disparities in leave policies across different industries can impact maternal and infant health outcomes.

Priority Population Served: This study will primarily target underserved employees who had to take some type of leave policy while working for an intended employer.

Methods: This project will engage in data analysis of the 2024 BIRTH survey results that the Pittsburgh Business Group on …